234 houses continued

Planning application 048313 is on for 7/12/2011 at 1.00 pm.
Those who have made objections and wish to speak at the committee meeting need to advise FCC.

Thought for the day

Local footballer takes his own life, massive coverage in media.
British soldier killed in Afghanistan yesterday, 10 second mention.

Penyffordd Allotments

Penyffordd has allotments next to The Millstone. I think Cllr Cindy Hinds has organised these.  Cllr David Williams has recently sent a flyer around the village to see if there was further interest. The response has been robust.
Gladstone Estate are willing to provide land near Penymynydd church. Even the planning officer is quite enthusiastic.

There will be enough  land for 50 plots. Test ploughing has been mentioned. The area comes with a ready made car park which cannot be said for The Millstone plots.

It is hoped the allotments take off and become well established.

There is good advice here on allotments.

I have an allotment in my back yard. I have a poly tunnel, raised beds, compost bins and a greenhouse made of patio doors. I'm not too keen on growing cabbages but next year we are having a salad garden outside the kitchen.

My main interest is fruit. I have various plants and trees including apple, pear, grapes, a quince tree, plums, damsons, rasberries, strawberries, tomatoes , cucumbers, blueberries, peppers, figs, peach and cherries. Many are in their early stages.

I intend to build a low energy heated seed bed this coming year to start tomatoes etc off early.

Here's a chap who sells fruit tree bits. You choose a rootstock and graft scions to produce cheap fruit trees. Anyone wanting to swap scions please get in touch.

http://www.gb-online.co.uk/prestashop/category.php?id_category=6


Aldi , Lidl, Wilkinson, Poundstretcher, etc sell fruit trees from £3. It's best to get on their mailing lists of special offers if you are interested.

Mean while on the national front Wales now has a budget

Link The Guardian

North Wales Crime Statistics

Carrying on in the same vein here are N Wales crime statistics.

Link UKCrimeStats

"North Wales Police has one of the highest percentages of visible uniformed Officers compared to other Police Forces in England and Wales. Community Beat Managers, working in partnership with local communities, will devote their time and energy to listening to the needs and concerns of local people."

I presume this is a quote from NWP.

Link UKCrimeStats Penyffordd

Police coverage in N Wales

If  NWP are to make savings. Will this be similar to Devon and Cornwall?  Foot soldiers and the back office get hit whilst all the bosses keep their jobs. By bosses I mean those that are not on the front end of the coal face.

Read The Slog

ps. could be a little profanity especially if you wander.

Apparently Penyffordd sheep do not eat trees

Which is a bit of a plus if you have Xmas trees and want to keep the grass short.

Peter and Joy Price have bought a small flock of Shropshire sheep to graze their 10-acre plantation near Llandegla, Wrexham.

This summer he bought eight ewe lambs from established breeders Brian and Beryl Higgins, of Penyffordd.

Where Mr and Mrs Price live is a special part of Flintshire. It's so good our MP lives there, much better than living amongst the proletariat.

postscript: I'm talking pants they live over the next hill, seen the sign for the xmas trees today.



Links
Daily Post
http://www.hansnettfarm.co.uk/ssbreed.htm

A gentleman with my problem

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, added: “While this action is legally dubious, it shows the deep feelings the issue of speed limits and speeding drivers arouses amongst the nation’s 62 million citizens.

A spokesman for Devon County Council said average speeds in the village were below 30mph.
Standard council practice of downplaying speeding using statistics.

in The Telegraph

Time for North Wales Police Authority to go

in The Daily Post

"Police Minister Nick Herbert made clear PCCs “will not be expected to run the police”, but will be the voice of the people, holding forces to account, and allocating budgets worth tens of millions of pounds."

Our MP Mark Tami supports the current system where police management are unaccountable to the people they serve. Where NWPA have no real power and are of little practical use.

Our local Penyffordd councillors support NWP in their non traffic policing in Chester Rd. It costs votes you see. It upsets the speeders.

It is fair to say NWP have been pathetic in their action over speeders on Chester Rd. Not interested , nothing to do with us.

It would also be fair to say that speeders are not just a Penyffordd problem. A quick scan of the papers this last week reveals, a young man killed in Anglesey, a pensioner killed on the outskirts of Wrexham, a car run into a house in Rhyl, a car on its roof in Wrexham. It just goes on and on. Our politicians do not care, from community councillor to MP.

Certain political groups are saying the police should not become politicised. If they did their jobs properly on law and order we wouldn't be in the state we are today. Armed burglary, stabbings, diesel pinching, metal pinching  not a policeman in sight. All safely tucked up in bed, doing paper work or on a diversity or gay awareness course......
Time for change?

How printing money affects the Penyffordd pound

The excellent Dominic Lawson in The Independent

The Red Lion at Penyffordd

Link http://www.redlion-penyffordd.co.uk/

New Central Depot for Ambulances at Dobshill

The Welsh Ambulance Service Trust is expected to announce concrete plans to shut down stations in Flint, Holywell, Mold and Queensferry and replace them with a new central depot in Dobshill, within the next few weeks.

Link Daily Post

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As an infrequent visitor to Upton, Chester I can tell you that lots of Countess ambulances can be a right royal PIA. Upton from an environmental standpoint is ruined. When ever there is an emergency which is about every half an hour sirens blare for about 10 minutes. It's awful.

This H&S policy of siren blasting is not yet happening in Flintshire but for how long?

Wet and Miserable

Nothing happening in Penyffordd. Here's why your energy bills are going through the roof.

Link: The Telegraph

Vounog Hill

One of Penyffordd's more attractive houses.

Taken off Google Streets.
Perhaps a little stretched......

Alison Halford - Consultants, Colds, Housing

Much dirty laundry being aired in public.
That's what blogs are for!

Link Alison Halford

keywords: bear with sore bum

Penyffordd schoolchildren show festive spirit with Operation Christmas Child campaign

in The Flintshire Chronicle

Saint Tony Sharps of Northop Hall in The Daily Post

SPEED limits in Flintshire are set to be reviewed.

Flintshire’s Council’s executive committee approved plans to review limits on A and B roads at a meeting yesterday.

Executive member for environment Cllr Tony Sharps said: “We have a tremendous amount of complaints about speeding traffic in towns and rural areas."

“It gives me great pleasure to move this report so we can proceed and satisfy the needs of local people and councillors.”

Speed limits on A and B roads near schools would be included in the review.

in The Daily Post 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So its just not me. The Welsh Assembly Government could help by streamlining requirements to change speed limits. They could also give Flintshire County Council extra funds.

postscript: There has just been another speed traffic survey carried out on Chester Rd by FCC recently so they know the figures.

Chester Rd is a C road that acts similar to an A or B road. It is also a major route to school.

Further Postscript: Speeding on Chester Rd was discussed at Penyffordd Community Council October meeting.

Seating in the countryside (Penymynydd woods - Hope Rd)

Cllr Stan Davies has suggested that a form of seating be set up by the Old Nook, the Water Tower and Brynteg farm. This is an excellent idea. It was suggested that the Hawarden  Estate be approached for three large tree trunks. These areas are a frequent walking area for Penyffordd/Penymydd senior citizens.

One group of senior citizens are affectionately known in our house as "Last of the Summer Wine". ( Scribe Nigel, Colin lolipop and John Large)

The logs of course will need to be much larger than a certain senior citizen's chainsaw........

Colin Everett is coming to town

" Who he" some of you might ask. Colin is the Chief Executive of Flintshire County Council. He is too visit Penyffordd and speak to Penyffordd councillors in the not to distant future.

The Millstone

is closed again....................
Welsh pubs are currently closing at one per day.

postscript: My sources tell  me its opening again next week.............

How to build an Airbus 380 Wing

is on the telly tonight (20.00 hrs). I used to work on Airbus 300 and 310's. These wings however are monsters.

Links
BBC2
Airbus 380

postscript: Good video. The script for Broughton was poor. Is Paul McKinley the only person in Airbus Broughton who doesn't sound like he comes from Liverpool?

Too much time spent on lifting the huge wings. You looked at the factory whilst filming and it looked like a holiday camp. Totally wrong impression on how things really are.

The wings went together like magic. Not much sign of the manufacture of hundreds of thousands of holes and rivets used in construction, or the sub contract companies who make all the parts that are assembled at Broughton.

The stress testing of the A380 total aircraft in Germany was good.
So was the footage taken in at Filton, Bristol which is now owned by GKN.

Penyffordd remembers those that have fallen this coming Sunday

Fighting County Councils

In the last week or two both Cllr David Williams and myself have been taken to task for criticizing Flintshire County Council officers.

Here's a professional. Her crime, taking a video of a council meeting.

Links
http://carmarthenplanning.blogspot.com/
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/user/caebrwyn

postscript: I have nothing against open transparent councils I think they are a requirement in a balanced society. What I am against are the tactics of the likes of Carmarthenshire CC with the collusion of the local Chief Constable, Fire Brigade chief and even the Welsh Assembly Government. It stinks.

What's that phrase? " We work for you "

Six Properties Targeted - Fuel Oil Thefts in Penyffordd

Chief Insp Wareing’s warning comes in the wake of a spate of thefts in the Penyffordd area of Wrexham Road where, according to one resident, six properties have been targeted within a couple of weeks, with the loss of hundreds of pounds worth of essential fuel.

Read full story in The Leader

One of our dogs has been unwell but is getting better

The source of so much trouble and pleasure has been unwell.
The dog that can pull your arm out of your shoulder socket reduced to a wreck.
The dog that has to be taken out whether its the height of summer or two foot of snow on the ground.
The dog that will see of off any silly burglar.
The dog that makes me walk a 1000 miles a year.
The dog that takes me to areas of Flintshire rarely visited.

He is however on the mend. We think he has eaten something that hasn't agreed with him. This is always an issue with some dogs, we try where ever possible to stop him eating something we haven't given him. The vet has given him antibiotics and anti inflammatories. He is now eating again. Another visit today. He finds the vets interesting loads of other dogs to talk to. Our other dog reduces to a quivering wreck at the first hint of the vet building.

To make a dull day brighter

I find because my machine is not loaded with the latest chip and loads of ram some youtube videos jump. So I start the video off then stop it while it preloads then play it.

When are Penyffordd Council going to have proper communication with Penyffordd residents?

Earlier in the week I did the following blog in which I questioned the use of the word "unfortunate" in the council minutes. Nigel the clerk has made a comment over this.

http://penyffordd-district.blogspot.com/2011/11/cindy-and-independents-gang-up-on-david.html

Nigel has Internet the above comment just about proves it.
( As far as I am concerned Nigel has been under orders from Penyffordd Cllrs or Cllr Tom Jones individually not to reveal to me that he has an internet connection ) This situation has been ongoing for the last 5 years.

If I wish to send a communication to Penyffordd Community Council I have to print it out, put in an envelope, attach a stamp and an address, walk to the post office which is over the road or walk to Nigel's house which is 5 minutes away.

Or

I could send him an email which takes seconds.

But the latter is not available as Penyffordd Community Council have decided that residents don't deserve email communication. PCC have decided that council knowledge is dangerous and should be kept low profile as much as possible.

Council minutes are kept hidden in a draw in the post office. That's if someone hasn't borrowed them.

Time to change Penyffordd councillors? Time for an email address for the clerk and email addresses for all those councillors who hide their email addresses.

It should be pointed out that county councillors David Williams and Cindy Hinds have email addresses. David doesn't usually answer my emails.

Community Cllr Linda Vidamour displays an email address. I'm disappointed with Linda for not pushing for the community council to have an official email address.
Part of the downside of being in Cllr Tom Jones' Independent ( keep residents in the dark)  Party.

Time for change councillors whether you like it or not.
Time to become digital.
Time for council minutes to be online.

Driving in bad conditions

Last Friday tea time we had a 20 minute monsoon with an extreme amount of water in a short time. Normal drains are unable to deal with these situations. Chester Rd with its inadequate drains acts as a river with a lot of it diverted down to the farm opposite us. There was a stretch of water all the way across the road outside the post office. Some drivers slowed right down others ploughed straight through.

Lisa was out in this deluge coming from Llanfynydd. It was not a good experience.

I hate driving on roads in poor visibility. There are some who drive at speeds that are dangerous. There are others who tail gate you because you will not drive at speeds acceptable to them.

Then we get accidents like the carnage caused last Friday. Are they really accidents? Many drivers drive at distances where they are unable to stop if there is trouble in front of them. They are not accidents.

Our government (small g) fail yet again allowing lassez faire driving with no proper enforcement or punishment for the idiots who should not have licenses.

Flintshire County Council allow accidents to happen again and again in the same spots. Outside Dobshill garage is one of them.

Poor national and local government.

Penyffordd Bonfire 2011

Volunteers have worked hard today. Looks a little big? A bit of a song and dance the year before last when sparks landed on someone's head.

I think the fire brigade have a hose off a fire hydrant just in case it gets out of hand.

Good news is every thing went well. I often wonder how catholics feel about bonfire night. 

Penyffordd district property sales

Some of these may be have been repeated recently.
----------------------------

Sales recently added within 500m of CH4 0LS	Edit location
13 Corwen Way £95,000 Penyffordd, CH4 0JW 2nd September 2011 3 Towers Way £155,000 Penyffordd, CH4 0JS 25th August 2011

Sales recently added within 500m of CH4 0LJ	Edit location
34 Coed Y Graig £185,000 Penymynydd, CH4 0XD 18th May 2010

Sales recently added within 500m of CH4 0HP	Edit location
34 West View £169,000 Penyffordd, CH4 0HR 25th August 2011

You can search all these sales totally free of charge by going to OurProperty.co.uk.

Noise continued

Just found this. What on a Friday night? Why aren't you out in Wrexham you might ask? Been there, done that, got the tee shirt. ( I'm having a cheap beer, one that's not from a pub)

The Welsh Assembly Government don't want to know about noise, one reason for their dissolution. Most governments are similar. Only the China and Hong Kong have active programs.

The Telegraph have the story.

Noise - Why do people put up with it?

Here is the noise survey for the proposed White Lion. Why people will pay up to £400,000 to live in dwellings where traffic noise can be heard is beyond me.
All the cheaper houses are nearest the main road would you believe.

ps All the houses will be built with radon protection built into the floor.

Link White Lion Noise Survey

White Lion Development - Penymynydd Rd

Proposed layout. This may be changed. Brown road on left is the old Penymynydd Rd. White road at the top is the Penymynydd to Broughton trunk road. This is a partial view just showing that mentioned above. For full details follow the link.

Link FCC Planning Application  

Housing plan gets the go ahead in Higher Kinnerton

with the promise of traffic calming.

in The Leader

postscript. Is traffic calming for the main road or the development, most probably the latter

Cindy and The Independents gang up on David

Here is minute 118 of Penyffordd Community Council meeting. Cllr David Williams steps out of line with an email. I'm with David on this housing subject. His comments about lack of affordable housing spot on. We need more David's on the council. Other councillors are far too soft.


Scribe Nigel the Clerk to the Council uses the word "unfortunately" twice in this minute. Once when referring to Cindy and another time referring to David. Why is the word unfortunate used? Is it unfortunate to Penyffordd Community Council, unfortunate the Independent led majority of cllrs.  Should the word "unfortunately" be in the minutes at all.


Nigel has put the following comment below. " To my good friend Colin (The Blog) from Nigel (The Scribe of Penyffordd Community Council).
You appear to criticise my use of the word "unfortunately", twice, in minute number 118. You should realise that I am quoting verbatum what the particular Councillor said. It is not my style to repeat words, perhaps you could ammend your 'unfortunate' error,(this is a pun) in your post. Re minute 118. Goodnight."





I feel the council needs a more balanced set of councillors. The Independent group are too weak for Penyffordd and hold too much of a majority.
Time to get rid of the Tom Jones electoral sheet of 8. If they had to stand as individual cllrs and stand all the costs and work individually to be elected most of them would not be councillors today


Many thanks to scribe Nigel for supplying the minutes

118.    PEN-Y-FFORDD DEVELOPMENTS

Cllr Mrs C Hinds referred to an email that had come to her attention, a copy of which she had circulated to members of the Council.

The email was from the Chairman, Cllr D Williams to Mr John Keryakoplis, with copies to various other persons in the village, some of which are involved with local organizations.

The email referred that the new plans for the Butchers Estate are due to go out for consultation shortly.  The Chairman had a viewing of these, and to be blunt he considered them to be a disgrace, and that in his opinion the Planning Officer is not doing his job as he should be.

There is no increase in the amount of land they are prepared to provide for recreation.

Unfortunately Cindy has indicated that she is happy with the new proposal, as she is scared that we may lose out on what they are offering.

Cllr Williams expressed his opinion insomuch that as far as he is concerned they are only offering what we should have had fifteen years ago and we should not allow these developers and landowners to walk over us again.

One other matter to be aware of is that the Community Council is to consider the application for the White Lion site.  This is for 85 houses that include about eight starter homes.  The other 77 are to be detached houses with a starting price of £250,000 going upwards to about £400,000.

Cllr Williams again considered this to be disgusting as the development should have a mix of houses that people in the village can afford.  To have the cheapest home costing £250,000 is obscene, but unfortunately Cllr Williams seems to be the only one on the Council who thinks this.  Unless there is audience at the meeting on Wednesday therefore I am in no doubt the plans will be approved by the Community Council.

Cllr Mrs C Hinds considered the contents of the email to be disrespectful to herself, and all the Councillors, as everyone has their own point of view, which Cllr Williams should respect even if he does not agree with it.

Cllr Williams responded that the new plans (presumably Wood Lane) do not come up with what the Leisure Services want.

With regard to the White Lion development there are in excess of 70 detached houses which Cllr Williams did not consider to be appropriate.

Cllr Mrs E M Davies agreed that the content of the email is disrespectful to other members.

Cllr Mrs C Hinds statd that all the organizations in the village are aware of what is being offered, and are quite happy with this.

Cllr C Bithell considered that the County Councillors had their own views, and will put forward what they want, and this should be made quite clearly with regard to communications with the Planning Officer, and not put over that it is the views of the Community Council.

Cllr Mrs L Vidamour referred to the part of the email, “unless there is an audience at the meeting on Wednesday, the plans will be approved by the Community Council”.

Cllr Mrs Vidamour continued by asking what makes you think that an audience would influence the decision of the Community Council.  She considered this to be an appalling suggestion, which should not have been put in writing.  She considered that Cllr Williams have overstepped the mark.  At the meeting with the developers all pertinent questions had been asked, and the answers had been provided.

The Chairman, Cllr D Williams accepted that he had perhaps acted out of order, and so he apologised.

Cllr J W Bell stated his opinion insomuch that sending letters out to the public is unfair, and such matters should be discussed with the Community Council, and as the Chairman of the Council Cllr D Williams is here to conduct the meeting.

Cllr Mrs L Vidamour stated that Cllr D Williams is entitled to his own opinion, but that he must not speak about it in the way that the Community Council could be swayed.

Cllr Mrs M D Jones questioned whether the Planning Officer knew what Cllr Williams had said, insomuch that the Planning Officer is not doing his job as he should be.

Cllr Mrs J Howood suggested that Cllr Williams should send another email to the people that he had communicated with, stating that he had overstepped the mark.

Cllr Mrs E M Davies commented that in all her years, she has never before experienced action like this.

Cllr D Williams asked members to appreciate that he is attempting to do the best for the community, and that he is not wishing to miss out on anything that would be forthcoming under planning gain, and again asked members to appreciate that anything that he was doing, he was doing with the best interest for the community, and that if he had gone about it in the wrong way, then he apologised.

Cllr Mrs E M Davies referred to Council work over the last thirty years, but it is only over the last ten years that the year has changed with regard to land issues.

She continued that with regard to the previous Wood Lane development that she had been involved with, the developers did not have to provide a football field, but they did. (Is this the football field that can't be played upon because sheep are allowed to graze on thereby making a no go zone for residents to play football on due to possible transfer of animal disease? ) Penyffordd District

What we want now is good facilities, in the youth club, scout hut area, but cautioned that green could result in the builders walking away.

The discussion concluded with the Chairman, Cllr D Williams emphasizing that he was still relatively new to the position of Councillor and Chairman; he reiterated that everything that he had done again was in the best interest, and not for personal gain.

Resolved

That details of the foregoing dialogue be recorded. ( then kept from most people as they are on paper and not in digital format. PD)


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ps. David. If you want a more of an audience to see the workings of Penyffordd Community Cllrs get the council minutes published in digital format. Then they can all go on here. Scribe Nigel's secretary must have the minutes on a computer or does she use a typewriter?

I have been taken to task

by a leading officer of Flintshire County Council. Every morning traffic hammers through the village. Our county councillors David Williams, Cindy Hinds and community councillors continue to ignore this dangerous state of affairs.

I have replied to the leading FCC officer saying that if our councillors and Gosafe did their job properly there would be no need to raise the issue getting personal.

There is currently a measurement of traffic speed going on in Chester Rd. The data produced is static a point in time. What is not shown is that lots of vehicles are in acceleration mode when passing through the device.

The data of course will be kept secret. Nothing to do with Chester Rd community.
Leave it to us highway professionals we know best , you are all stupid.

We are five years into this, you're continuing lack of concern councillors for the safety of our lolipop man, school children, residents, post office users a glaring indictment.

Drag Night at The Red Lion - Ladies Only

Safety Thought for the Day

Are Penyffordd councillors risking the lives of Colin lolipop and school children and their parents who walk to school by failing to get Gosafe to come to Chester Rd at a relevant time. ie. during the morning rat run rather than 11 am Sunday morning?

Our lolipop man Colin nearly gets run over

He's pretty easy to see Colin. He has a full fluorescent yellow coat on. This morning a women nearly ran him over. He had to slam his hand on her car bonnet to stop her.
He was standing in the middle of the road with his lolipop
Colin was rattled.
The incident was witnessed by three others including a former lolipop.
It has been reported to county hall.

A good case for taking the driving license off this women for a while?

A good case for 20 mph to slow down these manic robots whose only thought is to get to work as fast as possible?