Tony Sharps in The Evening Leader again

A month or so ago Tony Sharps was highlighting the speeding in Northop Hall. Today in The Evening Leader reported by the lovely Kate Forrester he highlights the most dangerous road in Flintshire, the notorious Smithy Lane / Oakenholt crossroads. As a regular along this road one can see why accidents happen. Lots of drivers racing on the roads, tailgaiting with heads in the clouds. There is a corner further down passed Iceland Man's ex house where cars come over the white line on the bend every few minutes

He seems big mates with my friend Dave Faulkner, they have most probably known each other for years. So Tony's ok for Pro active lights for the Smithy Lane crossroads and I bet he's getting the Northop Hall speeding sorted too.

To be fair I think Tony has campaigned for longer than our Penyffordd crusade. Tony and myself are members of the same golf club. Although he doesn't know this.............. I thank Tony for his vision with regards the club. Our current owner seems up to the job, even if some of our members moan. It comes with the territory.

ps. If Flintshire County Council made it compulsory 30 mph at the cross roads with lots of road paint backed up with North Wales Police and Arrive Alive it might stop the fatal accidents.

Perhaps I went about this the wrong way. Not that the current method was planned. Perhaps I should have got my bike out and pedaled up to Colin Bithell's house and persuaded him to invite Dave Faulkner ( Acting Director for Regeneration and Environment for Flintshire County Council) for a site meeting here in Chester Road. It's usually very lively after 7. 15 am )

Here in Chester Rd, Penyffordd we await the calming of our daily dose of speeding idiots.

Tony Sharps CC also mentions all the building going on in Flintshire and the lack of proper infrastructure to deal with it.
Here in Chester Rd, Penyffordd we have also the building of houses in Wrexham Areas. Gwersyllt and Brymbo have perhaps 2000 houses built recently. One would expect planners thought traffic would use the Wrexham By - Pass. The problem is it comes to a full stop at Post House Hotel, Chester, this is not a road I would consider at rush hour.

We have seen a vast increase in traffic through the village. Our By-Pass is ignored by large numbers each day. A figure of 2000 seems near the mark. We have yet to add on traffic for Broughton Park Extension, Warren Hall A55 and Warren Hall Business Park.

Are Flintshire County Council happy with allowing an extra 3000? on top of our 2000 through traffic each day. Remember we have a By-Pass.!!!!!!!!!

Flintshire County Council Environment Department have a duty to Penyffordd Residents to block all this traffic from our village.

Business as Usual

Workers from our local aircraft factories continue to storm through Chester Rd, Penyffordd at shift start and shift finish. Airbus have fine sounding words in their Corporate Statement with regards to the local environment around their factories. They have it within their power to ban workers from our village. A phone call to Airbus Filton is a strange experience. "Hello can I have the name of the HR Director in charge of Airbus, Chester?" Answer,we haven't got one.
Email addresses are as rare as hen's teeth.

A Big Thank You to The Flintshire Evening Leader

for highlighting the continuing speeding and noise pollution in Chester Rd, Penyffordd by 2000 cars daily. We are effectively the 2nd By Pass for Penyffordd. I hope our County Councilors will press this matter until the traffic obeys the speed limit.

The applying of the Welsh Assembly Government's "Manual for Streets" to Chester Road, Penyffordd.

I hope for a rural village centre with 20 mph compulsory speed limit, the exclusion of HGV's from the village for our children, residents , horses, and pensioners. We have a By - Pass, a lot of traffic prefers the village. Chester Road is currently a Rat Run.

Click Here for the Full Story

Wrexham Council have excellent traffic calming measures in Rossett, Cefn Mawr and Rhosllanerchrugog.
If Flintshire County Council do not slow all the traffic down ( It is within their power to do so) I will write to Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom for permission to protest block Chester Road during rush hour.

My Sun Newspaper send up of North Wales Police here

The Evening Leader phone.......

Am I available for a photo shoot?

Baby killed when car mounts kerb

Click here.
Here in Chester Rd Penyffordd we await Flintshire County Council's efforts to stop our 2000 daily speeders.

Penyffordd Dragonfly

Click Image to Enlarge

There's a larger green dragonfly hopping around the pond. it seems this one is a different make.

Penyffordd Pond Skaters Sunbathing

Click Image to Enlarge

Gerris lacustris

Pond skaters have thin, brownish-grey bodies and small heads with large eyes. They use their legs to move across the pond’s surface. Using a rowing action the middle pair of legs propel them forwards, often at great speed. The back legs act as rudders while the short front legs seize dead or dying insects that have dropped onto the water. They have sensitive hairs on their bodies and legs to detect vibrations and ripples on the pond surface.

These insects are agile and can jump to evade predators. They are common and widespread throughout the UK.

Pond skaters can be found on most stretches of still or slow-moving freshwater. They have wings and are good fliers. In autumn they fly away from water to hibernate, emerging again in late April.

Link

RSPB

Dear Bill RIP

Click here

Not in Our Back Yard Please

A proposed development resurfaces in the guise of a new town instead of a bolt on.

Click here

Click Image to Enlarge

The Evening Leader Comment - A Messy Defeat for Local Democracy

Flintshire County Councilors have withdrawn the county's opposition to house building on Meadowslea and Dobshill Hospital sites. Other similar actions of objection to housebuilding have failed. The councilors will take the advice given by Flintshire County Council officials. Penyffordd County Councilor Colin Bithell said " Most of us never wanted housing, we wanted some kind of medical facility. The Leader comment finishes with " New homes are needed but only where the supporting infrastructure can absorb the extra numbers."

My Vision for Penyffordd

Penyffordd a small Welsh village with a By - Pass.
Passing traffic to use the By - Pass.
A 20 mph compulsory zone for outside the Post Office and Penyffordd School area in Penymynydd Rd.
The banning of boy racers with loud exhausts using the village as a race track.
Making it impossible using traffic calming techniques for motorcyclists to speed along Chester Road or elsewhere in Penyffordd
The banning of HGV's except for access.

Some of that nice black road surface that has been laid by Flintshire Highways between Penymynydd roundabout and Dobshill for Chester Rd, Penyffordd By - Pass and other areas of Penyffordd. It is most probably dearer than tar and stones but seems to give a lower road noise.
( I notice that there are no houses where it has been laid)

Our councilors past and present have been asleep on watch. It's time to rescue the village from the rat runners and short cutters.

Children's Safety and Exercise

Plan's to exclude cars from schools.

"Taking measures now, like promoting walking to school rather than taking the car, will have big long-term benefits because it could save money from people who would have needed treatment on the NHS.

"At Children in Wales we want to see the right balance struck between providing areas where children can exercise and maintaining safety, so a car exclusion zone allowing children to walk to school would be a good idea."

Click here

Here in Penyffordd we await Flintshire County Council's attempt at traffic calming in Chester Road, Penyffordd. During school term you can see parents in cars with their children speeding past children walking to school.

Our previous Beat Manager PC Ian millington would visit Penyffordd Junior school to educate children to tell their parents to slow down when they speed. A good approach.

The linked article mentions money for traffic calming from the Welsh Assembly Government. Flintshire County Council are applying for money for Chester Rd Penyffordd.

Meanwhile allowing your child to walk to school in Chester Road Penyffordd remains a dangerous proposition.

Lifestyle Choices for Footballers

Roy Keane the Sunderland manager takes a swipe at modern footballers.
Click here

The Three Musketeers - Further Adventures

View the following with the thought that one of these children is your child or grandchild.
My first article here


The Three Musketeers plus D'Artagnan returning after a trip across 40 - 50 mph Chester Rd.
Mr Lampard seems good, 3rd job in the road. Currently knocking down the wall from
next door or sounds like it!

The Three Musketeers (Les Trois Mousquetaires) is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. It recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to become a musketeer. D'Artagnan is not one of the musketeers of the title; those are his friends Athos, Porthos, and Aramis -- inseparable friends who live by the motto, "One for all, and all for one".


This is D'Artagnan on the way to the Post Office. He has just crossed this road that has 40 - 50 mph vehicles every few minutes. The Audi was too close to D'Artagnan at the junction, its an Audi driver thing, they sell lots of these to idiots who have not one second to loose. ( My MP excepted) Education does not appear to preclude one from being an idiot, perhaps our education system?
We come out the house and we are at this same position waiting because D'Artagnan has got his sweets, got on the bike is on the mainroad and is going to turn left into Penymynydd Rd which is my right. He holds out his left arm signalling, we are impressed. He then looses it, he rides in front of our car then up Penymynydd Rd between my car and the pavement on the wrong side of the road.

This road wants closing down. 20 mph Compulsory, HGV's excluded, 24/7 method of traffic calming both directions, that's not Arrive Alive or North Wales Police.
Through traffic to use the By - Pass.

Congratulations to Chris Pullen and Wife

on the arrival of their new baby.

Another Rate Payer having Trouble with his Council

Peterborough Council are threatening a rate payer with an £80 fine for wearing a tee-shirt with the term "Don't piss me off! I am running out of places to hide the bodies.".
His wife bought it for him in the USA.
I can well relate to that after my week of rage last week where I ended up possibly being reported to North Wales Police by Flintshire County Council.
I am making my tee-shirt up but Flintshire County Council will not be able to impose a fine.....

Click here

Life is great in Zimbabwe

http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/631

The Intrusiveness of The Internet on Black American Celeb's

I'm quite tempted to copy this site but do it on Flintshire County Council, one item shows Lionel Ritchie coming out of a sex shop. Perhaps I'll wait six months and see how Flintshire County Council get on with traffic calming the village.

Click here

Meanwhile the Rat Run has been ploughing through
Chester Road, Penyffordd as per normal.

To Rhos on Sea

Click on Image to enlarge
Rhos on Sea The Welsh Riviera

The Internet the "New Wild West"

Click here

Arriva Buses, Transport for Penyffordd People

Links
Website
Their Corporate Responsibilty

External initiatives

We were the first public transport company to sign up to the European Road Safety Charter, which aims to achieve a 50 per cent reduction in road accidents by 2010.

Over the past few years, we have won several safety awards:

• The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) gold award for 'Managing Occupational Road Risk'
• The RoSPA merit award for 'Occupational Health and Safety'
• The Institute of Transport and Logistics 'Excellence in Safety' award
• The Brake 'Best Risk Managed Company of the Year' supported by highly commended rankings in the 'Safety in Vehicle Maintenance' and 'Road Safety in the Community' awards

Environment
http://www.arriva.co.uk/arriva/en/corporate_responsibility/environment/

Corporate Responsibility Contacts

The Actualitee: Speeding and Noise on a daily basis.


The Noise Abatement Society

Forum

BBC Action network

Forum1

Traffic Noise

Coming up to 100 days, not even a rumble strip...............................

Flintshire County Council continue to drag their feet.
No communication,
2000 speeders daily
Arrive Alive and North Wales Police sit on their hands.

Foot and Mouth for Beginners and some Education

Click here

There are no dead cow pictures just interesting stuff on why we don't use vaccines.

Hey you at The Evening Leader!

Can you get the steaming dead cow in mid air off the front page?
It doesn't make me want to look at the site.

Its not needed ( I see it is now gone)

Education time (from click here)
The Internet gets underneath the whitewash dished out by The Media

Waiting for animals to develop symptoms and then killing them is less effective as a means of preventing the spread of this illness than immediately ring vaccinating the affected area. The Dutch know this. The immunologists know it. It is rejected in Britain by a producer’s cartel who have created a situation where the taxpayer indemnifies them for their business risks and mass slaughter of healthy animals for cash is the raison d’etre of their business.

Jonathan Miller

LINKS

Warmwell

Dogging in Penymynydd Woods

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Wrexham Council Loads a Money

I read in The Evening Leader that Wrexham Council have a surplus of £16 million. All their villages seem to have proper traffic calming too.

Wikipedia on Corporate Manslaughter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_manslaughter

North Wales Police

are not doing their job. Shift workers from Airbus continue to speed through Chester Rd, Penyffordd. Airbus are being Corporately Irresponsible by allowing their workers to upset our village environment with noise pollution and dangerous speeding in a village that has children , horses and OAP's. Airbus have it in their power to ban their workers who do NOT live in Penyffordd from the village.

We do have a BY - PASS

They have been told about this before but appear to be ignoring Penyffordd Community.
They ignored my last plea for help for Chester Rd, Penyffordd.

Airbus Corporate Statement (Click here)

The highly respected Det Norske Veritas (DNV) company issued the certification to ISO 14001 standards following an Airbus-wide audit in December 2006. This is a recognition of Airbus' application of a robust environmental management system (EMS) to continually monitor and minimize the environmental impact of its production processes and the company's products throughout their life cycle. The life cycle covers design, procurement, manufacturing, transport, in service operations including maintenance, aircraft end of life and recycling.

Airbus President and CEO Louis Gallois said in becoming the world's only aerospace company to receive such broad certification, Airbus underscores its commitment to taking environmental considerations into account for all of its decision-making. It is a testament to Airbus' commitment to the environmental concerns of today, and is vital to ensuring the sustainable development of the global aviation business over the long term, he added.

Environmental innovations pursued by Airbus in the production process include the pioneering use of a greener, chemical-free milling process for fuselage panels; more environmentally friendly painting processes; and steps to minimise energy and water consumption during the production cycle.

For its aircraft product line, Airbus continues to work on quieter and more fuel efficient jetliners. Its A380 is a new benchmark for fuel efficiency and low noise levels, and aircraft such as the A350XWB will push this envelope even further.

Can't see allowing their workers to speed through our village everyday anywhere in the above stuff.

Road Policing New Zealand Style

This one wa shard to find.

Click here

Further Better Driving Please, perhaps I'm a little premature

Their site misleads but..............

Sunday 22^nd July 2007 – for immediate release

BetterDrivingPlease.com annoys Jeremy Clarkson

Road safety website BetterDrivingPlease.com has attracted the wrath of Jeremy Clarkson, after putting up signs promoting the site outside his Oxfordshire home.

The Top Gear TV star criticised the website in his Sunday Times column today (Sunday 22^nd July). You can read the column here: http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/jeremy_clarkson/article2108760.ece

The idea behind the website is that anyone can report motorists they have seen driving dangerously.

Founder Andrew McGavin put up the signs outside Clarkson’s home.

He said: “It was only going to be a matter of time until BetterDrivingPlease.com caught Jeremy Clarkson’s attention. So I thought I’d skip the wait and put up signs right outside his house. It’s odd he suggests I put them up in the night, as a member of his staff watched me do it during the day!”

“I’ve heard that a few drivers have accidentally driven through his hedge in the past. Maybe with these signs up, it will save his house from further damage.”

Despite the criticism from Clarkson, Andrew is convinced his website is necessary and will make a difference.

He added: “New Zealand has a similar website, with stunning statistics. Drivers reported there are 23 times more likely to crash within a year of being reported. That makes it an effective tool in identifying the worst drivers.”

In his column, Clarkson fails to name the website’s proper address, instead joking it should be called www.interferingzealot.com. The front of the Sunday Times ‘In Gear’ supplement suggests the site is www.shopadriver.com.

Nationally, there are now more than 2,750 reports of bad driving on BetterDrivingPlease.com.

· Check your number plate and area on the database at www.BetterDrivingPlease.com

A Corporate Manslaughter Special

Current Scenario.
Wrexham and Flintshire County Council's get the same amount of money from The Welsh Assembly Government, I am told.

Wrexham Council has its villages tied down traffic calming wise. A visit to Cefn Mawr, Rhosllanerchrugog or Rossett shows various methods of mechanical traffic calming that shut down the traffic 24/7 . No 80 mph motorcycles there. They have 20 mph compulsory zones they take their traffic calming seriously. They have a good Chief Executive.

North Wales Police, Arrive Alive and Flintshire County Council know that 2000 vehicles speed through Chester Rd, Penyffordd daily. I have told them the village centre is used by OAP's, horses and children. They have known this for at least 3 months. Flintshire County Council perhaps a lot longer.

Chester Road in Penyffordd is wide open to speeders. I have told them all that 6 year old children are cycling on a road with 50 mph vehicles. Chester Road is a route to school with speeds of 50 mph.
Current plans that I know about do not include any method of making traffic do 30 mph or better still compulsory 20 mph for village centre.

Flintshire County Council who say they have no money are currently proposing to build a skate park in Connah's Quay. Over £50,000 on Wepre Golf Course

Leisure amenities coming before the Safety of Penyffordd residents, also perhaps Corporate Liability.

Last week a Headmaster from Bangor was found guilty at Mold Crown Court of Corporate Manslaughter (Click link below)
IMHO it should have been the Hospital on trial.
Someone once asked me allegedly, were all lawyers bastards or were all bastards lawyers?



Links
Times Online
Samizdata

My Modus Operandi to record Speeding

Some must think this guy is short of something to do. It's not about that, it's about all these people not treating our village correctly. I personally find standing on the path next to the road best. You need to be nearly full on to the car for the best view of the number plate. For best results fluorescent yellow should not be used. A colour that blends in with your background.
It would be best really if you are hidden as you are likely to get someone stopping because they don't like what you are doing. Or make sure you have someone who is "handy" with you. Also best not to do it outside your own house.

All though I don't like the concept it's like shooting fish in a barrel. There is a speeder past my house nearly every minute of the day from 5.00 am to 23.00 hrs.

I use a digital voice recorder the ones that are used for recording notes or letters. I get the number and at least one other factor such as the colour and make of the car as a back up detail , I also mention estimated speed. Its best to set the time and date on dictaphone.
Then its on to http://betterdrivingplease.com/index3.asp to put the speeders on.

You can use pencil and paper or a good camera.

Meanwhile Flintshire County Council prepare our road calming. They have looked at my blog today. I don't think leaning on me will do them much good. We shall see.

Further googling reveals that the above scheme may not be taken seriously by the Police for some time yet.

A Database of Speeding Motorists to be kept

I will keep a database of all speeding registrations. After 3 or 6 months, I or perhaps The Evening Leader could ask under The Freedom of Information Act how many speeders have been cautioned by The Police.

Update . Probably none

A Letter to The Chief Constable about Speeding through Chester Rd, Penyffordd.

Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom
North Wales Police

Dear Chief Constable,
As you are aware we have 2000 car, lorries and buses that speed through Chester Rd, Penyffordd daily. Arrive Alive seem to be a very scarce resource and continue to ignore Chester Rd.
I wonder if you have run the Corporate Responsibility implications past the Force's Lawyers?

Flintshire County Council though on the case are uncommunicative and dragging their collective corporate heels. My anger with them boiled over last week. You will be receiving a complaint from Flintshire County Council about my comments regarding Flintshire Highways. I hope for a change of attitude or a regime change that is currently happening in Chester City Council.

I have found a website called http://betterdrivingplease.com/index3.asp
This site allows small communities to report anti social behaviour by speeding noisy dangerous drivers.

I intend to report every speeder past my house. There are 2000 of them. It will take a month or two and will require starting at 5.30 am and continuing untill 10.00 pm.

I have a very good hidden camera, video and a dictaphone. Although all that is needed to report is the registration and type of bad behaviour which is then past on to you the Police.

I expect all valid reports will be investigated by your officers (or perhaps not read later post). You may be needing extra resources. I am quite happy to pay for a peaceful village as laid down in the Welsh Assembly Government's Manual for Streets

Name and Address Supplied

ps. Loud illegal exhausts are also an issue for many of us out here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Links Manual for Streets

Rage turns to Joy...............................................................

Road Rage

I find many drivers a pain these days. Tailgaiting and pushing. I have altered my behaviour after talking to PC Chris Pullen.

Click here

Aristocrat charged with Road Rage

Click here

It says Range Rovers are 2.5 tons. I would like it to become an offence for vehicles similar to this tail gaiting you at 70 mph. Of course it is an offence but appears to be one not enforced. I find the mobile phone whilst driving offence not as important as the above. HGV's which tailgate I find criminal, the drivers should be banned off the road.

Manual for Streets - The Assembly's Plan for Welsh Villages

This is the Department of Transport's Communities and Local Government Manual for Streets. It is to be used by The Welsh Assembly Government for Welsh villages. On the front you can see children playing just off a village road with a moving car in the background.

Click here

This document covers non trunk roads. Currently not sure of Chester Road's designation.

Foreword 6
Preface 7
1 Introduction 10
2 Streets in context 14
3 The design process - from policy to implementation 22
4 Layout and connectivity 40
5 Quality places 50
6 Street users’ needs 62
7 Street geometry 78
8 Parking 98
9 Traffic signs and markings 114
10 Street furniture and street lighting 120
11 Materials, adoption and maintenance 126
Index 138
Contents

Some Lesson's from a Legendary Blogger

Steve Jobs is the head of Apple Computers. The blog below is by someone who pretended to be writing Steve Jobs' Daily Blog. I think required reading for myself just in case Flintshire County Council pull up short with their traffic calming of Chester Rd, Penyfford.

Click here.

The Phishers come fast and furious

This morning emails from :-

Halifax Bank Plc
Bank of America


My Lottery win and the 10 viagra adverts

I have won the Lottery

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alongside with 9 other as the Second category winner.Consequently you have
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Please note that, you are to contact Richard Fong your claims validiting
officer immediately with the e-mail given below.

Dear Dave (Acting Flintshire Executive for Regeneration and Envirionment)

Hi there

The Rat Run has past through but still plenty of 50 mph speeders flying through

Hope you are enjoying The Eisteddfod

The Brass Bands have been very good

Buckley however didn't get far as they don't speak Welsh in Bwcle (Buckley)

I'm not sure if there if there is any Corporate Hospitality but if there is have

some smoked salmon and red wine on me the rate payer.

I bet it won't be the Tesco cheap stuff I drink.

Here is my offering from the weekend

http://penyffordd-district.blogspot.com/2007/08/three-musketeers.html

regards Colin

ps If the emails are too stressful get IT to send me an email address.

pps Someone from London keeps looking at the blog not sure if its

television, a newspaper or MI6

The Three Musketeers

Click on image to enlarge

It's the school holidays. Here we have the 3 musketeers. They are opposite Penyffordd Junior School. Three cars coming down the hill. The yellow bumps are a token, modern cars can go over them fast. Locals speed up and down here taking and picking up their children to the school.

These three are part of a group of maybe ten who ride up and down this road. Chester Rd is at the bottom where cars do 50 - 60 mph. Many 100's each day. Parents are concerned they tell the children not to go into Chester Rd. Really they should be shouting at Flintshire County Council and our Councilors but they are not. (update my councilor tells me different, I ask for an update)

There should be a risk assessment of the village centre, there is not.

Six year olds do not do risk assessment, a lot of parents have too many things to think about.
Our councilors are not fully on the case.

Flintshire County Council has the data, they know how many speed. The measures currently being shown will NOT stop the speeding.

Oh, by the way, 5 year old children ( or maybe 10 yrs old) have started cycling on our 50 mph Chester Road , I have seen 2 of them this morning.
One of the children has a helmet on, these don't work with a 50 mph collision.

The 100 mph Motorbike Test

I've mentioned this before but perhaps I have a bigger audience. Rossett and Penyffordd are both
ex A roads or trunk roads now superceded by By Passes*. Penyffordd in Flintshire and Rossett in Wrexham.
A motorbike can ride through Penyffordd which is wide open and reach 100 mph before the end of the 30 mph limit.
A similar stunt in Rossett would make you brown bread dead. They have bumps and 20 mph Compulsory speed limit.
The mechanical method protects the village 24/7.
Proactive signs facing in the other direction do nothing.
Horses are ridden on this road by adults and children

* I am currently unaware of the true nature of Chester Road's designation

Old Motorcycle £800

Chirk Car Boot Sale

I'm going to concentrate on 3 new labels

At the risk of boring some.
1. Corporate Responsibility
2. FCC We have no money, all the extra money Flintshire County Council spend after telling Chester Rd, Penyffordd, there is no money left.
3. Fine Talk, this being the "vision thing" against the reality

North East Wales Border and Coast on Welsh Environment

Valuing our Environment

The Wales Spatial Plan was adopted in November 2004 and seeks to reflect the different challenges and opportunities faced in different parts of Wales. It is designed to ensure that we in the Welsh Assembly Government and others in the public, voluntary and private sectors can make the right investment decisions and interventions for the benefit of all Welsh communities and citizens.

Heritage and Culture

More needs to be done to ensure all buildings, new and existing, are sustainable. A high quality and attractive environment is crucial for environmental sustainability in addition to creating a safe environment which instils a sense of community and pride of place.

Flintshire County Council and Councilors please note, Chester Rd, Penyffordd is not a safe environment with 2000 speeders a day.

All quiet on the Western Front

Its 1300hrs, We have been in an hour an not one racing motorcycle down the by-pass. It's funny how human beings trivialise gruesome events into common phrases as in the title. The villages around Wrexham all have monuments to those lost in the First World War which were emptied of their men folk.

Buckley Band do The Eisteddfod

MBM Incineration

Click here.

As an additional safety measure, the MBM incinerated by Fibrogen does not contain any traces of spinal cord (the part of the cattle that could be infected).’ (Will our's?)

It added ‘Fibrogen have a number of very strict safety procedures in place to ensure that the ash is transported and disposed of in a safe manner. When the ash is transported to and from the plant, it is in sealed, airtight containers. It is then incinerated at 1200 degrees centigrade. The ash that remains is then transported, in sealed containers, to the landfill site where it is put into an airtight silo and covered with water to prevent any spread. It is then put into the landfill site and immediately covered with other material.’

They also noted that ‘Fibrogen regularly send samples of the ash for testing and those from the chimney beat the standards for emissions set by the environment agency. Fibrogen are currently looking at improving the standards in relation to the ash at the bottom of the grate, this is in accordance with new standards set by the European Union’.

Finally, it concluded, ‘any risk associated with the process of incinerating MBM at Glanford is less than one in 100 billion’.

Pretty long odds then by any standards. Even so, what matters is the perception of risks, and for many people it seems, statistical estimates are less convincing than what looks like real and present dangers. For good or ill then, the MBM issue goes to show yet again just how unpopular combustion is as a way of dealing with wastes of whatever kind. Maybe the technology can be improved. Certainly it must be if we are to continue with waste combustion. But, in an very competitive energy market, there is always the fear that, despite regulatory controls, corners will be cut, and errors made. In which case, given the post -BSE sensitivity of the public to health risks, the prospects for waste combustion of any type look grim.

The implications for waste strategy are clear, and might be positive if emphasis is placed instead on source reduction and recycling. But let's hope that the abandonment of municipal waste combustion and the doubts about MBM does not also undermine the UK’s green power programme.

Colin Bithell's CC Favourite Subject

Emissions from Chimneys.

Arsenic in Poultry Litter Incinerator Click here.
One of the most basic principles of incineration is that what goes in, must come out. There is no alchemy going on, so if there are toxic heavy metals like lead, mercury or arsenic going in one end, they must come out in the form of toxic ash and toxic air emissions.

Copper, iron and zinc are a particular hazard when placed in an incinerator, since they serve as catalysts for dioxin formation.
Campaign. Click here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Incinerators can be stopped.

• In 2005, after years of opposition, the Fibroned project in the Netherlands was stopped when the project's permit was rejected for the second time.
• In 2002, opposition to Fibrowatt's proposed "Fibromiss" incinerator in Magee, MS caused the company to leave town and try locating elsewhere in the county (Mendenhall, MS), where they have been opposed by local residents.
• Green Delaware, a grassroots environmental group in Delaware state has led the effort to ban incineration statewide in 2000, forcing Fibrowatt and other poultry waste incinerator promoters to move their plans outside of the state.
• Carl Strickler, a key player in Fibrowatt's U.S. operation (and Vice-President of the Fibrominn project) was defeated in 1998 when his previous company (Reading Energy) was kicked out of Morrisville, Pennsylvania - a small community outside of Philadelphia - when they tried to build a wood waste incinerator there in 1997.
• -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Incinerate Meat Bone South England Click here

Application to Burn waste here (PDF) Click here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Green Peace - Click here

"Any politician who ignores the groundswell of public support for waste elimination initiatives should be reminded that Parliamentary seats are being lost on the issue of incineration, and councils changed control in Sheffield, Hull and Kidderminster as voters reject this polluting technology. Anti-incineration protests could very well make the road protests look like a dress rehearsal, as the ongoing occupation of the Basingstoke site shows. "

Anti-incineration links

England:
Defenders of the Oust Valley (DOVE)
Capel Action Group
Guildford Against Incineration
Redhill Incinerator
Basingstoke Burner Action Group
Stop Kidderminster Incinerator
RABID (Sheffield)
Sheffield Against Incineration
Byker & Newcastle Waste Group

Ireland:
No Incineration Alliance

Scotland:
Aberdeen No Incinerator Group

Wales:
Stop the Incinerator Campaign (Swansea)
Campaign Against the New Kiln (Many links to other groups )

Sources for international information:
Global Anti-Incineration Alliance

Sources for European information:
No Incinerators for Europe (Many links to other groups )

Implementation of European Council Directive 2000/76/EC on the Incineration of Waste
Click here.

Friends of The Earth - Chemical Release Inventory. Click here.

The Eisteddfod Has begun

Just looking at the highlights on the telly. Not quite my thing. The Brass Bands and The Choirs would be OK though. Flintshire County Council I think will have a Hospitality Marquee. The full works at my expense.........?

Japanese Trapdoor Pond Snails

This was an impulse buy off Ebay. This one's over an inch in length now . They grow to over three inches. Click on image to see better detail.

Colin Everett the New Chief Executive of Flintshire County Council

This is Newport County Football Club where Colin is a Director

Click here

North Wales Safety Forum

I see the above are at The Eisteddfod. Forum member Sonia Thompson quoted "The Welsh Ambulance Trust has a passion to help reduce road deaths and become a key player in road safety education (a very large undertaking) The impact of young people dying within small knit communities is immense and if the Welsh Ambulance Service can contribute to the minimising those experiences and the loss, then that's a step in the right direction.

My thanks to Chester Chronicle.

Fine words from Sonia. Here in Chester Road we have the fine mix of children, Oap's and horses plus 60mph cars, 2000 speeders a day, the occasional 90 mph motorcycle.

Dear John

It's 2 days now and I'm still " at large". A nasty fright last night with a large knock on the door at 9.00 pm, I opened the bedroom window but it was only a friend from up the road. We have turned the house into a fortress, webcams and sensors pointing in all directions, buckets of water ready.
The traffic is quiet this morning just a few Saturday Workers and Arriva buses ploughing through the village.

regards Colin

ps. I have constructed a complaint against Flintshire County Council to give to the Police when they arrest me for sinisterly mocking Flintshire County Council and causing them stress. The complaint will point to Flintshire County Council's continued intransigence whilst Chester Road Penyffordd residents who are mainly very elderly suffer in silence and of the daily stress of unwanted traffic noise.

Spot An Arrive Alive Van Competition

As someone who drives a lot during the day I feel it a little unfair that I drive when Arrive Alive are most active. All the boy racers in their noisy cars don't have to deal with this as Arrive Alive have all gone home having their tea.
Anyway my main point is that I have gone past very few in the last 3 months.

In The Chronicle

Colin Bithell doing some grandstanding about travelers. The servers went down in the week with a momentary powercut. I start muttering about having a third world energy supplier, it turns out it was the travelers in the sub station cutting through live power lines. One of them must have known his electricity.

An armed robbery in Hawarden. It's a small estate, I have a friend there, I get Lisa to phone up to see if he's ok. he's fine. It was someone a few doors along. They even knocked around the pet dog.

A little steam pressure builds over the idea of a new town in Flintshire to deal with our UDP requirement. I have issues with Councilor Aldridge, he hogs all the money for Flint but his idea for a new town has merit. Tony Sharps CC joins him on the band wagon.

Meanwhile here in Chester Rd, Penyffordd the traffic continues to fly by fast and noisy. No sign of Flintshire County Council, Arrive Alive or North Wales Police.

If anyone sees Colin Bithell CC for Penyffordd

Will you ask him to take a trip to Rossett who have exactly the same circumstances as Penyffordd. The middle of their village is a shining example of good community council management and an enlightened County Council. Instead of looking around for fields that have gates open. If I am kept informed I will stay away from the key board.

Next morning ............................................

Well Dave. I've woken up and I'm still here, no dawn raid. Last night we had someone in the alley, was it North Wales Police placing bugs? My wife is frightened by Police, I tell her not to be silly this is modern Wales part of the European Union. I like to think my Beat Manager PC Chris Pullen will take efforts to placate Lisa. I have apologised to my wife for causing her distress.

Computer messing around last night, are the Police trying to get around my firewall? I've moved off site important files so that confiscation of my computers will be a minor issue for work.

Also as a precautionary measure I've emailed all the National newspapers and Television stations. I look at my log and I can see they have and are currently monitoring the blog.

Our traffic frankly is not the same as many main roads in the UK, it is fairly minor, we do however live in a small Welsh village that has a By- Pass. Just the odd 2000 speeders a day. I await Jane Davidson's magic wand with her "Manual for Streets". That's if we qualify, don't know if we are still classed as trunk road.

Please mention to your officers that they have done a lovely job on resurfacing Penymynydd roundabout the surface is superb, much better than the normal tar and chippings.
Pity its not suitable for your 2 planned developments at Broughton.

I await with great interest Flintshire County Council's traffic calming measures.

regards Colin

A shot across the Bow from Flintshire County Council

Dear Dave,

Thank you for the email
Firstly my sincere apologies to Charles Hughes, will you pass this on. I am out of order.

I will comment on each of your points.

Subject: Road Safety Campaign

Mr Hughes,

Your campaign regarding road safety in Chester Road, Penyffordd appears to
have taken a new and sinister direction recently. As Acting Director for
Environment and Regeneration in Flintshire County Council, I can no longer
tolerate your systematic and unjustified campaign against a senior officer
in my Directorate. For your information, and for those on your wider
circulation list, I feel it appropriate to advise you that I am taking the
following course of action:

Flintshire County Council, Arrive Alive and North Wales Police has been aware of this issue for more than 90 days.

1. I am referring your recent emails and the content of your 'blog' to
North Wales Police.
I think this a little heavy handed. We have travellers who have caused untold damage and theft at Dobshill Hospital who will most probably not be sought after for this crime, yet I am perhaps going to be the subject of charges or a possible dawn raid for a little fun and fair criticism of Flintshire County Council. The Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom has received most of the email correspondence. I send it to him. I'm afraid blogs are the new democracy. On the Harry's Place at the top it says " Liberty, if it means anything is the right to tell people what they don't like to hear."

2. I am seeking to block your emails from the Flintshire County Council
IT system. There is no need to do this, It will not work anyway. I will remove the officers from my address book. In future I will address all my complaints at Flintshire County Council as a group.

3. I am reassuring my Officers that they are to continue with their
current proposals to install a speed activated sign on Chester Road.
Part of the issue is that Flintshire County Council have kept me in the dark. No councilor has confirmed anything to me. If you get a copy of the minutes to Penyffordd Community Council meeting July 2007 you will find no confirmation that we are to have a speed activated sign. If its to notify speeders on the way into the village that's fine but what about the 400 speeders who go past my house OUT of the village every morning? My campaign ends when you do the job properly as Wrexham Council have. I am told you get the same money as Wrexham Council.

When we had the meeting with Flintshire County Council some of the first words mentioned was that you have no money. I see in tonight's Evening Leader you have found £54,000 for doing up Wepre Golf club that you as a council let go into disrepair. Last month you were giving Flint yet more money for the Castle area. As a county councilor stated in The Evening Leader, Flint gets what ever it wants.

As you are obviously aware, speeding is an issue for North Wales Police.
Their limited resources have to be used as cost-effectively as possible
across the whole of North Wales. We work in partnership with them on many
issues, including road safety, and I personally take exception to your
'blog' denigrating their proven contribution to reducing road casualties
through pro-active roads policing.
At the moment North Wales Police have done very little for Chester Rd, Penyffordd, a token effort, a bit like giving sweets to kids.
North Wales remains a race track as does Chester Rd Penyffordd

kindest regards Colin Hughes


Regards,

Dave Faulkner
Acting Director/Cyfarwyddwr (Dros Dro)
Environment and Regeneration/Amgylchedd ac Adfywio
Flintshire County Council/Cyngor Sir y Flint
County Hall/Neuadd y Sir
Mold/Yr Wyddgrug CH7 6NF
Tel/Ffon: 01352 704500

Flintshire County Council have had enough

and have decided to lean on me. I think the tongue in cheek spoof Sun Spectacular was too much, I forget I have not the resources of The Sun newspaper.
Perhaps they will sponsor my defence.
I am to be reported to North Wales Police. I would imagine they have had Flintshire County Council Lawyers going through the website. More later.
Postscript.
No thicky it wasn't that.

Hidden Speed Cameras for Unprotected Villages

Whilst I might have exalted company temporarily looking at my blog may I put forward a proposal.
A new sign for unprotected villages. Saying Hidden Speed Camera Zone. Outlay very small, benefit very large. A team of Arrive Alive to occasionally visit villages who ask for signs and have them, liasing with the Beat manager and the Community.
Motorists will not know if speed cameras are present so they have to do the correct speed all the way through the village.
North Wales Police have neither the funding or the man power to deal with this anti social epidemic.

Penyffordd District in The Sun

Click on Image to read.

Miss Butterfly of Penyffordd District

Click on Image

The Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)

To get the butterfly to pose I had to get the butterfly to use its only defence. I had to wave my hand over the butterfly then it would open up to display its beautiful colours in the hope of scaring a bird off by pretending to be something with large eyes.

Link

A Further email from Alun Evans MEP explaining the Workings of the EU

Dear Mr Hughes,

Thanks for your reply.

I am certainly very happy to try to help you on any matters where there is a European dimension and competence. That is indeed my role as an MEP, and I daily take up cases where there is such a European dimension on behalf of Welsh constituents. Issues relating to the noise at your property seem to be matters relating to the actions of the local council and/or Welsh Assembly and so are clearly matters on which AMs and Councillors can assist you. Although you suggest that the EU 'tells us all what to do', this tabloid newspaper claim is not as true as Mr Murdoch would have us all believe. If it were otherwise, there would clearly be no point in having any Welsh local councillors or Assembly members, or even probably any local councils.

The reality is that the European Commission can only exercise powers over the councils or Assembly where that power has been granted to it by the UK national government, and you are certainly my constituent (and that of the other 3 MEPs) on all such matters. But the European Commission cannot just over-ride our national and local government unless it is claimed that the authorities are failing to observe an agreed European law.

I will speak to Mark Isherwood to see if he is able to suggest any way in which I can assist him,- we work very well together on many matters- but I feel that you should not be misled on our powers - even though you may have wished that the EU institutions had such authority to just over-ride your local council.

Yours sincerely,

JONATHAN EVANS MEP (Wales)

Your MEP Jonathan Evans

http://www.jonathanevans.org.uk/

When to Contact your MEP

When should I contact one of my MEPs?

If you have a question about proposed European directives (laws), the European Parliament, Commission or Union, your MEPs may be able to help. Once passed, EU laws become the responsibility of national governments and parliaments to implement, so you may wish to contact your MP about them in that case.

In addition, and for all EU matters, the European Commission and Parliament also have specific Information Offices within the UK – www.europarl.org.uk and ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They can't help though when their directives don't work, seemingly.
I'm expecting a lecture back off Jonathan Evans MEP or he may just ignore me.
An investigation into complaining against the Welsh Assembly shortly

What are MEP's for? I will find out.

A reply from my MEP Jonathan Evans, not quite the support I was looking for. :(
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr Hughes,

I have just seen the letter you have posted on your website, and which was linked to this email.

Firstly, dealing with your suggestion that EU research on quieter tyres and road surfaces is 'bizarre', I regret to tell you that I do not agree. The sort of research to which you refer is best conducted on a central basis, as that will clearly be most cost-efficient, and the lessons of the research are likely to have a common applicability throughout the EU and beyond. It seems to me to be one of the areas where European cooperation has very much to commend it.

Your wider issue relates to the effect of traffic within your village in relation to noise, vehicle speed, and public safety. You suggest that the EU should intervene on these issues with the appropriate local and regional authorities. Again I am afraid I cannot share your view. Although I have no doubt that the issues to which you refer require action, this cannot be undertaken by some top down central authority in Brussels which will rightly not have any competence whatsoever to be able to impose its viewpoint on those who live in North Wales and their elected representatives. These issues require attention from your community and county councillors and involvement from your Assembly Members and MP. I am very happy to refer the matter to the Conservative AMs who serve your community Brynle Williams and Mark Isherwood, if you wish me to do so.

Kind regards,

JONATHAN EVANS MEP (Wales)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My reply

Dear Mr Evans

Thank you for taking the time to reply

I am not in politics so I am not up to speed with EU procedures. It,s bizarre that work is ongoing to shave decibels on road noise which is all well and good whilst here at the sharp end Flintshire County Council are being useless.

I have sound levels of over 100 decibels outside my house. I have Mark Isherwood on the job thank you

My email was sent to you to inform you from your lofty position that things are not going well in our village

It says I am a constituent of yours but that imply's you are there to help me. Which means from my point of view that you are there to help me as a constituent if the Welsh Assembly renages on Penyffordd with its Manual for Streets if Chester Rd qualify's. The EU normally manages to tell us all what to do, why a technicality in this case?

From my position if the Welsh Assembly fails Chester Rd, Penyffordd, the EU should force it to take action if the EU thinks the Welsh Assembly has failed Chester Rd.

sincerely Colin Hughes

ps If you cannot help me why am I referred to as a constituent of yours?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exhaust Fumes, their Damage

I once ran car hire business, local run arounds. One chap hired a car, drove to Clogcaenog and committed suicide. Its harder to do with modern cars

Click here to see damage caused to humans and animals.

An Email to my MEP's about Speeding and Noise Pollution

1 Penymynydd Rd
Penyffordd
Chester

• Glenys Kinnock
  Labour
• Eluned Morgan
  Labour
• Jonathan Evans
  Conservative
• Jill Evans
  Plaid Cymru

cc. Politicians, Newspapers and Interested Organizations

Wales is not Working for Penyffordd

Dear Welsh MEP's,

I live in a small Welsh Village with a By Pass called Penyffordd, we are the Penyffordd near Wrexham. . Our village is plagued by speeding, noisy lorries, cars and motorcycles, over 2000 speeders a day. Our village centre which still has a Post Office is used by children, Oap's and many local people. It is also a route to school and used by horses.

I see that the EU is spending money on research into quieter tyres and road surfaces.

This research seems rather bizarre when I am surrounded by noise, I live in a rural Welsh village with green fields on all sides

The Welsh Assembly, North Wales Police, VOSA and Flintshire County Council allow youths to have illegal loud exhaust systems, the manufacture and sale of illegal exhaust systems.

There is also the large question of these youths being uninsured due to the modifications. They fool the MOT people by swapping the exhaust for the test or our MOT stations turn a blind eye.

On the motorcycle side North Wales is reduced to a race track morning and evening and all weekend. Motorcycles can be constantly heard doing the ton on our by pass which is maybe half a mile from our village centre. Their exhaust systems are loud and illegal, recently a 90 mph motorcyclist ended up inside a car , the terrified family trapped inside for 90 minutes with the body.

Also Flintshire County Council have this grand idea of "improving the A55 road network" at Warren Hall, allowing 2 large developments that together with the "road network improvement" will add millions of cars polluting Chester Road with :-

• Carbon Monoxide
• Nitrogen dioxide
• Sulphur dioxide
• Suspended particles including PM-10, particles less than 10 microns in size.
• Benzene
• Formaldehyde
• Polycyclic hydrocarbons

The residents of Chester Road are mainly elderly. The above pollutants will affect them more than myself.
I would like to know what the EU can do to push the Welsh Authorities concerned to face up to their responsibilities for North Wales.

Chester Road Penyffordd does not want Millions of extra Speeding Cars and Noise Pollution we have a By Pass that is not being properly used.

Kind regards Colin Hughes
for Chester Rd

My blog becomes a whinge I notice

Here's the main place for serial complainers
I get back in box when traffic does 20 mph
or better still uses the bypass

Click here