South Wales Evening Post - 28 July 2006
The spiralling cost of delivering Swansea Leisure Centre is a worrying echo of Labour's rule, according to a city councillor. Newly defected Conservative Councillor Rene Kinzett is disappointed at the way the cost of the scheme has risen.
It was originally expected to cost £25 million but rose by another £7 million earlier this year.The council is having to borrow the extra cash after costings came in higher than expected.
Councillor Kinzett, a former Liberal Democrat, said: "I am concerned that this price tag did not include the whole cost of fitting out the new centre.
"It seems that even the new administration is not immune from the same problems which beset Labour's years in power in terms of getting incomplete costings which then have to be embarrassingly set right at a later stage.
"This is not a good way to run things and does not inspire confidence in something which should be a 100 per cent good news story."
Councillor Darren Price, leader of the Plaid group, is also concerned.
He added: "Soon after the elections in 2004 the council was presented with figures which showed that it would cost around £14 million in order to ensure the facility was fit for purpose.
"Since then, those costs have increased.
"The council needs to learn lessons from this whole affair. The new Asset Management Plan introduced by the council will hopefully mean that no such deterioration in council buildings will be allowed to happen again.
"Taxpayers should not have to pick up the bill."
ELECTION SET TO DECIDE COUNCIL FATE
South Wales Evening Post - 12 July 2006
The future of Dunvant council is now in the hands of the people. Months of bitter rows will come to a head on Thursday, July 27, when residents will decide whether to scrap the community council or save it.
The poll follows a campaign by disgruntled villagers, who say that they are fed up with in-fighting among councillors, and that they are not getting value for money for the extra tax they pay.
This year, families in a Band D house in Dunvant will pay £23 on top of their council tax bill for the services provided by the community council.
However, the chairman of the beleaguered body has urged people not to axe it, but to get more involved in its running and help it to improve.
Two polling stations are planned for the village on election day, one in the community centre and one in Dunvant Primary School.
The doors will be open from 4pm to 9pm and the count will take place at the school.Council chairman Rowly Bevan said scrapping the council would be bad for the village.
"Without the community council people wouldn't have a particular voice in the village, and wouldn't have things done," he said.
"We need more mums and dads to join the council.
"The council needs to improve, and I am still of the opinion that it is good for the village.
"Perhaps if people said we need a change of councillors I would agree, but as to getting rid of the council - no."
Councillors have established a £400 fighting fund to pay for the pro-council campaign.
But resident Mervyn Morgan said the council had become an irrelevance, and should be abolished.
He said: "It is too expensive, too undemocratic and too secretive.
"There are lots of other ways people get involved in the life of the community - they give their time to all kinds of groups and clubs.
"We don't need a council - it just involves expense without anything to do.
"If we have a problem we can go to our city councillors."
The future of Dunvant council is now in the hands of the people. Months of bitter rows will come to a head on Thursday, July 27, when residents will decide whether to scrap the community council or save it.
The poll follows a campaign by disgruntled villagers, who say that they are fed up with in-fighting among councillors, and that they are not getting value for money for the extra tax they pay.
This year, families in a Band D house in Dunvant will pay £23 on top of their council tax bill for the services provided by the community council.
However, the chairman of the beleaguered body has urged people not to axe it, but to get more involved in its running and help it to improve.
Two polling stations are planned for the village on election day, one in the community centre and one in Dunvant Primary School.
The doors will be open from 4pm to 9pm and the count will take place at the school.Council chairman Rowly Bevan said scrapping the council would be bad for the village.
"Without the community council people wouldn't have a particular voice in the village, and wouldn't have things done," he said.
"We need more mums and dads to join the council.
"The council needs to improve, and I am still of the opinion that it is good for the village.
"Perhaps if people said we need a change of councillors I would agree, but as to getting rid of the council - no."
Councillors have established a £400 fighting fund to pay for the pro-council campaign.
But resident Mervyn Morgan said the council had become an irrelevance, and should be abolished.
He said: "It is too expensive, too undemocratic and too secretive.
"There are lots of other ways people get involved in the life of the community - they give their time to all kinds of groups and clubs.
"We don't need a council - it just involves expense without anything to do.
"If we have a problem we can go to our city councillors."
COUNCILLOR'S TRUE BLUE EXPECTATIONS
South Wales Evening Post - 8 July 2006
Colour swapping Swansea politician Rene Kinzett is expecting a tougher stance from his new Conservative colleagues. Councillor Kinzett made a surprise move from the Lib Dems over to the Swansea Tory's last month.
The Mayals ward councillor pointed to a fresh direction under new Conservative leader David Cameron as the reason for his defection.
He dismissed claims it was because he was overlooked for candidacy for the Swansea West Assembly seat in next year's elections, losing out to Lib Dem Councillor Peter May at the selection.
Councillor Kinzett said he now expected a resurgence from Swansea Conservatives and a more vibrant political debate in the run up to the 2008 council elections.
He said: "For the last few years the Swansea administration may have led to a softening of the debate between the parties that make up the coalition.
"I do not think that this is healthy for local democracy and I hope to see a return to vigorous, but friendly, political exchanges."
Colour swapping Swansea politician Rene Kinzett is expecting a tougher stance from his new Conservative colleagues. Councillor Kinzett made a surprise move from the Lib Dems over to the Swansea Tory's last month.
The Mayals ward councillor pointed to a fresh direction under new Conservative leader David Cameron as the reason for his defection.
He dismissed claims it was because he was overlooked for candidacy for the Swansea West Assembly seat in next year's elections, losing out to Lib Dem Councillor Peter May at the selection.
Councillor Kinzett said he now expected a resurgence from Swansea Conservatives and a more vibrant political debate in the run up to the 2008 council elections.
He said: "For the last few years the Swansea administration may have led to a softening of the debate between the parties that make up the coalition.
"I do not think that this is healthy for local democracy and I hope to see a return to vigorous, but friendly, political exchanges."
HYPERVALUE PULLS OUT OF CENTRE
South Wales Evening Post - 8 July 2006
Swansea's St David's Shopping Centre has lost one of its key stores. Discount shop Hypervalue has suddenly closed at the centre, giving no notice to centre chiefs, it is claimed.
Centre manager Matt Beaumont said the discount store suddenly pulled out on Tuesday, when it was emptied, and is no longer trading.
The shop traded in just about anything from food to lighting and carpets, all at knock-down prices.
"It was a bit of a surprise to be honest with you.
"It had not been doing very well for the last couple of months. We had no inkling of this," he said.
The store employed about 10 staff.
It is been a stalwart of the area for more than a decade. Its departure will leave a gaping hole in a centre which once housed everything from a Safeway supermarket to a South Wales Electricity showroom, a branch of the Abbey National and furniture store.
Its biggest single tenant now is Iceland Frozen Foods.
Mr Beaumont said: "Any shop closing in St David's is a blow to us."We don't want to see empty shops. We have enough of them already."Mr Beaumont said Hypervalue had still to surrender the lease.
"It's a big unit, hopefully it's a good unit and we shouldn't have any problems letting it again, but they haven't surrendered the lease."
Shoppers in the centre said they were sorry to see it go.
Helen Newman of Joiners Road in Three Crosses added: " I am sorry it has gone."I think it is a pity because the centre can't really afford to see any more closures.''
Hypervalue stores in Parc Tawe and Llansamlet are still trading as normal. Another branch in High Street closed a couple of years ago.
A spokesman for the company said yesterday: " No comment.''
Swansea's St David's Shopping Centre has lost one of its key stores. Discount shop Hypervalue has suddenly closed at the centre, giving no notice to centre chiefs, it is claimed.
Centre manager Matt Beaumont said the discount store suddenly pulled out on Tuesday, when it was emptied, and is no longer trading.
The shop traded in just about anything from food to lighting and carpets, all at knock-down prices.
"It was a bit of a surprise to be honest with you.
"It had not been doing very well for the last couple of months. We had no inkling of this," he said.
The store employed about 10 staff.
It is been a stalwart of the area for more than a decade. Its departure will leave a gaping hole in a centre which once housed everything from a Safeway supermarket to a South Wales Electricity showroom, a branch of the Abbey National and furniture store.
Its biggest single tenant now is Iceland Frozen Foods.
Mr Beaumont said: "Any shop closing in St David's is a blow to us."We don't want to see empty shops. We have enough of them already."Mr Beaumont said Hypervalue had still to surrender the lease.
"It's a big unit, hopefully it's a good unit and we shouldn't have any problems letting it again, but they haven't surrendered the lease."
Shoppers in the centre said they were sorry to see it go.
Helen Newman of Joiners Road in Three Crosses added: " I am sorry it has gone."I think it is a pity because the centre can't really afford to see any more closures.''
Hypervalue stores in Parc Tawe and Llansamlet are still trading as normal. Another branch in High Street closed a couple of years ago.
A spokesman for the company said yesterday: " No comment.''
RETAIL EXPERIENCE DOESN'T THRILL CITY CENTRE SHOPPERS
South Wales Evening Post - 7 July 2006
There is bad news for Swansea city centre businesses hoping for a change in trading fortunes. According to the vast majority of respondents Swansea city centre just does not do it for them. Last year the big issue was the leisure centre. But that has now shifted.
Many people now say they are looking for improvements to city centre shopping areas to make them spend their money here.
They have complained about everything from shut down shops to a lack of consumer choice to the length of time it has taken for the David Evans redevelopment scheme.
One respondent to our survey said: "We need to improve the shopping experience to the level of Cardiff so that people from all parts of Wales and England are drawn here."
Not all shoppers are satisfied by what's on offer. One said: "Castle Gardens and the old David Evans store is bringing the city down. Other cities are attractive, why aren't we?"
Another said: "The council must revamp High Street and the train station."Seventy per cent of respondents said the shopping experience had got worse in the last year. Just 3.3 per cent thought it had got better. Just under 85 per cent of people say they do most of their big item shopping elsewhere.
Rosemary Morgan, chairwoman of the City Centre Partnership, admitted the city centre was looking tired, but said there were plenty of reasons for hope.
"The work going on at the moment will help make things much better," she said.
One reader shared Mrs Morgan's optimism for the future, saying: "Swansea is on the move. People must be patient."
There is bad news for Swansea city centre businesses hoping for a change in trading fortunes. According to the vast majority of respondents Swansea city centre just does not do it for them. Last year the big issue was the leisure centre. But that has now shifted.
Many people now say they are looking for improvements to city centre shopping areas to make them spend their money here.
They have complained about everything from shut down shops to a lack of consumer choice to the length of time it has taken for the David Evans redevelopment scheme.
One respondent to our survey said: "We need to improve the shopping experience to the level of Cardiff so that people from all parts of Wales and England are drawn here."
Not all shoppers are satisfied by what's on offer. One said: "Castle Gardens and the old David Evans store is bringing the city down. Other cities are attractive, why aren't we?"
Another said: "The council must revamp High Street and the train station."Seventy per cent of respondents said the shopping experience had got worse in the last year. Just 3.3 per cent thought it had got better. Just under 85 per cent of people say they do most of their big item shopping elsewhere.
Rosemary Morgan, chairwoman of the City Centre Partnership, admitted the city centre was looking tired, but said there were plenty of reasons for hope.
"The work going on at the moment will help make things much better," she said.
One reader shared Mrs Morgan's optimism for the future, saying: "Swansea is on the move. People must be patient."
MORE THAN HALF OF RESPONDENTS SAY COUNCIL HAS FAILED ON OPENNESS
South Wales Evening Post - 7 July 2006
Swansea Council leaders have been accused of lacking openness. More than half of the people who expressed an opinion said that the transparency of cabinet decisions has become worse in the past 12 months.
Around 25 per cent thought it was getting better, with a similar number saying nothing has changed.
When the Liberal-Independent-conservative coalition came to power in 2004, one of the key promises was to provide open local government.
However, it is clear that most people feel council leaders have failed to keep this promise.
One respondent said: "The council seems to operate in too much secrecy, just like its predecessor, despite its promise to be more open after taking power."
The style of leadership in the city has also come under fire, with 40 per cent of respondents saying it has got worse in the past 12 months.
"I believe the current council has lost its way with external consultants and excessive spending at the cost of basic services," added the respondent.
Council leader Chris Holley said: "I'm disappointed that a number of people feel we do not engage with them, but what we said we would do, we will do.
"It is unfair to judge us after just two years. The previous administration had 30 years to change the way council works and didn't manage it.
"We are trying to change the way it works.
"I think some of the things that happen have been unavoidable. All local authorities use consultants."
Swansea Council leaders have been accused of lacking openness. More than half of the people who expressed an opinion said that the transparency of cabinet decisions has become worse in the past 12 months.
Around 25 per cent thought it was getting better, with a similar number saying nothing has changed.
When the Liberal-Independent-conservative coalition came to power in 2004, one of the key promises was to provide open local government.
However, it is clear that most people feel council leaders have failed to keep this promise.
One respondent said: "The council seems to operate in too much secrecy, just like its predecessor, despite its promise to be more open after taking power."
The style of leadership in the city has also come under fire, with 40 per cent of respondents saying it has got worse in the past 12 months.
"I believe the current council has lost its way with external consultants and excessive spending at the cost of basic services," added the respondent.
Council leader Chris Holley said: "I'm disappointed that a number of people feel we do not engage with them, but what we said we would do, we will do.
"It is unfair to judge us after just two years. The previous administration had 30 years to change the way council works and didn't manage it.
"We are trying to change the way it works.
"I think some of the things that happen have been unavoidable. All local authorities use consultants."
