David Williams reply to my email

Hello Colin thank you for your recent e.mails.

I find your manner and indiscriminate ridiculing of me to be rather unfortunate and disappointing. We have known each other for over thirty years and our contact has always been mutually cordial and respectful. You have now though decided to publicly insult both myself and my family and at no time had the decency or courtesy to contact me personally to discuss your issues.

I have responded to as many of your e.mails as I considered appropriate and done all that you have asked of me with regards to trying to improve the speeding problem on Chester road. I am not entirely sure what you want me to do now and it may be helpful if you stated specifically and concisely what you are seeking. You also advise me that you have all my e.mail excuses lined up and apart from my fathers illness and a request for a bit of space which you respectfully gave me, I am not aware of the excuses that I have made. Maybe you can enlighten me? As far as I am aware my only failure has been to forward a copy of the correspondence I had with Dave Faulkner in November. I have apologised for this and also asked your wife to convey my apologies to you when I spoke to her at the Community Council meeting.

Last year when I was elected you asked me to see what I could do. Following numerous request and quite intense pressure that I put on highways, we eventually had a meeting on 2 May. The discussions were open and all who were present had the opportunity to voice their opinion and make suggestions. As I recall though, I did not hear much of a contribution from yourself!

It was eventually decided and accepted at the meeting that count down speeding signs would be erected, rumble strips would be put in place and a flashing sign erected. The police would also monitor the situation to establish the extent of the problem. It was also decided that once these measures were in place the situation would be reviewed to establish the effectiveness of what had been done. Once the flashing signs are in place it will be appropriate for the situation to be reviewed. As far as I am concerned the agreed steps have taken far too long to be put in place and I have pressurised the various departments to as much of an extent as my position enables me. I also took the case up with Chris Kay and am continuing my complaint with the current Chief Executive.

Having known and respected you from our Kelsterton days of over thirty years ago, I find it very disappointing that you seem to take such pleasure in insulting me the way that you are at the moment. Because you have not got your own way you accuse me of being weak and inefficient. If you want me to be a ‘bully’, as your wife describes Tony Sharps, I am clearly the wrong person for the job. If you want me to discuss, negotiate and argue the causes of our village in a mature and rational manner, you will have to go a long way to find anybody more committed or sincere.

I find myself constantly defending you, not only in the Red Lion, but in the Spar, the Butchers, the Post Office and the Chip shop. I am regularly asked how I put up with ‘that idiot’ or ‘the sad little man’ from the bottom of Penymynnydd road. I was even stopped in the post office the other day by one resident who I did not know and had not spoken to before who asked me just that question. He also informed me that you had blocked him from your blog because he criticised you? So much for free speech! Your methods are doing your reputation a grave disservice as I have no doubt that your aims are totally sincere. It therefore gives me no pleasure to hear people calling you the names I hear, especially that of being a pervert because you take photographs of young children!

There is no doubt that there is a problem with speeding in the village, and despite the statement of Chris Pullen that it is not the priority issue at the moment, from my point of view I strongly disagree. Speeding in the village, anti-social behaviour, the elderly people having to walk long distances to catch busses that pass their homes, the family who are getting their home re-possessed and made homeless because the father lost his job last year, the council houses and pensioners bungalows without central heating, the disgraceful lack of amenities in the village, together with many other issues that I am involved with are all of equal priority in my opinion. The speed I am able to deal with them all and then get some action out of Shire Hall is another matter!

As I have stated on a number of occasions, your aims as far as I am concerned are completely valid and necessary. Your methods though are very questionable and to a certain extent are very damaging to the cause. The figures you provide are now subject to real doubt, and the fact that you accuse my wife and brother-in-law of speeding, when I know how painfully slowly they drive puts a big question mark over the accuracy of the figures you are producing.

It must be really nice to have been able to retire at the age of fifty and have so much spare time on your hands to be able to canvas on your single speeding issue the way you do, and even have the observation skills to be so quickly on the scene for the fire to make your comments to the press! It is a shame that you do not have the courage or conviction to put yourself forward and try to put what you constantly preach into practice by standing for a seat on the council. On your own admission you could not subject yourself to such pressures so in your cowardly way, prefer to ridicule and criticise people who are making sincere attempt to try and make a difference.

In standing for the council last February I was put under a great deal of pressure to stand from friends and existing councillors to put myself forward. I can only assume people wanted me to stand because of my record of working voluntarily for the community for most of my life and the conscientious and diligent way that I opposed the Meadowslea proposals, the UDP and my fight to improve amenities in the village. This has clearly been a difficult and enlightening year for me where I have gained valuable experience which I am still learning from. Unfortunately I am not yet up to the competence of your hero Tony Sharps, and I do not have it in me to be the ‘bully’ that your wife claims him as being.

At the time of writing this e.mail to you I am still unsure if I will be able spare the time to stand again in May. Obviously as far as you are concerned I am not strong enough and it would be best if I just gave up now. If I do decide to stand again though, it will be as a result of my commitment to trying to improve the quality of life in Pen-y-ffordd and certainly not the remuneration that you seem to take exception to. On the other hand, if I decide against standing it not will not be through the cowardly pressure you are putting me under. Nothing you do or say will affect my actions, and I will continue working to the best of my ability to get the best I possibly can for the well being of the community of Pen-y-ffordd until my term is up in May. Whatever happens, it may be an idea for you to think again about standing, for your obvious experience and ability at being a cyber bully, which is regularly displayed in your blog with you abuse of others, would surely make you an ideal candidate to get things done at the drop of a hat for the village.

As I am sure you know and can imagine, letter writing is not one of my strongest points, and being rather less literate or articulate than yourself it does take rather a long time for me to compose such responses. Also, as I do not have quite so much time on my hands as you do, this response has taken a fair chunk out of my day that could have been better spent on other important matters to do with my council work, school work and my home and family life which is really suffering at the moment. It is for this reason that any future communication I have with you will be in response to matters that I feel can have a positive effect on improving things in the village. I do not intend to respond to the indiscriminate and irresponsible comments that you appear to take pleasure in making..

If you wish to speak with me personally, I will willingly give you the time and will never be so cowardly as to block you from my e.mails which you have obviously done with people who have had a go at you. I therefore trust that you will have the decency to put this response on your blog where the public can form their own opinion on how I am dealing with the matter that most concerns you.

Kind regards,

David Williams

----- Original Message ----
From: Lisa
To: David Williams (Councillor)
Cc: alcohol.licensing@flintshire.gov.uk; Arrive Alive ; BBC Wales ; Colin Everett ; Dave Faulkner ; Cindy Hinds (Councillor)l ; Evening Leader ; Derek Kirby ; Insp Alun Oldfield ; Gerwyn Powell ; Carl Sargeant AM ; Mark Stewart (Airbus HR) ; Mark Tami MP ; "Webb, Jessica (AM Support Staff, Mark Isherwood)" ; Linda Vidamour (Councillor)
Sent: Tuesday, 12 February, 2008 9:55:04 AM
Subject: Chester Rd Sppeding update - stilll 2000 cars a day

cc To Cllr Tony Sharps please

An email to Cllr David Williams

Penyffordd County Councillor

Morning David,

My offering for today

http://penyffordd-district.blogspot.com/2008/02/email-to-county-councillor-david.html

regards Colin Hughes

---

Sent from Yahoo! - a smarter inbox.

HGV Training Lorry speeding in village

Dear Training Company,

This morning in Chester Rd, Penyffordd, direction from Broughton one of your training lorries at

9.50 am sped through our village at approx 40 mph our speed limit is currently 30 mph.

Registration number could not be taken, the exact time and place should allow you to

find the driver and or instructor responsible.
REPLY
This vehicle was being driven by an a DSA driving test carried out by the DSA examiner from LLay therefore the vehicle was not under our control but under the control of the examiner.
There is also the practice of yourself or the other HGV training company that uses the village of parking

on Chester Rd just before the summit up the hill in an open limit section.

One presumes this is hill start training.

This is positively dangerous. A decision has to be made by a motorist whether to overtake

towards the brow of a hill.

Motorists come over the hill from the opposite direction at 60 - 70 mph.

I trust your management will take the above on board.

It would be fair to say that a number of residents in Penyffordd do not want

HGV's in the village as we have a purpose built by-pass.

Links
RTITB

Welsh Assembly decision to implement 20 mph speed limits at schools.

In The Chronicle. The Welsh Assembly are looking at implementing 20 mph speed limits at selected school routes. 2o mph signs outside schools in Connah's Quay are being are being refused until a decision is made by The WAG. (not Wives and Girlfriends). Flintshire County Council roll out the "we haven't got the money".

Last week Kate Forrester wrote In The Evening Leader that from 2008, FCC had £60 million to spend on what it liked. A funny old world. This was told to a Labour Councillor as well.

A further Email to Cllr David Williams re: speeding traffic

cc Arrive Alive, Flintshire County Council, North Wales Police and Councillors

Dear David,
Doesn't time fly. Yesterday was Monday, today is Friday. Even for some one like me who doesn't work its gone fast. Thank you for a copy of your letter to Dave Faulkner Director of Regeneration and Environment and Dave's reply. My golfing mate Teg of Bent Fescue says Dave's a very nice guy.

It's been over 365 days since I brought this matter to your attention. 102 days since you said you would give me a copy of the above correspondence.
It would be fair I think to say that in my dealings with you that you have a problem with time. Not enough time to look at this issue or that issue. You even mention in the above letters I wish to publish that your council work is a part time activity. Not bad for 10K a year.

Its the morning rat run at the moment and some of the traffic is flying passed my house at 60 mph. It shouldn't be happening in the middle of a village on a route to school.
In one of your reply emails to me you give high speed traffic through the village no more import than dog muck. Your sense of priorities are bizarre.

Next time you are in the middle of Mold, Buckley, Northop Hall, Rossett, Cefn or Rhos have a look at how the traffic can manage no more than about 20 mph.
Its called good council management. It's not rocket science.

Currently Arrive Alive and Flintshire County Council do not wish to show me the traffic data as the amount of traffic and the speeds through the village are a huge embarrassment, I may say they are also a huge embarrassment for North Wales Police. I am quietly confident the Information Commissioner will force the above authorities to hand over the data I have asked for

I move into second gear after the Local Elections.

regards Colin Hughes

still 2000 vehicles a day speeding in Chester Rd Penyffordd

ps. Lisa says you are going to reply to my email. Apart from your father's illness you haven't got a leg to stand on. Save your time and use it to stop speeding in Penyffordd village centre which is why you were elected.
It's a safety issue it goes straight to the top of the agenda in any organisation. Shortly corporate manslaughter will be making more headlines. A friend of mine has had all his directors on a corporate manslaughter course as he doesn't want to be the one holding the manslaughter charge. I don't think Flintshire County Council have been on the course yet..........................

I'm in The Evening Leader again

Well sort of. Petra Barnby reporting that the fire in the barns was deliberate. It is possible I think to give information to Crimestoppers without giving out your name or address.

Links The Evening Leader story about the fire.
Crimestoppers

Colin Bithell's Online Presence

Colin Bithell's Link


This setting up service and free advice is available to any councillor in The Penyffordd District.
I have told Cllrs Cindy Hinds and Linda Vidamour about the above.

The upcoming Local Elections, The Penyffordd Mafia

At community council level we have one councillor who didn't know when the elections were, ie. two months time. We have another councillor who does not know every councillors name, there are about ten.
We have another councillor who has attended about 3 meetings and sticks the boot in about work that keen councillors actually do. We have one lady councillor who just sits there who appears to contribute nothing to the meetings.

I hope the Penyffordd Mafia are not going to wheel out the nearly dead, those with dementia or those nothing to contribute to the village. Its time for positive change gentlemen.

CBM Chris Pullen gets poor support from Penyffordd

Penyffordd want a result with regards recent ASBO behaviour such as barn set on fire, telephone box destroyed. The problem is that Chris can only route out this behaviour with the help of village people. When the Chief Constable did walkabout with Cllr Colin Bithell and Community Councillors Cindy Hinds and Linda Vidamour people were coming out of the woodwork to tell the Chief Constable lots of information that Chris knew nothing about.

One resident had a video of the youth behaving badly such as mooning in the middle of Penyffordd in front of their mates.
Chris has been on duty when the youth of the village have been causing trouble in the evening. He is perfectly entitled to day shift but has stayed doing night shift.

Golf course small talk

Private School Teacher
So you three are retired?
No not really Colin's never worked says Bill.......................................................

Arrive Dead continue to obsfucate

PC Chris Pullen repeats the half truths that Arrive Alive feed him at The Penyffordd Community Council Meeting. The 32 mph average hides many 100's of 50 / 60 mph speeders daily.
Arrive Alive are a disgrace.

A Complaint to The North Wales Police Authority

To The Professional Standards Department, North Wales Police Authority.

Dear Sirs
This is a complaint about North Wales Police and speeding traffic in Penyffordd. Each day 2000 cars speed passed my house (Arrive Alive Flintshire Data) North Wales Police have attended on 4 occasions with speed guns. Their current action on this continuing problem is one of timidity and a lack of commitment.

I'm sure all the appearing in the media is good for public perception.
From where I'm sitting the perception is one of failure. North Wales Police can find out exactly when the shift workers are speeding passed my house to and from work.

North Wales Police have too cosy a relationship with Airbus and refuse to protect our village Penyffordd from its daily onslaught.

My new poster for the hedge

Could add County Councillors will not stop it but that will have to wait.

Penyffordd Children in Danger

Penyffordd children playing on the main road that needs to be slowed down. New Laws on Corporate Manslaughter coming into force in April 2008. Who has their backsides covered? Is it a job for the lawyers or statisticians.

3000 vehicles a day
2000 of them speeding
A good proportion doing well over 30 mph
You all know about it. The data that embarrassing, its too embarrassing to show ( Arrive Alive Flintshire)
Do you have children or grandchildren?

An email to County Councillor David Williams

An email to my moribund county councillor

Dear David,

It is a nice morning but cold.

I have the day off today, things get a little busy next month

On the DIY front I'm putting in triple glazing against the traffic noise.

I am also doing work on accoustic defences

50 mph traffic through the village is loud.

They are all blasting through the village centre at present in the morning rat run.

Are we the most dangerous and noisy village in Flintshire?

You seem to have no idea about village environment and safety of villagers

I seem to remember somewhere you stating that you would fight for Penyffordd all the way

Not much fight from where I sit.

2000 speeding vehicles through the village every day and you are not bothered one iota.

You have now known about it for over a year.

I have all your email excuses lined up.

I go away when the speeding stops, in the next six months or six years.

My hedge will be full of protest signs taking the micky.

You seem to be taking more notice of your mates down The Red Lion

They can't see what the fuss is about speeding on a route to school.

The flashy signs might help a little.

They will not affect the morning rat run what so ever.

They will not even see them.

I see Flintshire County Council continue with their plans to fill Penyffordd with

a million or two more vehicles in the next 5 years.

The Council think Penyffordd such a soft touch, I think so too

Tony Sharps is a good councillor he has stopped his village traffic dead with traffic calming.

He waves his arms around on the front of The Evening Leader and Dave Faulkner is around in a jiffy.

Some fine tuning required in Northop Hall Dave, says Tony.

I'll fix it says Dave.

You contact Dave Faulkner and he sends you a letter.

Not a site meeting scheduled just a letter.

The easy push off.

You said you would give me a copy of the letter

That was 80 days ago.

I think your wife passes my house every day, she speeds too.

I've had a look at rules for county councillors but there doesn't seem

to be one about incompetence or negligence.

I have currently two FOIE's and an official complaint against The Arrive Alive Partnership.
An FOIE is a Freedom of Information Enquiry.

I have five FOIE's and an official complaint against FCC. Their time limits are up in the next fortnight
I intend to go on to the Local Government Omsbudsman if they ignore me.

Pity I can't complain about you.

The young Penyffordd footballers won't be able to play football if they get run over David.

You should tell that to your mates down the Red.

regards Colin Hughes

Chester Rd Penyffordd

ps North Wales Police have given up (Neighbourhood Forum), you should be pressing them

I've seen your list for Novemember ASBO's I got it off Nigel.

I see 2000 speeding cars a day aren't on it.

I thought speeding cars in a village was anti social behaviour, I suppose it is unless its your mates down the Red or at Airbus

Isla St Clair does Penyffordd

Tonight Isla with guitar is appearing at The Penyffordd Institute. The night organized by Decima Hodge for funds for the Penyffordd Institute. Lets hope ticket numbers are good. Decima has been phoning up the Penyffordd Post Office daily to enquire about tickets sold. Decima and myself do not get on these days. She has the potential to be best village person. There is another side however.

keyword Larry Grayson.

Links
Isla St Clair Wickipedia
Isla St Clair Official Website

Road deaths continue

After the Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom claiming a year without deaths on the roads ( N Wales or Flintshire) we appear to be in a bit of a rut. Yesterday a motorcyclist rode into a lamp post. How many is that since Christmas, 8 ?

An Official Complaint against The Arrive Alive Partnership

cc The Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom.

Dear Arrive Alive,

Last Friday I attended Penyffordd's Neighbourhood Forum. During the meeting which was attended by three Penyffordd Community Councillors, PC Chris Pullen repeated to the meeting that the average speed for Chester Rd is 32 mph.

This information given to Chris by Arrive Alive Flintshire.

This "canard" of 32 mph average I feel makes me look like I have some compulsive disorder or that I am losing some marbles.

The facts are somewhere near the following.

1. Airbus and Raytheon speed passed my house at 60 mph at shift start. Th elimit is 30 mph.

2. The morning rat run has 100's of vehicles that break the speed limit.

I am on the major route to the junior school.

3. Airbus and Raytheon use Chester Rd as a race track at lunch time

4. Teatime Rat run has many offenders

5. Night Shift and Afternoon shift end sees many passed my house again at 60 mph

6. There is not 5 minutes through out the day when someone is not blasting passed the house.

The Partnership hides data that is of importance to communities.

The Partnership method of showing data has little to do with the reality.

The Partnership should have a transparent policy towards data.

The current refusal to hand over numbers of cars and their speeds has only one end

That is to hide the ineffectiveness of the Arrive Alive Partnership.

Colin Hughes

Penyffordd District

ps North Wales Police have given up on speeding in Chester Rd (forum meeting), I haven't and I will not give up.

Life is rather strange

Tonight a knock on the door. Inspector Alun Oldfield of North Wales Police. Ten minutes later I am talking to Cllr Colin Bithell outside the butchers. I have had a discussion with Colin. Have explained we probably started off on the wrong foot.
The Police have a community policing mobile setup that is touring the villages and towns of Flintshire. This is part of an initiative to allay old people's concerns about crime.
Fear of crime itself can be very debilitating. Also a van with loads of drugs and contraptions they use ingest the drugs.

Penyffordd War Zone

I have in front of me the list of ASBO incidents for November.
We also can add Hewitt's Barn on fire plus others for December and January.

Airbus 380 runs on gas

The world's largest passenger airliner, the Airbus A380, has successfully made a test flight using synthetic jet fuel partly made from natural gas. The test is the latest step in moves by airliner builders and operators to diversify the sources of their fuel supplies.

Click here

Derek Kirby of Flintshire County Council who will be looking into my complaint with regards lack of committment by Flintshire Highways

Caption: Carl Sargeant AM, Councillor John Beard and Derek Kirby, Principal Engineer, FCC.

Here is Derek Kirby on the right who will be dealing with my complaint against Flintshire Highways. The complaint is that Flintshire Highways know that 2000 vehicles speed passed my house but will do nothing to stop it.

Derek is looking at my complaint because he is Head of Highways Strategy / Pennaeth Strategaeth Priffyrdd , Directorate of Environment and Regeneration / Amgylchedd ac Adfywio,

Links
Zebra Crossing Greenfield
Shotton Traffic Chaos

Penyffordd Walkers

The Hope Mountain Challenge 2006.
Link Click here.

The Hawarden Challenge from Penyffordd
Link Click here


If you click on the group photo of The Hope Challenge to enlarge there seems a chap on the right who looks vaguely familiar

Mold Town Council Website

Click here

The Barry Jones Award

This week The Barry Jones Award (Lord Jones) goes to the fragrant Cllr Ann Minshull for the most photographed politician in the local papers. There was however strong competition from Cllr Aaron Shotton and Cllr Berni Attridge.

Flintshire County Council's mantra "We have no money"

Dear Councillors,
Kate Forrester writes in The Evening Leader on Thursday 31st January 2008.
£68 million of Flintshire County Council budget can be spent on whatever schemes the county council see fit, 2008 onwards.

Airbus' continuing Comedy of Errors

Last week Airbus in The Evening Leader picking up driver safety awards whilst their drivers continue to hurl through our village by the many hundreds.
In yesterdays Evening Leader front headline "Battered". A tree across a busy road two airbus workers run into the tree from either side. You couldn't make it up really.

Quote by Airbus worker Chris Zielonka "It was pitch dark and raining, I was only doing 10 mph"
Quote by Airbus worker Lee Evans who crashed into the tree from the opposite direction" My passenger and I saw it last minute and skidded into the branches."

If they couldn't see an enormous tree how would they see a person walking in the middle of this narrow road?

The fact of the matter is that they were driving too fast.
As they do everyday in Penyffordd. I have asked for traffic data from Arrive Alive which they refuse to hand over at present. I am confident that they will eventually have to.

Flintshire County Councillors David Williams, Colin Bithell , North Wales Police and Arrive Alive remain impotent in this continuing assault on our village by Airbus, Raytheon and others.

Is Stopping Speeding Traffic in Penyffordd a Vote Loser?

Yesterday Cllr Colin Bithell grandstanding in The Evening Leader with Penyffordd Primary School pupils. The children were being shown around Shire Hall Mold, a days education about democracy.
I single Colin out but its what politicians have to do.
I think Cllr David Williams and Cllr Colin Bithell are reluctant to make Penyffordd a safe village because it will cost them votes.

I think David has loads of mates down the Red Lion who most probably live in the quiet cul de sacs of Penyffordd who take umbrage at being told to slow down in the middle of our short cut rat run village. I think Cllr Colin Bithell also sees traffic calming as a vote loser.
So safety of Penyffordd village and its environment , its children, horses and OAP's lose out to the pragmatism of democracy.

It's very sad really.

Or do I give David and Colin too much credit and they really don't give a damn about village environment?

Toad_logo

Fire at Hewitt's Barn behind the butchers

Click images to enlarge

Fire started about 6.45. ? At first I thought is was a house on fire. Firebrigade turned up at about 6. 55 pm. Three fire tenders I think. Also in attendance in plain clothes North Wales Police Inspector Alun Oldfield who said hello.
Two Police officers in attendance, may be from Buckley. Not PC Chris Pullen who was perhaps off duty.
Local young man who lived not far from the fire was angry because he thought local youths had probably started it. Took the fire brigade about 15 minutes to get blaze under control.

In one of the images the leylandii can be seen on fire. The nearest houses were down wind of the barn, then there were the very tall leylandii trees and then the houses. The houses seemed less than 75 yards from the burning building. With the severe winds blowing towards the houses there appeared to me a danger to the houses if the fire brigade had not acted so quickly.
Local butcher Steve Vaughn went to see if he could contact Mr Hewitt who owns the farm.
The farm building are in the area where local youths have been causing trouble. Three weeks ago they trashed the phone box. Is it the same youths?
Police helicopter turned up 7.40 pm and did some hovering for 20 minutes.

90 minutes after the start the fire brigade are still there trying to totally extinguish the smouldering building which I think contained hay. The buildings are part of what you used to be the turkey farm.
120 minutes on the firebrigade still struggle to put out smoke.

Link The Evening Leader

Dogging

The excellent Paul Flynn MP
Link here

Two tales of MP innocence are circulating here.

One Welsh MP is freely sharing his own embarrassment. He had a call from a local newspaper, ‘What do you think of the amount of dogging that is going on in your constituency.’

‘I strongly support it,’ he helpfully suggested, ‘There should be more.’

The bemused reporter pressed for more details of the MP's enthusiasm. The MP was under the impression that dogging meant clearing the streets of stray dogs. It was delicately explained to him that there was another meaning to the word. His enthusiasm was withdrawn.

Penyffordd Neighbourhood Forum Feb 2007

The next forum date is the 8th February 2008, at 7pm. PC Chris Pullen will be in the chair.

Chris is North Wales' Police answer to Robocop. He has to duck through doors to avoid head damage or perhaps door frame damage. Very polite and friendly but not one to try it on with.

Link: North Wales Police

Access to Healthcare Fears for Penyffordd

Click The Evening Leader

Traffic Update

I found a letter from Nigel our Clerk to the Penyffordd Community Council over the weekend acknowledging my complaint about speeding. I notice it is One Year and 25 days ago.
So we have all these people killing themselves on the roads over the last month. The speed they killed themselves at are the speeds that vehicles fly through Penyffordd by the 1000 daily. We have some Police Inspector from up the coast who is going to investigate why these people are killing themselves. Just platitudes to the masses. I can write a 5 minute blog on what kills these people.

A Little Sermon for the Politicians

Link
Click here

Showtime at Penyffordd British Legion

The North Wales Branch of the George Forbmy Society will be at The Legion on Friday 1st February at 7.40 pm. Admission 50 p. Call Alison Nadin on 01745 330668 for further information.

Also

Anastasia Dobromyslova was crowned the winner of the 2008 BDO World Professional Darts Championship. Anastasia practices in The Penyffordd British Legion. The BBC are coming down to do some filming. Maybe 2nd of February. Plz check with Legion.

Complaints and Enquiries to Flintshire County Council

With regards 2000 cars speeding through our village each day. I have started a formal complaint against Flintshire County Council. We are in the first phase where the complaint is looked at and an agreement or action made to satisfy the complaint is looked for. If satisfaction is not forthcoming I move onto the second stage.

Three FOIE's have been made to Flintshire County Council with regards the council, my county councillors Colin Bithell and David Williams, Chester Road, Welsh Government Assembly, developments that affect Chester Road traffic levels and the late Cllr Derek Darlington.

Your enquiry for Highway and Traffic Management has been passed on to the
relevant people within Flintshire and the call reference number is CC 0108
018515

A Tale of Two Flintshire Villages

Populations Penyffordd 3500
Northop Hall 1600

Traffic Calming Penyffordd None
Northop Hall - Large bumps that make it impossible to speed through the village.

So we give twice as much money to Flintshire County Council for no benefits what so ever to village environment. Penyffordd remains a race track.

Well done Tony Sharps of Northop Hall. A county councillor with vision for village environment

Traffic Update to Inspector Alun Oldfield of North Wales Police

Dear Alun,

Hope you are well

I see we in Flintshire are currently having "an accident a day" in the speeding traffic department sometimes with fatalities.

Perhaps an epidemic?

The traffic here in Chester Rd, Penyffordd continues to fly through all day.

So the accidents are of little surprise.

I note that the traffic through our village has the ability to do 60 mph along

a route to school.

As you will be well aware my request for the traffic data has been denied.

My claim of 2000 speeding cars a day unable to be proved.

The figures are completely embarrassing and show that Flintshire County Council

have no idea what so ever with regards traffic calming in villages.

I have made an appeal against the refusal to supply data.

The refusal to show data just hides the complete inefficiency of Arrive Alive

with regards speeding traffic in villages.

I think it true to say that with their current resources they are unable to help much

with the current epidemic of speeding in North Wales

Airbus had a publicity piece in The Evening Leader about safe driving last Friday.

Their shift workers however continue to plough through our village from

before shift start to shift end.

Some of the speeders are Raytheon but I have an idea most are Airbus.

If the Arrive Alive data is looked at with shift patterns of Airbus and Raytheon

it will be immediately apparent that they are a major problem in the village.

Airbus' public relations piece has no relation to "the reality" what so ever.

The solution to Chester Road is the inability of vehicles to do more than the speed limit.

Wrexham Council the masters, Flintshire Council the dunces.

kindest regards

Colin Hughes

Penyfordd.

ps I wonder if the new Corporate Responsibilty laws coming in April will have Flintshire County Council and the Welsh Assembly putting Safety before Leisure with regards how they spend our money?

Links

http://penyffordd-district.blogspot.com/2008/01/airbus-land-driving-safety-award-whilst.html

How The Internet changed news

Technology means that any talented trouble maker with a modem can achieve Karl Marx's dream: ownership of the means of production and distribution. The internet requires no printing presses, delivery vans, distributors or news stands. No editorial restrictions, no proprietor, no once-a-day news cycle.

Link Guido

A car accident in Penyffordd

Doesn't say which Penyffordd. The only Rose Lane I know is in Buckley. My 2 penneth at the bottom. Their form will not let you put the word impotent in.

Link: The Evening Leader.


Postscript: My 2 penneth removed by The Evening Leader because I called Flintshire County Council, Arrive Alive and North Wales Police impotent with regards speeding traffic.
I think a little unfair.

Darts Match Penyffordd British Legion

Next up will be the Scottish Open on February 16 and 17, while Clwyd will host North Wales rivals Gwynedd at Penyffordd Legion on February 3.

Link here
Also here
and here

Airbus land Driving Safety Award whilst 100's of their shift workers speed through our village everyday

Click image to read.

In The Evening Leader last Friday. Airbus win driving safety award. They refuse to acknowledge that 100's of their shift workers some with illegal exhausts plough through our village each work day. The proof lies with Flintshire County Council and Arrive Alive who will not currently allow me to have the full data.
Quote Jim Gallagher " The award recognises Airbus's commitment to road safety at all times - not just when employees are on site.
Perhaps Jim should do a site visit to Penyffordd before shift start, changeover and finish. Tea and sandwiches will be freely available from my wife Lisa. Jim and I can watch the racing through the village.

keywords: Paul Mckinley (Airbus HR), Mark Stewart (Airbus HR). corporate responsibility, corporate irresponsibilty, corporate manslaughter, Jim Gallagher, Darren Collins, apprentice training adviser, transport manager, Wales National Road Safety Awards, Hugh Jones Arrive Alive Safety Officer, Flintshire County Council, Colin Everett Chief Executive, Dave Faulkner Director for Regeneration and Environment, Charles Hughes Head of Engineering, Gerwyn Powell, Councillor Gareth Williams, Buckley, Brian Fleet, John Gillbanks, A380, Broughton, Chester, River Dee, Mostyn, EADS, Raytheon, Louis Gallois, 140001 certification, A320, A340,
CEO, A350 XWB, Toulouse, Thomas Enders, Hans Peter Ring, John Leahy, Fabrice Bregier, Lockheed, McDonnell Douglas, A300, A310, Deeside College, David Jones, A321, Boeing,

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
Not really fellas.



Link: Airbus Corporate Environmnet Statement

Link: Flintshire County Council

I've found some more traffic for Chester Road

In The Evening Leader
A 13-acre site alongside the Saltney High Street has been earmarked for a 70,000sq ft retail development and 100 town houses, aimed at rejuvenating the town centre.

Did Cllr Colin Bithell gives the thumbs up to this

So now we have coming our way shortly.
1. A55 Warren Hall exit (Chester Rd a great short cut)
2. Warren Hall Business Park - 5000 employees
3. Broughton Retail Park
4. Wrexham UDP
5. Saltney Shopping Centre
6. 300 houses Penymynydd.

How many extra millions extra per year?

By the way we have a by-pass.

Regeneration without Environment.



Link : Saltney Retail Park

Meet my new Teacher of Protesting

Link: Comedian Mark Thomas
The Protester's Protester

Further Details on the FOIE Refusal - My reply

Enquiry Reference FOI Dec 07.03

Request for information

1) A copy of the speed data survey carried out on Chester Road, Penyffordd during 2007.

My answers to the refusal in RED and BLUE

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is designed to give a general access to information to the public and releases information into the public domain. However, the FOIA makes provision for withholding information that is crucial to maintaining the core activities of a public authority.

Information will not be released if it will affect the ability of the organisation in question to undertake its key functions. Or information that embarrasses the organisation.

Some exemptions are ‘absolute’ and no release is required under Freedom of Information legislation. Other exemptions are ‘qualified’ and we must undertake a public interest test to decide if disclosure should be made.

In the case of your request qualified exemptions apply and therefore a public interest test has been completed.

The exemption(s) being applied:

FOIA Section 31: Law Enforcement - a qualified and prejudice based exemption.

FOIA Section 38: Health & Safety – a qualified and prejudice based exemption

Harm Test

The information requested has been obtained for the purposes of assessing a site of community concern for safety camera enforcement. Whilst details are placed in the public domain as part of the usual business, to place maximum speeds and individual vehicles speed/times, patterns of speeding have been assessed to be operational information which could compromise law enforcement and the safety of the public. It has been shown that members of the public focus on the maximum speed which could be just one vehicle – possibly Police or other emergency response vehicle.

Yes the release of full speed data would be a huge embarrassment for Arrive Alive and Cllr Colin Bithell.

Release of the maximum and individual vehicle speeds could encourage some members of the public to start their own campaign against drivers who speed/or drivers who are perceived to speed. This could compromise the safety of drivers who are assessed to be exceeding the speed limit and the safety of any person who wishes to challenge speeders, placing those individuals in a position of harm with the potential to cause unrest within the community.

Members of communities start their own campaign's due to the failings of Arrive Alive, County Councillors, North Wales Police and county councils such as Flintshire.

Public Interest Test

Considerations Favouring Disclosure

Accountability

· Accountability of the Safety Camera Partnership to respond to community concern of excessive speed.

Your current response is of little benefit to the huge numbers of vehicles that speed through Chester Rd Penyffordd.

Public Awareness:

· Ensuring public awareness of the issues in relation to vehicles found to be speeding in North Wales.

You hide behind average statistics which disguise the true scale of the issue such as that in Chester Rd, Penyffordd.

· Reassuring the public that relevant action is taken if excessive speed is shown.

Your reassurance does nothing to residents of Chester Rd and Penyffordd.

Considerations Favouring Non - Disclosure

Efficient and effective conduct of the force

· Speed survey results are already placed in the public domain, however, this does not include maximum speeds nor the speeds of individual vehicles with times.

The full data should be available to any community that asks for it.

· Explanations are given to members of the community as to why a site has been included for safety camera enforcement, or why a site has not been included.

· The release of operational information will potentially have a damaging impact on public confidence and hamper the prevention and detection of crime carried out by the Police and Partnership.

Most certainly it will have a damaging effect on the Arrive Alive Partnership.

· Partnership members’ work together to ensure the best processes are used to protect the public and that all legal requirements are met.

Chester Road, Penyffordd remains a race track for well in excess of a 1000 vehicles a day.

You have been aware of this fact for 24 weeks.

Exemption Provisions

The information being withheld is exempt by virtue of:

FOIA Section 31: Law Enforcement - a qualified and prejudice based exemption.

FOIA Section 38: Health & Safety – a qualified and prejudice based exemption

Balancing Test

Information has been released in relation to this request and it is only the details of maximum speeds and individual vehicle speeds/times shown in the survey which have been deliberated under the Public Interest Test.

It is felt that accountability has been achieved via the disclosure already made and actions taken as a result of the speed survey.

Accountability should be full and frank. The actions taken so far have been of very limited benefit to Chester Rd residents.

The actions of the Safety Camera Partnership are already accountable to the Welsh Assembly Government and the Department for Transport, and the provision of this operational information will not provide any further benefit to the public.

Yes it will . It will show the large gap between public perception and what is actually happening in villages similar to Penyffordd in North Wales.

It is the opinion of the safety camera partnership that the circumstances outlined in favour of non-disclosure of the requested information outweigh the benefits in disclosure.

The only benefit to non disclosure of the full information is to the Arrive Alive Partnership.

It disguises the perception of Arrive Alive being successful when in fact as far as Chester Road, Penyffordd is concerned Arrive Alive is not being successful.

The full information requested will therefore not be disclosed.

The bottom line being that this is a traffic calming issue for Flintshire County Council similar to that in the neighbouring council of Wrexham.
Below ar good examples of villages calmed.
Villages such as Rossett, Cefn Mawr and Rhos.
Flintshire County Council are wasting the resources of Arrive Alive. They know the scale of the issue. They have plans for a further million or so vehicles to use our village because of a poorly made bypass.
Flintshire County Council are being very mean spirited. They intend to allow Chester Rd to be the 2nd bypass as the current network will not cope. I expect Chief Executive Colin Everett not to go along with this deceit of Penyffordd village which he has inherited.

I intend to pursue this issue until it is fully satisfied.
We do have some good councillors amongst the very dead wood.
Compulsory 20 mpg for village centres and route to schools will also be campaigned for.
My non county councillor status should not be an issue.
It's the message not the messenger that is important.
Protests only start when you are ignored.

I notice new corporate manslaughter rules come into force April 2008.

A Letter from Arrive Alive Management with regards my FOIE

9^th January 2008

Our Ref: FOI Dec 07.03

Dear Mr Hughes,

Further to your request for information I can now provide the following reply.

I understand you have requested a copy of the data following a speed survey carried out on Chester Road, Penyffordd during 2007, our ref SCFL26. According to the terms of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000 I can inform you that the information is held.

The survey data is interrogated by a specialist computer programme and provides detailed information. Some parts of the information are restricted and used for operational policing purposes but other information is routinely provided. Results show:

• some 16854 vehicles were monitored between 26.04.07 and 02.05.07
• an average speed of 32 mph
• an 85^th percentile speed of 38 mph. The 85^th percentile speed is a road engineering measurement used by the Department for Transport and shows the speed at which 85% of vehicles travel at or below.
• there are some peaks in speeding at approximately 0700 hrs and 2230 hrs
• a higher volume of traffic at about 0830 hrs and 1730 hrs.

Operational information includes the maximum speed and individual speeds of vehicles/time etc. When assessing release of this information potential harm was identified, please see attached Harm and Public Interest Test. This therefore represents a refusal to provide this additional information under S31 Law Enforcement and S38 Health and Safety of the FOIA.

Chester Road, Penyffordd has been identified as an area of community concern and since a suitable parking location has been identified, Arrive Alive safety camera enforcement has been carried out. In addition, the area has been visited by the Community Beat Manager and Hugh Jones for educational visits. As you see there is effort taken to raise driver awareness of the speed limit but these measures are shared between growing numbers of sites.

It is planned to carry out another speed survey at the same site later in the year to show speed before and after enforcement and educational efforts.

I trust this information is helpful, however, in the event that you are not satisfied I have enclosed details of the FOI complaints procedures.

Yours sincerely,

Essi Ahari (Insp.)

Manager, Arrive Alive

North Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership

cc Hugh Jones, Arrive Alive Safer Roads Officer, Flintshire
encl: FOI complaints procedure

PIT test

An email to County Councillor David Williams with regards traffic increase levels

Hi David,
Hope you are well and your father stable.
Last night Community Councillor Linda Vidamour read out a letter at the Penyffordd Community Council meeting from Flintshire County Council with regards I think increased traffic levels for Chester Road, Penyffordd after future developments.
The Flintshire County Council response which I think was from Charles Hughes is an absolute disgrace.

As my elected representative I would like you to ask Flintshire County Council the following questions.

1. Traffic levels through Chester Road, Penyffordd 5 years ago.

2. Projected traffic levels post :-
a. New A55 Warren Hall exits
b. Warren Hall Business Park
c. Broughton Retail Park Extension
d. Future Wrexham UDP developments that will affect Chester Rd, Penyffordd.

I know that current levels are 2800 a day and rising.

I await a copy of correspondence from Dave Faulkner Direct. Regen FCC that you promised me.

regards Colin Hughes


ps. we still have 2000 cars a day speeding through Chester Rd, Penyffordd

Penyffordd a hick village?

Last night Community Councillor Linda Vidamour read out a letter from Flintshire County Council with regards traffic increases post Warren Hall and Broughton Developments. From what I can gather the answer was basically meaningless.
Flintshire County Council have something to hide perhaps.
FCC thinks Penyffordd a soft touch.
More councillors are needed like Linda.


hick meaning: gullible, a soft touch

Cllr Colin Bithell on speeding traffic

The following article in The Evening Leader explains why it has always been a waste of time even talking to Cllr Colin Bithell about traffic calming. He just doesn't see all this speeding traffic as an issue in the centre of a village. He has absolutely no idea about village environment. He has been a politician for over 30 years, his quotes I feel are ill judged, we shall see.

The article starts:
By Petra Barnby A COUNTY councillor whose village is plagued by speeding drivers has condemned the use of night-time mobile speed cameras, branding North Wales Police's latest initiative against speeding as "overkill".

Click here for the rest

Meadowslea

Only the bats and the badgers are left.

Penyffordd Panto

Click on Image

Frankenstein The Panto by David Swan

Traffic Speed Enforcement

An article in The Daily Post

“We in North Wales are determined to reduce collisions. Together with other agencies, we have adopted a strategy which includes education, engineering, engagement and enforcement,” explained Sgt Hughes.

When an area is identified as being a potential problem a speed survey will be carried out over a period of about a week to assess how serious the problem is.

Click here.

GPS may kill Penyffordd children

Certainly the growth of satellite navigation technology has turned residential streets in cities and villages around the world into rat runs.
Click here

Speed Protest 2008 Update

So here we are 2nd week into 2008.
My illuminated protest sign back in the hedge for 3000 drivers a day to see.
Just to remind.
We are a small Welsh village with a By-Pass. Unfortunately it's much quicker coming through the village instead of the By-Pass. Our two Flintshire County Councillors Colin Bithell and David Williams see little issue with many many 100's of speeding cars and lorries passing through the middle of our village which is a major route to school for young children. The village centre is also well used by OAP's and horses.
Many of them that work at Airbus and Raytheon have illegal exhausts that make the village centre sound like a race track.
Arrive Alive have been ineffective.
Flintshire County Council hold a grudge because I upset Head of Engineering Charles Hughes with comments on my blog.
By the way at a meeting with Charles Hughes he sat opposite me knowing fully well that 2000 cars were speeding through the village. He offered us an extra 30 mph sign and half a rumble strip.
I currently have a FOIA request for the traffic data taken before the meeting.

North Wales Police have had limited success in slowing traffic but the total solution requires civil engineering.

We currently get 1,022,000 vehicles a year through Chester Rd even though we have a by-pass.

Penyfordd village has currently been set up (shafted) to receive maybe 2 million extra cars a year. Flintshire County Council refuse to protect Chester Road, Penyffordd even though they have passed plans for
1. Broughton Shopping Park Extension
2. Warren Hall A55 exit construction
3. Warren Hall Business Park (5000 employees)

The above will add maybe 2 million extra vehicles through the village.
Our By-Pass poorly constructed on a shoe string cannot deal with current morning rush hour.
Hence drivers make use of Chester Rd which is now the 2nd By-Pass for Penyffordd
Wrexham UDP will also add more through traffic.

So the Welsh Assembly Government are going to "improve" local communications by dumping perhaps an extra 2 million cars through our village.
So much for the WAG's Manual for Streets.
Meanwhile our county councillors know this
(or should) and just sit on their hands.

Link : BBC The Late Derek Darlington

Wrexham AM attacks 'council tax hypocrisy' - HAVE YOUR SAY

I think Lesley Griffiths AM ill advised.
"THE leader of Wrexham Council has hit back at allegations by the town's AM that the council is "short-changing" its council tax payers."

Click here

My 2 penneth in the comments at the bottom.

The running of Wrexham Council seems fine to me. A surplus in accounts and excellent traffic calming in villages such as Cefn and Rossett with compulsory 20 mph. Meanwhile here in Flintshire our village continues to be used as a 50 mph by-pass for over a 1000 short cut merchants each day. Our County Councillors sit on their hands. Chester Road in the hands of the law breakers.