The Information Commissioners Office

When they will not hand out the information you want go here.
Click here.

The Freedom of Information Act

I currently have various FOIE's against public agencies.

Arrive Alive have refused to hand over harmless anonymous data that is of relevence to village safety. They site exemptions under sections S31 and S38.
We are in the second phase of my request. It takes 4 to 6 months. Its called kicking the ball into the long grass. As long as we have speeding in Chester Road I will continue to press. Arrive Alive's grounds for refusal are very weak.

I have about 8 FOIE's against Flintshire County Council. They are currently breaking the FOI Act on at least half of my requests because they are supposed to reply in 20 working days. As with Arrive Alive I have asked for electronic data for May 2007 when they measured traffic speeds for about 4 days.
I have also asked for various pieces of information with regards a meeting in May 2007 being misled by holding back of vital information with regards safety of Penyffordd village. Flintshire Highways also said they had no funding left for the year yet Cllr Tony Sharps appeared to get funding in the same year 10 months later.
Also I have asked for communications by Cllr Colin Bithell , Cllr David Williams and the late Derek Darlington who was County Councillor for the village and Leader of Flintshire County Council with regards Chester Rd and increased traffic due to various schemes.

Castle Cement agree in Principle to help fund extra police support

Cllr Colin Bithell has a go at Castle Cement here link Evening Leader then goes along to Penyffordd Community Council on the same day and agrees to take funding off Castle Cement for extra policing in Penyffordd.

The Clerk to Penyffordd Community Council email address?

Early on in the year I asked if Penyffordd Community Council would provide an email
address to communicate with the council.
The request was denied. I see Flint Town Council make Nigel who is also ours and Leeswood Clerk to the Council have an email address.

Link Flint Town Council

Keyword G N I Jones
Email address for Flint Town Council
townclerk@fflinttowncouncil.freeserve.co.uk

Link Flintshire Town and Community Councils

A Letter from Geraint Jones of Flintshire County Council and my response.

Geraint Jones is Senior Road Safety Officer for Flintshire County Council
His letter is below my reply.

Dear Geraint,

Thank you for the clarification.

At a meeting last May 2007 in which two Flintshire County Officers

Charles Hughes and Gerwyn Powell,Cllr Colin Bithell, Cllr David Williams, Cllr Linda Vidamour and myself attended it was agreed that FCC would approach Penyffordd Junior School to discuss a travel plan

and funding from The WAG.

I see it has never been acted upon or followed up, not your fault , ours

Also the installation of an extra 30 mph sign and a rumble strip.

No money available for anything more but Cllr Tony Sharps of Northop Hall getting plenty of funds

for the required improvement of the crossroads at Northop Hall in the same funding year

All around Flintshire there are schools with advisory 20 mph.

Penyffordd Junior School as you know has not applied, not your fault, ours

The bumps that are supposed to slow down cars do little to stop

modern cars from doing 40 mph outside Penyffordd Junior School.

Other schools I notice have higher profile bumps.

I have had complaints from families that live next to the school.

There are approximately 2000 cars speeding passed my house every day which is

a major route to school which Flintshire Highways are full aware of as they hold the traffic speed data for about a four day period from last May.

The current refusal of North Wales Police to support an HGV ban through the village a disgrace.

I remain committed to wanting to live in a village that has a bypass

rather than a village that is currently a race track at certain times of the day.

Chester Road currently acts as the second trunk road for the area whatever Derek Kirby says.

http://penyffordd-district.blogspot.com/2008/04/letter-from-derek-kirby-with-regards.html

Rossett village which has similar circumstances to Penyffordd has been "closed down".

The safety of our children, villagers and horses should be the concern of those elected for Penyffordd. It would be a good idea if Flintshire County Council and my Penyffordd Councillors

read The Manual for Streets click here

or

(http://penyffordd-district.blogspot.com/2007/08/map-for-streets-assemblys-plan-for.html)

Flintshire Highways have the knowledge and the funds available to slow down traffic in the middle of Penyffordd village if they so choose. A visit to Wrexham Council villages show perfect examples.

regards Colin Hughes

Penymynydd Rd, Penyffordd.

ps The new pro active signs work a little but are no defence against the modern motorist

who will take no notice of anything that does not penalise him or restrict his or her ability to drive at 50 mph through Chester Road Penyffordd a rural village road which remains as open as the A55.

I hope Flintshire County Council will do a safety and environment assessment of Chester Road in the near future.

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

----- Original Message -----

Subject: Safe Routes - Penyffordd Juniors

Dear Mr Colin Hughes,
I refer to your general enquiry regarding the above.

For your information Penyffordd Junior school featured in the above
initiative in June, 2003. This involved a consultation meeting
with the Headteacher, Chair of Governors, Parent Governor, Local Members,
Council Officers and a representative from the N.W. Police.

As a result new signage was provided on the approach to the school and the
'school keep clear' zigzag markings were made mandatory.
Also, a zebra crossing facility was installed on Hawarden Road near the
Junction Corwen Road (by Scouts Hut).

The initiative is now called Safe Routes in Communities programme and any
schemes identified must be supported by School Travel Plans before any
bid can be considered for funding by the Welsh Assembly Government.

There are no immediate schemes being considered for Penyffordd Junior
school. However should any scheme(s) be identified as a result of a Travel
Plan being
submitted by the school, these will need to be prioritised in conjunction
with other Flintshire schools.

I hope the above information clarifies the situation.

Kind Regards,

Geraint, Senior Road Safety Officer

A Letter from Derek Kirby with regards Chester Road being used as a de facto trunk road (my description)

The letter below from Derek Kirby of Flintshire County Council has been cropped and the image shrunk for faster loading. If any councillor or prospective councillor can see anything startling in this data or letter it would be good of you to let me know. I will be replying to Derek Kirby in due course.

tresmegistes@gmail.com

Click on Image to Read

A Further letter to The Newspapers with regards speeding.

The Rat Run in full flow. The middle of a rural Welsh village of Penyffordd, 200 or 300 cars ploughing through, our new pro active sign completely ignored. They don't give an F really. The position is the following.
1. Arrive Alive do not have the resources to deal with this plague.
They also have one arm tied behind their back. Arrive Alive have got to be seen to be fair.
Arrive Alive have set the bar high for qualifying for Arrive Alive assistance using statistics to hide the true speed data. To take an example Chester Road is quoted by North Wales Police as having a 32 mph average speed. This figure when presented to councillors hides 2000 cars that do plus 30 mph passed my house everyday which is in a rural Welsh village, has a bypass, is a 30 mph limit and is a major route to school.

2. North Wales Police had a big splurge in The Evening Leader and other local papers about CBM's getting their own speed guns. They promised 10 sessions then an audit of the effects of the speed gun sessions. They did four sessions then Arrive Alive declined to measure traffic speed over say a four day period similar to when I made my original complaint.
North Wales Police do not have the resources to deal with this daily plague that goes on. They too have one arm tied behind their back.

3. Flintshire County Council have the means but not the will at present to stop this daily assault on our village that has a poorly designed bypass. Chester Road acts as the second trunk road through the area. They have £60 million quid to spend on what the like. (Source Evening Leader).

4. Our Penyffordd Councillors mostly still "away with fairies" on this problem.

I have about 7 FOIE's going with Flintshire County Council as a result of Flintshire Highways officers telling a meeting that they had no money and hiding the fact that 2000 cars speed through Penyffordd village every day. Deceit and Evasion.

Also North Wales Police, Arrive Alive and the North Wales County Councils have all the data on this speeding using state of the art monitors that can even tell how many passengers there are in a vehicle. Yet they refuse at present to make this data public.

So there we have it. North Wales a speeder's race track. A plus 100 mph race track f0r motorcyclists at the weekend. Two agencies North Wales Police and Arrive Alive using smoke and mirrors to try to stop this epidemic.

You newspapers having a go at Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom when you should be having a go at the 1000's of speeding motorcyclists and the tens of thousands of cars and lorries that endanger the public. Is there no political or newsworthy capital in safety and environment?

The current system is not working and needs serious changes, its time to get unpolite with the speeding public who are legion. They are currently still on course to carry killing themselves and innocents who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A Letter to The Evening Leader Re Stephen Lee

Stephen Lee denies speed cameras save lives. It would be fair

to say that millions of motorists have altered their ways. As the points

add up only the stupid carry on speeding. Current motoring is akin to race track driving.

Push, push, get out of the way. There would be carnage if it were not

for speed cameras. There are over 700 communities in North Wales who

want the Arrive Alive vans more regularly. It is a fact that North Wales Police

would need £100's of millions off The WAG for Stephen's return to the streets for Police policy.

It's just not going to happen. I'm sure the 700 communities who require

Arrive Alive would be quite happy with permanent speed cameras

that operate in both directions.

Colin Hughes

Penyffordd District

The Letter in The Evening Leader

keywords: Chief Constable, North Wales, Horse Box, Richard Brunstrom, North Wales Police,

Postscript. The £100's of millions is a bit out. Penyffordd is going to get an extra part time PC. Castle Cement will be paying.

An email to Carl Sargeant AM with regards Speeding in Penyffordd

Dear Carl

Hope you are well.

I have decided to stand as an Independent community councillor.

To attempt to remove some dead wood from our midst.

The monthly community council meeting last night descended into farce

After Cllr Colin Bithell announced the installation of the the pro active signs

and after months of discussion one councillor under Any Other Business

asked if we could have the flashy signs!

Perhaps a change of tablets is needed.

The Penyffordd Mafia are attempting to wheel him out for another 4 years.

You couldn't make it up! It's like Dad's Army.

On the election front it looks as if we have a new political party in Penyffordd

Its called the Independent Party.

I always thought independent mean't independent.

I will not be joining as I am Independent. lol

Onto the flashy signs.

Very nice, the big one as opposed to the measly one in Broughton (currently not working)

Who says Labour gets everything.

When can we have a Gatso in it?

As to their effectiveness.

Flintshire Highways and anyone who has brain and uses the roads knows

what the score is yet you get Inspectors from North Wales Police scratching their heads

metaphorically in local newspapers about the need for research in to road deaths.

FACT: There is a large proportion of the motoring public who do not give a flying fig

for anyone else except their right to speed as fast as they can to their destination.

They understand points on license and raised tarmac and nothing else.

I wonder whether you can coax Flintshire Highways to send out that nice man

Hugh Jones, Flintshire Road Safety Officer to put his magic box on the lamp post and do another traffic speed survey.

Then we can compare the effectiveness of publicity in The Evening Leader, an extra 30 mph sign, half a rumble strip and a pro active speed sign.

Oh! Forgot to mention The Morning Rat Run

Has it changed? No not really. Still hammering through.

regards

Colin Hughes Standing as An Independent Councillor for Penyffordd

Penyffordd District

ps. my FOIE's are going a bit slow with Flintshire County Council. I'll be pressing these after the elections

pps The Lady Bobby (sorry CBM) on the horse is coming to Penyffordd today. I will be looking for a photo opportunity similar to The Chief Constable if I get the chance

Happy Smiley Stories

North Wales Police want happy smiley stories to appear in The Leader.
Does that mean we forget about the 1500 (downgraded) speeders through Chester Rd Penyffordd every day?

keywords: Inspector Alun Oldfield.

An Alzeimers moment in Penyffordd Council

Penyffordd Mafia turn out the nearly dead for re election?

Cllr Colin Bithell announces that the flashing lights are installed and working in Chester Road and The Vounog.
The pro active sign has been discussed at meetings over the last 8 months
Later on we get to "Any other business" one councillor says "can't we have one of those flashy signs?
I think he is standing for re election.

Are you people real?

Castle Cement in trouble over Landfill

in The Evening Leader Click here

Nomination Validation

Colin Everett has dropped me a note to say my nomination is ok. He is the Returning Officer for the County of Flintshire.

Are they going to wheel the oldies out?

Closing day on Friday for nominations for county and community council. For the last 15 months they have tried their best to keep 2000 cars speeding passed my house every day off the agenda.
Quite disgraceful really.

Cllr Vidamour and Hinds are excluded from the above. We need another 6 or 8 Cindy or Linda types.

I will also be be voting for Cllr David Williams for Community.

To Shire Hall to hand in my forms for Councillor

The weather blustery with a promise of rain. No where to park your car. Is this an indication of how the county is run. We park in the theatre car park which is quarter of a mile from the main entrance.
You are directed down a few corridors. There is a sign saying do not enter please knock and wait. Is this the correct way to deal with people? Reminds me of being at school.
We are however dealt with in a very cordial manner.
A couple of queries with regards our nominees election number.
Also present a community councillor from Leeswood. The conversation turns to Nigel...........
Then we are on our way up the hill passed The Law courts where a barrister is smoking outside.
We are done and dusted. Lisa and myself standing for Community Council because they are not doing part of their job properly.

The Race to become a County Councillor for Penyffordd 2008

Since I have * 2000 cars that speed passed my house every day that is a route to school I have paid attention to what Councillors we have in the village both County and Community. So here will be the ones who are most probably standing.

1. Colin Bithell (Independent) - Colin has been around in politics for about 30 years. I think Colin has been Labour but got in last time as an independent, I think with emphasis on environment. I have met Colin fairly recently and we were to meet further but he called it off. I can't myself see why he is slow to calm traffic through the village. Is he getting too old? Perhaps Airbus votes?

I realise speeding is not a big issue to some but the voters of this village must have some concern. We have a by-pass at present we have about 1,040,000 vehicles through the village each year. There are over I think about 100 HGV's who use village as a short cut each day. He stays silent about the following which are going to add large numbers of extra traffic through the village.
We are going to have maybe another 2,000,000 cars coming through Chester Rd a rural village with a bypass. I've asked Flintshire County Council for figures but they are currently being a little shy on a number of fronts.

1. Warren Hall A55 exit. Penyffordd will be used as a short cut
2. Warren Hall Business Park
3. Broughton Park Extension
4. 400 houses at The White Lion Penymynydd
5. Saltney Retail park
6. Large new housing estates at Gwersyllt and Brymbo which must be about 2000 houses

Healthcare. We are a village of over 3000. He appears to have stood by whilst our health clinic is being closed down. Our elderly and Penyffordd residents have the choice of a trip to Buckley or Hope to visit a proper surgery. It looks like they will build houses on our clinic. Once again Penyffordd the soft touch.

Castle Cement have increased the emissions of harmful metals and gases with the increase of cement production at Padeswood. Where is Colin? It takes Arnold Woolley from Buckley to raise the alarm.
Route to School. Each school day lives are put at risk by speeding residents taking their children to school. Colin Bithell and Tom Jones who I think are school governors and councillors appear to have done little to stop the speeding traffic. What ever they have done so far it is still a daily event.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Cindy Hinds (Labour) Cindy does a lot for the village for free, not on 10K a year like our County Cllrs. Keeps the village up to date with her own newsletter. The only councillor in Penyffordd to do so. At present Cindy is a community councillor. Helped to set up the Pen Y Group which is a registered charity that raises funds for youth projects. Cindy also helps with youth club I think.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. David Williams (Independent) Some say independent with a small "c". I went to college with David but recently trashed him in front of the great and the good by email. I have got fed up after a year. Just like Colin Bithell he has done little to halt this daily trashing of the village. David was elected county councillor after the death of Derek Darlington which was a dark day for Penyffordd. Derek was Leader of Flintshire County Council and knew of the trouble to the village posed by the developments mentioned above.
David is forever saying he has not got the time. I've written him an email today telling him to get rid of this no time mantra. I've told him I'll vote for him if he stands for community as well, I mean I'll vote for him for community.
In David's defence he set up the meeting with Flintshire Highways, arranged the rumble strip, extra 30 limit sign and pro active warning signs. Flintshire Highways have dragged thing out most probably partly due to me. Probably Colin Bithell in the mix.


To be added to with links

Environment Agency Wales Report on Castle Cement March 2008

Click on image to read

Click on image to read
Images are cropped and shrunk to load quickly.

A Letter to The Evening Leader - Police Forums

A letter for possible insertion.

Last week in The Leader there was an article on poor attendance at Policing Meetings.

Communities are failing to come together even when their community has a problem.

Councillors have little excuse for not attending, 80% of Penyffordd Councillors have never been to a forum. It is an open forum where community members can bring up issues and have a dual dialogue instead of the monthly community meeting where members of the public are not allowed to speak.

If communities have problems they can only be solved quickly and properly if the community work together

with their community beat managers. Councillors should be proactive in getting residents to come to Neibourhood Policing Forums especially those with issues that require Police attention. A more structured advance notice by CBM's would also help.

Colin Hughes

Penyffordd District

May Local Elections for Penyffordd 2008

Things hotting up a little. Visits to houses for nominee signings. This coming Friday the last day for nominations for Penyffordd County and Community Cllrs for the next 4 years.

I have commented to various councillors that I feel there should be more dialogue between county and community councillors. Although County Councillors are the big players I think the community council should push them to pursue matters.
They currently seem to be left to their own devices by and large.

A big change in community cllrs needed. One who is standing again didn't even know we were having elections 2 months ago.

As for County Councillors. We must be the fastest village in North Wales. 2000 cars speeding through the village each day. Most of the community council and county councillors have tried to ignore this issue.

As have Penyffordd School Governors and headmistress.

Newly hatched tadpoles sunbathing

To Penyffordd British Legion

A fund raising night for cancer organised by John Martin who is such a lovely man. His wife Moya (spelling) is also a special person. A very good night myself and Lisa part of Maureen Roberts' group of ten.

It's funny how good chicken and chips tastes after a bottle of wine. The carcinogenic effects of deep fried chicken ignored the taste delicious. I think eating the wrong food all the time not very good but you can have whatever takes your fancy on an occasional basis.
We arrive home happy and bankrupt. No house red and red wine £9.50 a bottle!

A night out at the Legion dearer than Northop Golf Club.

Links Hangovers

An email from Will Gallagher in The Chronicle

Will Gallagher writes about Post Office Closures to Mark Tami MP urging him to support the Tory motion to suspend closures. A good email. Mark Tami MP replies also good. All very polite and to the point on both sides.
Myself I think the Post Offices should stay open and given as many revenue streams as possible.
Some parts of the United Kingdom Ltd should be able to run at a slight loss. The busy Post Offices supporting the less busy.

Staffing in The Post office as compared to private carriers still seems to be too bloated. Would I like to be a Post man? Not really, the hours are not nice and they have to work hard. I have had to work hard but it is not through life style choice. Man was not put on this world just to work. A lot of people forget this.

I think Will Gallagher may be standing for a county councillor place at the coming local elections in Penyffordd.
I am from Sandycroft, I remember Will's grandad running ye old Sandycroft village garage. A white coat overall with his glasses parked on top of his head.
Will's aunty lives in Penyffordd, Decima who I have come to know over the last few years.
Decima has a vistors book in the bathroom, very novel. I signed it three times one night.

A Letter from Carl Sargeant AM - Hostile Village Environment

Click Image to Read

Key words: Jane Davidson Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing.
The Environmental Noise (Wales) Regulation 2006.

My email to Carl Sargeant AM

Hi Carl

Hope you are well.

I recently tried to get FCC to measure road noise outside my house

Their "get out" excuse was that it was outside their legal remit.

Under Welsh Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 2629 (W.225) The Environmental Noise (Wales) Regulations 2006

Are FCC not legally bound to make noise maps for Penymynydd, Penyffordd and Chester Rd as they have major roads very close and the major developments of A494 and Warren Hall Exit A55 which will affect the above areas adversely with regards noise pollution?

Link

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/wales/wsi2006/20062629e.htm

regards Colin

ps the above seems to apply to Aston Hill and the A494's

An Official Complaint against Flintshire County Council

As more than 2000 vehicles continue to speed passed my house every day which is in the middle of a rural village with a bypass
I must continue to press matters. Flintshire Highways have known about the daily trashing of Penyffordd
village for over 330 days. Yet they continue to prevaricate.

A meeting was held in the Penyffordd Institute on the afternoon of 2nd May 2007

My complaint is the following.

That Charles Hughes Head of Engineering of Flintshire County Council deliberately misled Penyffordd residents and councillors
at the meeting by failing to report the true facts of the issue which led to a detrimental outcome.
The facts being that over 2000 cars speed through Chester Road, Penyffordd every day.

Charles Hughes failed to carry out his responsibilities as leader of Flintshire Highways.
His misleading by omission of the relevent facts also failed to inform my elected representatives County Cllr Colin Bithell, County Councillor David Williams and Cllr Linda Vidamour of the true serious nature of speeding on this major "route to school" in our village.
Charles Hughes continues to fail the residents of Chester Road, Penyffordd.

The above filled out on their complaints form. Click here. (pdf)

Late night blog shouldn't really

In one of the previous blogs I mention the Kni*ght family. Two of which are going to jail for drug sales. Young Mr Kni*ght ( I presume) is riding around the village annoying locals with his loud motorbike exhaust also currently using his horn at 10.30 pm. I am sorely tempted to give him a tenner to concentrate on Cllrs David Williams and Colin Bithell's areas of residence.

I have suffered for the last year why shouldn't they?

Postscript. As David points out I will not have to pay for him as he is en route.

A494 Protesters win their fight

FLINTSHIRE campaigners are proclaiming victory today, after plans for the 'North Wales Motorway' were sensationally scrapped.

Click The Evening Leader

Flintshire drug dealer forced to sell home after court fines

POLICE say a two-year investigation which has resulted in a Penyffordd couple having to pay back £146,000 shows drug crime does not pay.
Inspector Alan Oldfield of the Eastern Division of the North Wales Police said, "This concludes an investigation that has been on-going for over two years.

Click The Evening Leader


Link The Daily Post

North Wales Police to hide speed cameras in a horse box?

Each year North Wales is used as a race track by 1000's of motorcylists. Penyffordd By-pass sounds like Oulton Park some Sundays. So more unusual methods are needed to stop the
motorcylists speeding. We in villages also need more unusual methods to slow down the ever prevailing speeding public. I discuss hidden speed cameras at the bottom of The Evening Leader article.

Article removed by Evening Leader

My discussion I thought was above board and informative. Someone had it pulled.
Perhaps North Wales Police?

It is a fact that North Wales Police and Arrive Alive cannot deal with the amount of speeding in North Wales. It's all smoke and mirrors.

Olly The English Bull Terrier

Olly was due for the knackers yard. Taken to the vets to be put down because the family's child was allergic to Olly.

How sad are people?

Olly is a giant of a dog in size and personality.

The vets rang Bullies in Need, Olly was rescued. This is Olly on the beach at Pensarn with the new owner's child.

Sometimes there is a God.

Links English Bull Terriers Bullies in Need Pensarn Meet

My self indulgent blog.

My Councillor David Williams thinks I am not up to any criticism so I publish in full his email and my reply. The blog is open to anyone, the content has to be more than just calling me mad and being an idiot though. Since I am god of my blog I reserve the right to not publish that deemed puerile. Colin at tresmegistes@gmail.com

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

Hello Colin,

Thank you for your recent e.mails, unconstructive and damaging with the sly personal comment as usual! I did not intend responding to you again, but with elections on the horizon I felt I should put you in the picture over my current position on the possibility of me standing again, and the feedback I am getting from within the village.

You seem to be getting quite a reputation now, not only down at the Red, but in the Millstone, the Post office, the chip shop the Spar and around the streets that I walk! Unfortunately you have already done immeasurable damage to the campaign against speeding in the village with your wild and inaccurate claims, and now you are getting a reputation for being a child photographer. It seems that everybody is wrong apart from Colin/Lisa!

It has got to the stage now where I am having serious reservations about the sincerity of your campaign. From what people are saying it seems to be more a case of a sad little man with nothing better to do who is trying to make a name for himself with no real concern for others. You are certainly succeeding in getting a name for yourself, mainly for the wrong reasons, and as a consequence, losing support for addressing the speeding problem.

I will be making a final decision on whether or not to stand by the end of the week. Whatever I decide though will be based on my conscience as to whether or not I can do the job justice, and the pressure those who I have been able to help during my short time as a Councillor put me under. It will certainly not be affected by your pathetic digs at me!

Undoubtedly as far as you are concerned I should call it a day, and if that is what I decide to do, I would willingly nominate you to stand. I am sure you could do a better job than me with your immense knowledge of the village, council procedures and the people you mix with in your front room, on your computer and on the golf course. All very valuable contacts to help improve the quality of life in our village! Then again, as you have stated, you would not have the bottle for it, you would rather sit back and criticise those who have the guts to give it a go!

As you are being criticised again, something you are clearly sensitive to, I do not expect this to appear on your self indulgent blog, so I do not intend communicating with you again unless there is anything of real importance and relevance. A shame it has come to this, but you are too much of a liability to be relied upon for making any real difference to the problems we have in our community; speeding or otherwise!

Regards,

David Williams.

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

My reply

Dear David

Tx for the email

Hope you have had a good Easter break.

My comments are spurred by 14 months of little progress.

I always knew it would be uphill. Councils take your money and behave in a intransigent manner.

It is a sad fact that 2000 (maybe 2200 with inflation lol ) cars speed passed my every day which you , Cllr Colin Bithell, most of Penyffordd Community Council, Arrive Alive, North Wales Police and Flintshire County Council will not admit to. ( I think we can add Cllr Tom Jones to the mix)

We are a rural village with a by-pass, no lolly pop lady, no "route to school policy" a daily high speed rat run of 500 + vehicles each morning. HGV's trashing the village all day.

We are pretty big for HGV training with such firms as Emerald and Gatewen.

Rossett village centre which I travelled through today remains the gold standard on vehicle environmental control.

(Please note Flintshire Highways)

I await my FOIE on traffic speeds from either FCC, Arrive Alive or NWP

The daily trashing of our village my main concern.

The Pedo slur won't stick lol.

The children of this village my concern which you fail repeatedly to address.

Penyffordd remaining a soft touch on environment and health care.

The legendary Clr Tony Sharps has his village tightly bolted down.

Dave Faulkner on call whenever.

Penyffordd village remains part of Flintshire Highways main trunk road system, a soft touch!

Not a village centre just a short cut to everywhere from Hope to John O'Groats

My reputation matters little, I have the moral high ground.

I know what I am and what I am not.

The village idiots can take a hike.

Since I am liitle known in the village I think a stand for County Cllr would be futile at this stage.

The experience however would be enjoyable and challenging.

regards Colin

ps I am writing to the Penyffordd Primary School tomorrow to advise that they are endangering the lives of the pupils by their non action.

I note that Cllr Colin Bithell and Cllr Tom Jones are governors, that just about weighs things up.

Billy No Mates The Blogger

A late email from my Councillor David Williams. I have a policy of not doing late emails except for friends because sometimes next morning the content looks a little embarrassing. Emailing the great and the good requires care and checking. I hate to look foolish.

Anyway it would appear I am not liked much in the village because of my speed protest against 2000 speeding cars passed my house which is a 30 mph limit, centre of village and a major route to school.

David says I am unpopular in The Red Lion, The Chip Shop, The Millstone, The Spar and on Penyffordd streets.
It seems I 'm must be ok for the Penyffordd British Legion his father's watering hole as David does not mention it.

Boo Hoo!

The perversity of this minor element of Penyffordd village is alarming. I think their profile will be something akin to the following.

1. They know Cllr David Williams
2. They drink in The Red Lion
3. They play or have played football for the village team
4. They work for Airbus, Raytheon or related to David.
5. They live in cul de sacs and sheltered estates but think nothing about
flying passed my house morning, lunch time and evening.

Arrive Alive do Penyffordd

A big thank you to Arrive Alive for their presence on this Saturday afternoon.

Newt sunbathing and another coming up for air

Taken on a cold Easter Friday.

A letter from Arrive Alive

20^th March 2008
Dear Mr Hughes,

Further to your recent request, I can now provide an update on Arrive Alive activity at the Vounog Hill/Chester Road area of Penyffordd for you to circulate.

The Chester Road/Vounog Hill area of Penyffordd has been included as an Arrive Alive area of community concern for mobile speed enforcement and the following actions have been taken or planned:

• The casualty history has been checked for the last three years showing there have been no reported injuries from road traffic collisions on Chester Road with one slight injury on the Vounog Hill section. Therefore, this site does not meet requirements to install a fixed camera
• A speed survey has been carried out which measured the speed of some 16854 vehicles with an average speed of 32 mph.
  
• The 32 mph average is a red herring which hides 2000 speeding cars a day.
  
• The area has been visited in excess of 6 hours during 2008 for speed enforcement by Arrive Alive officers
• The times/days of these visits have been varied
• Hugh Jones has also visited the area for roadside education and to raise driver awareness. These sessions have been at various times of the day
• The area is currently a Police Community site and we are aware that local officers visit
• Rumble strips have been installed by Flintshire County Council
• A flashing vehicle activated sign is due to be installed shortly .
• I have previously asked about having Arrive Alive signs in the village, this has been ignored. CNH
  
• We intend to carry out another speed survey shortly to compare results and see the effect that our education and enforcement programme has had at this site. I suggest that the speed survey results are more relevant than the number of tickets issued which is operational information and not normally released.
• I am highly disappointed of your total unwillingness to share anonymous traffic data with the Chester Rd Community and the 700+ communities of North Wales. CNH.
  
• Speed awareness courses may be offered to drivers who have received a speeding ticket in North Wales as part of an educational programme.

As you can see there is effort taken to raise driver awareness of the speed limit and to educate drivers. However, throughout North Wales there are inevitably some road users who travel at inappropriate speed above the limit and it those drivers who risk prosecution.

With regard to the speed at which tickets are issued – this is operational information and is not normally released. There is no reason at all why this data cannot be released.CNH. However, I can say that Arrive Alive operates within the guidelines set by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

It should be noted that we have invited you to the Arrive Alive office to discuss the matter further. As you did not take up this offer, we arranged for an enforcement officer to visit you and discuss the site in detail, I hope this discussion was useful.

As I have over 2000 vehicles that speed passed my house every day I could not see the point of me visiting Arrive Alive as it would not gain anything although I am very impressed indeed with Arrive Alive staff comittment CNH

Please be aware that the volume of traffic, noise of traffic and road engineering are outside the remit of this department.
Noise is generated by large volumes of traffic breaking the speed limit. I guestimate that over a 1000 cars a day go faster than 40 mph passed my house. CNH

Every effort has been taken by Arrive Alive to assist you but our time and resources must be used to the best advantage throughout North Wales. In view of this, I must now advise you that no further responses will be given to emails of this nature sent to Arrive Alive. We will, however, inform you of the next speed survey results.

The results will only have relevance if speeds of vehicles can be compared. CNH

I trust this information reassures you that appropriate action is being taken at this site.

Arrive Alive lack the resources to be effective. A full non-disclosure of data confirms this.

Yours sincerely,

Rose Middlemas (Mrs)

Gweinyddwr/Administrator

pp Essi Ahari (Insp)

Rheolwr, Siwrne Saff/Manager, Arrive Alive

Partneriaeth Lleihau Anafiadau Ffyrdd Gogledd Cymru/

North Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership

Llinell Uniongyrchol/Direct Dial: 01352 781435

Ffacs/Fax: 01352 781436

One casualty on our roads is one too many - preventable death and injury is unacceptable. /

Mae dim ond un anaf ar ein ffyrdd yn un yn ormod - mae marwolaeth neu anaf a ellir gael ei osgoi yn gwbl annerbyniol.

Penyffordd By-Pass Noise Map

Noise can be a big problem in Penyffordd. The prevailing wind makes our by-pass sound as if we are next to the A55. A constant roar. As a human being with a nervous system I find the noise offensive and wearing. Do other people have nervous systems and wish to enjoy their garden environments?
Answers on a postcard?

The National Assembly for Wales (hereafter referred to as NAfW) has a responsibility
for most noise related policy in Wales.

Penyffordd By - Pass is a First Round Major Road A-Road.
This means our Penyffordd By Pass is near the top of the list.

1.2 Directive 2002/49/EC
Environmental noise policy in the European Community will develop over the next
few years and Directive 2002/49/EC, relating to the assessment and management of
environmental noise forms the basis of that development. This Directive, often
referred to as the Environmental Noise Directive, or the END, was adopted by the
European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on 25 June 2002.

1.2.1 The aim of the Directive
The Aim of Directive 2002/49/EC, is to provide a common approach between
Member States with the intention of avoiding, preventing or reducing on a prioritised
basis, the harmful effects, including annoyance, due to exposure to environmental
noise.

More data to follow


Link
Noise Map Penyffordd By Pass
MONITORING AND MAPPING OF ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE

An Email to the Great and the Good

Good Morning,

A Happy Easter, may be those of you who should be doing a better job than you are should wonder

if you are in the correct position or employment.

14 months on still traffic speeds passed my house at 40 to 60 mph by the 100, 2000 a day.

We are a Route to School, a middle of a rural village

Arrive Alive hide behind their 85 percentile nonsense, they will not show the true figures.

North Wales Police have given up

Airbus employees continue to tear through the village

Flintshire County County continue to drag their collective corporate feet

A pair of county councillors who get 10k for nothing

A majority of useless community councillors

Gross ineptitude continues wholesale.

Colin Hughes

Penyffordd District

A Letter from Arrive Alive

Click to Image to Read

Points raised to the letter from Inspector Essi Ahari.

1. Still no admittance to actual speeding vehicle numbers, it is near 2000 vehicles a day.
They will not currently release information.
I have an FOIE against information
2. I have mentioned vehicle noise and numbers of vehicles through Chester Rd to Arrive Alive personnel. Yes inappropriate speed equals noise.
3. Inspector Ahari writes " I trust this information reassures you that action is being taken".
Quite frankly Inpector Ahari it does not, action is not being taken.

Blogger (me) reported to the Police again

On Sunday I saw 4 children on scooters and bikes pedalling back from crossing our 2000 speeding cars a day centre of village road. I sensed a photo opportunity so I took a picture with their consent with Lisa and Dolly our dog.

This morning within an hour of primary school opening I have North Wales Police around asking what I was doing.

The school appear to have dropped their route to school plans or they are being very quiet about the plans or non plans.

Have they dropped the project?

Postscript. I have enquired with regards the above with Flintshire Highways through their web pages. There is a form to fill out.

Route to School Funding from the WAG

Carl Sargeant AM and Assembly Government Deputy First Minister and Ynys Môn AM Ieuan Wyn Jones have secured funding from the Welsh Assembly Government for Route to School projects. Meanwhile Chester Rd Penyffordd a Route to School remains a race track.

In The Evening Leader
Flintshire schools get cash help in safer journeys campaign
By Kate Forrester

Links
The Daily Post

Possible reprieve for Flintshire Post Offices?

Here is a story in The Daily Post in which Gwynedd is attempting to stop Post Office closures.
I think this whole exercise a bad mistake. Our older people need Post Offices. They are no good with pin numbers and hole in the walls.

Link Post Office's Gwynedd

Penyffordd Openzones

Penyffordd currently has 2 Openzones. These are public wifi points. Just like your wireless router but for everyone. Most cities, towns and villages appear to have them now. You sign up with BT Openzone buy some minutes then you can access the internet on your wireless device such as a pocket pc or laptop. (I'm sure set up will be the normal boggle with the grey matter)

I have a pocket pc on which I need to check web information whilst I am out so this development is very welcome.
Our Openzones which have a 100 metre radius are Penyffordd British Legion and The Red Lion.

Links Google Maps,
BTOpenzone

Penyffordd Footballers and Official fined

Jamie Rogers (Penyffordd) out for 3 matches.
Penyffordd official Gareth Tunnicliffe fined £50.
The FA have also suspended with immediate effect player Alec Jones (Penyffordd).

I may point out that Penyffordd do not appear to stand out from the others.

Link The Wrexham Leader

Steve Vaughan Penyffordd Butcher wins Top National Awards

Double awards joy for Penyffordd family butcher.

By Steve Graves A FLINTSHIRE food company has taken top prize in a major national competition.

Click here The Evening Leader

Penyffordd Resident Reassurance Evening

The building at Meadowslea continues

Click Image to enlarge

Air Quality in Penyffordd good

A TWO-year study has shown air quality near a cement factory is “good” according to the Environment Agency.
Links
Castle Cement
Air Quality Penyffordd 2005

The Top 50 Most Powerful Blogs

Click here

Pro Active Speed Warning Sign Post

Flintshire County Council highways men have put the post and perhaps the power supply in for the proactive speed sign. Very impressed with the workers. They had the percussion drill digging a hole within 5 minutes of turning up. I have this biased view of council workers that requires altering. Lets hope the traffic takes more notice of the pro active sign than they do with the cow sign.
Postscript. Which way is the sign going to face? Into the village or out of the village.
Answers on a post card. If its going to face coming into the village this will not alter the morning rat run one iota

Batten down the Hatches

The pink bit on the left is going to move across the Irish Sea and will hit mainland UK overnight and will last for 2 days. This is the result of very low pressure forming off the East coast of Iceland.

Link. Met Office Radar

Buckley Town Council CBM's and PCSO's also HGV's

Link here (pdf format)

Arrive Alive do Penyffordd again

A thank you for another visit from Arrive Alive. I see Bretton had a dose earlier with Airbus and Raytheon workers changing shift.

Operation Gazelle Penyffordd

This week Penyffordd is being subject to an attack (so sorry initiative) from various agencies. Quite a few agencies that have that tax element in their goals but not all.
I think it may be called Awareness Week.

1. CBM Chris Pullen has been out with DVLA in the village in an attempt to catch the car tax dodgers.
2. The TV License people have been in the village.
3. The Enforcement Agency for non-payment of fines are about.
4. Housing Officers.
5. Arrive Alive (Non tax)
6. The Police Helicopter has been out and about especially in the evening (non tax)

Still the Rat Run and whole sale speeding continues.

Post script. Cllr Linda Vidamour informs me of the value of high profile agency enforcement with which I agree. My aoplogies for any slight fly comment.

North Wales Police Appointment

Chief Superintendent Phil Thompson is retiring from being in charge of Eastern Division and Chief Superintendent Ruth Purdie will be in charge. Ruth being an ex police woman for Penyffordd who gets on very well with Cllr Edwina Davies.

A vote of no confidence for Penyffordd Community Cllrs

I have 2000 cars a day speeding passed my house and not one mention of it during tonight's Penyffordd Community Council meeting. County Cllr Colin Bithell who won the local vote on environment sits on his hands whilst the rat run trash our village centre each day.

The term " You couldn't make it up!" springs to mind.

Colin says nothing about the extra million cars we will have coming through here over the next 5 years. Flintshire County Council quote figures of 1 - 2 % increase in traffic over the next 25 years. Their (con) sultants getting paid for what Flintshire County Council want to hear.
A little research to be done

Traffic Law and Ulaanbaatar Mongolia

Someone from the above city has been looking at my blog, they were searching about traffic law in "the great britain". The Internet continues to know no bounds. As they will be able to see there is no traffic law in Penyffordd, we are wide open to daily wholesale breaking of village speed limits.

GNI Jones nine out of ten

Nigel, Clerk to Penyffordd Community Council has various new notices on the Penyffordd Community Council notice board outside the Penyffordd Post Office.
Cllr Colin Bithell has been having trouble with his shower, the electric ones require a certain pressure. The estate that Colin lives on has poor pressure. A letter from Welsh Water(maybe Wrexham Water). A letter from Environment saying its ok to eat veggie from the garden after Cllr Arnold Woolley said it wasn't. The only hitch was 2nd page of the agenda was a not on show.

Spring Approaches

My complaint against North Wales Police

I have made a complaint against North Wales Police so Inspector Alun Oldfield has asked me to withdraw his email from my list of recipients who I draw attention to articles I have written on the Penyffordd district blog.
This I have done.
When one has a complaint against you to North Wales Police or you make a complaint yourself any Internet activity appears to be monitored. My log shows unusual IP addresses emanating from London. (Hi there fellas or madam?)

When Flintshire County Council made a complaint against my writings in the blog I had similar IP addresses monitoring the site everyday. At one stage I thought they were copying my hard drive because my internet connection was that slow. It turned out that my Wireless Router was wide open as it is on default and I had 2 neighbours sharing my connection. lol
To quote the great man.

Honest vehicle owners expect the law to be upheld and offenders punished.
Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom North Wales Police.

This is partly what drives me on with this protest that has the moral high ground.

Who do Flintshire County Council work for?

1. They work for themselves and their pensions.
2. They work for the Road Haulage Association (they won't ban HGV's)
3. They work for Wrexham and Denbighshire drivers who want a good fast short cut as Penyffordd by-pass is gridlocked.
4. They work for the millions of holiday makers who use Chester Rd as a short cut.
5. They work for Airbus shift workers who want a good 50 -60 mph short cut.

Who do Flintshire County NOT work for?

Chester Rd residents who help to pay their wages and the black hole in their pensions.

The rat run currently at full flow in a village with school children, OAP's, horses and houses.
A By-pass that doesn't work at rush hour.
The Rat Runners don't give a flying fish really........................