|
Llais Gwynedd - The first to contact COL with details of their full Manifesto.
The newly formed Llais Gwynedd – the Voice of Gwynedd is
to fight the forthcoming Local Authority Elections on a pledge to save rural
schools from widespread closure, retain public services and restore
accountability and public confidence in the county council.
They contacted Caernarfon Online this week with details of their manifesto. So instead of telling you about it. Here it is in full.
(We promise to include all manifesto's, if the parties chose to send them in to us.)
The Voice of
Gwynedd Manifesto
This manifesto is based on what we believe to be the
aspirations of the people of Gwynedd - aspirations we will strive to realise.
Since it was established 12 years ago Gwynedd Council has
been ruled by a comfortable majority by Plaid Cymru. At the start expectations
were high as the Party of Wales embarked on a programme of public service
initiatives in its political stronghold that had supported the party for more
than a quarter of a century.
After all Plaid Cymru was established in Gwynedd; Plaid Cymru
stood for election for the first time in Gwynedd; and Gwynedd voted in two (out
of three) of Plaid Cymru's first members of the Westminster Parliament.
But all those hopes were soon dashed. Cutbacks in services
became the order of the day; financial and practical investments were earmarked
for the Menai Strait belt at the detriment of Gwynedd's smaller towns and rural
areas; democratic accountability was curtailed as all the council's power is
now wielded by Cabinet thus depriving individual councillors of the authority
to represent their communities in an effective manner.
To crown it all a cruel plan was hatched to close over 80 or
the county's rural schools - be it as a complete closure or to be re-opened as
part of a federal school- against the wishes of the communities that those
schools served. ·Plaid Cymru, of all the political parties, closing rural
schools and betraying its founding principles and its most ardent supporters.
There was little choice therefore but to establish Llais
Gwynedd to challenge this atrocity. We believe the only realistic way of stop
these attacks on our fundamental rights and services is to break Plaid Cymru's
overwhelming hold on the Council. This absolute power, which has evoked
arrogance and has totally ignored the people of Gwynedd concerning the future
of their communities, must be checked.
Of course there is more that schools in the balance here. We
believe that present Gwynedd Council policies threaten the whole fabric of our
rural and Welsh communities - communities that have miraculously survived the
passage of time in the face of economic, social and political adversity. We
believe these communities deserve investments not cutbacks. Development not
deprivation. Enabling not disabling.
We believe that Gwynedd Councils plans for rural schools is
a clear snapshot of a wider picture that will effect every aspect of the
county's rural areas sooner rather than later. From schools to provision for
the elderly; from economic development to leisure centres; from safe,
comfortable and affordable homes to re-cycling. The writing's already on the
wall.
We believe that the only option open to us in order to stop
this disintegration is to have an immediate regime change in Gwynedd Council.
Our chance will come on May 1st• We shan't miss this opportunity.
Here is a breakdown of what can be expected if success comes
to Llais Gwynedd `the Voice of Gwynedd at the polls:
EDUCATIION
- Llais Gwynedd - the Voice of Gwynedd presumes
against the closure of any school if educational standards are upheld and if it
is the community's wish to retain their local school. In such circumstances the
status quo is an option during open, transparent and sympathetic consultations
with communities concerning the future of their schools.
- Llais Gwynedd believes the school to be the
heart of a community and is necessary to ensure that community's economic,
social and cultural viability.
- Llais Gwynedd promises to spend every penny of
the National Assembly's education grant on education.
- Llais Gwynedd does not accept the Council's
opinion that urban schools are being deprived because of the costs involved in
safeguarding rural schools. It must be accepted that services in rural areas,
schools included, are more expensive to maintain e.g. road maintenance,
re-cycling, supplies, public transport etc.
- Llais Gwynedd does not agree that the small
financial savings incurred through school closure justifies the educational,
social and cultural loss facing communities deprived of their schools.
- Llais Gwynedd opposes the introduction of post-l
6 year old education in tertiary establishment in the Arfon area. It's believed
that the loss of the 6th form denies high schools of the maturity offered by
older pupils.
- Llais Gwynedd opposes the introduction of
post-14 year old education establishments in Gwynedd. Resources to meet future
academic and vocational needs should be provided in the present high schools
with the aid of technological advancements.
- Llais Gwynedd presumes in favour of providing
comprehensive special needs education throughout the county and believes this
service has suffered unnecessary cutbacks resulting in serious deficiencies
suffered by those who need and have the right to specialist support.
- Llais Gwynedd supports the restoration of a
Director of Education in Gwynedd with responsibility for school and life long
education. The Director of Education should be answerable to an Education
Committee with its Chairman taking the education portfolio in the Council
Cabinet. The Chairman is elected by the Committee.
SOCIAL SERVICES
- Llais Gwynedd supports the restoration of the
legislative Director of Social Services with responsibility for social services
in Gwynedd. The Director of Social Services should be answerable to a Social
Services Committee with its Chairman taking the Social Services portfolio in
the Council Cabinet. The Chairman is elected by the Committee.
- Llais Gwynedd presumes against change in the
provision for elderly people. Llais Gwynedd believes in open, transparent and
sympathetic consultations with staff and home residents and their families.
- Llais Gwynedd against out of country special
needs care. We believe this creates social and cultural problems for the
individuals involved that exaggerates rather than abates conditions.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
- Llais Gwynedd is the voice of rural communities
that believes in developing every part of Gwynedd and giving the appropriate
attention to the needs of individual communities.
- Llais Gwynedd opposes the North West Wales
Spatial Development Strategy that promotes economic prosperity for the Menai
Straits belt. Llais Gwynedd believes there is no evidence to support Gwynedd
Council’s claim of potential growth distribution to other parts of the county.
- Appreciating Gwynedd's traditional tourist
attractions Llais Gwynedd will also develop the potential involved in cultural
tourism.
- Llais Gwynedd believes that tourism developments
should not negatively impact present tourist attractions and that any future
development should be measured against their effect on Gwynedd's unique social,
linguistic and cultural fabric.
- Llais Gwynedd is conscious of rural depopulation
as young people leave their communities in search of work. Llais Gwynedd will
apply a strategy of creating a range of employment opportunities in order to
keep young people in the county and to facilitate their return.
- Llais Gwynedd supports planning consent for five
caravans on every agricultural holding conditional to the relevant health,
amenity and provision requirements.
- Llais
Gwynedd supports local businesses and will take every opportunity to purchase
goods within the county boundary.
- Llais Gwynedd supports upgrading the Cambrian
and Conwy Valley railway lines in order to promote economic prosperity and good
quality public transport for the residents of the towns and villages along
these two important railway lines.
HOUSING
- Llais Gwynedd is especially conscious of the
housing emergency facing the residents of Gwynedd and promises to react
appropriately.
- Llais Gwynedd proposes allowing the building
affordable housing for local people on a tenancy or part-ownership basis
outside the stipulated development boundary. We aim to have 150 affordable
homes in the pipeline within the first 12 months in office.
- Llais Gwynedd will consent to conditional house
building outside stipulated development boundaries so as to allow local people
to build on their own land.
- Llais Gwynedd supports establishing Community
Land Trusts so as to allow local people to build a home on land owned by the
local community be it by a charity or local authority.
- Llais Gwynedd believes newly allocated second
homes should need the appropriate planning consent.
- Llais Gwynedd believes that the council's
housing stock, pending the support of its tenants, be transferred to a council
subsidiary company or a charitable community association in partnership with
the tenants.
- Llais Gwynedd supports regaining previous
council housing, but now in private ownership, back unto the public sector to
be managed by a council subsidiary company or a charitable community
association.
TRANSPORT, LEISURE
AND MUNICIPAL
- Llais Gwynedd supports concessionary parking
fees in council car parks for the county's residents or for car owners who work
in the county.
- Llais Gwynedd presumes against any change to the
status of leisure centres/swimming pools without open, transparent and
sympathetic consultations concerning their future with individual communities.
- Llais Gwynedd will provide conditional free
fares for school children on the county's bus services.
- Llais Gwynedd supports the future of public
conveniences by transferring their management to community councils or a local
charitable association and contributing towards their up-keep.
HIGHWAYS
- Llais Gwynedd calls for further improvements to
the A470 hear Ganllwyd
- Llais Gwynedd calls for am immediate start to the
Porthmadog and the Bontnewydd/Caernarfon/Caeathro by-passes.
- Llais Gwynedd will allow Gwynedd Council's Area
Committees to prioritize minor road improvements.
CULTURE
- Llais Gwynedd supports the Welsh language and
culture
- Llais Gwynedd is enthusiastic in its support for
the Welsh language county-wide.
- Llais Gwynedd believes that extra measures are
needed to safeguard the future of the Welsh language in its stronghold in rural
Gwynedd. A consensus will be reached on the scale of measures adopted but rural
schools and other council services will play a pivotal role.
ENVIRONMENT
- Llais Gwynedd supports renewable energy
programmes
- Llais Gwynedd will support renewable energy
programmes in homes and businesses
- Llais Gwynedd supports every recycling
initiative by providing extra recycling centres so as to make recycling an easy
option.
- Llais Gwynedd will provide a weekly refuse
collection service throughout Gwynedd.
ADMINISTRATION
- Llais Gwynedd supports a review of Gwynedd
Council's administrative effectiveness.
- Llais Gwynedd does not believe that the present
method of government by cabinet with toothless scrutiny committees represent
the aspirations of local people.
- Llais Gwynedd supports giving individual
councillors power and a voice so they are able to effectively represent their
constituents. To this end Llais Gwynedd will reinstate a committee system with
their chairs becoming conditional Cabinet members who will take a lead in their
appropriate fields of endeavour Cabinet membership will reflect the council's
political make-up and be answerable to a full council meeting.
If elected on this manifesto Llais Gwynedd undertakes to
realise its obligations:
- Honestly
- Conscientiously
- Openly and transparently
- With respect for people and their communities
|
