Swansea Newsfile

Jobs axe will fall over 'hundreds' more employees, says Swansea Council boss

2010-01-28T11:23:00.003Z

S.Wales Evening Post - 26 January 2010

HUNDREDS of jobs are to go as Swansea Council seeks to close a major gap in its finances.

Council leader Chris Holley has admitted that the authority will be forced to impose compulsory redundancies on staff and revise plans to cut staff numbers.

Last February, the council announced it was to axe 500 jobs by 2012 — hoping the numbers would be made up of natural wastage and voluntary redundancy, avoiding compulsory redundancy.

However, with just 130 of those positions gone, and in the face of a £15 million gap in its budget, the council has been forced to adjust its target, with hundreds more of the 13,000 total workforce facing the axe.

Councillor Holley said: "That figure (500) is going to have to be extended now because of the cuts the Assembly Government and national government are making.

"We did start this process at the point where we are going to have to have 500 job losses.

"That is the minimum.

"I suspect it will be more than that.

"I would say probably hundreds on top of the 500."

Asked about whether there would be compulsory redundancies at the authority, Councillor Holley said: "It would be impossible for me to say no. I sincerely hope there will not be.
"We will work as best we can to avoid them."

Councillor Holley said it was wrong for trade union Unison to claim it had not been consulted. He said: "Officially, we started discussing it with them two years ago."

However Unison, which has local government members working in the authority, say there has been no contact over the latest development.

Mike Davies, from the Swansea branch of Unison, said: "We had a joint consultative committee meeting last week, and we made representations that we are seeking urgent discussions with the council.

"Of course, it is a concern because, whatever the result of the budget, it is not likely to be good news.

"However, we want to be informed exactly what the position of the council is going to be."

Mr Davies added that, while the authority has not told Unison how many job cuts it is considering, he believed it "is well above the 500 from last year."

He said: "I think they are probably going to have to look at compulsory redundancies now.”

Councillors' mud-slinging is 'detracting from what's best for city'

2009-08-04T14:54:00.001+01:00

S.Wales Evening Post - Tuesday, 4 August 2009

Councillors need to get back to debating what's best for Swansea instead of launching personal attacks on each other, says the city's leader.

Councillor Chris Holley made the comment after being questioned about the quality of debate in Swansea Council's chamber.

Last week, a row erupted after two councillors allegedly made comments about enforced sterilisation and compulsory long-term contraception for parents whose children had been taken into care.

The views were denounced by Swansea councillors on Thursday. However, concerns have been raised about whether debate in the chamber has degenerated into mud-slinging and personal attacks on councillors.

Councillor Holley said: "I think it has become personal, and it seems to be whatever is best for Swansea is being ignored — it's about individuals.

"Policy has disappeared. If it's about anything that benefits Swansea, it's just rubbished by the opposition.

"Just because an idea has been put forward, doesn't mean the opposition have to disagree with it."

Councillor Holley also criticised councillors who condemned their colleagues for being too old, referring to comments made earlier in the year by Tory leader Rene Kinzett.

He added: "I do think debate in the council chamber has degenerated into mud-slinging.
"Councillors need to remember they are there for the benefit of Swansea, and not for themselves.

"It becomes personal when councillors say people are past it just because they are of a certain age. That has certainly left a bitter taste in my mouth, and is something I totally disagree with."

However, Labour leader Dave Phillips said he believed debate in the chamber remained healthy, and there was even a place to discuss the importance of Twittering while council was in session.
He said: "I don't think there's mud-slinging in the council chamber.

"I don't think you should have to just agree all the time. If we did, we would all be in the middle of the road and we would all be run over.

"I think the standard of council debate is generally very good, and I believe most councillors are there to do a better job for their constituents. Politics is a serious business, and it affects all of us, but it's very easy to trivialise by taking one or two items out of context.

"The last council meeting covered not just sterilisation and Twittering, but services for the elderly, children's social services and councillors' remuneration, among other things."
However, Councillor Phillips said he did have concerns about the level of debate in Swansea Council.

He added: "Nonetheless, I am concerned that much of what we should be discussing about the future of our city is decided in cabinet — less and less is being brought to council. When it gets the chance, council does discuss matters in considerable detail — while the length of cabinet meetings can be counted in minutes."

Councillors call for forced sterilisation for parents of children in care

2009-07-28T11:22:00.000+01:00

S.Wales Evening Post - 28 July 2009

A row has erupted among Swansea councillors over compulsory sterilisation of parents of children in care.

Conservative group leader Rene Kinzett claims two councillors caused uproar in a meeting which looked at the growth of the number of children in care in the city.

Councillors were discussing the issue of parents who have had their children taken into care but continued to have more children.

Councillor Kinzett, who was not present at the meeting, said he had been told the concept of forced sterilisation for parents had been raised. The subject was discussed at a members seminar on social services.

Tory councillor Paxton Hood-Williams has supported Councillor Kinzett's claims over the meeting.

Councillor Robert Francis-Davies, who was also at the meeting, confirmed the Labour party had tabled a motion for Thursday's council meeting as a result of a discussion at the members forum on social services.

"I can't remember exactly what was said, but Alan Robinson certainly did mention sterilisation and Councillor Fitzgerald agreed," he claimed. "However, David Phillips told them that was disgraceful."

He said it got very heated and people started to "backtrack" saying they had been misunderstood.

Both Councillor Robinson and Fitzgerald declined to comment when contacted by the Post last night.

A group of opposition councillors are now seeking a condemnation of the concept of forced sterilisation from the Lib-Dem administration.

Ten Labour members, including party leader David Phillips, have called for the matter to be discussed at a meeting of the full council on Thursday.

They have tabled a notice of motion calling for the council to acknowledge the complex issues involved when a child is taken into care.

It said: "Council considers it imperative that there is an evident commitment to such sensitivity and compassion at all levels in the authority and that this is expressed by both its political and administrative leaders.

"Council states unequivocally that it is unacceptable for any member of council, or the authority, to publicly pronounce, or privately harbour, views that some parents of children in care should be prevented from having any more children, by compulsory sterilisation if necessary. It believes that such extremist views have no place in mainstream politics in Britain.

"Council calls upon the leader of the council and the chief executive to unambiguously condemn such views and explicitly assure council that such statements not only have not, but also do not, form part of the policy considerations of the authority.

"Council calls on them to ensure that no member of the cabinet or senior management team hold, or agree with such views, and provide an assurance that such statements will not be tolerated within the authority."

European Elections - Swansea Results

2009-06-09T12:31:00.000+01:00

GOWER
BNP 4.89%
Christian Party 2.11%
Conservative 24.49%
Jury Team 0.64%
Liberal Democrats 10.58%
No2EU: Yes to Democracy 1.33%
Plaid Cymru 15.28%
Socialist Labour 1.41%
Green 6.72%
Labour 20%
UKIP 12.47%

Total: 19,436
Turnout: 31.75%

SWANSEA EAST
BNP 9.49%
Christian Party 2.43%
Conservative 11.36%
Jury Team 0.59%
Liberal Democrats 11.83%
No2EU: Yes to Democracy 1.82%
Plaid Cymru 13.72%
Socialist Labour 2.37%
Green 4.43%
Labour 28.84%
UKIP 13.12%

Total: 13,882
Turnout: 23.4%

SWANSEA WEST
BNP 5.44%
Christian Party 1.96%
Conservative 17.16%
Jury Team 0.56%
Liberal Democrats 18.76%
No2EU: Yes to Democracy 1.34%
Plaid Cymru 10.96%
Socialist Labour 1.38%
Green 6.62%
Labour 20.76%
UKIP 11.22%

Total: 17,051
Turnout: 27.03%

Come and tell us what you think

2009-05-12T18:43:00.000+01:00

SWEP - Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 07:58

This is Local Newspaper Week.

It is a seven-day celebration of the crucial role newspapers and their websites play in our communities.

Throughout the week we will be focusing on what your local newspapers (Evening Post, Llanelli Star and Carmarthen Journal) and websites (thisissouthwales, thisiscarmarthenshire, and thisisswansea) mean to you.

And we would love to know your thoughts on what you love about us, what you would not be without, what you enjoy the most and what you would like to see more of in the future.
We believe we have a vital part to play in the community, but we need your help and support to continue doing it.

Please post any comments you have below.

Also, if you have any pictures of you or colleagues reading one of our newspapers at work, home, or, perhaps, somewhere unusual, then please send them to paul.turner@swwmedia.co.uk.

Thanks!

Comments (26)
As "a vital part of the community" the post should be judged by the same standards as it expects from public bodies. Unfortunately it fails this test and has been in decline for years. Poor research, lack of knowledge of Swansea, lazy recycling of articles, tabloid headlines sensationalising stories, need I go on. Would like to see the reaction to this on the front page! My money is on. "Post readers tell us we are the best!"
Richard, Swansea
commented on 12-May-2009 13:13

What happened to the readers letter section, something I enjoyed reading.
Anne, Georgia, USA
commented on 12-May-2009 13:08

Another vote here for bringing back the letters page on the website. Also, I'd like to see Heather from Mumbles given her own column.
P.Lazarou, Bonymaem
commented on 12-May-2009 12:45

I agree that the same stories are recycled which is frustrating. It would be nice to see balanced coverage with regard to the NHS etc, the paper is quick to go to town on anything negative but rarely does the same for positive stories - they tend to be a statement of fact only (and no, I dont work for the NHS). I too am sick of seeing these poor victims pointing helplessly at some random item - 9 times out of 10 they only go to the Post in an attempt to get some money out of whoever they think is to blame - shame on you for reporting it - you are just encouraging them. The name Evening Post is a bit of a joke now too. The paper is printed overnight and available to buy in the morning so hardly the news of the day.I agree that if you are going to have a website - print the stories rather than the habit you have recently adopted of printing a couple of sentencesCant disagree with the comments about your building - its vile!
J, Swansea
commented on 12-May-2009 12:26

more stories about swansea and the areas around it.more decent reporters.try and put your advertising on just a few pages they seem to be on every page.i like the website though because you dont have to pay 40p every day for a load of adverts and poor reporting
geoff, mumbles
commented on 12-May-2009 10:34

Go back to broadsheet formula, print the paper on the morning of the day of publication or stop calling it The Evening Post (perhaps The Morning Post would be more appropriate) Bring back the Sporting Post printed on a Sat after the games and available to read by around 6.30pm
Steve, Neath
commented on 12-May-2009 10:28

Bring your price down! I haven't paid for the Evening Post for many years. The post is only a local rag and you charge the same prices as the daily papers. For shame!
Jim, Swansea
commented on 12-May-2009 10:23

I enjoy the E.P. and take a daily look at your web page. As stated by other readers though, it is a pity that the E.P. is now printed in England. The news isn't "news" when we get now as it used to be. I expect that down to economics, it's a shame though as the E.P. should be a "our" local rag
Gloria, Swansea
commented on 12-May-2009 09:11

If i want up to date news about Swansea i look at the BBC web site which is updated 24 hrs a day.Since the printing of the post t has moved out of Swansea the news in invariably stale.Who wants to read a supposedly evening paper at 7 am. When the post was printed in Adelaide st we had a number of editions throughout the day and of course the "Late night final".Sorry Northcliffe newpapers you do not provide an up to date source of news to West Wales.
Derek, Swansea
commented on 12-May-2009 03:43

i miss the local gossip from the various areas around neath.why is it that you only print favourablr comments from the web site in EP?
byron, neath
commented on 11-May-2009 21:08
I agree with Paul (West Cross).Please reinstate the "Readers Page",on the website,some really interesting comments made by citizen's who may be without web facillities.
roy r, swansea
commented on 11-May-2009 19:32

The EP website needs improving/upgrading.....if a website is available it must be functioning on a level with the paper. At the moment, you have cut the readers letters (!!) and you direct readers to look for additional details of newstories on the following day!! If you have a story to report, REPORT IT in full at the time. The EP, rather than keeping up with progress, has taken ten steps backwards. Oh and for goodness sake, reinstate a proper bereavements section so that we do not have to wade through dozens of identical announcements for the same person - all we need is to know that a death has occurred and the date and time of the funeral.
clarysage50, Somerset
commented on 11-May-2009 18:55

what you love about us: when you talk up the positives about Swansea Bay - positive news stories.what you would not be without: sports news esp. live text report onlinewhat you enjoy the most: as abovewhat you would like to see more of in the future: more stories that do not stereotype, do not judge, do not make a mountain out of a molehill ... and that do share good news! And finally...Sort your building out!
Anon, Sketty
commented on 11-May-2009 17:06

You used to have a lady writer who used to write loads of interesting articles and features about Swansea but I have not seen her writing in the Post for several months. Without such interesting articles I personally gave up reading the Post as I am not interested in paying money to read endless adverts and endless stories from estate agents talking rubbish about house prices and why they think Swansea is worth such silly asking prices. I want to read interesting articles about local people.
Bob, Sketty
commented on 11-May-2009 16:57

Could you please reinstate the "Readers' Letters" page on the website?
Paul, West Cross
commented on 11-May-2009 16:28

i would like to see more headline grabbers like that front page story you ran about the woman who bought a burger from macdonalds that was rare. now thats real reporting for you. keep up the good work EP.
steve, swansea
commented on 11-May-2009 16:07

Try and be less small-minded and parochial, the fact that some minor celeb once visited Caswell or had a Granny from Gowerton is not particularly newsworthy and does not mean that Swansea is somehow responsible for their success.
Glen, Margam
commented on 11-May-2009 15:26

Totally agree with B.S's point 3.The majority of the "hard done by" victims you write about are lazy good for nothings who don't work or do anything constructive with their lives. Then a brick comes through their window and they are on the front page of the Post pulling a ridiculous pose pointing at a brick. Come on Editors half of you must be educated????
SHA BUDGE, swansea
commented on 11-May-2009 14:57

A little more investigative journalism would be good.
caebrwyn, Llanwrda, Carms
commented on 11-May-2009 14:42

I always read the EP because it is the only paper that gives local news. However I feel there has been a marked decline in the standard of journalism over the past years. It seems like journalists are appealing to the tabloid readers by sensationalising stories and stirring up trouble between the tax payer and statutory organisations such as Swansea Council and NHS. Also, the EP is not truly up to date with local news as it once was due to the fact that it is printed overnight before the news of the day has actually happened.
DD, Swansea
commented on 11-May-2009 14:35

I totally agree with comments by Dav. The building is an eyesore and is in a prominent position in te city. You reported several years ago that the building was to receive a facelift? You've not mentioned anything since and so why haven't you done it? You quite rightly highlight the issues with the bus station but people see the great improvements taking place around the bottom end of the city centre and then see your building slap bang in the middle.
Martin, Swansea
commented on 11-May-2009 14:02

I totally agree with the comments of Dav,Swansea. The Evening Post building is an eyesore. It is in a prominent position and you reported some years ago that it was to undergo a facelift? You report, quite rightly, about the state of the bus station but when are you going to do something about your building?
Martin, Swansea
commented on 11-May-2009 13:45

A good source of local news but there are areas in which you can improve:1/ Avoid being melodramatic and over-using words such as 'SHOCK, HORROR, DRAMA, ORDEAL'. Just give us the news and we'll be the judge of how 'shocking' it actually is.2/ Avoid recycling the same news. Recently you've printed stories about swine flu and the lad off Britain's Got Talent almost every day and it's starting to get very tedious now as it was not major news in the first place.3/ Cut down on publishing 'victim stories' with pathetic people whinging about how they stubbed their toe & have to find someone to blame.4/ I find your celebrity column to be uninteresting and the sort of thing you'd expect from the worst of the tabloids.
B.S., Penllergaer
commented on 11-May-2009 13:32

more positive news about Swansea!
Angela, Sketty
commented on 11-May-2009 13:01

More attention to basic grammar would be top of my list
Matthew, Swansea
commented on 11-May-2009 12:59

It would be nice to see the Evening Post improve the aspect of its building as a key gateway landmark to the City.
Dav, Swansea
commented on 11-May-2009 12:38

City OAP called police over reports of MP expense claims

2009-05-12T08:10:00.001+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 11 May 2009

A Swansea pensioner was left so disgusted by "scandalous" expense claims by politicians that he complained to police.

Mel Poole, aged 66, rang police in Swansea to complain about Justice minister Jack Straw, who claimed expense payments for the full amount of council tax on his London home over four years, despite only having to pay half.

Mr Straw repaid the money last year when he was foreign secretary.

His complaint alleging criminal deception was forwarded to the Metropolitan Police, but he said they had refused to take it any further.

Mr Poole, of Glan Yr Afon Road, said: "I'm just trying to highlight that the taxpayer is fighting back. They're all at it, it's scandalous, and they've only given pensioners a 50 pence a week rise. It's disgusting."

A spokesman for the Justice Secretary said: "All claims made for Jack Straw's Blackburn home have been made in accordance with the rules of the Commons. It was also Mr Straw who spotted errors in the claims for council tax and alerted the authorities. He repaid the difference."

Editorial

2009-05-08T19:03:00.001+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 8 May 2009

Swansea has a new lord mayor. But does anybody outside the council care?

That is not meant to be an insult to the new lord mayor. Councillor Alan Lloyd has been a stalwart of Swansea Council for 42 years. Congratulations to him, and we hope that he and his wife have a wonderful year as Swansea’s first citizens.

And we are not criticising the office of lord mayor. It is important that we have a figurehead who can represent the city at important events.Add to that the large sums of money the lord mayor raises each year for his or her selected charity. Clearly there are still great benefits in the post.

But when hardly anyone bothers to vote in council elections any more, we cannot pretend that the mayor-making is of much interest in the lives of councillor Lloyd’s fellow citizens.

Most people would not know the difference between the lord mayor and the council leader. Perhaps it’s time to merge the roles with an elected mayor.

Local paper is vital for us all

2009-04-20T20:22:00.002+01:00

Have Your Say - South Wales Evenning Post - 20 April 2009

Your report [April 15] says that taxpayer-funded newspapers which are published and distributed free by council may be having a negative impact on independent newspapers (such as the Evening Post).

We then read the comments from spokesmen for the local authorities defending their role of communicating details of local services, policies and initiatives to local residents.

Of course, none of these council free-sheets carry a word of criticism of the local authorities. They are little more than propaganda outlets for the respective councils.

In a democracy a powerful independent and critical local press is essential. Howe else would we learn of the many questionable actions taken by our councillors and council officials and how would members of the public be able to voice their concerns and express opposition.

It is of great concern that because of the current economic crisis “50 or so newspaper titles are closing this year”. The people of West Glamorgan should support the Evening Post and other local newspapers. Should we lose them, our hold on democracy will be greatly weakened.

Name and address supplied

Travellers win battle to stay put

2009-04-02T11:08:00.000+01:00

Editorial - 2nd April 2009

The outcome of a long court battle to evict two traveller families from a car park in the city’s enterprise park is not good for Swansea Council. The families are staying, and the council is left with red faces.

The cause of the embarrassment is a meeting between the families and council cabinet member John Hague. They reached a verbal agreement that the council would provide facilities if the families moved to another part of a car park.

Unfortunately, nobody told the rest of the cabinet, or the council’s lawyers, when they subsequently decided to seek a possession order for the entire enterprise park. A situation described by the judge as a failure on the part of councillors, officers, or both.

The council will attempt to salvage a little credit from the fact that the judge did allow the order to cover the rest of the enterprise park, which theoretically should deter any more travellers from camping there.

But even here there is a sting attached, with his references to the city’s overcrowded official sites, and its duty to provide enough temporary sites.

Sparks fly in council planning claim row

2009-04-01T09:39:00.002+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 1st April 2009

Security guards had to be called to escort a Swansea councillor out of a heated meeting.

There were cheers from the public gallery as Mawr representative Ioan Richard was led from the council chamber.

Things came to ahead towards the end of a 90 minute planning meeting to decide whether or not to grant permission to allow green waste and composting treatment to take place at Abergelli Farm, Velindre.

Mr Richard, who had earlier said that he was in favour of the controversial plan, ignored repeated calls to sit down and be quiet from deputy chair of the area one development control committee, Viv Abbott.

Sparks flew when Councillor Richard accused Councillor John Miles – who was against the proposal – of not have an “open mind”.

He said Councillor Miles’ son-in-law ran a pub from which the petition against the application had been launched.

Councillor Miles then turned the tables when he asked: ”How can Councillor Richard, who has access to that evidence and phoned people in Pontardulais and asked them why they signed the petition, have an open mind?”

Councillor Richard then caused uproar when he said: “I admit I have phone some petitioners up.”

Councillors voted to refuse permission.

Statement

2009-03-24T17:30:00.001Z

Title: Children’s Social Services in the City and County Of Swansea
Date: 24 March 2009
By: Gwenda Thomas, Deputy Minister for Social Services

I made a statement on 3 March setting out my concerns about social services for children in the City and County of Swansea. They had been inspected by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate in March and April 2007 and again in December 2008. During the intervening period, the Chief Inspector had implemented the Protocol for responding to serious concern about Local Authority Social Services in respect of the authority.

However, whilst there had been some improvement, the overall judgement in 2008 remained the same as in the 2007 inspection. Its services remained inconsistent and the prospects for improvement remained uncertain. It was clear that leadership at corporate and political level had not been sufficient during the period when the protocol had been in place.

In my statement I indicated then that I was considering making an Order under Section 84 of the Children Act 1989 declaring the Authority to be in default of certain of its functions in relation to the provision of social services for children, and directing it to take certain action. I also indicated that I was considering establishing an Intervention Board to provide robust external challenge to the authority in order to drive the improvements necessary.

I had met that morning with the Deputy Leader and Social Services Portfolio Holder to inform them of this and had written to the authority by way of confirmation attaching the Draft Order and Terms of Reference for the Intervention Board. In that letter, I provided the authority with an opportunity to respond to my proposal within 2 weeks.

On Monday 9 March I met, at their request, with the Leader, Deputy Leader and representatives of the other political groups on the Council. They all indicated to me that they were committed to improving children’s social services in the authority and that they would work together to provide the unified leadership that is required to achieve this and that they would write to me to confirm their position on this.

I have received a letter from the authority’s Chief Executive. In this he expresses the authority’s disappointment that I saw the Intervention Board as the way forward. They had hoped that I would have been more confident that the improvements achieved to date would have continued and been consolidated.

However, the authority recognised why I was considering this action in view of the report on the December 2008 Inspection by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate. The authority was pleased that, in all that I had said, I had recognised the hard work of front line staff. I wish to repeat that recognition again now and I am sure you would all endorse this.

The letter makes it clear that the authority will embrace the opportunity to work with the Intervention Board, recognise that the action I am considering would be focused purely on ensuring continued improvement and that all the political parties support this position.

The authority also confirms that it will ensure high level corporate support, at officer and member level, for the process, and that it is working towards the establishment of an Overview and Scrutiny Board which will have a dedicated focus on Children’s Social Services.

The authority reports that it has also developed its existing involvement with the Welsh Local Government Association and the Social Services Improvement Agency. Both have indicated that they are keen to support the authority on the improvement agenda.

The authority is already working on a draft action plan to tackle the areas of improvement identified in CSSIW’s report and in the Draft Order which I shared with them. One of the first tasks of the Intervention Board will be to consider this.. The CSSIW report of the inspection will be formally presented to the authority and published on 31 March.

I have now given careful consideration to the response I have received and am pleased to see that the authority has provided me with a response setting out the wish to embrace the opportunity to work with the Intervention Board.

I have given due weight to this alongside my determination that social services for children should not fall and remain below acceptable standards and the fact that the City and County of Swansea has failed by the December 2008 inspection to make sufficient progress to tackle the issues identified by CSSIW’s inspection in 2007 and to bring about the necessary improvement in these services.

Consequently, I have decided to make the Order under Section 84 of the Children Act 1989, declaring the authority in default of certain of its functions in relation to the provision of children’s social services and directing it to take all necessary action to secure without further delay that all the statutory duties imposed by or under the Act are consistently performed to an adequate standard.

I have met again with the Leader and Deputy Leader and Leaders of the other political parties in the authority this morning to inform them of this and have passed them a copy of the Order. I have also written to the authority with the formal Order which I have signed.

I have also initiated arrangements to establish the Intervention Board which will be made up of a chair drawn from outside social services and local government together with a current or past Director of Social Services, Head of Children’s Social Services, local authority Chief Executive and elected member in local government with experience in social services matters.

I propose that the Intervention Board will be in place as quickly as arrangements can be finalised to secure the high calibre of Board members which I wish to see.

Its composition is vitally important given the fact that the Board will have powers to require the Authority to take all reasonable steps to fulfil its responsibilities, to provide robust external challenge, to report to overview scrutiny boards on progress being made by the authority and to report to me on the authority’s progress at regular intervals which I shall determine.

I shall write to Members of this Assembly, informing them of the establishment of the Intervention Board and of its membership once these arrangements are finalised.

I wish to impress upon the City and County of Swansea that I consider the making of this Order, the first time that such an order is issued in respect of a local authority in Wales, and the establishment of the Intervention Board, to be a very serious step to take.

In doing so, I wish to emphasise that the responsibility for bringing about the improvements needed is not affected – it remains with everyone of the members of the authority who are elected to ensure that Swansea can provide social services capable of safeguarding and responding to the needs of the children and young people of Swansea and of supporting their families. I must stress that strong political and corporate leadership is essential if social services for children are to be improved at the pace at which that is needed.

I shall be keen to receive reports from the Intervention Board on the progress it considers the authority is making, as I will from the authority itself, and will ask the Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales to inspect children’s social services in the City and County of Swansea again in January 2010 or earlier if this becomes necessary.

I hope that all members of the Assembly, of whatever political persuasion, will recognise that the steps I am taking are motivated by the wish to see the necessary improvement in children’s social services in Swansea. The need to do so should transcend party politics and I expect the authority as a whole to work together to bring this improvement about.

Investigation into tram report ‘gift’

2009-03-07T14:41:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 7 March 2009

An investigation has been launched into how a feasibility study into a £500 million tram system landed at Swansea Council.

The council’s chief legal officer is now looking at how a seemingly free study from engineers Laing O’Rourke came before a council committee.

The controversial study hit the headlines last month after the council’s environment, regeneration and culture overview board discussed the possibility of bringing the trams systems to Swansea and the surrounding area and looked at the Laing O’Rourke study.

Laing O’Rourke believes the scheme would cost£521 million to deliver. It carried out the free feasibility study as a personal gift to Councillor Holley.

At the time Councillor Holley said: “I was offered a free estimate after a conversation with the engineers when they were working on the LC.

“It certainly wasn’t a case of I’ll scratch your back and you’ll scratch mine”.

Now Swansea Council’s monitoring officer David Daycock is to look into whether rules were broken after questions were raised over the affair.

Swansea Council’s chief executive Paul Smith confirmed an investigation had been launched.

He said: Questions have been asked regarding how the council procured the feasibility study through Laing O’Rourke. I have asked the council’s monitoring officer to look into the circumstances and report back to me.”

Councillor Holley said: “The chief executive has had a number of inquiries about how we came about this study. I have been told that the monitoring officer wants to ask me about how we had this so-called feasibility study”.

Tory Group leader Rene Kinzett said: “The fact senior officers are now investigating the circumstances that led to the report being done for “free” for the leader, then the same report ending up being considered by an official committee of council, is a serious matter.

“It is worrying to think that it’s acceptable to accept a free gift of a report that could have cost tens of thousands of pounds if purchased on the open market.

“It raises important questions relating to ethical procurement, legal and administrative regulations and the political and professional judgement of Mr Holley.

“It beggars belief he thinks he thinks it’s fine to ride roughshod over the council’s normal procurement rules and leave the council open to risk of being seen to owe an outside company a favour.

Interviews are expected to begin on Monday.

We Say… (editorial)

Best laid plans …
It must have seemed a good idea at the time. Council finances are tight, every penny counts and here is a well respected company willing to carry out some research – for nothing.

A feasibility study into bringing trams back to Swansea – and no critical headlines about wasting tens of thousands of pounds on a far-off dream when there are still potholes in our streets waiting to be filled.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work out like that.

Council leader Chris Holley is now facing an inquiry into whether he broke any legal rules or ethical guidelines by asking engineers Laing O’Rourke to carry out the study as a personal favour.

Councillor Holley is quick to point out that the free estimate was for him, not the council. But as a private citizen, he would not be looking into building a £521 million tram system.

While there is no suggestion that there was anything untoward on either side in his dealings with Laing O’Rourke, this episode has not shown Councillor Holley’s professional judgement in the best light.

Can’t hide from the awful truth

2009-03-04T17:40:00.004Z

Editorial

Swansea’s social services department is failing the children of Swansea.

In a damning and extremely disappointing announcement, Assembly Social Services Minister Gwenda Thomas says that despite “special measures” being put in place in 2007, the department is still performing below “acceptable standards”.

Special measures were introduced two years after the death of Aaron Gilbert. Toddler Aaron died at the hand of his mother and step-father. The evil pair were punished in the courts, but the net was thrown wider and the local authority came in for huge criticism.

The minister is threatening to send in a hit squad if Swansea Council doesn’t come up with a small miracle in two weeks. Since it hasn’t managed to improve in the last 18 months, it’s unlikely to show a sea change in the next fifteen days, so we can assume that the hit squad is on the way.

When the team arrives, there will be nowhere left to hide. For the sake of the city’s vulnerable children, party politics must be pushed aside and everyone concerned must be completely pushed aside and everyone concerned must be completely open and honest about what has gone wrong and what needs to be done to put it right.

New team to head ‘failing’ kids unit

2009-03-04T17:38:00.005Z

South Wales Evening Post - 4 March 2009

An Assembly team is expected to be parachuted in to tackle Swansea’s failing social services department.

Assembly Minister Gwenda Thomas announced the possible move after a damning report on the department’s child services wing.

She says the Council is still failing the city’s children and action needs to be taken.
The department has been “under special measures” since an investigation sparked by the high profile death of baby Aaron Gilbert in 2005.

Now a team from the Assembly is likely to be sent in to take the service by the scruff of the neck and give direction to moves to improve services.

Mrs Thomas, the minister for Social Services, said one course of action could be to set up an intervention board to ensure children’s services in Swansea were “improved quickly and dramatically”.

If she decides to take that action, it will be the first time such a measure has been taken against a Welsh local authority.

She told the Assembly: “Its services remain inconsistent and prospects for improvement are uncertain.

“I am not prepared for social services for children to fall and remain below acceptable standards, and consider that the City and County of Swansea has failed to make sufficient progress to tackle the issues.

“I am aware of the fact that this is the first occasion when such an order might be issued in respect of a local authority in Wales, but feel that the circumstances are such that I must give very serious consideration to doing so”.

The failings in the department were highlighted in a report into Aaron’s death.

It criticised the department and put it under special measures with a remit to improve quickly.

But despite council reports that things were improving, Mrs Thomas has decided more action is needed.

She said she had written to Swansea Council outlining areas which need specific improvement. It has until March 18 to respond with plans to improve the department.

But if Mrs Thomas is not satisfied, she will set up an intervention board, consisting of a current or past director of social services, head of children’s social services, local authority chief executive and elected member in local government with experience of social services matters, as well as a lay chairman or woman.

In the statement, Mrs Thomas made clear blame for the service’s failings lay with the leadership, not the frontline staff, who she praised for their hard work under difficult circumstances.

She also said she wanted to see politics put aside for the sake of the children, urging all councillors to become “corporate parents”.

She said:”This leadership has not been adequate during the period when the protocol has been in place and there have been concerning examples of delay in tackling improvement areas an in establishing an improvement board to promote this work.

“There has also been evidence of insufficient coherence and focus across the authority, and I call upon all members of the authority, of whatever political complexion, to fulfil their responsibilities as a corporate parent for the children in its care,” she added.

Andrew Davies, AM for Swansea West, called the report a “sobering moment” for Swansea Council.

“I hope the further two weeks that the leadership of Swansea Council and the senior management of social services have been given by the minister will focus their attempts to turn this vital service around.

“We all have to work together to address the serious concerns highlighted by the Inspectors report and the Minister’s statement about Children’s Social Services in Swansea and to improve social services provision in our city”.

Website Comment

2009-03-04T14:30:00.001Z

Just to put this in perspective the Inspector's report acknowledges that on all the performance factors Social Services has improved over the last two years. Their concern is that it is not improving fast enough.

The Management of Children's services has changed since the original report and there is a new Director in place. The other concern in the report is that across all parties there has not been the joint working needed to push forward improvements.

They imply that Councillors have been too concerned with scoring political points rather then putting the interests of children first. I think that is a valid criticism and I hope that as a result all parties will now come together on a joint working group to deal with this issue.

Peter, Swansea
commented on 04-Mar-2009 14:29

STATEMENT BY THE WELSH ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT

2009-03-04T10:46:00.001Z

Title: Children’s Social Services In Swansea
Date: 3 March 2009
By: Gwenda Thomas, Deputy Minister for Social Services

I provided a statement in June 2007 on the findings and implications of the review of children’s social services in the City and County of Swansea that had been carried out in March and April of 2007 by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate. That review had found that there were serious concerns in core areas of service provision and, in view of these, the Chief Inspector decided to apply the Protocol for responding to Serious Concern about Local Authority Social Services in respect of the authority.

The protocol remains in place and, over the last 18 months, the Inspectorate has set improvement targets for the authority and monitored the extent to which progress was being made. The Assistant Chief Inspector has held meetings at regular intervals with the Chief Executive and other senior Directors to review the position and the Inspectorate has written numerous times on matters requiring attention and to confirm expectations of the improvements that needed to be made.

A further Inspection of children’s social services in Swansea was undertaken in December 2008. The Report will be published in April but its findings have been reported to me. In summary, whilst there has been some improvement, the overall judgement on children’s social services remains the same as that following the 2007 inspection. Its services remain inconsistent and the prospects for improvement remain uncertain.

I have met with the Leader of the authority and the social services portfolio holder on 3 occasions, since the 2007 inspection report and I have made clear my expectation that significant improvement in services was required and that 18 months should be sufficient for this to be achieved.

The findings of the recent inspection are disappointing. There have been some improvements. However, progress has been limited and patchy and, in the view of the CSIW, children are still not being well served.

The initial response made by the authority to the concerns raised by the CSIW as a consequence of the 2007 inspection was inadequate. Despite making progress subsequently in relation to workforce issues and recently in performance management, concerns about the authority’s approach to planning and partnership, commissioning, resources, leadership and culture, corporate and political support and scrutiny remain and leave the authority uncertainly placed in respect of its prospects for improvement.

I have concluded that the scale of improvement in Swansea has been insufficient, given the considerable investment of time and assistance the Inspectorate has provided since invoking the Protocol. Moreover, that level of intervention cannot be sustained indefinitely.

Take that help away, and the risk is too great that the current position – highly unsatisfactory as it still is – will deteriorate further.

At this point, I should like to recognise, as Inspectors have done, the dedication and commitment of the authority’s front line staff who strive, often in difficult circumstances, to provide services capable of responding to needs and of safeguarding the children and young people of Swansea and of supporting their families. I am sure you would all wish to join me in doing so. They must however be supported by authority wide support and strong corporate leadership if their hard work is to be effective and if the improvements required of children’s social services in Swansea are to be achieved.

This leadership has not been adequate during the period when the protocol has been in place and there have been concerning examples of delay in tackling improvement areas and in establishing an Improvement Board to promote this work. There has also been evidence of insufficient coherence and focus across the authority and I call upon all members of the authority, of whatever political complexion, to fulfil their responsibilities as a corporate parent for the children in its care. The role of the corporate parent is to seek for children in public care the outcome every good parent would want for their own children and I set out the responsibilities which this entailed in my letter of September 2008 to all elected members of local authorities in Wales.

I am not prepared for social services for children to fall and remain below acceptable standards, and consider that the City and County of Swansea has failed to make sufficient progress to tackle the issues identified by the 2007 Inspection and to bring about the necessary improvements in those services.

I have therefore met this morning with the Deputy Leader and Social Services Portfolio Holder to inform them that I am considering making an Order under Section 84 of the Children Act 1989 declaring them in default of certain of their functions in relation to the provision of children’s social services, and directing them to take certain action. I am today writing to the authority to confirm this and providing them with an opportunity to respond to this proposal within 2 weeks. I shall also be advising the Welsh Local Government Association of this.

The authority’s response will be assessed against my determination that children’s social services in Swansea are improved quickly and as a priority. In moving to issue such an order, I am keen that it ensures that the responsibility for bringing about the improvement needed remains with the members of the authority who are elected to do this work.

I intend to put in place an Intervention Board to provide robust external challenge to the authority in doing so. I would make appointments to that Board which should include a Chair drawn from outside social services and local government, a current or past Director of Social Services, Head of Children’s Social Services, local authority Chief Executive and elected member in local government with experience in social services matters.

The Intervention Board will have substantial powers to require the Authority to take all responsible steps to enable it to fulfil its responsibilities, to provide robust external challenge to the authority at political and officer level, to report to overview scrutiny boards on the progress being made by the authority and to report to me on the authority’s progress at regular intervals which I shall determine.

I am aware of the fact that this is the first occasion when such an order might be issued in respect of a local authority in Wales but feel that the circumstances are such that I must give very serious consideration to doing so.

I shall write to members of this Assembly informing them of the action I take following the opportunity to provide a response which I have offered to Swansea.

Councillors enjoy big pension perk

2009-03-03T14:17:00.004Z

South Wales Evening Post - 3 March 2009

Dozens of councillors have joined a subsidised pension scheme, as well as receiving their allowances.

In total, 27 Swansea, 50 Carmarthenshire and nine Neath Port Talbot councillors are currently participating in the publicly-funded local government pension scheme.

The scheme's website describes it as "heavily subsidised" by the employer, and a valuable financial reward.

Councillors who sign up pay at least six per cent of their allowance, guaranteeing them a secure pension which keeps pace with the cost of living, plus a lump sum payment on their retirement.

Participants can choose to retire aged 60 and receive benefits immediately, although they may be reduced.

They can also, with the council's consent, retire at the age of 50 and receive benefits immediately.

Councillors contacted by the Post have defended the pension provision. However, some people feel public sector pensions are enough of a drain on taxpayers' money as it is.

Leader of Swansea Council Chris Holley said the pension scheme was recommended by an independent Welsh remuneration panel, with councils adopting it after 2004.

Councillor Holley, who is participating in the scheme, said his colleagues worked harder than ever.

"I feel that councillors are grossly undervalued compared to MPs and AMs," he said.

"Some councillors I know represent quite difficult wards, and are available to the public 24 hours a day."

Another long-serving councillor, Ioan Richard, explained that he had lost out on pension entitlements from previous jobs over the years, because of his public service.

"Why can't we have a pension? Everyone else can," he said.

A spokesman for the authority said councillors did not receive a "final salary" pension scheme — offered to its officers — but a more modest "career average pay" benefit instead.

Carmarthenshire has the fifth highest number of councillors participating in the pension scheme out of all the councils in England and Wales who responded to questions from campaign group The TaxPayers' Alliance. Carmarthenshire's director of resources, Roger Jones, echoed Councillor Holley by citing the recommendations of the independent remuneration panel.

"It is a matter for individual councillors to decide whether they wish to join the scheme," he said.
The TaxPayers' Alliance was critical of pension schemes for serving councillors, claiming their pay should be a reimbursement rather than a conventional, pensionable wage.

The Welsh Local Government Association hit back, saying it was vital to reward councillors appropriately to encourage good candidates to step forward.

Councillor Holley added: "I think groups like the TaxPayers' Alliance believe we just sit around and drink coffee all day."

(Editorial)

THE number of councillors joining their own council pension schemes is a surprise: 50 in Carmarthenshire, 27 in Swansea, and nine in Neath Port Talbot.

Councillors’ pensions are not final salary — where the size of the pension is decided by the salary received when someone finishes work — but on an alternative scheme that works out a person’s average earnings over the length of time employed. Councillors do contribute to their pensions, but there is also a contribution from taxpayers’ cash.

It is all too much for the Taxpayers’ Alliance pressure group, but perhaps it is an inevitable consequence of the changing role of our councillors. There are fewer doing it as well as a full-time nine-to-five job.

With concerns about whether many councillors have the necessary skill and competence to do the job must come an acceptance that, to attract the right calibre of candidate for election, we need to offer the right level of financial security.

If we want professional politicians to run our county halls, we have to pay for it — including pensions.

Anger as cost of city parking goes up by 50p a day

2009-03-02T09:59:00.002Z

South Wales Evening Post - 2 March 2009

First came council traffic wardens, now here comes a hike in parking charges.

Increases are planned for the 53 car parks in and around Swansea, but council chiefs insist they are keeping them to a minimum and don’t want to saddle motorists with unreasonable extra costs.

And they point out the planned rises are the first for five years.

But the controversial plans have met fierce criticism, with one councillor saying you might as well put up a “Swansea Closed” sign at entrances to the city.

“The council should be encouraging people into the city centre, but the public are now voting with their cars and going to out-of-town shopping centres,” said councillor Robert Francis-Davies.

Under the proposals being put forward to cabinet on Thursday, the cost of parking in city centre car parks will rise by 10 per cent, making an all-day stay £5.50 instead of £5.

The hourly charge for busy suburban car parks in Mumbles, Sketty Lane and Oystermouth foreshore will rise by 25 per cent, with all day parking shooting up 60 per cent — from £2.50 to £4.

The cash-strapped council is desperate to reverse dwindling revenue from parking over the past four years, and faces what it labelled “extreme budgetary pressures” across the board.

It expects a parking revenue shortfall of £750,000 for next year, and this must be addressed.

One of the reasons for the declining revenue is the huge success of the park and ride scheme, which has meant thousands fewer cars coming to the city centre.

Other reasons cited by the authority are the popularity of out-of-town shopping centres, the loss of city car parks like Trawler Road for the new bendy bus scheme, and reduced traffic warden numbers — a situation the council has addressed with the recent introduction of 24 traffic wardens when it took over parking enforcement from the police.

The council also conceded that previous hikes in parking charges had put motorists off and led to a small decline in car park usage, but insists they are the only way to plug the shortfall.

And it’s not just the driving public who’ll be rummaging around for extra change — separate proposals have been drawn up to charge councillors and council staff for parking permits.

The council expects its new raft of charges to net an extra £663,000 — more if the rises for councillors and staff are agreed.

If cabinet rubber-stamps the proposals, the new charges could come into force next month.
Councillor John Hague, cabinet member for the environment, said: “In Swansea, we have managed to put off increasing car parking charges for the past five years.

“Even with the increase, annual costs for parking in the city centre are still at least £200 lower than our competitors.”

Councillor Francis-Davies said: “Higher charges don’t mean higher income.”

He added: “The council haven’t helped themselves by using car parks, what with the bendy bus roadworks, as storage.”

£1m spent on council temps in 9 months

2009-03-02T08:08:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 2 March 2009

More than a million pounds has been shelled out for temporary workers at Swansea Council in just nine months.

The authority paid two employment agencies £1,007,725 between April and December last year.

The figures have emerged following a request from the Evening Post under the Freedom of Information Act.

A council spokesman said the authority would, at times, need to bring in agency staff.

He said: "For Swansea Council, as with other public bodies and businesses, the ability to engage agency workers in certain circumstances, or until the full complement of staff can be restored, is essential.

"On occasions, the authority experiences pressure and difficulty in providing adequate levels of service to service users and in meeting statutory obligations.

"Therefore, in order to comply with statutory responsibilities and to meet the demands of the service, the local authority will engage agency workers in certain circumstances."

Swansea Council uses two employment agencies — RSD Technology and Select.

Between April and December last year the authority paid RSD Technology £459,293.06 and Select £548,432.41.

The total figure is just below three per cent of the council's annual employee costs. The council spokesman added that circumstances relating to skills and/or personnel shortages in service areas can arise as a result of turnover of staff, difficulties in filling posts and covering for sickness absence and annual leave.

He said: "Agency staff are used to the advantage of vital, front line services that are in high demand, for example social services and environment departments.

"As with many large organisations, the authority and its service users also benefit from the flexibility that agency cover can provide to cover short term pressures or skill shortages.

"The use of agency staff is regularly reviewed to ensure that those employed are an asset to the authority and vital to service delivery.

"The council also works with agencies to ensure the cost of employing agency staff is kept to a minimum.

"In fact, the usage of agency staff for short term assignments has proved beneficial on all occasions from a cost perspective."

Last week, Swansea Council approved its budget for the next year and in doing so confirmed plans to cut 500 jobs in the next three years.

Council leader Chris Holley said that it was "more than likely" that agency jobs would be the first to go.

But he added: "I can't say definitely, because I don't know where the agency staff are."

‘Councillors? They are old an useless’

2009-03-01T10:09:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 28 February 2009

A councillor is quitting more than half of the council committees he is on – because he says they are a waste of time.

Mayals ward member Rene Kinzett, who caused controversy after claiming most councillors knew “less than his cat”, said the groups seldom produced any worthwhile results.

He also took a swipe at his detractors who are calling for the Tory leader’s full resignation.

Now he has blasted his colleagues as group of “past-it” over-60s who have never left Swansea.

Mr Kinzett said: “The vast majority of these committee meetings are a complete waste of time. They are unproductive and nothing ever gets done.

“I plan to stay on the ones that are of use, but the others are little more than just talking shops.”

Mr Kinzett he had resigned from six of the 10 committees he was on, following yesterday’s full council meeting at the Civic Centre.

It follows a row between him and rival councillors over his attendance.

Mr Kinzett has turned up to 12 out of 92 meetings since last year’s election. But he insisted it was his choice to step down from the committees.

“Some committee meetings take place so infrequently and where I am not able to attend my deputy will stand in my place,” he said.

“Being the leader of the Conservatives, I have regular access to the council’s chief executive, so it is not like I am out of touch. Far better I spend my time on the ground working with people in my ward.”

However, his political rivals stuck the knife into the Conservative member – criticising his day job with a lobbying group in London.

Mawr councillor Ioan Richards said it was time for Councillor Kinzett to resign and to stand down from the council altogether.

He said: “The Tories must surely strip him of the leadership of their party in Swansea and deselect him from any candidature in Swansea.

“Swansea and Mayals deserve better representation. I appeal strongly to Swansea Tories to kick him out now.

Local trader Peter Birch, who was defeated by Mr Kinzett at last year’s local election, agreed.

“I’ve made no secret of the fact I would love to be a councillor for the Mayals ward”, he said.

“The people deserve some who is going to be at meetings to represent their views all of the time”.

But councillor Kinzett hit back at the claims. He said, “Most of the people on the council are in their 60s and, quite frankly, past it.

“Perhaps it would do them some good to other cities such as London and learn from things there, rather than only leave Swansea once a year to go on holiday in Spain.

“If you look at my attendance at full Council meetings, it is much better than others.

“Rob Speht gets an extra £10,000 on top of the normal councillor allowance to be chairman on an overview board, yet he finds it acceptable to miss important council meetings, including a budget meeting that allocated £350 million of tax-payers’ money on Monday. He works for a company based in London and works all over UK and Europe on wind farm projects.”

Lib Dem councillor member Councillor Speht, speaking from India en-route to China, said he felt disappointed at being dragged into the argument.

“Rene is the only person on Swansea Council who both lives a works full-time outside of the city,” he said.

“He should make a decision as to where his priorities lie”

We Say
Editorial

Rene continues to air his view

You have to hand it to Rene Kinzett – when he finds himself in hot water, he is not in the habit of playing it safe by keeping quiet.

The Swansea councillors was criticised by colleagues for his poor attendance at committee meetings.

He responded by saying that most of them were a waste of time, and most councillors “knew less than his cat”.

Now he has been criticised for resigning from six of his 10 committees, with political rivals calling on him to resign his seat and be done with it.

And how does Councillor Kinzett respond? By calling his colleagues a group of “past it” over-60s who have never left Swansea.

Mr Kinzett turned up to 12 out of 92 meetings since last year’s election. And one man who must find this particularly galling is the man he beat in the election to Mayals ward, Peter Birch.
He feels the voters of Mayals deserve someone who will represent their views at every opportunity.

Whether the people of Mayals are being served adequately is a matter for the next election.
But perhaps the most annoying part of this squabble is the feeling that Councillor Kinzett may have a point.

If real power is now confined to cabinet members, councillors should concentrate their protests there, rather than on the controversial views of one man.

Council budget agreement means 4.45 per cent tax rise

2009-02-24T13:15:00.002Z

South Wales Evening Post – 24 February 2009

Swansea Council has agreed on a budget for next year.

During a heated meeting at the Civic Centre last night, councillors approved the £350million budget, which will see council tax rises of 4.45 per cent in the city.

The final level of council tax is yet to be set as the South Wales Police Authority has not agreed its precept.

However, last night the Lib Dem-led administration saw its spending plans approved.

Introducing the budget, Cabinet member for Finance, Stuart Rice, said the current economic gloom had played a part in the plans.

He said: "These are difficult and challenging times and I think everybody will be aware of that."

He added: "Our settlement from the Welsh Assembly Government was 2.9 per cent. What they received from central government was 4.8 per cent."

The budget proposed by Councillor Rice saw a council tax rise of 4.45 per cent.

He added: "This recommendation is about half of the average increase of Labour tax rises."

The budget comes after the council revealed it was facing a blackhole in its accounts of £14million.

However, at times the meeting turned into a tit for tat blame game, with Labour and the Lib Dems arguing over responsibility for the council's economic situation.

Labour leader David Phillips criticised the council's decisions since coming to power.

He said: "It was you who allowed the Civic Centre project to more than double, it was you who failed to control and deliver on the IT project, it was you who ripped up the city centre, bankrupting Swansea businesses in the process, for a bus that will serve few and is detested and derided by most.

"None of these are the results of outside forces, none of this is to do with the Welsh Assembly.

"It is all to do with you and your incompetent administration, stumbling from one self made disaster to another."

Council leader Chris Holley hit back, saying the Lib Dems had to "repair the mess that was left" by Labour when they came to power.

He said: "We didn't control what you did. That is the difference.

"You let this city fall apart. We are putting it back together."

Reader Comment
As a Liberal voter - perhaps no more - I am disgusted by this increase. We are living in a deflationary recession, something this country has never seen before, which may well become a deflationary depression.

Everyone is having to cut their prices, watch the pennies and live on less but not this arrogant Council! I am truly staggered by how poor many of the people I campaigned for have turned out to be. It seems Swansea is cursed with inept people in our Council no matter whether they are Labour or Liberal.

Bob, Sketty
commented on 24-Feb-2009 12:31

Lifeline service to stay for free

2009-02-23T16:33:00.002Z

South Wales Evening Post - 23 February 2009

Controversial plans to charge frail pensioners £100 for an emergency lifeline service have been withdrawn by Swansea Council.

Pensioners had feared they would have to choose between spending cash to heat their homes or pay a £100 yearly price tag after they received consultation letters from the council.

However, last night, council leader Chris Holley announced that the proposal to charge for the emergency Lifeline system, which offers an instant connection to carers if the user should fall or become ill, had been removed from the budget.

Speaking ahead of the council's budget meeting, councillor Holley said the system would remain in place.

he said: "I wish to apologise for the letter that went out and the consultation process with regard to the lifeline — Community Alarm Users.

"As a result of the queries and the concerns of all members, I am today withdrawing it from the budget and the director will find the saving elsewhere.

"We will also carry out a review which will help us understand the total usage and the effects of the service."

The issue hit the headlines last week when the council's budget plans were announced.

Council chiefs said they were consulting pensioners on introducing a yearly charge, designed to improve and maintain the service, but that no final decision had been made.

Every year, 200,000 calls are made to its call centre by the 8,000 people in Swansea who rely on the service.

Service users contacted the Evening post to complain about the charge, with some saying they could not afford to pay for such a vital service.

Mike Tonkin, aged 69, of Fairwood Common, whose 95-year-old mum, Vida, is dependent on the alarm system, said: "My mum has had a letter from Swansea Council about the community alarm system, which says the local authority are looking to charge £100 a year.

"My mum has a choice whether she keeps herself warm and falls on the floor without an alarm, or she has the lifeline."

However, the council has now backtracked, and the charge has been removed from the budget.

Councillors were last night discussing the full implications of the budget, which was drawn up after the authority revealed it was facing a £14 million black hole.

Magazine shutdown axes 15

2009-02-23T10:50:00.002Z

South Wales Evening Post - 23 February 2009

Fifteen jobs have been lost after a popular Swansea city publication went into liquidation.

It is understood that Avagio, which runs Swansea Life magazine, went into voluntary liquidation last week and a meeting with creditors has been called to discuss it's dissolvement.

Laurence Winmill, managing editor of Swansea Life, has confirmed the magazine is no more.

He said: "This is devastating for everyone who has lost their jobs.

"I think it's a shame for Swansea, as well, because all our publications were well received by our readers and the people we worked with."

The magazine, which is based at Exchange Building in Adelaide Street, has been running since January 2003.

It is understood employees were informed of the situation on Thursday and letters from Swansea accounting firm Stones and Co have since been sent out giving notice of the meeting on March 6, when the finer details of the liquidation process will be discussed.

The letter states: "At the meeting, the director will give a statement of affairs and a report will be presented of the trading history of the company and the reasons the company can no longer continue to do business."

Swansea Life claims to have a readership of around 80,000.

As well as the magazine, Avagio also publishes Swansea Bay Business Life, Llanelli Life, Carmarthenshire Living and Cardiff Living.

The meeting of creditors will take place at Stones and Co in Walter Road. Nobody from Avagio was available to comment.

Leaks fear means JT's yet to sign

2009-02-21T11:15:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 21 February 2009

Swansea's oldest department store is yet to sign up to the city's new £30 million shopping centre, amid claims the roof is leaking.

Just two of the three anchor stores have signed up to the new centre in Princess Way.

While work has already started on fitting out the stores which will be the new Swansea homes of Slater Menswear, and fashion giant Zara, the city's historic department store JT Morgan has yet to commit to the scheme.

The three companies have long been described as anchor tenants for the 70,000sq ft Princess Way venture on the former David Evans site.

However, JT Morgan — the oldest independent store in Wales — has hired its own engineer to take a close look at the new shopping centre.

The company's managing director John Coles said the deal wouldn't be signed until the company was satisfied with the building.

He said: "Last time I was in there with our engineer, the roof was leaking and the escalator wasn't working properly.

"Being an independent, we want to make sure the building is right."

However, developers behind the site have refuted the claims, saying the building is watertight.
Mr Coles added that he was confident JT Morgan would take its place in the new centre.

He said: "We are still in discussion with developers Thurleigh. It is under offer to us. We are still hoping to move in."

The much-loved David Evans store closed its doors in January 2005, with demolition of the building starting in February 2007.

The shell of its replacement is now complete, and interior work has begun, with the Slater Menswear unit already being fitted out. It had originally been hoped the complex would be open in time for Christmas, but heavy rain was blamed for a six-month delay.

The shops, being built by London-based Thurleigh Estates, are seen as playing a vital part in the regeneration of the city centre.

However, JT Morgan is yet to sign, and it is not yet known which other businesses will be moving into the remaining three units.

Martin Evans, a director of Thurleigh Estates (Swansea), said: "The new retail complex building on Princess Way is wind and watertight and the escalators are in full working order.

"Both Slaters and Zara have now started fitting out their units, and positive talks with another major retailer about taking up a further unit are ongoing."

We Say
(Editorial)

WALES’S oldest department store — Swansea’s JT Morgan — has yet to sign on the dotted line for a place in the city’s newest shopping centre.

Slaters Menswear is moving in. So, too, is a long-awaited branch of the Spanish-owned Zara fashion chain.

But not, for now at least, JT’s.

Its bosses say they still want to make the move, but that is different from actually signing the deal.

It’s a nervous time for everyone in the retail trade and the Swansea shopping centre is not the only new venue that could open this year with some empty units. Liverpool is another case in point.

Locally, the sad demise of the old David Evans store is still being felt in Swansea and there is little doubt that there is a lot of fondness for department stores.

Let’s just hope this setback is a short-term one, and that better news emerges about the scheme very quickly.

Shard of glass falls above packed pool

2009-02-20T10:10:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 20 February 2009

Visitors to a multi-million pound leisure centre had to be treated for cuts after a glass pane mysteriously shattered — allowing shards to fall into the swimming area.

Shocked families looked on after a pane shattered at the £32 million centre, which is due to celebrate its first birthday next week.

The incident happened at around 10.30am on Wednesday, half way through a busy half-term week for the waterpark that can hold up to 450.

There were hundreds of people in the water park at the time of the incident.

The glass pane appears to have mysteriously shattered, when there was no-one near it, and glass fell into the pool area below.

Chief executive of the LC Richard Proctor said: "One of the panes blew — it shattered.
"Nothing happened to it at the time."

Mr Proctor said that, while most of the broken glass fell back onto the balcony, some shards of glass fell forward into the swimming pool area below.

He said: "Some of it fell the other side and landed in the pre-swimming shower area.

"As soon as we identified it, we closed that area off. The water pool area was still able to function.

"We shut two slides off because they come out at the bottom (where the glass fell).

"One slide was closed for about 10 minutes and the other one was closed for about two hours."
A woman and a child were treated for minor cuts to their feet by LC staff.

Mr Proctor added: "The staff were fantastic. They dealt with it very well and very quickly to ensure people's safety."

West Cross resident Jane Harris was at the pool with her three sons, William, Harry and Matthew, when the incident took place.

She said: "I saw something fall from the corner of my eye and heard people shouting.

"We got out of the pool to have a look and people were saying that a pane of glass had fallen down.

"We expected to be evacuated, but we weren't. We were surprised — no-one would have argued.

"They did seal the area off, but no one appeared to check the rest of the railings up there.

"How can this happen? It's a new building."

Mr Proctor said the cause of the incident is currently under investigation.

He said: "We contacted the contractor, who was on site at the time.

"They are going to contact the company that installed the glass."

Workmen were on site on Wednesday, carrying out external repair work to the building, but Mr Proctor said the incident was "totally unconnected" to that.

Comment

2009-02-19T18:29:00.003Z

posted on South Wales Evening Post website
19 February 2009

Swansea used to be such a beautiful town. The city centre was clean, the diagonal free 20 minute parking on the Kingsway, Orchard Street and Princess Way allowed people to pop into the shops, get what they want and get out again and it was a real pleasure living in this 'biggish town'.

Now, the traffic is a nightmare, the streets are filthy and a shame and there seems to be a secret plan in place to cover our glorious sea-front with as many ugly tower blocks and flats as is possible.

The former Labour Council bears much blame with their cobbled stone nightmare of the 1980s and 90s in Oxford Street and surrounding areas, the concreting over of the park next to the old David Evans and putting up metal barrier after metal barrier to make the town a nightmare for pedestrians but... I have voted Liberal for 2 decades and was active in getting this Liberal Council into power but, boy, was I wrong.

Every time I think of some I campaigned for now I think of Orwell's Animal Farm!

Ineptness seems to dominate the Council of any political persuasion and I do wonder what lies behind the urge to build so many tower blocks on the sea-shore? Now, we have a tram idea?

Oh well, at least it beats the former Labour Council forever distracting the Public with nonsense tales of building a giant Viking on top of Kilvey Hill - oops, I should not mention that as it might now end up as a future Liberal idea!

Distract the masses and maybe they won't realise what a ****-up you have created - that is the politician's mantra!

Bob, Sketty

Tram scheme wins support of leader

2009-02-17T19:36:00.002Z

South Wales Evening Post - 17 February 2009

A controversial proposal for a new multi-million tram system for South Wales has the full backing of council leader Chris Holley.

The scheme, which could cost more than £500 million, would see a new line running from Port Talbot through Swansea to Llanelli.

It has sparked huge debate, with critics arguing the project is not needed and would duplicate services provided by bus, rail and the soon-to-be-run Metro service, dubbed the bendy-bus.
Engineers Laing O'Rouke believe the scheme would cost £521 million to deliver. They carried out a free feasibility study as a favour to the council, according to Councillor Holley.

He has backed the scheme and thinks the public should bear in mind this isn't something that will be done overnight.

He said: "This is not something the council has spent millions on, we haven't spent any money. We are looking for partnership to fund it in the future."

Despite having the backing of the leader, there is no across-the-board support among the council's environment, regeneration and culture and overview board, which is looking at the plans.

Councillor Roger Smith, is worried the city centre would be disrupted, as it was when the Metro was being introduced.

He said: "We have seen the major problems the Metro has caused in the city centre. I think it's a waste of time."

Councillor David Jones is also concerned, saying the trams would cost too much money.
He said: "We discussed this project for years. It is interesting but we have spent a lot on a different system, the Metro.

"Who is going to pay for this, is foreign money going to be brought in? We've done all this research before."

However, the possibility of bringing trams back to the area is being examined by the board.
Councillor Rob Speht, who chairs the board, said that they would now look at gaining external funding to carry out further feasibility studies into the plans. Universities, transport companies and other councils could be brought on board.

Councillor Speht said: "There's a lot of interest in it but there is a lot of people who think we can't afford it with the credit crunch. The plans for trams could be realised within eight years, the credit crunch would be long behind us and there could be a financial boom, perhaps."

Councillor Cheryl Philpott, the deputy chair of the board, insisted any tram service would not overshadow the Metro scheme.

She said: "The trams would be going along the main roots for people and all major employers to use.

"We've got to look at all opportunities to look at more ways to travel. It's very exciting if we lead the rest of Wales."

Councillor Speht said all options were open. He said: "We don't know what is feasible, whether it is elevated trams, monorails or light transit trains.

"Personally, I would like to see trams run along Swansea Bay to Oystermouth Road, Blackpill to Dunvant, Bynea to Llanelli and to the bus and rail stations, as well as the Liberty Stadium.
"We will bring in some outside experts in to see if its feasible."

Plaid Cymru leader Darren Price hopes the plans will go ahead, said: "In principle, I welcome it but there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered, including funding, environmental impact and routes."

A council spokesman said: "At the board's meeting earlier this week it agreed to seek views from partners and transport groups and look at how tram systems have been introduced in other cities.

"Once this information has been gathered the board will consider the next steps of its review."

WE SAY
(editorial)

LAST week when the idea was mooted, the Post questioned the thinking behind the enthusiasm for building a tram system in Swansea.

Apart from a nostalgic desire to bring back the old Mumbles train we couldn’t fathom what benefits it would bring. On the (very steep) downside it would cost hundreds of millions of pounds, the disruption caused by building it would dwarf the work that has been done for the Metro bus, and trams can only go where their rails lead them.

Since then the council has met and its leader Chris Holley has given this half-baked scheme his backing.

Yes, in Nottingham they have a well-used tram system, but it’s not exactly a tourist attraction.

London, the most visited city in the UK, conversely does not.

This newspaper is all for public transport, but in which way is a tram better than a bus?

It would be far better, and cheaper, to look at why there is no circular bus service that links High Street Station, The Kingsway, County Hall, Singleton Hospital, Sketty Cross and Uplands.

Lifeline could be cut over £2 fee

2009-02-16T08:45:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 16 February 2009

Frail pensioners fear they will be forced to give up a free emergency lifeline if a £100 yearly price tag is imposed by council chiefs.

Some claim they may have to decide between forking out for the electronic help button or spending the money keeping their homes warm.

The emergency Lifeline system offers an instant connection to carers if the user should fall or become ill.

Every year 200,000 calls are made to its call centre by the 8,000 people in Swansea who rely on the service.

Council chiefs say they are currently consulting pensioners on introducing a yearly charge, designed to improve and maintain the service, but that no final decision has been made.

Mike Tonkin, aged 69, of Fairwood Common, whose 95-year-old mum Vida is dependent on the alarm system, said he was stunned by the move.

"It's currently a free service," he said.

"My mum has had a letter from Swansea Council about the community alarm system, which says the local authority are looking to charge £100 a year.

"It's pay up or hard luck — it's disgraceful. My mum has a choice whether she keeps herself warm and falls on the floor without an alarm or she has the lifeline. I am very surprised — it's come out of the blue."

Laura Jones, of Llys Teg, Dunvant, said she too was disgusted with the way elderly and vulnerable people in Swansea were being treated.

"Receiving this letter upset me greatly," she said.

"I can't afford to pay £100 for the telephone, so they will have to come and take it away, but I need it because I've been ill and I'm housebound."

Last year, the local authority linked up with Carmarthenshire Council to run the system, and calls are now handled in the Llandeilo call centre.

Swansea Council said all but two of the 22 Welsh local authorities charge for the service, with the costs varying between £52 and £260 a year.

Swansea Council said it is now looking to charge users £2 a week to help meet the demand on the service.

Without the fee, the council said it would not be able to introduce new safety features such as linking the system to smoke detectors, heat and intruder alarms.

But it said that reduced charges for some people may also be offered if the changes goes ahead.

Paul Littlewood, from Swansea Council's disability service, said: "Our aim is to continue to develop our community alarm service for existing users and hopefully to allow more people to benefit.

"Many of those who use the service currently do not require any other social care support but it provides valuable reassurance within their home.

"We hope that users will take part in the consultation to help us develop a way forward for the scheme."

Cash shortfall means tax rise for residents

2009-02-13T09:54:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 13 February 2009

Residents in Swansea are facing a rise in council tax and cuts to public services.

The council has unveiled its budget for the financial year and it could be a bitter pill to swallow for some.

In an effort to close a £14 million black hole in the council's accounts, the cabinet will be asked to approve a 4.45 per cent rise in council tax for the next financial year.

There also plans to increase charges for council services, with schools dinners expected to rise from £1.70 to £2.

At the same time, the spending budgets for council departments will fall by £7 million and the council will use its reserves to plug the gap.

Council bosses have blamed the Assembly for the situation — the Assembly grant to the local authority has been raised by 2.9 per cent.

Cabinet member for finance Stuart Rice said: "If the Assembly had given us a settlement of 4.8 per cent, as it got from central government, the council would have had £5.4 million more than it has this year.

"We could have given half the council tax rise and had £3 million more to spend on services."

Councillor Rice said: "Swansea, like every local authority and major organisation, is facing major budget pressures. Our income has fallen significantly in certain areas and our costs on items such as petrol, electricity and gas have increased. At the same time, we're earning less interest on the money we've invested due to falling interest rates.

"Against this backdrop, the council has had to tighten its belt in the same way that families across Swansea have had to look at their income and spending and try to make their money go further."

The draft budget, which will go before the council's cabinet on Tuesday, includes a proposal to increase council tax by 4.45 per cent, which should increase the total tax revenue by £3,444,000.

Council tax for a band D property in Swansea will rise from £879.25 this financial year, to £918.38 from April — a rise of £40.13.

Councillor Rice said: "This works out at 75p per week. We didn't think that we should penalise hard-working families. We have tried to keep council tax rises as low as possible."

Interest rate cuts have seen a drop in the council's return on its investments and at the same time, the council's costs, such as energy bills, have seen a dramatic increase.

Portfolio budgets for council departments have been also been slashed by £7 million, in an effort to balance the budget.

The only departments to see an increase are housing along with education whose budget is up £2.476 million, to £155,861,000.

Social services has seen it's budget fall by almost £4 million, to £84,762,000.

Councillor Rice said: "We have taken some tough decisions so that we can protect front-line services and ensure we continue to meet the needs of residents, a growing vulnerable population and visitors."

The cost of using some council services will also rise, with some charges going up.

Among a number of proposed increases in fees and charges, school meals are rising from £1.70 to £2 per meal, bulky waste charges are rising from £10 to £15 per collection and for social services users, home care/domicillary care will rise from £8.50 to £10 per hour.

Councillor Rice said the budget, which will be presented to the cabinet on Tuesday and, if approved by cabinet, will go before the full council on Monday, February 23, has successfully closed the gaping funding gap.

He said: "We have closed the gap and that has been a mammoth task."

The council's draft capital budget will also be discussed by councillors.

It outlines £44 million of investment, including redevelopment of Penyrheol Comprehensive School, Guildhall refurbishment and the maintenance of a number of schools.

Assembly Finance Minister and Swansea West AM Andrew Davies said: "This is a predictable budget from the Liberal Democrat-run council.

"I have repeatedly asked councillor Holley and his administration to take responsibility and accountability for the £14 million black hole they have created in our city's finances.

"Time and again, they have dodged the issue and sought to put the blame on the Assembly, even though they have received more money this year than last.

"The Assembly Government funds local councils in Wales more generously than English councils are funded, and as a result council tax levels in Wales are 25 per cent lower than they are in England.

"I repeat, the Assembly Government does not tell the local authority what level of council tax to levy nor how to spend its own budget."

"While leaders in the Swansea administration put their heads in the sands of Swansea Bay, they now expect homeowners to take responsibility for paying toward the Liberal Democrat's pet projects and financial mismanagement."

Readers have got it wrong

2009-02-12T19:55:00.002Z

South Wales Evening Post - 12 February 2009

A number of your readers think that I want to centralise neurosurgery services in Cardiff at the expense of Swansea.

They are wrong and at no point have I said this. All Welsh Conservatives want the best treatment for neurosurgery patients and are united in our belief that Edwina Hart has politicised the NHS to unprecedented levels.

The current debate over the future of neurosurgery is less about where the service is provided and more about the role of the minister who has attempted to deflect attention away from the controversy she finds herself in.

For someone in such a position of power to ignore what her officials and medical experts were saying says a great deal about the way a politician will behave. This was why I questioned the role of the minister and the way she approached the issue.

I fully accept there are valid concerns on both sides of the argument and that people in South West Wales feel passionately about this. Unfortunately, this has become a debate about what I did or did not say when the real focus should be on what the minister is actually doing.

Jonathan Morgan AM
Assembly Shadow Minister for Health and Social Services

Care unit to close after funding ends

2009-02-09T16:46:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 9 February 2009

A care facility for the elderly is to close, council chiefs have confirmed.

The Rehabilitation Residential Unit at Earlsmoor, in Brynmill, Swansea, is shutting down after a three-year funding grant of £700,000 came to an end.

Staff at the facility say they are deeply concerned about the closure. But Civic Centre officials claim the closure is for the best.

A Swansea Council spokesman said: "At present, there are three clients at the unit who will be ready for discharge over the next couple of weeks, and therefore none will be affected by the closure.

"The decision to close it reflects discussions about the long-term direction for future provision of services for those people being discharged from hospital."

Earlsmoor's Rehabilitation Residential Unit (RRU) has 11 beds, and is used by people recently released from hospital.

Described as a "step down" facility, it prepares mostly elderly patients for returning to their own home or into care.

Staff say the intermediate care unit is no longer accepting any more referrals, and will be closed within the next couple of weeks.

"All those people will be stuck in hospital beds with no place to go because they cant look after themselves," said a worker, who did not wish to be named.

"I am not worried about losing my job because all the staff from within the unit are being sent to other homes for redeployment.

"It will be missed greatly because it is such a valued service for the elderly."

A Swansea Council spokeswoman confirmed funding had come to an end.

"The three-year Assembly grant for Earlsmoor is due to end on March 31," she said.

"At this stage, the council has not been guaranteed further funding.

"Staff are being redeployed, and there will be no redundancies as a result of this decision.

"Other services based at Earlsmoor are unaffected."

Politicians in row over cash crisis

2009-02-06T18:06:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 6 February 2009

A war of words has broken out between two top city politicians over Swansea Council's huge financial blackhole.

Earlier this week the Post revealed that the £14 million gap in council funds could lead to a loss of 500 jobs over the next three years.

Council leader Chris Holley blamed the situation on the 2.9 per cent rise in the grant funding from the Assembly.

However, Assembly Finance Minister and Swansea West AM Andrew Davies has blamed the Lib Dem-led council.

He said: "Perhaps the Lib Dem administration should have resisted throwing millions at pet projects such as the CapGemini computer system that cost Swansea tax payers nearly £100 million.

"He should also be explaining how he and his administration have mismanaged vital services like the Child and Family Social Services which are now in 'special measures'.

"Or perhaps Councillor Holley should be explaining how his council managed to spend £594,000 on public relations last year, up £75,000 on the previous year's budget.

"Need I remind our Council's leaders that the Assembly Government does not tell them how to spend their budget? Rather than blaming others, why doesn't Councillor Holley and his cabinet take responsibility for how it has spent the people of Swansea's money?"

Now the council leader has hit back at his Labour counterpart.

Councillor Holley said: "I think the finance minister needs to get real.

"We didn't create the £14 million black hole. Who gives the money out? I think the public know the money is given from Westminster to the Assembly and then onto the local authorities. Why have they kept all the money for themselves?

"The uplift in grants across Wales has been so poor it is going to cost jobs," added Councillor Holley.

Cabinet is no good for anyone

2009-02-05T20:29:00.002Z

South Wales Evening Post - 5 February 2009
Editorial comment

THE art of government is very different from the art of opposition, as Chris Holley has discovered on several occasions since he became leader of Swansea Council.

When he was opposition leader he strongly opposed the cabinet-style system of administration.

To quote him from 2004: "It has meant less information is getting to opposition and backbench councillors, as well as to the public. Cabinet meetings are fully orchestrated affairs in which there is no real discussion or disagreement on key policies."

The Labour-introduced system had "destroyed much of what was good about local government", he said.

Fast-forward to 2009 and it is Conservative group leader Rene Kinzett who is finding issue with the cabinet system — but for very much the same reason: backbench and opposition councillors are relegated to talking-shop committees and most of the council's decisions are thrashed out by only nine of the 72 elected members.

Councillor Holley's opinion now? The system is not perfect, but it is the one we are stuck with. Not so.

This newspaper was against the cabinet system from the start, because it does not encourage people to become fully engaged in the democratic process. Our view remains, whoever is in power.

Landmark centre to open by April

2009-02-05T17:22:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 5 February 2009

The opening of Swansea's new £30 million shopping development has come a step nearer.

Workers have moved into the Slater Menswear unit of the Princess Way complex to put in the fixtures and fittings — and bosses say the shop will be open for business on April 3.

Slater will be joined by JT Morgan and fashion chain Zara in the three-story building on the site of the former David Evans department store.

Swansea Council leader Chris Holley said: "This is fantastic news.

"It shows yet more tangible progress in a project that will breathe new life into Swansea city centre.

"Slater Menswear is a recognised brand name across the UK, and the new retail complex is an iconic building that's helping to modernise the look of the pedestrianised area, while maintaining Swansea's status as the regional shopping centre of South West Wales.

"Its opening in the spring will lead to more footfall and an improved shopping experience that will combine to help tackle the economic downturn."

The much-loved David Evans store closed its doors for the last time in January 2005, with demolition of the building starting in February 2007.

The shell of its 70,000sq ft replacement is now complete and interior work has begun.

It had originally been hoped that the complex would be open in time for Christmas last year, but heavy rain was blamed for a six-month delay.

The shops, being built by London-based Thurleigh Estates, are seen as playing a vital part in the regeneration of the city centre.

However, it is not yet known what other businesses will be moving into the remaining three units of the building, and the current credit crunch means a difficult trading climate for many retailers.

Councillor Gareth Sullivan, Swansea Council's cabinet member for economic and strategic development, said the shopping complex was an important part of the city's ambitions.

"It's hugely encouraging that projects of this nature are taking place right here on our doorstep," he said.

"Close to £4 million has already been spent on improving the look of the pedestrianised area.

"Major long-term plans are in place to make Swansea city centre and the waterfront combine to become a European destination of distinction by 2020."

'Meetings are just a waste of time'

2009-02-05T16:39:00.003Z

South Wales Evening Post - 5 February 2009

A quick look at the attendance record of our elected officials makes easy reading for the person tasked with keeping the register.

Just two of our city councillors have a record above 90 per cent and a disappointing 27 per cent have a record below 50 per cent.

And the councillor who leaves his chair empty more than most is Conservative group leader Rene Kinzett, who has turned up to just 12 out of 92 meetings since last year's election.
However, despite his 13 per cent attendance record, Councillor Kinzett was defiant saying many meetings were pointless.

He said: "The member support and development working group is a total waste of time. It does not make any decisions whatsoever. What is the point in attending meetings that have no decision-making powers?

"The constitution working group is another talking shop. Nothing of any use ever comes out of this meeting. A lot of councillors sit around creating a lot of hot air."

"I have good attendance at council, which is the only place I can properly hold this Lib Dem-run council to account."

And a quick look at the attendance records of some of the city's best-known councillors may suggest he has a point.

According to the figures on Swansea Council's website (collated last month) council leader Chris Holley had been to 34 out of 75 (45 per cent), Labour leader David Phillips had attended 41 of 89 (46 per cent) and Plaid's Darren Price had been to 25 of 66 (38 per cent).

However, when it comes to the attendance at full council meetings, all the members mentioned above have good records.

Does this prove Councillor Kinzett's point — that full council is the only meeting worth attending?

Councillor Price said that backbench councillors do have an influence on council policy — as proved by Councillor Kinzett's record.

He said: "While it is true to say that full council is the only meeting where backbench members have an opportunity to formally reject or change cabinet member recommendations or policy, as seen recently with the issue of post-16 transport, it is not the only forum where backbench councillors can play a full role.

"The overview and scrutiny boards, for example, play a key role in challenging cabinet decisions and overall council policy.

"Only last year there were some good scrutiny reports into areas such as use of consultants and indeed, the council's e-government programme – a report, incidentally, which was driven by the scrutiny board chaired at the time by Councillor Kinzett. The recommendations from these boards were then fed into the decision-making process and have since become council policy – with all the work done by backbench members.

"If backbench members do not attend then it obviously dilutes the quality of the work being done by these boards.

"I understand his point with regard to some meetings not being as productive as others, and there are occasions when some simply become talking shops — this is pointless, particularly for those of us who have to work. The challenge for the council is to identify these bodies and to decide whether there is in fact a purpose for these meetings, and whether they actually need to meet on such a regular basis if there is a lack of business."

Swansea Council is run using a cabinet system, which means that major decisions are taken by nine councillors and then presented to the full council for formal approval or rejection.

However, does this leave too much power in the hands of a small number? And is it fair that the majority of our elected members only get to on council policy.

Four-and-a-half years ago, one of the most vocal opponents of the cabinet system was the then leader of the opposition on Swansea Council — Chris Holley.

In an interview with the Post, in May 2004, he said that Labour's cabinet-style of government had "destroyed much of what was good about local government".

He said: "It has meant that less information is getting to opposition and backbench councillors as well as to the public. Cabinet meetings are fully orchestrated affairs in which there is no real discussion or disagreement on key policies."

Shortfall puts 500 council jobs at risk

2009-02-05T09:00:00.002Z

South Wales Evening Post - 5 February 2009

Hundreds of council jobs could be lost over the next three years as council bosses face up to a £14 million budget shortfall.

Swansea Council has been in talks with trade union officials in an effort to find savings.

A letter sent to members of a joint working group, which includes councillors, council officers and union representatives, puts forward proposals which will see 500 council jobs go over the next three years.

The letter, from council leader Chris Holley (pictured), said: "As a 'labour intensive' business, like all other parts of the public sector, our only sustainable way to deal with the challenge is to reduce headcount significantly and change the way in which we work.

"We would anticipate that we will need to reduce our workforce by more than 500 over the medium term."

Speaking ahead of today's meeting of the working group, councillor Holley said he hoped the council could avoid redundancies, with the jobs going in "natural wastage" over the next three years.

He said: "Every aspect of employment will be looked at so we can avoid compulsory redundancies.

"We will be working with all our employees to make sure we have reduction across the council in the next couple of years.

"We have a turnover figure (of staff) of about six per cent. Excluding teachers, we have between seven and eight thousand employees, so we can more than accommodate that through natural wastage."

When asked why the council had reached this position, the council leader pointed the finger of blame at the Assembly

He said that this year's Assembly settlement was an increase of 2.9 per cent, but that, with inflation at more than five per cent, a £14 million hole had opened in the council's budget.
Councillor Holley said: "We are obliged to keep low council tax.

"When you look at the reality, you can see that the Assembly got a 4.9 per cent uplift in their grant, yet they see fit to give a local authority, which provides 80 per cent of the services to the people of Swansea, just 2.9 per cent."

"This settlement is the worst I have seen in 25 years, and the people of Swansea need to remember that the minister for finance is AM for Swansea West.

The Swansea Lib Dem leader added that the council's ability to bridge the funding gap by increasing council tax levels was limited by Assembly threats to cap rises, and a lack of public acceptance for rises during times of economic hardship.

Assembly Finance Minister, and Swansea West AM Andrew Davies said: "Councillor Holley must be alone in failing to recognise that we are now in the middle of a massive global economic downturn, and that public finances in Wales and the UK are now tighter than they have been for 10 years.

"I have repeatedly warned over the past 18 months that the growth in public finances in Wales has slowed and that we must live within our means and get the maximum value for the Welsh pound. Clearly, Councillor Holley has not listened.

"Swansea Council has received a 2.9 per cent budget increase, which is the Welsh average.

"Swansea Council has to live within its means, and I would hope Councillor Holley, just like myself and my fellow citizens of Swansea, would have paid attention to the global financial situation.

"It is due to the council's own financial mismanagement that it has a £14 million black hole in its budget and has had to borrow up to the hilt. The £14 million black hole is no-one's fault but Councillor Holley's. He and his own administration got Swansea into this financial mess with financial irresponsibility and careless spending on pet projects while in power."

Councillor Holley added: "The one thing that really annoys me is we have Labour shouting and screaming about our pet projects.

"These people are living in a different world. Have the new library and leisure centre been a waste of money?

"We inherited an empty building, shut down by an administration that didn't spend any money on anything."

City is one of dirtiest

2009-02-03T18:46:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 3 February 2009

Swansea is one of the dirtiest places in Wales, according to a new report.

Keep Wales Tidy published the principality's first-ever all Wales litter survey —with smokers being the worst offenders for messing up our streets.

Anglesey was declared the cleanest county in Wales, while Newport came out the grubbiest.
However, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot were both at the lower end of the table, with both racking up "cleanliness" scores below the national average.

Tegryn Jones, chief executive of Keep Wales Tidy, hopes the stats will shame councils and citizens into action.

He said: "The information will hopefully be used to develop appropriate strategies to achieve cleaner streets.

"During the surveys a number of common factors were identified and if tackled would lead to an improvement in the cleanliness of streets.

"Responsibility for tackling this nationwide shame lies with all of us.

"It's not acceptable to throw litter and this report highlights the size of the problem we need to overcome as we seek to achieve a clean, safe and tidy Wales."

Keep Wales Tidy put together the league table of 22 local authorities following research on 2,525 streets between April 2007 and February 2008. Researchers assessed a range of different factors such as dog fouling, fly-tipping and litter.

Fag ends accounted for 90 per cent of rubbish found on roads and pavements, with Keep Wales Tidy blaming the new laws on smoking in public places.

Pro-smoking group the Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco (Forest) said a concerted effort by both smokers and authorities was needed.

Spokesman Neil Rafferty said: "Obviously smokers shouldn't be dropping fag ends, but councils need to make it easier for smokers to dispose of them.

"We need a bit of consideration from smokers and a bit of imagination from politicians to solve this problem."

Results also found that food waste, such as crisp packets and plastic bottles, clogged up over half of our streets; while animal faeces and graffiti was present on 15 and 12 per cent respectively.

Keep Wales Tidy then put the figures together and came up with a Cleanliness Index, with the average for Wales being 65.

Will bendy bus breathe life into The Kingsway?

2009-01-30T16:02:00.002Z

South Wales Evening Post - 30 January 2009

There was a time when the shopping and leisure hub of Swansea was to be found at The Kingsway and High Street.

It was the middle of the swinging sixties, and both hemlines and traffic queues were short.

It was a time when out-of-town shopping centres didn't exist, Land Rovers were consigned to farms, and the only kind of people carriers on the roads were the omnibuses.

"The Kingsway was built in the 60s, hopefully to create a massive main road through Swansea, but it never really worked," said Swansea Council leader Chris Holley.

The death knell was finally sounded for the area when the Quadrant shopping centre was built in the 1970s and the shoppers flocked to the brand new shops which inhabited it.

"Over the years it's all changed," said Councillor Holley.

Between then and now, The Kingsway has become home to the clothes boutique Moda, a clutch of recruitment consultants, banks, and charity shops.

The two-way road system has become a one-way road for cars with a new metro system for the bendy bus.

The roundabouts at both ends of the road have been turned into elaborate junctions, and there seems to be little reason for shoppers to flock there.

But will the arrival of the bendy bus change all that?

Councillor Holley said: "It would put more people in The Kingsway, that's for sure. Over the next couple of months when we close the bus station we'll be using it as a linear bus stop.

"There will be more footfall but whether that will put more people there with enough money to rejuvenate it, we just don't know, what with the job situation at the moment."

He said the council is working with the Assembly Government to try and help fill the empty shop spaces in the area.

"Realistically our objective is putting more people in jobs," he said.

Traders on the road say they are not convinced the bendy bus will make much of a difference to their trade.

Jackie Allen, of Shaws the drapers, said the only benefit their shop will have is from the new metro bus stop being positioned close to the store.

She said: "Customers who normally come here, now have to walk the length of The Kingsway, whereas before they could get off at the roundabout.

"We're doing really well here at the moment. With Linden Ponds and Roseby's closing down, more people shop here now."

And Maudie Cippett, manager of the PDSA store, said: "Will it ever go back to the way it was? Quite frankly, no. I think retailing values have changed, and the independent retailer selling only one thing. People now want everything in one shop, or under one roof.

"And I think the parking situation in Swansea is not helping.

"I hope the bendy bus does increase the footfall on The Kingsway, because that might encourage more shops to open."

Comments (11)
The Kingsway was vibrant in the days when it had simple diagonal parking zones half the length of it. You could park for 20 minutes free of charge allowing people to dive into town, pop into shops quickly, spend some money making the shop-keepers happy and then you drove away again. It was as simple as that and traffic wardens kept an eye on who was abusing the free parking. They have a similar scheme in Edinburgh which is one of the most vibrant economic cities in the UK. Alas, Councillors down here have no business understanding and just see car-parking as a money spinner ignoring the bigger financial picture.
Bob, Sketty
commented on 30-Jan-2009 15:13

Can Cllr Holley or one of his Lib/dem councillors,please explain what has happened to their election manifesto,Which stated. "We are the party for the people and we will listen to people's views--- On this Bendy Bus situation they may have listen,but they certainly have not taken any notice of the majority of Swansea people's views.
dai evans, swansea
commented on 30-Jan-2009 13:59

Beathe life into Swansea city centre!! Come on, don't make me laugh.
Jo, Swansea
commented on 30-Jan-2009 13:45

in a word - madness.what swansea needs is cheap parking and plenty of it. why on earth are these out of town shopping centres thriving - no parking charges and ease of access. there is ample land available within easy access to the city centre if imagination were used.if s/c/c were a business it would now be out of business big time.this one way system is a joke the same as the downfall of high st is pityful.if i were a stranger and entered swansea from high st station at present - i would never return - having to pass the area of high st.how can the local authority allow what is such a beautiful area fall to such depths.replace the slip bridge or cut it up for scrapput in place parking along swansea bay so that visitors can enjoy the fabulous views.spend money on high street by bring back the old buildings to their former glory (the elysium and palace)making it inviting to exit the railway station and walk into the city centre.come on wake up s/c/c and make the city a pleasure to visit by all - not just by the wealthy who park their boats in the yacht havens and those who want night time entertainment in wind st.s/c/c spend money on projects and then fail to maintain them to a good standard - in effect wasting money - broken lights wherever you walk - badly maintained pavements - unfinnished areas wher there are no safety barriers around the waterways etc. flaking paint where there was once paint etc.living outside the city where i was born - my only enjoyment on now entering the city is to visit the beach - wonderful whether hail or shine - but such a wasted asset.PG
PG, cwmgwili/cross hands
commented on 30-Jan-2009 13:32

For anything to improve there needs to be something on the Kingsway worth going for. So many of the units are boarded up and need a load of work doing to them. Maybe the Council should be giving some incentives to businesses to get the units occupied. I know some traders who have withdrawn due to massive rent hikes - there seems to be no foresight. Hike the rent so high that it isnt feasible means empty units so you get no rent at all. They need to get the town busy and people actually wanting to go there before they can start charging the earth. The city centre has died before our eyes. The new "David Evans" store is barely occupied - not inspiring. The Council need to be making attractive offers to stores to open in Swansea. I have no confidence that the bendy bus is going to encourage people to visit the city centre. Park and Ride is already available for people who want to get into town.
J, Swansea
commented on 30-Jan-2009 13:15

The Kingsway is like a motorway with so many lanes, should have saved money and left it to the boy racers..... it was safer then!
Jon, Mumbles
commented on 30-Jan-2009 12:55

In a word... No..!! Total waste of time and money. Why these councillors don't head the opinions of the vast majority of Swansea residence and traders is beyond me. They must have been on some lovely jollies courtesy of the bendy bus company that's all I can say..!!
HR.Jones, swansea
commented on 30-Jan-2009 12:20

The best thing the Council could do is firstly encourage people to use the Park and Ride for shopping in the town centre. Secondly have a bus that does a circuit from Parc Tawe to the Kingsway to the Quadrant free for the people who use the Park and Ride and a small fee for those who dont. It could be a hop on hop off service. This would work because who wants to shop in Parc Tawe then walk to the Quadrant to do some more shopping? It would be a handy link to get around town. Not only that, not everyone works in the immediate town centre. The Council needs a poll of the Park and Ride passengers to find out exactly where they need or want to go. Surely these measures would keep a substantial amout of traffic out of the town centre?
Gaynor, Swansea
commented on 30-Jan-2009 12:04

Bendy busses were the major cause of accidents in South London, to be honest I can't see them working here.
Jodi, Llanelli
commented on 30-Jan-2009 11:47

Just another example of the sort of thinking that makes Swansea city centre such a dump. Bendy buses won't revive the Kingsway. Swansea Council need to get rid of their ridiculous one-way road systems and go back to basics. The Kingsway should be a two-way system with plenty of crossing places for pedestrians. And get rid of the bendy buses. There is no reason whatsover for a town as small as Swansea to have bendy buses. Swansea Council have been taken in my the bendy bus sales team and consultants. They have sold them a product that they don't need, and that will actually make matters worse. How is it that most people can see what needs to be done to enhance the city centre, but the council can't? Instead of trying to think up grand schemes that never happen, why can't the council just spend some time concentrating on some of the simple things that could be put right quite quickly? I know I keep saying this, but Swansea Council is an absolute disgrace. They have just let the city centre descend into a shabby dump that no-one can be proud of, and are implementing policies that help this trend continue and accelerate. Please go and visit yout councillor and ask him/her to explain why they won't listen to what the people from Swansea want. After all, they are supposed to be representing us.
Steve Jones, Uplands
commented on 30-Jan-2009 10:13

What I want to know is whose idea is it to put cyclists in the same lanes as the bendy bus. This is a disaster waiting to happen!! As for trade .. how is having a slightly longer buse probably with the same number of occupants on board going to have any impact on trade at all? How about investing in an integrated transport system linking the train station and bus station for a start. For one euro you can travel by tram all day in many European cities. Is that ever going to happen here? Paying around £2 for a single journey from sketty to town is hardly going to get people out of their cars.
daveinuplands, uplands
commented on 30-Jan-2009 09:

Cat jibe councillor in blast at home claim

2009-01-30T12:40:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 30 January 2009

A councillor who said his cat could do a better job than some of his colleagues has hit back at claims he does not live in Swansea.

Rene Kinzett hit the headlines last week when he branded council meetings a waste of time and slammed other elected members who, he said, "know less than my cat about much of what they are considering."

The outburst came after figures revealed the Mayals councillor had attended only 13 per cent of committee meetings in the past 12 months.

However, since then he has been accused by political rivals of letting down his constituents by living and working in London.

But the Mayals councillor said: "If that is all they have to go on — and they are not going to engage in political debate — it is pretty poor to hammer on about a point which is not true.

"Let's talk about the issues. I clearly live in Gower Road.

"The way they are going on, you would think I lived in Timbuktu.

"I think they have more interest in my life than I have in theirs."

When he had to stay in London, because of work commitments, Councillor Kinzett said he stayed with his brother in Streatham.

Last year Councillor Kinzett, who leads the Conservative group on Swansea Council, took a job with a lobbying group whose offices are based in Kew, on the outskirts of London.

However, since then he has maintained that his employment does not affect his ability to represent his ward.

He said: "I work for the National Council on Archives.

"I go to meetings as and when it is required.

"I have to go to meetings outside of Swansea — I am in Norwich next week, and Liverpool the week after that.

"It doesn't affect my work as a councillor at all."

As well as hitting out at the quality of some councillors and the value of meetings, Councillor Kinzett said the timing of council meetings — almost all are held in the day — did not help members who had a job.

He said: "I work for a living.

"Whether it is in Cardiff or Cleethorpes, it doesn't make much difference.

"Do we want a council run by professionals or amateurs?"

Deprivation in Swansea

2009-01-28T12:10:00.001Z

BBC Wales On-Line - 28 January 2009

Take up of free school meals is well above the Wales average of 17%, peaking at over 50% in the city centre
Special educational needs peak at over 80% in the SRA area compared with a city average of around 21%
15.6% of the population has no qualifications
Incapacity benefit and severe disability allowance claimant rates are higher than both the Wales and the GB averages.
Average earnings were 79% of the UK average in 2008.

Source: Welsh Assembly Government

Multi-million pound regeneration scheme for city

2009-01-28T11:01:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 28 January 2009

A multi-million pound initiative to tackle a range of social and economic issues in Swansea has been announced — but city residents will have to wait to see if they are affected.

Swansea city centre is to be designated a Strategic Regeneration Area (SRA) and will benefit from a new approach by the Assembly to address social and economic regeneration.

However, the exact details — including how far into the communities surrounding the city centre the SRA will benefit — have yet to be agreed. The investment, announced by Leighton Andrews, Deputy Minister for Regeneration, is in addition to the Swansea City Centre Framework — a £1 billion blueprint designed to redevelop and regenerate the city centre, creating 9,000 additional jobs.

Mr Andrews said the new initiative was aimed at tackling the root causes of deprivation and putting people and communities at the heart of the equation "The SRA proposals for Swansea are designed to address key social issues while also capitalising on the abundant opportunities that exist within and around the city," he said.

"The regeneration of Swansea will require a range of integrated interventions which will be mainly directed at the centre of the city.

"Interventions will be designed to reinforce Swansea's role as the regional capital city with a modern competitive economy and the ability to deliver a high quality of life, a sustainable environment and a vibrant waterfront of international standards."

Today's announcement marks the start of a partnership between the Assembly and other organisations in the city, such as Swansea Council, Communities First Projects, and the voluntary sector, who will help to decide which areas will be covered.

An action plan will then be drawn up to tackle the issues, and a substantial budget anticipated to run into tens of millions of pounds will be allocated for the project.

The creation of an SRA in Swansea follows a similar model created in the Heads of the Valleys — included in that project was a move to get more people into jobs by working with employers and the unemployed.

Swansea Council has welcomed the announcement. Council leader Chris Holley said: "This is terrific news and will complement billion-pound plans to regenerate several key sites in the city centre and on the waterfront.

"It will help further drive investment and is another encouraging announcement for the city in a time of economic uncertainty across the country. Swansea city centre's designation as an SRA is a significant boost in our quest to become a European city of distinction by 2020."

Battling together to save surgery

2009-01-28T10:17:00.003Z

South Wales Evening Post - 28 January 2009

The future of neurosurgery at Morriston is again under the spotlight. Dai Lloyd, Plaid AM for South Wales West, sets out the case for keeping the service in Swansea.

Neurosurgery is staying in Morriston Hospital, Swansea. Yet recent deliberations, and a powerful lobby from Cardiff, still question the minister's decision.

Edwina Hart, the Assembly's Health Minister, announced her decision in response to reviews last September. The neurosurgery decision she announced was one service on two sites — Cardiff and Swansea — working together as one neurosurgical unit.

The minister made it plain that the decision was final.

Following the verdict, she has instructed the interim medical director, Alan Axford, of the Hywel Dda Trust, and his expert consultant team to finalise the details of this new arrangement.

Today, we have two neurosurgical units, Swansea and Cardiff, operating independently of one another.

The change means that these two units, previously separate and stand alone, will now operate as one service, sharing the one cohort of specialised staff across the two sites.

This will mean a better service for both patients and specialised staff, combining the geographical accessibility and one of the UK's best burns and plastics units (in Swansea), with the paediatric neurosurgery and research expertise of Cardiff.

Evening Post readers will doubtless recall the huge campaigns fought over the past six to seven years to keep first of all, paediatric neurosurgery — which then went to Cardiff — and then adult neurosurgery in Morriston Hospital.

The largest petitions ever received by the Assembly have both been 100,000-strong petitions organised by the Evening Post. They more than adequately reflect the strength of feeling, not only in Swansea, but in Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire — often from patients with direct experience of the service, understanding what losing neurosurgery to Cardiff would mean.

Recent "noises-off" by the Conservative health spokesman Jonathan Morgan have concentrated on reports about the neurosurgical service prepared for the minister. The reports suggested a one-site solution to neurosurgery in South Wales, and that the one site should be Cardiff.

However, in making a ministerial decision, there are wider considerations than purely the neurosurgical considerations. The ambulance service, for example, and ambulance response times, which are short of their targets at the moment.

Centralising the service in Cardiff means putting additional stress on already overstretched ambulances, which was a recurring fear with people in Swansea and South West Wales.

Another ministerial consideration would have been Swansea's designation as Wales's only level one major trauma centre — achieved because neurosurgery, burns, plastics and a major trauma centre are all on the same site.

Taking neurosurgery away from Swansea to Cardiff will mean Swansea will lose its designation as a level one centre, and, because Cardiff has no burns and plastics unit, Cardiff will not gain that designation — so Wales would be left with no level one major trauma centre.

Doubtless, a further consideration for the minister in reaching her decision is the presence of Bristol's excellent neurosurgery unit less than 40 minutes from Cardiff.

Many people in Gwent and the south east of Wales have a propensity to look to Bristol, and quite properly, that avenue will remain open to them.

Yet the impact of Bristol's neurosurgery unit on the neurosurgical themes in the aforementioned ministerial briefs appears understated or absent.

We could be faced with two neurosurgical units close together — Cardiff and Bristol — and any subsequent professional-led UK reviews could suggest further consolidation, meaning the Cardiff unit goes to Bristol.

To those who say centralising neurosurgery in Cardiff is the only way to save the service for Wales, I would disagree. Swansea has to be part of the answer if we are to keep the service in Wales.

And finally, much has been made in this neurosurgical debate about the research excellence of Cardiff. Medical research in Cardiff is excellent indeed, but it is unfair to totally discount Swansea's status in modern day medical research.

Certainly, we need to push the research agenda further — with both Cardiff, and less so Swansea, being moderate hitters on the UK stage in terms of the size of institutions and population hinterland.

A significant advance in medical research status could be attained by Cardiff and Swansea working together — two magnificent medical and university institutions with a two million population hinterland would be a significant presence on the UK research scene.

Instead of competition between Swansea and Cardiff, how about combining resources and batting together for Wales?

It can be done — the successful research bid for a £10 million burns injury research project announced a couple of years ago was the result of close co-operation between Cardiff University and the burns unit in Morriston Hospital — and we need more of it.

Cardiff and Swansea should work together — not against one another — for better research and improved neurosurgical care for the people of Wales.

Shoe stores' staff fear job losses

2009-01-27T17:00:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 27 January 2009

Staff at two Swansea shoe shops are waiting to hear if their jobs are safe.

High street shoe shop chains Barratts and PriceLess have gone into voluntary administration, it has been announced.

The two chains have 380 stores nationwide, including two in the Quadrant Shopping Centre.
However, yesterday both shops were open for business.

Jackie Griffiths, manager of the city centre PriceLess branch, said the store's seven staff had been told to carry on as normal.

She said: "We have had good feedback from the area manager.

"If it was full administration, we would have been closed. As far as I know, they are saying trade as normal.

No-one from Swansea's Barratts store was available for comment.

In total, the stores employ 5,450 people nationwide.

Barratts and PriceLess are owned by a Bradford-based firm Stylo.

The parent company is not in administration, but its shares have been suspended.

Deloitte partner Daniel Butters said: "Stylo has faced a downturn in trading as a result of the current difficult economic and market conditions."

The administrators hope creditors of PriceLess and Barratts will agree to place the businesses into a company voluntary arrangement (CVA), a deal regarding the payment of their debts.

This meant, Deloitte said, that creditors and landlords would effectively be given a chance to vote on the future of the shoe chains.

Under the CVA, creditors and landlords vary their terms of trade to give Barratts and PriceLess breathing space.

Mr Butters added: "We are seeking to enable the rescue of Barratts and PriceLess, while giving creditors and landlords certainty over their own positions.

"Ultimately, we are giving creditors and landlords a chance to vote on the future of the companies."

Comments (1)
Having almost had my head chopped of by having to limbo under a (early closing) PriceLess store shutter before Xmas by a member of staff who couldn't wait to get home, such 'customer devotion' is now rewarded in possible store closure, it proves there is a 'God' after all! Priceless shoes were cheap but they looked cheap! Sad to see Barratts go though, as a customer, I was always treated well. Hope there is light ahead of the tunnel for them. Jim Sheridan
James Sheridan, Swansea
commented on 27-Jan-2009 16:21

Social worker admits misconduct in Aaron Gilbert case

2009-01-26T19:27:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 26 January 2009

A Swansea social worker has admitted misconduct in the way she handled the case of a baby boy who was later murdered.

Eleni Cordingley, the social worker involved in the Aaron Gilbert case, was struck off the social workers register at a hearing in Cardiff.

She has now also been suspended by Swansea Council.

Ms Cordingley faced a the two-day hearing before the Care Council for Wales and was told she would no longer be able to practice as a social worker in the UK.

The committee concluded she had shown "extremely poor judgement" in the case of 13-month-old Aaron, from Townhill, who died in May 2005, after being badly beaten.

Earlier, the committee heard how a Swansea Council social services team had received two anonymous calls from the same person expressing concerns about baby Aaron's family shortly before his death.

Aaron was referred to as Child A throughout the hearing.

"In failing to act appropriately in response to the complaints between April 27 and May 5, 2005, you are guilty of misconduct by putting Child A at risk," the committee told Ms Cordingley.

"By exercising extremely poor judgement you failed to work in a safe and effective way. The misconduct admitted in this case is considered to be so serious that removal from the register is the only appropriate sanction."

A spokesman for Swansea Council said: "The death of Aaron Gilbert in 2005 was a terrible tragedy and Swansea Council is very sorry that it happened.

"Following the Care Council's decision we have taken immediate steps to suspend the social worker.

"We will also need to consider what further action may be necessary in the light of the evidence and outcome of the Care Council hearing."

Andrew Lloyd, the then boyfriend of Aaron's mother, was jailed for a minimum of 24 years for the baby's murder.

His mother, Rebecca Lewis, was jailed for six years for a charge of familial homicide, failing to prevent her son's killing.

Comments (4)

Let's hope Ms. Cordingley is not vilified as we have seen with the recent Baby P case. The failure in these cases is all too often systematic, with Social Workers having to adhere to strict 'procedures' and all too often scapegoated when these procedures fail children.
Ceri Thomas, Swansea
commented on 26-Jan-2009 18:07

There's a lot more to come out in this case how senior officers knew well before his death of procedural failures. Until matters become more transparent in Swansea and a few heads roll the social services and the council itself will not have any confidence in it. A needless death easily avoided if procedures had been followed.
dai pugh, swansea
commented on 26-Jan-2009 17:44

I agree with martin persons higher than ms Cordingley should be called to account but yet again they haven’t Ms Cordingley will be off from work now on full pay for the next year at least. SSC are working out how they can off load her on to another department and yet again justice prevails .
dave, swansea
commented on 26-Jan-2009 17:34

Surely the situation didn't happen because of just one person. Is this individual just being made a scapegoat for failings higher up the chain? Investigations appear to be very different in Wales than in England where the policy makers also have to account for their actions - or lack of them.
Martin, Swansea (ex Bristol)
commented on 26-Jan-2009 17:09

Health minister hits back at criticism over neurosurgery decision

2009-01-23T17:09:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 23 January 2009

Assembly Health Minister Edwina Hart has warned medics they need "to remember who they work for" in the war of words over neurosurgery.

Mrs Hart has hit back over criticism that her decision to keep one neurosurgery service based over two sites — in Swansea and Cardiff — went against the advice of senior officials.

The attack came from Cardiff-based consultant neurosurgeon Richard Hatfield, of the University Hospital of Wales, who said all the neurosurgeons in Wales agreed there should be a single site.
Mr Hatfield said: "People want services as locally as possible and one can understand that, but what you have to look at is the sustainability of those services.

"We cannot have a neurosurgery service in every DGH (district general hospital)."

But Mrs Hart has pledged her "absolute commitment" to keeping the current system in place and said the row was pure "mischief making".

The minister, who is also Gower AM, was warned by officials the service should be centralised or it would be unsustainable, leaving people in South Wales dependent on Bristol for neurosurgery.
But despite the advice, she decided on the one service over two centres option "in the best interest" of Welsh patients.

Mrs Hart told the Post, she was committed to keeping the Morriston Hospital-based service in place and the current option was being closely looked at by Dr Alan Axford, interim medical director of Hywel Dda NHS Trust, who is part of a group tasked with considering the issue.
She said: "Clinicians need to remember who they work for.

"I have shown my absolute commitment to what I have said on neurosurgery — it's just mischief making.

"As Dai Lloyd (Plaid AM for South Wales West) indicated we want to have Swansea and Cardiff and the whole network working together.

"At the end of the day I have given all this to Dr Axford, who will look at all of the issues.
"I think what we have done is the right thing to have things looked at properly."
Alan Axford has been asked to head the group which will look at how the one service-two centre option will work in practice.

He has also been asked to look at how to develop and improve both our neurosurgery and neurological services across South Wales.

Dr Axford will then advise Mrs Hart on how much it will cost to deliver the recommendations, over what timescale, and how the services will be provided.

Before Mrs Hart was made Assembly Health Minister, following the 2007 elections, she took part in protests against the switch of neurosurgery away from Morriston Hospital to Cardiff, as Gower AM.

The recommendation to site all neurosurgery services on a single site in the Welsh capital, was originally put forward by the controversial health body Health Commission Wales during July 2006.

It led 105,537 people to sign up to the Evening Post's petition against the plan.
Mrs Hart had earlier called on neurosurgeon James Steers to head up an independent review into neurosurgery across South Wales.

In the first draft of the review, put forward to the Assembly in July of last year, the group said there should be an urgent development of a single site neurosurgery service in South and West Wales.

Although the Health Minister was not shown the draft report, she was clearly told in a letter from her senior medical officers, based on the report, which warned if there was no decision to move to a single site in Cardiff, the region's neurosurgery service would fall into rapid decline.
But in the second draft of the Steers report, changes were made to refer to a "single neurosurgical service" for South Wales.

The advice allowed Mrs Hart to take up the one service over two site option instead.
Mrs Hart said: "I understand that Jonathan Morgan (Welsh Shadow Health Minister) has reinforced the Tory position and that there will be one centre and that will be Cardiff," she added.

"My view has always been that we also need to look at the needs of Swansea and West Wales."
She said the findings of Dr Axford's report would have a role to play but she wanted the Swansea Cardiff site option to remain in place.

"The point is that it will depend on what the outcome of Alan Axford's report is.
"I want the two centre solution."

Jonathan Morgan, Welsh Conservative Shadow Health Minister, said a full comment was needed from Mrs Hart in the Senedd to show she had acted impartially at all times over the issue.

He added: "This report raises serious concerns about the competence of Mrs Hart and her ability to discharge her ministerial responsibilities objectively.

"We know that when the Health Minister takes decisions they can have far-reaching consequences with implications for the well-being of patients.

"Her apparent intervention in this case could put the welfare of patients at risk.

"The issue of neurosurgery demands the highest degree of ministerial competence and care.

"This report suggests the minister overruled the advice of experts and may have based her decision simply on the fact that her own constituency is near Swansea.

"Mrs Hart must make a full statement to the Assembly in order to satisfy members and the public that her involvement in this issue has been appropriate and impartial at all times."

Tory leader: 'Councillors know less than my cat'

2009-01-23T08:15:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 23 January 2009

A leading city politician has branded council meetings a waste of time after it was revealed he had only attended 13 per cent of committee meetings since last April.

Rene Kinzett, who leads the Conservative group on Swansea Council also hit out at fellow councillors, who he said "know less than my cat" about what the council is doing.

Of the 72 councillors elected the last time Swansea voters went to the polls, 27 had an attendance record which fell below 50 per cent.

Townhill residents may feel they are being under represented at meetings by their three councillors, with Billy Jones turning up for 23 out of 69 (33 per cent), David Hopkins seven out of 46 (15 per cent) and Nick Bradley just eight out of 55 meetings (15 per cent).

Councillor Bradley is, according to his answerphone message, out of the country until the middle of February.

Councillor Jones defended his record. He said: "I have been ill since Christmas and it is pretty restrictive. We will all try to improve our record, but what people don't realise is the amount of work we all do in the ward. My priority is being in the ward as much as I can."

The biggest offender, however, was Conservative group leader Rene Kinzett, who only showed up to 13 per cent of committee meetings.

However, despite only going to 12 out of 91 meetings, Councillor Kinzett was defiant, saying a number of them were pointless.

He said: "The member support and development working group is a total waste of time. It does not make any decisions whatsoever. What is the point in attending meetings that have no decision-making powers?

"The constitution working group is another talking shop. Nothing of any use ever comes out of this meeting. A lot of councillors sit around creating a lot of hot air."

He added: "I have good attendance at council, which is the only place I can properly hold this Lib Dem-run council to account."

Councillor Kinzett said that not only were some of the meetings a waste of time, but criticised some of the elected members taking part.

He said: "Much of the time spent in meetings in County Hall is an utter waste of time — pointless pontificating by councillors who know less than my cat about much of what they are considering. If people really knew how decisions were made at County Hall, they would be horrified.

"Meetings are also held during the working day — most start at either 10am or 11am or in the afternoon, at 2pm. This is no good if you work or have other responsibilities such as daytime childcare. It ends up being only the retired, the unemployed or the unemployable who stand to become councillors."

Council leader Chris Holley said the outburst from Councillor Kinzett was an attempt to defend the indefensible.

"The diatribe is what you would expect from Rene," he said.

"He's just trying to defend himself for not living in the city and not attending meetings. It is very sad that he has had to revert to this kind of name calling — it does nobody any good.

"What he doesn't seem to realise is that there are a lot of good people working hard on the council, even if he doesn't."Councillor Kinzett said his job in London meant he had to attend meetings in the capital "as and when I need to."

Hammerson 'still committed' to city's £1bn revamp

2009-01-21T18:23:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 21 January 2009

Although plans for the £1 billion redevelopment of Swansea city centre were due to be presented last autumn, the company behind the scheme has said it is still committed to the project.

Hammerson and Urban Splash — the partnership behind the £500 million revamp of Birmingham's Bullring, which now attracts around 20 million shoppers a year — was chosen to spearhead the revamp of Swansea's major retail and waterfront sites.

The companies were due to present plans for the redevelopment of the city centre last autumn.
However, no proposals have yet been released.

Hammerson has suffered a turbulent year, seeing its share price fall from a high of 624.5p per share to a low earlier this week of 400.5p.

The company is also rumoured to be looking at selling off some of its assets, prompting fears that its interest in a future scheme in Swansea could wane.

However, a company representative has confirmed that Hammerson remained committed to the £1 billion regeneration of Swansea city centre.

Simon Betty, development manager for Hammerson said: "We are working closely with the City and County of Swansea and the Assembly on our regeneration proposals.

"These form an integral part of the city's growth agenda, to which we remain committed, alongside delivering the best possible scheme for Swansea."

Details of any future Hammerson scheme could not be revealed, because the company is currently in a closed period for financial reporting ahead of its annual results being announced next month.

A Swansea Council spokesman said: "This is going to be one of the most important redevelopment schemes ever undertaken in Swansea and will see the city transformed into one equipped to compete with the very best.

"The scheme is long-term and complex, but we're moving forward in partnership with the developers and the Assembly Government.

"We're also continuing to work alongside the developers in the preparation of legal agreements and a development brief, which we hope will go out for comprehensive public consultation later this year.

"All feedback will then be taken on board before the submission of any planning applications.
The spokesman added: "In the meantime, Swansea has a lot to look forward to.

"The new three-storey retail complex on Princess Way is being opened in the spring and a near £4 million environmental upgrade of the city centre is now complete.

"These projects are acting as exciting forerunners for what's to come."

‘Councils should stay out of world affairs’

2009-01-16T08:49:00.000Z

Western Mail - 16 January 2009

Welsh councils were advised yesterday to concentrate on local services – such as collecting bins – instead of passing motions on global issues like ending poverty and the crisis in Gaza.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance branded the idealistic motions a “waste of time and taxpayers’ money” after details emerged of motions at one council meeting this week.

At their January full council meeting, Swansea councillors were debating notices of motion from nine Labour councillors, including group leader David Phillips, veteran campaigner Alan Lloyd and former mayor Robert Francis-Davies.

One motion called on the council to urge the Government to end the “dark and dangerous” battles going on in Gaza.

Another demanded the council begin talks with South Wales Police over the setting up of emergency shelters and a 24-hour hotline for trafficked people, and join the national “Not For Sale” campaign against trafficking.

A third motion asked that the council joins a national “stand up and take action against poverty” campaign.

But the motions, variants of which can be found in council chambers across Wales, were criticised yesterday.

Taxpayers’ Alliance campaigns director Mark Wallace said: “No matter how laudable these motions may be, the councillors were elected to look after local problems.

“When it comes to Hamas and Israel, both sides have failed to listen to the UN’s call for a ceasefire so I don’t see that Swansea Council is going to make a difference. It’s just going to waste taxpayers’ time and money when they should be concentrating on solving local problems.”

Independent Swansea councillor Ioan Richard accused fellow councillors of turning monthly council sessions into “a second rate polytechnic students’ union meeting”.

The Swansea Valley councillor said: “The sentiments in the motions are good ones that would be very hard to argue against. But shouldn’t local councils be concentrating on ensuring the bins are collected or that planning applications are looked at?”

Part of the Labour group motion on Gaza read: “The situation in Gaza is a very dangerous and dark moment in both Palestine and Israel’s histories.

“This council calls on the UK Government to redouble its efforts and, building on the links that already exist, urges both sides to start the dialogue that will end the carnage.”

Part of its motion on human trafficking reads: “This council resolves to adopt a Not For Sale policy and on behalf of the council, the leader and lord mayor should sign the Council of Europe’s fight against trafficking in human beings which the UK Government has already ratified.

“It also calls for talks with South Wales Police to establish for trafficked people, especially women forced into prostitution, “walk -in shelters” and secure long-term refuges plus medical and psychological assistance and 24-hour telephone emergency hotlines.”

In response to criticism of the motions, Swansea Labour Party leader David Phillips said: “I am really amazed Coun Richard is raising objections to us wanting to do our bit to help.”

His labour colleague Alan Lloyd, a founder president of the United Cities Local Government Campaign, said: “People will be shocked that a member of this council could speak out against this kind of humanitarian campaigning that we can all play a part in.”

A spokeswoman for the Welsh Local Government Association said: “It is up to each council how it runs its meeting agendas.”

Councillors should stick to voters’ local issues

2009-01-16T08:46:00.002Z

Western Mail comment - 16 January 2009

It is a feature of political bodies everywhere that they tend to delude themselves that they’re more powerful than they actually are. It’s a misconception that appears at all levels of elected office and, as we report today, it can be at its worst in Wales’ county halls.

Not everyone at Swansea Council is impressed that the venerable body is spending its time discussing the crisis in Gaza. That’s not to say that international crisis isn’t a serious business – but surely the Foreign Office has more chance of brokering a ceasefire than Swansea Council?

This is not a new phenomenon. The campaign to declare Wales a “nuclear free zone” was conducted through a series of votes at the then-eight county councils. The effect, of course, was symbolic.

Likewise, the Assembly has grappled with the question of whether it should discuss matters over which it has no control – the war in Iraq being the most high-profile flashpoint. It may be a body elected to represent Wales, but AMs would do better to concentrate on using the powers they have.

The plain fact is that local government in Wales has a very specific set of powers. It raises funds through grants from the Assembly Government and charging us council tax; it then spends that money on schools, rubbish collections, leisure facilities and so on.

We elect councillors to monitor the delivery of those services, making changes where necessary. Councillors have plenty to discuss, and the people who elect them would surely expect them to concentrate on local issues.

Swansea council isn’t the only offender, to be fair to Wales’ second city. But there shouldn’t be safety in numbers: councillors should stick to dealing with the issues they were elected to look at.

Any politicians who want to deal with foreign affairs, can, of course, stand for election to Westminster. There are tiers of democracy in the UK; voters are sophisticated enough to know who does what, and politicians should do the same. It isn’t as if there aren’t big questions for local government to grapple with. Councils are being hit by the credit crunch just like everyone else, with settlements likely to be tighter and demands for their services getting higher.

That would be enough to keep most of us busy, and Wales expects its elected politicians to be doing everything in their power to benefit the country during an economic downturn.

The Welsh Local Government Association tells us today that it is: “up to each council how it runs its monthly meeting agendas”.

And that neatly summarises the point. Councillors can choose to discuss things they have no control over, if they want. But their voters are watching. A key feature of democracy is, of course, the ability to remove councillors if they don’t spend their time addressing the issues we expect them to.

Failed payroll system costs council £1m

2009-01-15T17:51:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 15 January 2009

The bill for a failed IT system at Swansea Council has been settled — with the authority shelling out more than £1 million.

Last year, the Post revealed a confidential council agenda showed work done by IT firm CapGemini on the council's failed payroll system could cost £8 million, although council leaders said the final bill would be negotiated down.

Council leader Chris Holley confirmed the deal with CapGemini was settled late last year for just over £1 million.

Councillor Holley said: "What we have done is settle all our past claims with CapGemini.

"Obviously, there will be things ongoing — it is a contract.

"It would have been nice to have been even less. There was claim and counter-claim.

"I'm not happy to say that it is a victory because it has still cost us an amount of money.

"We have brought in a system to try and modernise the council, it was always going to cost money.

"We purchased five projects from them and four are working.

"We will always have discussions about whether they are reaching the standard. If they don't then we won't pay them."

Labour councillor Mike Hedges said Swansea Council had been forced to spend a huge amount of money on a failed system.

He said: "The council has spent £1 million on a system that didn't work."

Councillor Hedges was speaking ahead of last night's full council meeting, when councillors were due to debate funding for post-16 student travel.

He said: "The council has been throwing money at big companies, such as the Duke of Beaufort (who received £280,000 for granting permission for a bridge over the Tawe) and CapGemini, and getting what appears to be nothing in return.

"We are taking away from school transport for children aged 16 to 18. People have got their priorities absolutely wrong."

The issue sparked a controversial mass walkout by opposition politicians in July following a decision to debate Swansea Council's controversial eGovernment scheme in private.

During the July council meeting debating the deal with CapGemini, after a motion for the public to be allowed to stay for the debate was defeated, every Labour and Conservative member left the meeting in protest.

Councillor Holley said it was important that the council kept its position out of the public domain.
He said: "We wanted to maintain our negotiating position.

"We were confident it would be considerably less (than £8million) and if they had stayed in the meeting they would have heard why."

Councillor's foreign comments

2009-01-15T17:49:00.003Z

South Wales Evening Post - 15 January 2009

A long-serving councillor has been criticised for making comments against foreign companies operating in Swansea.

Speaking before a meeting at Swansea Council, Gower councillor Richard Lewis (pictured) said, of foreign companies carrying out work in Swansea: "Why is this French frog company being awarded all the contracts when we have our own people on the doorstep doing the work."

When he was confronted by fellow councillors, he added: "I didn't sign up as a European."

Although the meeting had not officially started, a number of councillors and council officers were present, as well as representatives from the Welsh Local Government Association.

Labour councillor Mike Hedges appeared angry at the comments. Speaking after the meeting, he said: "That is totally out of order.

"It is an insult to a whole race of people."

Councillor Hedges, who represents the Morriston Ward, added: "A lot of these companies, when they are doing the work, employ local people.

"It might be a French company, but they are employing local people."

Council leader Chris Holley said: "Richard has his own views — they are certainly not the views held by the majority of people here."

When asked about the comments, Councillor Lewis said it was an "off the cuff remark", aimed at providing humour rather than insult.

He said: "It wasn't a serious comment. If you can't make a joke these days, where are we going?"

Five years ago, Councillor Lewis was prevented from taking up his role following a row over the use of the official crest during an election.

Councillor Lewis was found guilty of bringing the authority into disrepute and of improper use of council resources by the Local Government Ombudsman.

Councillor failed to declare interest

2009-01-10T16:35:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 10 January 2009

A Swasea councillor has been rapped for failing to declare an interest in a planning application.

Lib-Dem councillor Rob Speht had opportunities to declare an interest at two separate planning meetings, but didn't.

He said he is keen to receive training on the new code of conduct for councillors.
"I have requested training on the new Code of Conduct several times, not just since this ruling," said councillor Speht.

He insisted the complaints about him were politically motivated.

The application concerned car park and playground work at Plasmarl Primary School, where the Landore councillor served as chairman of the board of governors.

The council's standards committee said councillor Speht failed to declare an interest at meetings in October 2007 and January 2008, when he addressed fellow councillors about the application and, in the second meeting, voted in favour of it.

Complaints were subsequently made by two members of the public, both known to councillor Speht.

He told the ombudsman that he didn't think he needed to declare an interest because the application had been submitted by the council, not the school.

The ombudsman took this into account, but said it was reasonable to conclude that he did have a personal interest, because the development was for the benefit of the school and he was a councillor and chairman of the governors.

Councillor Speht told the standards committee that he had acted in good faith.

The committee concluded he had breached the Members' Code of Conduct, but that no action should be taken because the breach was not sufficiently serious.

However, it warned him of the importance of declaring personal interests, and suggested all councillors had training on the new Code of Conduct, which came into force last May.

Councillor Speht said the planning application, which was passed by councillors, had improved safety for children at the school.

Crunch puts the brakes on River Tawe build

2009-01-10T11:30:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 9 January 2009

DELAYS have hit a major student development planned for the tatty banks of the River Tawe.
But developers insist they have every intention of going ahead with the plan.

Last August, Swansea planning chiefs gave the green light for accommodation blocks off Morfa Road for up to 967 students.

The site, formerly Unit Superheater Engineering, had been cleared in preparation for the development.

The new £65 million to £70 million scheme also comprised up to 300 residential units, which have been given outline planning permission.

A spokesman for the developers said last September that they were targeting the start of construction by the end of 2008.

But delays are now inevitable because of the credit crunch, which has hit construction particularly hard.

Andrew Cox, of Savills, which submitted the planning applications on behalf of developers DFWJ and Unit Holdings, said yesterday: "DFWJ has every intention of going forward with the development.

"Given the current economic climate, it needs to examine the timing and funding.
"More information will be available during the coming months."

The student accommodation was part of a wider development proposed for the site by Unit Holdings, he added, which could include apartments, offices, a hotel, shops and cafes.

"It already has planning permission for 300 apartments. Other uses would be subject to planning approval," said Mr Cox.

The scheme is expected to create a new community of more than 1,500 students and residents, with 137 construction jobs and 32 permanent jobs, according to the planning brief.

A separate scheme for 91 houses and 134 apartments has also been proposed for the west bank of the River Tawe at the current Bernard Hastie & Co headquarters.

Both schemes fit into the council's Tawe Riverside Corridor strategy, outlining "a modern and vibrant riverside urban area" linking the Liberty Stadium area with SA1.

More riverbank development is proposed at the old Hafod Copperworks site.

A council spokesman said: "This promises to be an exciting scheme that will help regenerate the area while celebrating its rich heritage.

"A draft proposal of works for the site will follow once the marketing strategy is complete."

PM under fire for 'snubbing' city on tour

2009-01-09T20:13:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 9 January 2009

Local business leaders and politicians have criticised Prime Minister Gordon Brown for snubbing Swansea.

On the final leg of his regional tour of the UK yesterday, the Labour leader visited Swindon, Newport and Cardiff.

The former chancellor last visited Wales's second city in April last year , but then it was only a brief stop to meet staff from the life sciences department at Swansea University.

Ahead of Mr Brown's tour, former Labour leader Neil Kinnock said the trip would "enrich" the PM's understanding of what is going on in South Wales.

"When a prime minister gets to an area and gets to talk to people, he does get that sense of what attitudes are in an area," said Lord Kinnock.

Local business leaders and politicians disagreed.

Peter Birch, of Swansea Business Improvement District, and Oxford Street Traders Association, said: "Newport and Cardiff are hardly a sample of what's going on in South Wales," he said.

"You've got to come to Swansea to get a real flavour of what's happening in the country. It's disappointing that he did not come to the city.

"I'm sure traders would have loved to have had an opportunity to pass on their concerns to him. There is no confidence in the banks being able to support businesses and it's causing problems.

"That little bit extra loan or overdraft would help see some businesses through this difficult time."

Plaid's South West Wales AM Bethan Jenkins said: "If he is going to be serious about having a tour to find out how the current economic climate is affecting people, then he needs to visit the places where his dire economic policies are being felt the most.

"Cardiff and Newport are as close to the border as you can get."

She said the region had been feeling the pinch more than most with closures, loss of jobs and businesses struggling.

"I'm sure a lot of people from local industries and businesses affected would have wanted to meet him," she said.

Swansea-based AM Peter Black said: "If Gordon Brown really cared about what's going on in South Wales then he needed to come further west to Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

"He could hear about the real problems people are facing in struggling to make ends meet and the amount of dissatisfaction there is with his government."

Mr Black added: "The Liberal Democrats are serious about people's views.

"Our leader Nick Clegg has been to Swansea several times recently and Vince Cable is to visit the city at the end of the month, when he will be meet many local businesspeople to hear their concerns."

Swansea Council leader Chris Holley said: "I'm very disappointed that Gordon Brown felt it was not necessary to come to West Wales to see the consequences of policies for which he was responsible when he was chancellor

Council rubbish stockpile claim

2009-01-05T20:31:00.002Z

South Wales Evening Post - 5 January 2009

Recycled waste is not being stockpiled and left in limbo in Wales, despite reported problems in other parts of the UK.

Councils and their waste contractors are continuing to find markets for the hundreds of tonnes of newspapers, bottles and cans we leave out for collection every fortnight.
And their message is: keep recycling.

Two national newspapers reported that mountains of paper and cans are being stored in warehouses by English councils because there are no buyers. It follows a steep drop in prices for recycled goods and a small increase in requests for extra waste storage space. But Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot councils have all said it's business as usual for them, adding that no recycled waste has had to be taken to landfill sites.

Figures for Swansea also suggest the credit crunch has prompted a sharp fall in gadget and electrical goods' waste as people shun new purchases and make do with what they've got.

In April 2007, the council collected nearly 500 tonnes of waste electrical goods and metal — in December 2008 the figure was just over 200 tonnes. A spokeswoman for the Welsh Local Government Association, which represents all 22 authorities, said: "During late 2008 [recycling] markets did crash to a certain extent for some collected material — particularly plastic, with China stopping the importing of plastics.

"The markets for metals were also hit at the end of November when Corus stopped taking collected material.

"However, in Wales councils are following our advice and carrying on collecting the material, and, if necessary, storing it. As a result of the good collection systems operated by our councils most are still managing to find markets."

Government waste scheme WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) said it was much better to recycle then send stuff to landfill.

"Even if paper is sold for recycling at £10 a tonne that is still preferable to paying the average of £45, including tax, to send it to landfill," said a spokeswoman.

The UK Government said private recycling contractors were seeing profit margins squeezed.

"While the market is going through a difficult period, we are hopeful that it will recover in the coming months," said a Defra spokesman.

Recycling site plans spark local objection

2009-01-05T20:26:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 5 January 2009

A group of Swansea residents has come out in force to show their opposition to plans for a green waste recycling site in their village.

They have raised fears that the scheme proposed for land on Abergelli Farm, in Felindre, will attract rats and seagulls and create a stink in the area.

But bosses from Swansea City Waste Disposal Company Limited, who are looking to lease the site from farmer Bryn Llewellyn, said that, while they sympathised with residents, there would be no such issues with the site.

And that a total of £2.5 million would be saved in meeting waste targets, through the recycling of green waste and composting treatment.

It would also be a cost-cutter for the local authority as it would stop the need to send rubbish to dumps in Merthyr Tydfil, Pontardawe and Pembrokeshire following the closure of the Tir John landfill site in Port Tennant.

Opposition was re-ignited back in September over the Tir John site when plans were discussed to reopen it.

Resident Irene Yeomans,of Brynawel, in Felindre, said she had major concerns over the development and feared it would bring increased traffic to the small lanes leading towards the farm.

Mrs Yeomans said: "The plan to have a recycling and green waste and composting treatment site at Abergelli Farm, in Felindre, has been going on for months and months.

"When I went down to the recycling site in Morriston, I was retching with the smell — the waste was stomach-churning.

"There is going to be all this garden waste and cuttings, you can imagine what the smell is going to be like in the summer — it's going to linger in the air and there'll be an infestation of rats and seagulls.

"We have sent petitions to the council and have had a letter back telling us that it will go before the planning committee tomorrow at 2pm."

She added: "The lorries bringing the containers into the village are going to be massive and they will be going on lanes, not roads.

"We are concerned with the safety issues of brining lorries into a village."

But chiefs from Swansea City Waste Disposal Company Limited said there would only be eight to 10 vehicle movements a day.

Although a row has been sparked between residents and the landowner Mr Llewellyn over the scheme, the farmer has refused to comment on the application, which has been recommended for approval.

But Michael Shellard, chairman of Swansea City Waste Disposal Company Limited, which works in partnership with Swansea Council, said the development would make a major difference in curbing levels of waste in the city.

He said: "If we do not have an alternative site in Swansea, we would have to landfill the green waste and move it to Haverfordwest to dispose of it, at a cost of £1.7 million."

"I understand the residents of Felindre are apprehensive, even though I have taken them to the site in Tir John and to Ferryboat Close, in the Enterprise Zone, Swansea, to see the composting site.

"It is just scare-mongering about the rats and sea gulls.

"I do have sympathy for the fears of the people of Felindre but their fears are unfounded."

Tory slams council over £14m cash black hole

2009-01-05T11:10:00.002Z

South Wales Evening Post - 4 January 2009

An opposition leader has slammed the Liberal Democrat led administration for leaving Swansea Council vulnerable amid the economic turmoil.

In a bleak new year message, council leader Chris Holley said jobs and services face the axe as the authority struggles to balance its books in the credit crunch era.

The council is facing a £14 million funding black hole between what it wants to spend, and the money it receives from the Assembly.

Each department has been required to look at ways of shaving four per cent off its budget over the next 12 months — but Councillor Holley warned efficiency savings alone would not be enough.

Tory leader Rene Kinzett (pictured) said: "I fear the coming recession will mean more than just job losses at Swansea Council.

"Like the Labour government, this Lib Dem controlled council has wasted money during the good years.

"They spend £100 million on an IT system that doesn't work, paid a private management company millions to install a new payroll system which was more than a year overdue and was then abandoned, spent £11 million on consultants and is up to its eyeballs in borrowed cash.

"At the same time, the ruling Lib Dem/Independent/Plaid coalition has lied to the people of Swansea several times over the start date for work on the promised bus station.

"No promises have ever been kept, yet work on digging up the city centre to make way for bendy-buses nobody wants has been pushed through.

"Shop traders, market stall holders, hoteliers and other business people in Swansea are sick to death of a council which has its priorities so out of step with what everyone else wants.

"Swansea should have benefited greatly over the past ten years of boom in the UK.

"But successive Labour and Lib Dem-controlled councils have failed to exploit the potential for real growth.

"While Cardiff is having its city centre modernised, Swansea can only listen to promises of jam tomorrow."

Response
And yet at successive Council budget meetings Councillor Kinzett has sought to cut back the Council's income further leaving them with more long term problems.

Councillor Kinzett has misrepresented the Council's expenditure in trying to make his point.

He knows that the Council's e-government programme did not cost £100m but has been contained witin the budgets set for it by the outgoing Labour administration in 2004. He even supported the project when he was part of the administration.

He knows also that the £11 million spent on consultants as spent over a four year period, amounts to less than 0.5% of the Council's expenditure over that period and was spent on specialist capital and other projects that could not have proceeded without them.

He also supported the two biggest projects, the Leisure Centre and the new Civic Centre that he now criticises as costing the Council too much money.

All in all this appears to be double standards on the part of Councillor Kinzett.

Peter Black, Swansea

Job fears in £14m cash hole

2008-12-30T12:58:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 30 December 2008

Jobs and services face the axe as Swansea Council struggles to balance its books amid the economic turmoil.

In a bleak new year message, authority leader Chris Holley warned of tough times ahead for people who work for the council — and those who rely on its services.

Councillor Holley said there was no avoiding the economic downturn and its effects, and that everyone needed to "face the reality" of the current situation.

"Every day there's another report on the TV or in the newspaper of jobs being lost," he said.

"The closure of Woolworths and fears for the future of Linamar on Fabian Way will have a major effect on the local economy.

"Workers at Corus are facing lower production and possibly reduced salaries as the company tries to manage the fall in demand for steel.

"And these are just the stories that we know about. There are many other shops, factories and offices which are forced to cut their workforce and are not making the headlines. There isn't a person or organisation that is immune from this recession. Swansea Council is no different from households and companies, we are all tightening our belts to try to cope with rising costs and falling income."

The council is facing a £14 million funding black hole between what it wants to spend, and the money it receives from the Assembly.

Each department has been required to look at ways of shaving four per cent off its budget over the coming 12 months — but Councillor Holley warned that efficiency savings alone wouldn't be enough.

"We have to review our services to ensure we provide those services which are needed," he said.

"Social services, education, roads and bin collections are probably top of most people's lists.

"But there are so many other things we do which would have a detrimental effect on families if we stopped doing them.

"We have to grapple with the issue of how to maintain services while also balancing our books.

These are not easy decisions."

And Councillor Holley said that in an organisation which provides a wide range of services and employs a lot of people, the spectre of job cuts loomed large.

He said: "In this difficult period, when very few people are not feeling the uncertainty of the times, we don't want to add to people's pain.

"But at the same time, we can't hide from the fact that staffing accounts for more than 70 per cent of our costs.

"It is inevitable we will have to reduce the number of people we employ, not only to lower our costs but also to reflect the changes in services which will be forced upon us to balance the books.

We are striving to avoid compulsory redundancies, but the current climate is unprecedented in our lifetimes and we cannot predict what will happen during the next couple of years."

Countdown to shake-up for schools

2008-12-20T14:00:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 19 December 2008

Plans for the future of education in Swansea, and possible school closures, will be made public in the new year, councillors have been told.

The announcement follows a extraordinary general meeting of Swansea Council called by some councillors concerned they were being kept in the dark over the authority's plans for education.

The council faces a huge overhaul of education provision after being landed with a £150 million repair bill for its crumbling schools.

School closures and mergers are some of the options being considered.

Cwmbwrla councillor and AM Peter Black told the meeting: "I do not know where we are going to get the money from unless we get a contribution from the Assembly Government, or unless we are flexible in terms of private finance."

Plaid leader Darren Price said: "No-one disputes it is a problem and something has to be done, but I think it is the wrong way round — we are beginning by looking at the primary schools and not the broader picture."

Councillors were told no decisions have yet been made and that the old the next step would be to explore "innovative funding solutions" and funding bids to the Assembly.

Cabinet member for education Mike Day said: "This is not just about falling rolls or building conditions. It is also about ensuring we are continuing to improve attainment, not just for children in the system, but in the future. "

Councillors were also told there would be full consultation for pupils, parents, staff and governors.

They had also demanded to be told why no more than one head teacher and one chairman of governors had attended an earlier planning meeting. They were told it was because affected schools had not been yet been identified.

Council leader Chris Holley added: "There is a backlog of repairs across Wales. Without the Assembly deciding to make education a priority, we are going to have to wait.

"Unless there is huge investment for funding in education, we will be worse than many Third World countries in less than a decade."

Christmas leaflet no laughing matter

2008-12-18T09:14:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 17 December 2008

A shop boss who decided to spread some festive cheer by lacing his advertising leaflets with gags thought the world had gone Christmas crackers when he got a visit from the boys in blue.

Bob Singh thought he would give people something to smile about by mixing the special offers at his Landmark store in Port Talbot with a little seasonal ho-ho-ho.

But then the cops came a-calling after a mystery shopper failed to see the funny side, claiming the jokes were potentially offensive and inflammatory.

Police have now given him "appropriate advice", and Mr Singh has been forced to withdraw the leaflets or risk committing a public order offence.

But he insists that, while one or two gags might be slightly near the knuckle, the rest are not offensive.

"We've been doing this for years, and I have never had a problem until now," said Mr Singh, who also runs the Kash Superstores in nearby Bailey Street.

"I get the jokes off the internet. They don't target any person or gender, and there's no bad language.

"I couldn't believe it when three police officers turned up and told my partner someone had contacted them about the leaflet because they didn't like it.

"To me, the world has gone completely crazy."

A baffled Mr Singh has now had to display a formal apology in the front window of the shop in Water Street and stop giving out the leaflets until the offending material can be removed. He has also started a book for customers to sign to prove they were not offended.

Meanwhile, he has still to be told which joke or jokes had triggered the complaint.
"I am doing as much as I can to apologise to anyone who might have taken offence," he added.
"But it's just mad. Someone has taken it a bit too far."

Police say one officer, along with a support officer and a trainee support officer, attended as they were already in the area at the time.

Sergeant Simon Merrick, of the Sandfields and Aberavon neighbourhood policing team, said: "The content of promotional material which has been distributed in the Aberavon area has been brought to our attention as being potentially inflammatory and offensive.

"The distributor has been appropriately advised and instructed to withdraw the leaflets from circulation."

Here are some of Mr Singh's least offensive jokes

What is the technical name for three days of horrendous weather followed by bright sunshine?
A Welsh Bank Holiday!

What do you do with a dog with no legs?
Take it out for a drag

What do you call a legless sheep?
A Cloud!

What do you get when you cross an elephant with a rhino?
el-if-i-no!

Why is it dangerous to let a bloke's mind wander?
It's too little to be out on its own!

What do you call a deer with no eyes?
I have No-I-Dear.

Students face bill as council axes free bus services

2008-12-17T09:48:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 17 December 2008

Students face having to pay hundreds of pounds a year to get back and forth to school or college after Swansea Council decided to axe free bus transport.

From next year, access to free buses will be means tested — with those not eligible for support having to fork-out £330 a year. The move has been condemned by Plaid and the Conservatives — but the council said the change will save it £232,000 by the time it is fully implemented in 2010.

Council leader Chris Holley said: "Financial pressures are such that we have to make savings.
"This administration is very reluctant to introduce this proposal, but we have no choice given the poor settlement from the Assembly.

"The provision of post-16 transport is discretionary and we want to protect core services provided by schools.

"We have consulted widely and rather than withdraw the provision altogether, we have listened to the comments and decided to protect the least well-off, by making it means-tested."

The decision to axe the financial support was taken by the council's cabinet.

The council will continue to provide the buses for the service, but students not eligible for free school meals will have to pay £1.74 per day to get to their sixth-forms or colleges. The charge is irrespective of distance travelled. The changes will apply to new students only — existing students will continue with the current arrangements.

However, the cabinet was told that the position on post-16 transport may change in the future — the Assembly is currently working on the Learner Travel Measure, which will cover transport for pupils and students or those in training up to the age of 19.

The scrapping of free buses for all students was condemned by Rene Kinzett, leader of the Tory group on the council.

He said: "The decision to scrap the historic free transport arrangements for 16 to 18-year-olds in Swansea goes against everything I thought our education chiefs stood for.

And despite being part of the ruling coalition, Plaid councillor Darren Price said he was also against the change.

"I firmly believe that this extra cost on those attending post-16 education is unfair," he said.

Plan for change or fight for site?

2008-12-16T08:47:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 16 December 2008

IS there anyone out there who thinks Gower is a little over-rated?

Very few, I'd imagine. No wonder passions get so inflamed over what gets built in Britain's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

A stream of letters has dropped into the Evening Post letterbox since news broke of the strange case of Cefn Bryn, Penmaen.

This was the striking modern house dubbed a "Dallas-style" mansion by the councillor who did not bring it to the attention of the planning committee he chairs.

Councillor Richard Lewis has consistently "called in" planning applications for his Gower ward so they can be scrutinised by fellow councillors.

On this occasion, he insisted, he assumed the controversial scheme to replace a thatched farmhouse was on its way to the area two development control committee.

But it wasn't — and the plans, submitted by Swansea businessman Martin Morgan materialised after approval by planning officers.

The council said Councillor Lewis had been notified officers were recommending the scheme, which sparked four letters of objection, for approval.

While people may not agree with the planners' decision on the plans, it was not taken lightly. And extra endorsement was given by architectural group Design Commission for Wales.

The saga has put the planning system under the spotlight, with some people claiming it gives too much influence to unelected officers. Others were surprised something like this slipped under a councillor's radar.

You can also imagine planning officers feeling rather under siege.

It's important to remember that all applications can be determined by officers, except in seven specific circumstances listed in the council constitution.

The key safeguard is that when officers intend to approve a scheme that has objections, the ward councillor is notified. That gives him or her the chance to call it in.

Furthermore, when the list of new planning applications is published every week, councillors can call them in at that early stage as well.

Just for the record, if you want an application decided by councillors, submit a petition of objection with 30 or more signatures and tell the relevant area development control committee you want to address it.

Another application for a new house in Gower has also ruffled feathers, in nearby Pennard.

The very modern, U-shaped house on Pennard Road is under construction. It had three letters of objection, and there were mutterings that ward councillor Margaret Smith should have called it in.

Councillor Smith has defended her stance.

"The house it has replaced was an inter-war chalet on stilts," she said. "The house is remote — and the nearest neighbour didn't object.

"The new house was approved under delegated powers, but only after scrutiny, including by myself. The scheme was amended three times.

"If I was unhappy with the final plan, I would have called it in."

She also pointed out that taxpayers foot the bill for planning appeals if schemes are turned down against planners' advice.

And while she didn't want Hollywood-style mansions dotted around the peninsula, she said: "We have to move with the times."

The council's head of planning, Bryan Graham, said all applications were treated equally by officers, while councillors were advised to take decisions purely on planning grounds.

Delegated powers had been expanded to speed the decision- making process, he said.

Did his officers feel undermined when application after application was called in?
"I don't think it's a case of being undermined," he said.

"For better or worse, it's a democratic process."

Mr Graham conceded that recruiting and retaining staff was a problem, and that officers' workload had dramatically increased in recent years. Between April 2007 to March 2008 officers dealt with 57 per cent of applications within eight weeks. The target is 80 per cent.

The Assembly Government's over-arching planning policy states that local development plans affecting AONBs "should favour conservation of natural beauty, although it will also be appropriate to have regard to the economic and social well-being of the areas".

Conservation versus tourism is perhaps a blunter way of putting it.

Mr Graham said: "Any development should have special regard to the preservation of its natural beauty. That is the starting point for all applications."

He added the council was looking to adopt a new design guide for Gower.

Not before time, said Gower Society chairman Malcolm Ridge.

He is not alone in believing inconsistency has dogged planning in Gower.

"A design guide should help architects and builders, and make the council's job easier," he said.

Fellow society member Gordon Howe reckoned the guidance was already contained in the authority's own development plan.

"All they have to do is interpret it consistently and correctly — then nobody can whinge," he said.

£7m ferry link plans launched

2008-12-15T19:19:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 15 December 2008

Thousands of day trippers could be setting sail for Swansea by 2010 pumping million of pounds into the local economy.

Chris Marrow, of Mariners Marine Consultants, — the man behind ambitious plans to set up a ferry link between the city and North Devon — said an announcement on the £7 million project would be made early in the new year .

He confirmed that the 40-metre long fast-cat vessels carrying 350 passengers from Ilfracombe were likely to dock at the SA1 development.

It will see the usual five-hour journey time between Swansea and the North Devon coast reduced to just 50 minutes.

At first, the ferries will be passenger-only and test voyages could be charting course for Welsh waters as early as next year.

The two fast-cat ferries which are hoped to be used on the route are currently in service between Portsmouth on the English south coast and Ryde, on the Isle of Wight.

"The project is still on track and moving ahead very well," said Mr Marrow.

"We are expecting to make an announcement in the new year."

The project also involves setting up links between Minehead and Penarth and Burnham on Sea and Barry creating up to 500 jobs.

Last week, Mr Marrow met with representatives of the seven local authorities involved to update them on progress and pin point what was needed to finally deliver the service.

"The process is a constant one of evolution," said Mr Marrow.

"One of the big problems we have to overcome is lack of infrastructure. It's a bit like a haulage company being told to go away and build their own roads.

"Swansea's got a big development through SA1 and it's most likely that the ferry could come into SA1. Swansea has a lot to offer.

"One million tourists visit Devon every year. Where can you go for shopping in North Devon?

"The answer is Swansea. It is by far the best option and feasible especially if we bring it within touching distance and just a 50-minute trip away."

Mr Marrow remained enthusiastic about the venture despite the current economic climate. I think people are a bit fed up of the doom and gloom," he said.

"This is a long-term infrastructure project. People are looking to these kind of projects as a way of investing towards the future — to get us out of the current downturn.

"Hopefully, by the time we get up and running we will be out of the current financial climate.

"If people are choosing to spend holidays in the UK rather than abroad it will also help."

Let's market city better

2008-12-15T09:30:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 15 December 2008

Having recently returned from a trip to Doncaster, I must say I was struck by the quality of the indoor market there — and by the fact that we in Swansea are missing a trick.

The Doncaster market boasts something like 400 stalls selling a fantastic range of fresh food and produce. People come from miles around to shop there.

Surely we should be aiming for something similar in Swansea — let's kick out the stalls selling tat and make our indoor market a proper foody market that would become a real attraction for the city.

Jason Evans
Birchgrove

Councils spend £430m on publicity

2008-12-12T10:39:00.003Z

South Wales Evening Post - 12 December 2008

Councils are spending nearly £430 million a year on publicity, according to new figures.

Town halls have been laying out the cash on activities such as running press offices, promoting services, and advertising for jobs. On average, each council spent £965,986 last year - although six had a bill of more than £5 million.

The figures were obtained by pressure group the Taxpayers' Alliance using freedom of information laws.

Its chief executive Matthew Elliott insisted: "It is incredibly disappointing that, despite the economic downturn and the loss of millions in Icelandic Banks, local authorities are still spending nearly half a billion pounds a year on publicity. In the middle of a recession, councils need to cut back on propaganda and spin doctors and deliver savings to taxpayers."

However, the Local Government Association - which represents more than 400 councils in England and Wales - said it was "absurd" to suggest local authorities were wasting money on "armies of spin doctors".

"People need to know how to access the £100 billion worth of vital services that councils provide every year," he said.

"Lumped into advertising figures are statutory notices that councils by law have to advertise for, such as job adverts or site notices for planning applications. The amount makes up 0.0043% of councils' total spend."

Birmingham council was the highest spender in the last financial year. Its bill of £9.2 million was up from £6.9 million in 1996-7, but down from £10.4 million in 2006-7.

Altogether the local authorities that provided figures laid out £429.8 million on publicity in 2007-8 - a reduction from £446.4 million the previous year.

However, the average council spend increased to £965,986 from £954,023 because only 445 councils provided data, compared to 458 in 2006-7.

Shadow Communities Secretary Eric Pickles warned that the bill was likely to increase because the Government was loosening regulations on town hall publicity.

"I fear Government plans to revoke vital guidance will lead to a return of partisan propaganda on the rates, and will do nothing to improve frontline services," he added.

Questions over energy plan cash promises

2008-12-09T13:14:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 8 December 2008

QUESTIONS are being asked over thousands of pounds worth of wind turbine cash that was promised for Swansea.

The 140ft turbine in Swansea Docks was hailed as the centrepiece of a community wind power project in the city, generating thousands of pounds for local energy-efficiency schemes.

But the Post has been unable to find out whether any money is being ploughed back into the community or to speak to the company behind the scheme.

Val Lloyd, AM for Swansea East, has also contacted the wind turbine developer, Swansea Bay Energy Partnership Ltd (SBEP).

She said: "I have been trying to find out whether any community energy projects in Swansea and particularly, Swansea East, will benefit from funding coming from the profit made from operating the turbine.

"I have repeatedly made contact with the Swansea Bay Energy Partnership, but have not received any answers."

In 2001 SBEP, then known as Swansea Energy Agency, was handed £70,000 of public money by the Energy Savings Trust to help pay for the turbine.

Finance Wales, which is part-funded by the Assembly Government, also offered financial support.

The turbine began generating electricity just over two years ago.

The plan was for Associated British Ports, which owns Swansea docks, to buy the electricity, and for SBEP to plough the majority of that money back into local energy-saving programmes.

SBEP director Iestyn Morgan submitted a letter with the original application to Swansea Council in May, 2002. It said: "A very important element of this project is that surplus funding generated from the wind turbine would be used to establish an energy fund for investment into local sustainable energy projects." He said the turbine should generate £26,000-worth of electricity every year.

An Energy Savings Trust report of August 2002 said about the scheme: "
"It is estimated that in excess of £400,000 will be made available to the energy fund over the 20-year life of the turbine."

The following month, Mr Morgan told Swansea University that the turbine should produce enough electricity for 160 homes.

A spokesman for the Energy Savings Trust said: "Swansea Energy Agency received an overall grant of £70,000 under the Innovation Programme in November 2001."

But he said there wasn't a condition saying that profits must be ploughed back into the local community.
The wind turbine scheme was first approved by Swansea Council in September 2002. A second application, for a more suitable site at Swansea docks, was submitted the following month and approved in April, 2004.

A spokesman for Swansea Council said: "The supporting letter with both applications referred to the potential for income generated to be to be recycled into local energy projects.

"A planning condition could not, however, be used to require this, as it would not have been necessary or reasonable. Whether the applicants have made such arrangements would therefore be a matter for them."

The Post has tried a number of times to contact Mr Morgan, of SPEB, without success.

A spokesman for Associated British Ports said: "The wind turbine operated by the Swansea Bay Energy Partnership supplies power to the port of Swansea. ABP has purchased electricity from the turbine since it was first commissioned."

Swansea Council facing £14m budget shortfall

2008-12-08T08:05:00.002Z

South Wales Evening Post - 8 December 2008

Council bosses in Swansea are bracing themselves for a £14 million shortfall in next year’s budget.

Service cuts and voluntary redundancies are among the moves being considered to bridge the funding gap.

In light of the bleak prognosis, the authority has said it is now looking for feedback on how best to balance its books.

The council is expecting a below- inflation budget increase of three per cent from the Assembly, and, at the same time, the authority is facing rising energy costs and falling interest rates.

Now, a £14 million gap exists between the council’s expected income and its initial spending plans for 2009 to 2010.A report set to go before the council’s cabinet on Thursday Dec 11 outlines the options available to achieve a balanced budget.

These include a four per cent spending reduction across services, restricting spending across all budgets and increasing income.

Another savings strategy being put forward is to reduce staffing costs by only filling essential posts and merging posts by voluntary redundancy.

Stuart Rice, the council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, explained that councils had also been hit by the difficult economic climate the country currently finds itself in.

“Families have been hit by higher bills and falling income, and the councilhas been affected in the same way,” he said.

Mr Rice added they were keen to get feedback on the best way forward.

“We have already identified a number of options for reducing our costs, but we’d like to get the views of interested parties before we finalise these options early in the new year,” he said.

Council leader Chris Holley said the authority was committed to avoiding further compulsory redundancies, but added: “All the forecasts suggest Government spending in the public sector is going to be very tight in years to come, which means the council’s budget will be under even more pressure in the future.”

Mr Holley revealed that three-quarters of the council’s budget goes towards staffing and said: “We can reduce these costs by not replacing staff that leave, by merging posts through voluntary retirement and not filling vacancies.”

Feedback on the savings options is required by Friday, January 9, and the council’s Finance Audit and Business Improvement Scrutiny Board will review the emerging options on Wednesday, January 14.

The 2009/10 budget will be considered by council on February 23.

Bridge hand-over sparks cash row

2008-12-04T10:28:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 4 December 2008

Two of Swansea's landmark bridges are at the centre of a bizarre stand- off between the council and the Assembly.

Swansea Council has refused legally to adopt the Sail Bridge and the Trafalgar Bridge over the Tawe which were built by the Assembly four years ago.

Despite plans for the council to adopt the structures it has not done so, and has yet to return the £500,000-plus it was given.

The authority has said there is "remedial" work on both bridges which needs to be completed before it will adopt them as part of the public highway.

However, the Assembly says that it will put the £500,000 into a maintenance fund for the bridges once the council hands it back.

A spokesman for the council said: "Both the Sail Bridge and the Trafalgar Bridge are owned by the Assembly Government.

"A joint inspection of the bridges by the council and the bridge owners has identified some remedial works which need to be completed before the council can formally adopt them.

"The bridges will be adopted legally and form part of the public highway once the identified work is completed.

"The funding initially provided for the future maintenance of these bridges will be returned to the Assembly Government."

The Sail Bridge footbridge, linking the SA1 development with the Dylan Thomas Centre and the city centre, has become a symbol of Swansea, and regularly appears in promotional materials for the city.

The less dramatic Trafalgar Bridge — named to commemorate the city's contribution to the famous sea battle — crosses the river by the barrage and the lock gates on the River Tawe.

In March 2005, the Assembly gave the council £539,259 for the adoption of the bridges.

An Assembly spokeswoman said: "The council has decided not to adopt the bridges and when that sum is returned it will be put into a maintenance account to cover the ongoing cost of maintaining both bridges.

"A report commissioned by the Assembly Government in August last year identified a programme of work for the bridges, together with costings, and we will be in a position to carry out that work when the commuted sum is repaid.

"The Assembly Government has carried out regular maintenance work on the bridges since their construction in December 2004," she added.

"Maintenance work on the opening section of the Trafalgar Bridge is carried out by Swansea Council and paid for by the Assembly Government."

Makeover of station delayed

2008-12-01T14:15:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 1 December 2008

Work on an £11 million revamp for Swansea's tired Quadrant bus station has been delayed yet again — it now won't get underway until next summer.

The shock revelation has led to criticism of the council, which just four months ago promised work would start in January.

Makeover plans have been in the pipeline for around six years.

Now, the council says it is aiming to award the contract in May, with work starting soon afterwards.

The revelation came in a joint statement from council leader Chris Holley and cabinet member for environment John Hague.

"The panto season is clearly with us again," said Labour leader David Phillips, who hit out at the further delay to a scheme designed to transform the city's shabby transport hub.

"John Hague is being pressed into playing Prince Charming to Chris Holley's Baron Hard-up.

"When the Lib Dem-led administration took power in 2004, it was on the basis of an assurance they would build a new bus station."

Last August, Chris Holley promised a January start to the redevelopment which will see the creation of a new concourse, 20 bus bays, three coach stands, new offices, a Shopmobility centre and travel shop.

At the time, he said: "It will give all our partners in the city centre the confidence that we, as an administration, are going to deliver what we said we were going to deliver."

He said the council was sending a message that the development of Swansea was not going to be slowed by the economic downturn.

Now, however, he says a start can not be made before May or later.

Councillor Holley said in response to the latest criticism: "I would call this a Welsh Assembly pantomime.

"This has been a stop-go wait for transport grant for the past six or seven years.

"The bidding for transport grant has been a farce and delays have been down to the Assembly for not getting its act together.

"We have had numerous discussions with the Welsh European Funding Office and the final outcome means we now have to re-tender the work on the bus station.

"That will cause a two to three-month delay on the start.

"We have started some of the enabling works already.

"We had intended starting the main work in February, rather than January, because the traders didn't want us starting demolition during the January sales."

Can city centre beat downturn?

2008-11-28T17:37:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 28 November 2008

IN these difficult economic times, it would be easy to picture city centres as desolate wastelands, with eager shoppers spending their hard- earned cash few and far between.

But over the past few weeks, traders have seen a different picture, with encouraging numbers of shoppers heading to the city centre.

Indeed, during October footfall cameras in the city centre recorded more than one million visitors — a 65 per cent rise on the previous month.

Figures released by Swansea Bid (Business Improvement District) show 1,000,971 visits were recorded.

It does not seem to be a one off, because the trend has continued into November with close to 500,000 visits already recorded by the cameras by the middle of the month.

Shop bosses were surely looking at a bleak midwinter as everyone felt the pinch from the economic downturn, but it seems that some of the bigger city centre stores may have helped save the smaller ones. Shoppers flocked to Swansea last week as stores such as Marks & Spencer and Debenhams held major sales. The city was packed and this had an effect to the smaller stores.

Of course, it will take a lot more than an increased flow of shoppers to say Swansea is a boom town escaping the credit crunch affecting the rest of the UK, but seeing more people willing to part with their hard-earned cash is surely cause for at least a small celebration.

It is hoped that the return of the Christmas Market to Oxford Street and the arrival of Waterfront Winterland in the grounds of the National Waterfront Museum will also help draw crowds in the run-up to Christmas.

The increased number of shoppers has been seen as a major boost for the city and has been welcomed by Swansea Council leader Chris Holley.

He said: "These figures make for enormously encouraging reading, because there's so much hard work being undertaken to increase the attractiveness of Swansea city centre.

"Swansea is the regional shopping centre for South West Wales and the build-up to Christmas is traditionally the busiest time of the year, but the volume of shoppers in the city centre has been especially noticeable over the last few weeks.

"We're fortunate to have a city centre that stands out from the crowd, combining a mixture of high street names with a thriving independent retail scene, and the largest indoor market in Wales."

This week's pre-Budget report seemed to be aimed at putting more money into the pockets of shoppers in an attempt to increase spending power.

Nicola Dixon, who runs the Choice is Yours greengrocer stall in Swansea Market, said that while everyone was feeling the pinch, business was not as bad as feared.

She said: "For greengrocers, this is traditionally our worst quarter. We always panic at this time of year, but we are ticking along.

"I believe people are changing their shopping habits, steering away from the supermarkets and going back to more traditional ways of shopping."

120 BNP members on your doorstep

2008-11-20T12:28:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post - 20 November 2008

More than 120 BNP members are living in South West Wales, the Post can reveal.

The details came to light after the personal information of more than 12,000 people belonging to the far-right political party were published on the internet.

Local people claimed to have been affiliated with the British National Party include a secondary school teacher and a former serviceman.

Angry BNP leaders have attacked the leak, calling it an invasion of their members' privacy.

However, a number of critics branded the nationalist collective hypocritical, while Welsh politicians expressed disappointment over the number of the party's supporters.

Swansea Council leader Chris Holley said: "One member of the BNP is one member too many.
"That party does not represent the views of the majority of the people in Swansea and Wales."
The personal information came to light yesterday morning.

It features 12,801 members' names, along with personal information — such as addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses and details about their professions.

The list was removed from the original blog where it was published, but remains available on other websites.

It shows that 62 BNP members live in Swansea, 30 in Neath Port Talbot and 30 in Carmarthenshire.

The Post is not allowed to reveal the identities of those people, or say where we found the list of names.

The British National Party is now threatening legal action over the leaked information.
Leader Nick Griffin added: "It was entirely wrongly used without authority by a very small group of previous party members who were expelled late last year, and who then passed it on. To who, we simply don't know.

"All we can say is that if we find out who it was and they are one of those covered by the High Court injunction, then they are going to prison."

However, the BNP, which has been branded as "thuggish" by its critics for its alleged links to violent groups, was mocked for its "double standards".

The National Union of Journalists General secretary Jeremy Dear said: "For years, we have been demanding Government action to close down websites such as Redwatch, which seek to intimidate the media by publishing the photos, names and addresses of journalists who expose the criminal activities or racist views of BNP members and other far-right groups.

"Despite innocent people being physically assaulted and threatened after having their details published on these sites, we have never heard a single condemnation of this gross breach of privacy or unlawful harassment and intimidation from Nick Griffin or the BNP.

"Yet, today, they seek to invoke the very Human Rights Act they want to abolish to protect the identity of their members."

Swansea Council leader Chris Holley acknowledged that whoever published the list should be prosecuted.

"Everybody has the right to privacy," he added.

"Even if they are part of an organisation that is, in my view, morally abhorrent.

"I do not believe that there is any place in politics for groups like the BNP, and other politicians of this world will have to prove that.

"Creating a climate of hate and fear is not the way forward for things in the UK."

Anger over £100k bill for roadside spruce-up

2008-11-20T12:25:00.002Z

South Wales Evening Post - 19 November 2008

The bill for sprucing up the roadside outside Swansea's Civic Centre has been revealed as £100,000.

Swansea Council has spent the huge sum on landscaping the stretch along Westway to the west car park of the Civic Centre.

The scheme includes planting 11,000 bulbs, 1,600 shrubs and 15 trees.
Council bosses hope that when the bulbs grow and the trees mature there will be a blaze of colour along the roadside.

Cabinet Member for Environment John Hague said the work would add "charm and interest".

However, the hefty bill has left opposition councillors fuming.

The landscaping was introduced after the road was remodelled as part of the improvement works for public transport — including Swansea's new bendy bus, which is due to hit the streets next year — along Westway near Clarence Street, Oystermouth Road and in front of the Civic Centre, and was paid for using the Assembly transport grant.

Cabinet member for environment John Hague said: "The landscape has been designed to create an attractive setting to Oystermouth Road and Metro, to enhance the public transport experience and create a pedestrian-friendly access to the Civic Centre.

"It means cyclists, pedestrians, disabled people and public transport have easier access to the Civic Centre. It's an important investment that will add charm and interest along the seafront."

However, opposition councillors have criticised the expense.

Conservative leader Rene Kinzett said: "This does seem to me to be an awfully large sum of money to spend on "sprucing up" the roadside.

"The council spent £35,000 consulting people about what should happen to the slip bridge — and the results were ignored. Now, they spend another £100,000 on a cosmetic exercise when what people really want to know is when there will be a stop to the disruptions.

"I think County Hall's priorities are not the same as everyone else's."

Labour leader David Phillips said: "Even if you allow for the other work, in addition to the work outside county hall it can't be much more than 100 metres, so for £1,000 per metre, it seems excessive to me.

"I just hope the council has seen fit to keep the money in Swansea by employing a local firm to carry out the work."

Council leader Chris Holley has responded to the criticism.

He said: "It alarms me that leaders of both opposition parties think they can pass comment, and don't realise the money was used to enhance the environment — not just 100 metres.

"If people feel enhancing the environment is a waste of time, so be it. We are trying to make the entrance to Swansea as attractive as possible."

'Doing nothing is not an option'

2008-11-20T10:07:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 20 November 2008

Let's be quite clear: Swansea Council has not said it wants to close any particular school. At least, not in so many words.

Instead, the council has issued a list of schools that could be closed or merged, if its "emerging strategy" is implemented.

The plans have not yet reached that stage, but this week the council's cabinet voted to move things in that direction.

One of the 15 schools which could be affected, Llanmorlais Primary, has already started a campaign to keep the school open, and this week two pupils put questions about the school's future to education boss Mike Day.

While the council may be stressing that this is not the start of formal consultation on closing any of Swansea's schools, there is no escaping the fact that it has named certain schools as ones it believes could be closed.

It will certainly not come as a huge shock if, when formal consultation on school closures is finally announced, these same schools appear on the list.

It would also seem unlikely that, when the council reaches that point, it will add extra names.
Ever since the news emerged that Swansea's school system was crumbling — needing £147 million worth of improvements — the council has been working on the Quality in Education (QEd) 2020 programme, designed to get the school system back on track.

While the council has been talking to stakeholders — teachers, heads, governors — about its options, council bosses have made no secret of the fact that some schools may have to close.

Speaking at Tuesday's cabinet meeting, council leader Chris Holley said: "I think the time has come for the public in Swansea to realise once and for all that doing nothing is not an option.

"We are faced with a severe crisis after many decades of under- investment. We are left with a situation where we have old buildings and falling rolls across the city.

"If we don't take these decisions, the quality of education will get diluted. We have to look at single option available to us and we will still look at every option.

"But, we have to remember that we can't sit on our hands and do nothing."

But what of the schools affected? Fifteen have been named in the three phases of the council's emerging strategy —phase one of the new strategy is a plan to establish single primary schools to replace the following existing schools. Phase one includes Manselton and Cwmbwrla primary schools, Cwm primary and Cwm Glas primary, and Llanmorlais and Penclawdd primaries.
Phase two includes options to create single schools in place of Brynhyfryd infants and juniors and Plasmarl primary, and Gorseinon nursery, infants and juniors.

Phase three includes creating a single school in place of Graig nursery, infants and juniors.
A campaign to save Llanmorlais Primary School, which could merge with Penclawdd, has already begun. The cabinet meeting this week was packed with members of the campaign group — and two year six pupils asked education boss Mike Day why their school should be threatened.

It is only a matter of time before similar campaigns spring up across the city, with proud pupils, teachers and governors battling to save their schools.

The closure of a school is an emotive issue — as 11-year-old Llanmorlais pupil Nia Mabbett told Councillor Day and his cabinet colleagues: "I am the fifth generation of my family to go to Llanmorlais Primary School.

"I have a baby sister — how will we explain to her that she will be the only one in our family not to go to Llanmorlais?"

People have an understandable connection to their schools and any closure will not be a cause for celebration, but with the cost of bringing our schools up to standard standing at £147 million some tough decision lay ahead for our councillors.

The question that needs to be answered as we go through this process is: how on earth did we get in this position in the first place?

It is the public interest to know who the BNP are

2008-11-19T11:05:00.000Z

Unite Against Fascism - News release - 19th Nov 2008

Earlier this week the full membership for the fascist BNP was released on the web. This list identifies that some of the fascist BNP members are teachers, prison officers and serving police officers.

Unite Against Fascism believe that it is in the public interest to identify BNP members if we are to prevent abuses. Not least that these people may have access to sensitive information and are in positions of influence in our public services.

The BNP are not a party like any other, it is a fascist organisation determined to use the respectable cover of public office to incite and spread racial hatred. The BNP has been exposed for its links to fascist groups around the world; it has leading members and supporters who have been convicted of racist violence.

The BNP’s politics of hate and division threaten the freedoms and safety of those they would see annihilated -- Jews, black people, trade unionists, Muslims and all ethnic minorities, gays and lesbians, disabled people and anybody who stands for a democratic society.

It is important that every BNP member is identified because of the nature of this organisation that espouses the politics of race hate and division and targets communities with its vicious race hatred.

Nick Griffin spoke with David Irving at the Oxford Union last year, with both supporting the theory that the holocaust did not take place. The fascist BNP’s leader was convicted of incitement to racial hatred for denying the Holocaust.

Robert Cottage, three times BNP candidate, was jailed in 2007 for having stockpiled chemicals, bomb making equipment and rocket launcher. Cottage was the latest in a line of BNP members and BNP councillors that have been found guilty of offences ranging from racially aggravated assault to attempted firebombing.

Jon Laidlaw, who told police he was a BNP member and wanted to kill all black people, was convicted in Feb 2007 after a shooting spree on the London Underground.

Former BNP member David Copeland terrorised London with a series of nail bombs targeting the black, Asian and gay communities. His third bomb, left in the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho, killed three people. Copeland told police that he wanted to ignite a race war to encourage white people to vote BNP.

Nick Eriksen one of the BNP candidates in London was forced to withdraw his candidacy, after he was exposed for writing sexist, racist and offensive comments on a blog in which he uses the name "Sir John Bull" .

We do not believe that children should be taught by someone who could abuse them because they believe them to be inferior.

The British National Party (BNP) through it’s acolytes, supports the Redwatch website which contains the names and addresses of those who oppose the fascists along with threats of violence against them. Some of those targeted by Redwatch have been attacked and intimidated. It seems that one of the BNP’s own have used their tactics on the BNP itself by releasing the membership details for all to know.

We must ensure that our public services are fascist-free zone. Press contact - Weyman Bennett , UAF National Joint Secretary on 07734032314 or 020 833 4916.

Notes to the editors:

In 2007, David Enderby British National Party (BNP) councillor for Winyates ward, Redditch, was found guilty of three counts of assault. In June last year, Kevin Hughes, Enderby's agent in the elections was sentenced to three months in prison for racially aggravated common assault.

BNP Parliamentary candidate for Hull, Brian Wainwright was found guilty after a campaign of hate mail against the local mosque, a Muslim councillor and a local anti-fascist activist. A letter in which he claimed, "Muslim blood will be spilt" included 'SS' scull and cross bones imagery.

BNP activist in Swindon Mark Bulman (who has used the pseudonym Bullock) was sentenced to five years in Jan 2007 after attempting to firebomb a local mosque using a BNP leaflet as a fuse. He also daubed swastikas and racist graffiti on local shops and businesses that he believed to be 'ethnic'.

In June 2006 BNP councillor Brian Turner was found guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence. He escaped a jail sentence and was instead ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work in the community. Turner has previous convictions of common assault and police assault after he was convicted of beating up his wife Melanie Turner.

Unite Against Fascism is a broad-based national campaign aimed at stopping the BNP, which brings together Black, Jewish, Muslim communities and other faith representatives, Lesbian and Gay activists, trade unionists and MPs into an alliance with all those who are threatened by and oppose fascism.

Backlash fear over 'mansion' approval

2008-11-19T10:10:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 19 November 2008

Plans for a "Dallas-style" mansion in the heart of Gower slipped under the planning radar, it has been revealed.

Eyebrows have been raised after the controversial application, submitted by Swansea hotelier and businessman Martin Morgan, didn't make it to the council chamber for discussion.

The application slipped by Gower councillor Richard Lewis, who is proud of his record of challenging planning applications in the UK's first area of outstanding natural beauty.

Council planners approved the scheme to replace an old thatched farmhouse with a large, glass-fronted property in Penmaen under delegated planning powers, which allows officers to rule on applications.

Swansea Council environment cabinet member John Hague said Councillor Lewis was told of this decision so that he had a chance to call it in to area two development control committee — a committee he chairs — for discussion and decision.

But Councillor Lewis said he could not recall being told of the planners' decision, although he said he had seen the plans a while back.

A backlash is expected among residents and developers in Gower who have seen their applications for fairly minor schemes such as conservatories called in.

Once called in, councillors can approve or turn down those schemes, request further information, arrange site visits, or in some cases refer them to the council's full planning committee.

But this application, which had four objections, went through without any discussion. Councillor Lewis admitted it was a worry.

He said: "I did see these plans, they were for a large property. I regarded it as a Dallas-JR Ewing house.

"But I was under the impression that they were going to come before committee. I was waiting for this to happen. I have not seen a decision saying it was up for approval, and I wasn't informed of any objections."

Councillor John Hague, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "I was informed by the planning department that Councillor Lewis was aware of the planning application and the fact that officers intended to approve it under delegated powers, provided he did not request that it be reported to planning committee.

"Councillor Lewis had the opportunity to call in the application himself if he wished the application to be decided by the committee. In this case Councillor Lewis did not request the application be reported to committee."

The result is that the developer quite correctly went ahead with the new development, which is in the early part of construction.

Councillor Lewis said he only discovered what had happened about a week ago, months after the approval had been given.

"This one is a serious worry for me," he said. "If it had gone through committee, then there's no problem.

"But when other people see this one going through the hoop they'll say, 'Why didn't mine go through?' Everyone should get a fair crack of the whip."

He added: "Anywhere there are objections, or a petition, it should come before committee. Anything which is controversial I call in. I see it as a democratic process, which is paramount. This is a glaring example of what can go wrong, and I think the procedures need to be reviewed."

Councillors who serve on area two development control committee were surprised at what had happened. Councillor Des Thomas said: "I am surprised the local member (Richard Lewis) has not called it in, considering the number of call-ins he does carry out for some less imposing properties."

Gill Lewis, the director of Morgans Hotel, speaking on behalf of developer Martin Morgan, said: "I can confirm we adhered to the required procedures for submitting our application, including voluntarily providing the design to the Design Commission for Wales who strongly endorsed the plans."

Delegated powers explained
South Wales Evening Post - 19 November 1 2008

WHAT are delegated powers?

They are powers given to planning officers under the council's constitution.

Most planning applications are dealt with by planning officers to speed the decision-making process.

Applications are considered in the same detail as those reported to a development control committee, which is made up of councillors.

The application for the new house in Penmaen was approved by the head of planning, Bryan Graham, using delegated powers.

Applications can be "called in" to committee at any time before a decision, and ward councillors are advised of applications which have objections where approval is recommended.

A council spokesman backed the decision to approve the application under delegated powers.

He said the new house at Penmaen fell within national and local planning policy, adding: "This application was for a replacement dwelling and was carefully assessed against all material considerations.

"The original dwelling was fairly attractive, but in a very poor condition and was not of such quality or historic importance so as to merit listing and retention. No consent was therefore required for its demolition."

Closures and mergers may be on cards

2008-11-11T09:58:00.001Z

South Wales Evening Post, 11 November 2008

Swansea Council has revealed its plans for the future of education in the county could include closures and mergers of up to 15 schools.

As the local education authority, Swansea Council has been drawing up a plan to transform education in Swansea.

The Quality in Education programme, dubbed QEd 2020, has been looking to improve Swansea's schools and tackle the problem of surplus places.

Now they have told the Evening Post the schools which could be closed, merged or replaced as part of its "emerging strategy".

They also plan to find around £10 million for urgent repairs such as fixing electrical wiring that doesn't meet legal safety standards.

Options included in phase one of the new strategy are plans to establish single primary schools to replace the following existing schools: Manselton and Cwmbwrla primary schools, Cwm primary and Cwm Glas primary, Llanmorlais and Penclawdd primaries.

Phase two includes options to create single schools in place of Brynhyfryd infants and juniors and Plasmarl primary, Gorseinon nursery, infants and juniors.

Phase three includes creating a single school in place of Graig nursery, infants and juniors.
In some cases, the new school could be a new-build, but in others it may mean an existing school incorporating a closing school.

Last year, the extent of the work needed to bring the city's schools up to scratch was revealed as being £147 million. The shocking news prompted the launch of QEd 2020.
Since then, the council has made no secret of the fact some schools could be facing closure or merger.

Now, after weeks of rumours spreading throughout Swansea, the city's education boss has revealed the schools which could be affected by the programme.

Cabinet member of education Mike Day also revealed a programme to make inroads into a £146 million school structural maintenance backlog in the city by investing £10 million in 27 schools in the next three years and a further £12.7 million in the next eight years to target maintenance issues.

Councillor Day said: "We are currently investing £23 million in our schools over the coming years to improve facilities and address immediate maintenance issues.

"In addition to this investment, our aspiration is to continue to build new school facilities that are fit for the 21st Century, replacing ageing buildings in order to make a significant and long- lasting difference to our schools.

"Everyone accepts that something has to be done — doing nothing is not an option."

However, councillor Day was keen to stress that no plans for school closures have been confirmed. If the options are confirmed by the council's cabinet on November 18, they will go out to consultation with teachers, parents and governors.

He said: "We are asking people to come forward with their views. Do they think this is viable.
"This isn't formal consultation. These are the things we would like to do.

"How quickly will depend on the outcome of consultation and the availability of funds."

While funding for the upgrade programme will come from council budgets, the authority does not have the money to take forward the three phase strategy if the plans are approved — and will be asking the Assembly for the funding.

Education Minister Jane Hutt is due to meet with council representatives on Thursday, November 20, when the issue of funding will be discussed.

Councillor Day said: "The council does not have the funds to do this on its own so we are looking at a range of options for attracting external funding.

"We have a clear strategy in place which presents a strong case for additional funding from the Assembly Government.

"We will discuss our needs with ministers and officials during the coming months in order to gain support for our aims."

Councillor Day added: "We would like to assure parents that there will be no knee-jerk reactions.

"This is our strategy.

"It is what we think is the best for the children involved."

Council walkout probe returns

2008-10-28T11:43:00.000Z

South Wales Evening Post - 28 October 2008

Opposition councillors in Swansea are being investigated by Wales's public service watchdog.

The Public Service Ombudsman has confirmed he is investigating 32 members of Swansea Council following a heated meeting about the council's ill-fated eGovernment project.

The July meeting proved controversial when Labour and the Conservatives insisted the financial aspects of the deal between the council and its IT partner CapGemini should be discussed in public.

When the Lib Dem-led administration objected, opposition members called a vote against excluding the public, only to be defeated.

Councillors David Phillips and Rene Kinzett — leaders of the Labour and Conservative groups respectively — then led their party members out of the council chamber, refusing to take part in a private debate.

Council leader Chris Holley then made the complaint to the ombudsman, suggesting the Labour Party and the Conservatives had broken the members' code of conduct by voting to hold the discussion in public.

Holley said the opposition members had voted against the specific advice of the monitoring officer and head of legal services, plus the Section 151 officer for a report on eGovernment going into private session. In voting against advice, none of the members gave any valid reason why the monitoring officer or the 151 officer might be wrong or against the public interest," he said.

Following the complaint, Andrew Walsh, director of investigations at the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales, has decided not to investigate the complaint.

However, after an appeal from councillor Holley, the investigation has been reopened.

A spokeswoman for the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales said: "Councillor Holley did ask for an appeal.

"In view of additional information received, the Ombudsman decided that councillor Holley's complaint should be investigated.

"Letters have gone out to 32 members (of Swansea Council)."

In a statement issued on behalf of the leaders of the Labour and Conservative opposition groups, a spokesman said: "We are disappointed that the Ombudsman has overturned his original decision.

"This matter affects almost half of the elected councillors on Swansea Council and has grave implications for the effectiveness of the democratic process.

"We will be defending ourselves robustly."

Staying upbeat about economy

2008-10-22T09:48:00.001+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 22 October 2008

WITH the downturn in the economy, the doom and gloom merchants would have us all pulling our hair out. Here, Post business reporter SHAUN GREANEY finds reasons to be cheerful in South West Wales.

WATCH the news on TV or sample some of our national newspapers and it seems our economy is going down the pan.

You could easily be convinced that economic disaster is on the horizon. Certainly, with the global credit crunch and slowdown in economic growth, the analysts have a point.

But what about South West Wales?

Are we heading for the doldrums or are we well-equipped to emerge from the economic storm clouds without too much suffering?

Well, before we all get too pessimistic, there are some encouraging signs that deserve to be considered.

Undoubtedly, the biggest of these is the billion pound plans to transform several key sites in Swansea city centre.

A co-operation deal has been struck between Swansea Council with preferred developers Hammerson and Urban Splash.

Though the plans — which would see a new look to the St David's/Quadrant area and Paxton Street/County Hall — could take a decade to complete, it is serious money.

The talk is of a major retail-led mixed-use area at the St David's and Quadrant site, with a mixed use waterfront development at County Hall/Paxton Street.

And, can you imagine Oystermouth Road transformed into a "high-quality European boulevard complete with cutting edge architecture and landscaping"?

The council is talking the talk.

Council leader Councillor Chris Holley (pictured above looking at plans for the city centre) is convinced that the council can also walk the walk.

"This is going to be one of the most important redevelopment schemes ever undertaken in Swansea, and will see the city transformed into one equipped to compete with the best in Europe," he said.

"The plans put forward by Hammerson and Urban Splash will breathe new life and investment into the area, and will link a vibrant city centre with a stunning waterfront."

It is hoped the scheme could put Swansea on the international map.

Then there is the Quadrant Bus Station, a long-time eyesore and an uninviting — even threatening — place that has been typical of Swansea's long-standing neglect.

By summer 2010, the dank, dark, dilapidated structure will be replaced by an £11 million state-of- the-art interchange with a passenger concourse, information boards and seating area. Work could start early in the New Year.

Again, Chris Holley is upbeat.

"This will have a major impact on the city centre, he said.

"It will give all our partners in the city centre the confidence that we, as an administration, are going to deliver what we said we were going to deliver."

It will certainly help convey a better image of Swansea to visitors arriving at the station and, if the stale atmosphere is replaced by a modern, comfortable setting, it will help raise a feel-good factor among bus-users and be a boost to the Quadrant.

And, on the jobs front, some 230 posts at the Vehicle and operator Services Agency (Vosa) have been safeguarded by its move to the £7.5 million Ellipse gateway office development in SA1.

It will enable the Swansea operation to provide a new central contact centre to deal with all UK inquiries.

Securing such big employers in the city is key to Swansea's future.

Port Talbot, too, is seeing good news on the jobs front.

Developers behind a £10 million complex, which is set to bring 400 jobs to the town, have insisted it will not be a white elephant.

The complex, to be known as The Exchange, will be built at the thriving Baglan Energy Park and involve a mixture of offices, conference centre, creche and health and fitness suite. Construction is thought likely to start later this year.

Neath Port Talbot council leader Derek Vaughan said: "This exciting project is yet another recognition of the importance of Baglan Energy Park, and our determination as an authority to develop state-of-the-art facilities for business and the public."

Neath also has something to celebrate.

A £3 million luxury hotel on the site of the former Blue Bell Inn is nearing completion, creating 23 jobs.

In Llanelli, a £2 million business centre, the Delta Lakes Enterprise Centre, has been set up for young tycoons.

Staff at the site have been inundated with inquiries from new companies wanting to locate there.
The hi-tech centre has been developed for people aged between 18 and 39 who want to develop new and existing businesses.

Regeneration executive board member Clive Scourfield said: "This is a fantastic development specifically aimed at young companies in Carmarthenshire.

"I am very pleased with the response from the business community.

"We understand the barriers young people face when developing a business, and here they will have all the help they need in the early years to develop sustainable businesses."

And when you think it has been the best-ever year for Swansea's GCSE students — they celebrated record results, outclassing the welsh average — the future may not be as bleak as some are predicting.

Director of regeneration and housing with Swansea Council Phil Roberts said of Swansea: "We have a good overall skills base from which to build, and the critical mass to be a strong driver of prosperity for the regional economy in South West Wales."

Gloom for city centre traders as shoppers choose retail parks over the High Street

2008-10-21T12:17:00.001+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 21 October 2008

THE fight to stop the drift of shoppers out of Swansea and into retail parks has still not been won. The Evening Post has learned that this July was a bad one for the city with a massive 31 per cent drop in shopper numbers.

It means almost one in three people who were using it for regular shopping visits just the month before gave it up as a bad job.

It comes despite a big £4 million makeover for the city centre giving it a sharp, new look.
That has generally gone down well with the public who say they now see it as cleaner, and brighter than in years.

But it is still not enough to keep all of them loyal to it.

What they really want are good shops, good parking and good roads.

Customer numbers have gone up in some months as well. But the roller-coaster figures don't show any sign of levelling off.

Business leaders say they fear problems some people are still having with negotiating a new-look city centre roadwork is not helping. Thousands can simply no longer be bothered to even try and are heading straight for out-of-town centres such as Parc Morfa and Parc Ffotrestfach in Swansea or the ever-growing Parc Trostre in Llanelli.

It is a double blow for local traders already reeling from trying to combat sluggish sales because of the credit crunch.

The figures seen by the Post do show a lot of support for the work already carried out by both the council and business leaders to improve the city's look and feel.

But problems persist in areas such as the Quadrant bus station, High Street and Castle Square. Many of those quizzed said they were not even prepared to stop and watch the huge giant TV screen recently erected there because they feel threatened by drunks and yobs.

The area close to the McDonald's fast food outlet at the junction of Princess Way and Oxford Street is also perceived as being one to avoid because of potential problems from youngsters who congregate there.

For motorists, The Kingsway, which has seen a raft of new changes for drivers in the last year is the one they now want to miss at all costs.

Dave Kenny, of the Swansea Business Improvement District group, set up to fight the corner for local city businesses and which is behind the latest survey, said the combined effects of the credit crunch and the roadworks were impacting hard on businesses.

He added: " Maybe if we were trying to combat either of these by themselves we could do it.

"But their combined effect is challenging.''

Bosses say the controversial road system put in place for the new bendy-buses — on their way to Swansea next year — appear to have been hugely damaging. They argue that not only do occasional visitors to the city centre find them confusing, but regulars too.

One long-established Oxford Street retailer said: "I know for a fact that people who used to regularly travel in to Swansea from places such as Ammanford, the Swansea Valley and Llanelli regularly now no longer bother.

"They just stay on the M4 and either head down to Cardiff or even Bristol. Others do stay more local but tend to stick to shopping parks. Their biggest complaint is that they don't know where they are driving when they are on our roads anymore.

"And it is The Kingsway that is the biggest problem.''

On the positive side, the new city centre rangers and street cleaners paid for by the BID group are said to be paying big dividends with people noticing improvements because of them. The recent facelift of the area carried out by the council also earns praise.

But worried business leaders say the drop in visitors is still alarming.

There are already suggestions at least two current Oxford Street traders are looking to move out following on from fashion clothing company Gap, who quit their site opposite the BhS store last month.

The footfall figures have been taken from a special camera located in Oxford Street.

A Swansea Council spokesman said the authority would be carrying out its own annual survey of pedestrians at 45 separate points across the city centre in the near future. He said feedback it had received about work to open up The Kingsway was also that it had been welcomed by traders.

He added: "It should be noted that pedestrian numbers on Oxford Street in June were up on May figures by 21 per cent. The council and its partners, including BID, are doing all they can to improve the look and the feel of the city centre.

"However, the overall downward trend in pedestrian numbers recorded on Oxford Street is no surprise. This is an impact of the credit crunch which has been affecting all retailers and retail areas across the UK over the last year or so.

"It's also worth saying the numbers of pedestrians on city centre streets regularly fluctuate in response to a wide range of factors, including the opening of new shops, school and bank holidays, summer discount sales, weather conditions and competition from retail parks.

"A considerable amount of work is being undertaken to increase the attractiveness of Swansea's City Centre and we're optimistic about the future. ''

Lottery saves Welsh ‘Camelot’

2008-09-26T17:46:00.000+01:00

Western Mail - 26 September 2008

It was burnt to the ground twice by rebellious Welsh princes, its halls are reportedly walked by a wailing ghost and it was once “Camelot” for the ancient lords of Gower.

But it seemed the march of time had finally caught up with the majestic Oystermouth Castle overlooking Swansea Bay at Mumbles. Until the National Lottery came along.

Yesterday, a £1.7m restoration project, including £800,000 of National Lottery Heritage Fund money, was announced to save the castle from closure.

Around 50% of the crumbling medieval castle is currently closed to the public for safety reasons but the new cash injection will help return it to something like its former glory.

The money has come from a variety of sources including the lottery money, £569,000 from Swansea council and £400,000 from Cadw.

A further £6,000 will come from the Friends of Oystermouth Castle with the money used to do conservation works and build a new interpretation centre within the disused chapel block. The castle began its long and colourful life in 1106 at a time when the King of England, Henry I, defeated his older brother Robert Curthouse, Duke of Normandy at Tinchebrai and had him imprisoned at Devizes Castle.

Then, the first fortress at Oystermouth, set on a bank overlooking the sea was established by William De Londres who also built Ogmore (from the ancient Welsh Oeg Mor, Salmon Water) on the banks of the Ewenny.

But it did not go down well with the marauding Princes of Deheubarth, based at Dinefwr near Llandeilo, who burnt the castle down in 1116.

Deheubarth was created by Hwyel Dda (Hwyel the Good) in 905 and it would eventually be divided into Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire.

After Oystermouth Castle was rebuilt, the Princes came back and put it to the torch once again in 1215.

But John de Braose, a Marcher Lord of Gower once again rebuilt the castle, this time in hard-to-burn stone and its glory days began. The castle was a three-storey residence with fireplaces and garderobes (medieval toilets) on each floor. It was so well situated the Lords of Gower used it as their headquarters.

It was the “Camelot” of the Swansea Bay region with important meetings held in its great hall, important visitors received there (Edward I stayed there in December 1284) and jousting tournaments and feasts were held in its grounds.

In the 14th century Lady Alenora de Braose, the daughter of the last male of the De Broase line improved the chapel adding fine traceries to its vast windows (the delicate stone work can still be seen today). Eventually the castle was owned by the Somerset family who became the Dukes of Beaufort.

But, by the 1600s, the castle had declined in importance and survey of Gower at that described it as “an old, decayed castle of little use but in a pleasant situation”.

In the 1840s, restoration work was carried out but in 1927 the then Duke of Beaufort handed the castle over to the Swansea Corporation (council).

In a 2003 report, Cadw labelled the Grade I-listed monument as being the castle in the worst condition of those that were open to the public in Wales.

It concluded that restoration work was critical in order to avoid its inevitable closure, with the coming works aimed at returning access to 95% of its public area.

Yesterday, Roger Parmiter, spokesman for the Friends of Oystermouth Castle welcomed the latest restoration project. It is hoped this will increase visitor numbers from 6,000 to 11,000 by 2011 with the Friends of Oystermouth Castle continuing to manage the day-to-day running of the attraction on a voluntary basis.

He said: “There’s great affection for Oystermouth Castle among local people and this funding news is the single most important event in 150 years of the castle’s recent history.

“The money will mean the creation of a wonderful new visitor centre on site and we hope the castle will be able to remain open for longer hours.

“It has suffered badly and we’re delighted these contributions will ensure it is conserved for the future.”

Chairman of the Heritage Lottery Fund Committee for Wales, Dan Clayton Jones, said: “Without this funding, we would undoubtedly lose Oystermouth Castle which would not only mean the demise of a significant local historical asset but also the vital community engagement which has kept the castle alive over recent years.”

Swansea council leader councillor Chris Holley added: “It is one of the most famous landmarks in this area and it has a fascinating history.”

Delay row sees phone mast stay

2008-09-25T18:04:00.003+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 25 September 2008

A delay of just 24 hours has meant a controversial mobile phone mast has been allowed to stay up in Swansea's Townhill area.

Assembly planing inspector Clive Nield ruled that Swansea Council was one day late in telling telecommunications giant Vodafone that permission for the mast to be installed on land at the junction of Dyfed Avenue and Ceiriog Road had been refused.

The delay meant that Vodafone could ignore the council's ruling and put the mast up anyway, and now has successfully appealed against a further council order to take the mast down.

In his report, Mr Nield said: "There is no doubt the council failed to meet the requirement for notification of its decision within the prescribed 56-day period. Thus, the development in question is deemed to have been approved."

The planing application for the 10ft pole was received by the council on July 9 last year, meaning it had until September 2 of the same year to decide whether to grant permission, and to inform the company.

Vodafone stated that though the decision to refuse permission was made in a public meeting on August 21, the notice of that decision was not received until September 3.

The council argued that it made its decision well within the time limit, and the delivery of the formal notice was delayed because of a weekend.

Mr Nield stated "That excuse is not good enough."

The application for a mobile phone mast sparked a residents' revolt and 160-signature petition handed in to council officials.

They voiced fears over the possible impact on the health of local people, and called on councillors to reject the proposals.

A spokesman for Swansea Council said: "The council is disappointed with the decision and we are currently looking at the details of the inspector's report in order to consider our position."

Store leaves a Gap in market

2008-09-25T09:45:00.002+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 25 September 2008

International retailer Gap has sensationally pulled out of Swansea city centre.

The fashion chain has closed its store in Oxford Street — just a stone's throw away from Swansea's prestigious £30 million new shopping development on the site of the former David Evans store.

Bosses said the decision had not been taken lightly and partly blamed poor sales.
It is not good news for the city centre coming in the wake of the closure of the adjacent stores of MK One and men's clothing retailer Profile, also in Oxford Street and in the busy run-up to Christmas.

Mike Jones, Swansea secretary of the Federation of Small Businesses said: "We are concerned.

"The last thing we want is a city centre of boarded-up shopfronts.

"We just hope the landlords can find new tenants."

Mr Jones continued: "This is the run-up to Christmas and the busiest trading period for most retailers.

"I find the decision to pull out hard to believe unless there is some financial problem with the company, as it is in a prime position in one of Wales's busiest high streets.

"I find it hard to believe that trading levels are the problem."

News of Gap's closure, and the subsequent loss of jobs, is another blow coming after news that Swansea's £30 million landmark development on the site of the former David Evans store would not be ready in time for Christmas.

City centre traders and shoppers had hoped the redevelopment of the site in Princess Way would be up and running in time for the festive frenzy.

But bad weather sunk plans to get big new names in ahead of the Christmas rush.

Swansea Council leader Chris Holley said: "I am very disappointed, but we are fully aware of the consequences of the credit crunch.

"The fact is that we are in turbulent financial times because of policies adopted by various Governments over the past 20 years.

"With the demise of the manufacturing base in the UK over the past 20 years, we have relied on retail has become more and more to create jobs and we are bitterly disappointed that this could be a loss of jobs in the city centre."

A Gap spokeswoman said: "At Gap we continuously review our store portfolio, as part of the course of doing business.

"The decision to close a store is always very difficult and can be attributed to different factors.

"Our overall corporate real estate strategy is focused on optimising our store fleet and allocating our square footage to better serve our customers."

City neurosurgery is safe, says AM

2008-09-19T16:03:00.000+01:00

S.Wales Evening Post - 19 September 2008

MORRISTON Hospital's neurosurgery unit is safe and its future looks healthy, a top politician has pledged.

Dai Lloyd, Plaid AM for South Wales West, vowed there would be one neurosurgery service but it would be based over two sites — Swansea and Cardiff.

Dr Lloyd has been sanctioned to speak out by Assembly Health Minister Edwina Hart, following the confusion sparked by a report carried out by Edinburgh-based consultant neurosurgeon James Steers and a supporting statement from the minister.

It led to scepticism among some campaigners and Swansea-based Lib Dem AM Peter Black, who also represents South Wales West, raised concerns that the Morriston life- saving service would be downgraded. Mr Black said: "On the one hand, the proposal for a managed clinical network is something that has been advocated by Swansea health professionals for some time as a means of keeping neurosurgery at Morriston Hospital.

"On the other hand, the recommendation that a single neurosurgery service should be established, co-located with paediatric neurosurgery, and paediatric critical care, together with its emphasis on the new University Hospital of Wales helicopter pad in recommendation 8(1) indicates that complex and emergency neurosurgery will be moved to Cardiff, leaving Swansea with the few crumbs of a basic service."

Within the supporting statement by Mrs Hart, she called for the setting-up of a neuroscience network, along with developing extra inpatient neurology services and strengthening the neurorehabilitation available.

But the report of the Welsh Neuroscience External Expert Review Group suggested there was a strong argument for a single neurosurgery unit, alongside other services, including paediatric neurosurgery, implying it should be Cardiff-based.

Dr Lloyd said there were gaps in the review of adult neurosciences, as it failed to take into account Morriston Hospital's level one trauma centre status, along with its burns and plastics unit and the presence of a neurosurgery service in Bristol.

He admitted the report by Mr Steers proved difficult to understand even for those working in the profession and the position in the supporting statement, drawn up by civil servants on Mrs Hart's behalf, was unclear. But he said there was a long-term plan to safeguard the neurosurgery service in Morriston and Cardiff, which would see staff rotated between the two sites on a six- monthly basis and consultants travel up and down the M4 to share their expertise.

Dr Lloyd added: "The future of Morriston Hospital's neurosurgery is guaranteed in the long term.

"It will be one service over two sites — that's Swansea and Cardiff — and it will be an equivalent service to now, which will work together.

"It's not a novel concept, we have got cancer networks where it's the consultant that goes from specialist centre to specialist centre, not the patients.

He added: "What's driving this is finance, as you can't shut the burns or plastics in Morriston or the Children's Hospital of Wales in Cardiff."

It is expected the plans, which will ensure Swansea, Cardiff, along with Carmarthen and Newport, are neurological centres, will come into force at the end of the year.

"Alan Axford, the interim chief executive of Hywel Dda NHS Trust (covering Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion), has been given the remit to sort it out financially," said Dr Lloyd.

When asked whether the decision to retain the key service at both sites was a political one, Dr Lloyd added: "Everything is a political decision at the end of the day."

Council lost £600k of taxpayers' cash

2008-09-18T14:24:00.001+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 18 September 2008

More than half a million pounds of rate-payers money went missing because Swansea Council mistakenly paid some of its bills more than once.

A report into Swansea Council's finances revealed a total of £614,000 was paid out twice for goods and services in error — and points the blame at part of the authority's controversial eGovernment system.

Swansea Council said most of the money has now been retrieved.
But thousands of pounds remain outstanding, and questions remain over whether the money will be recovered.

The revelation follows an investigation by auditors PriceWaterhouseCoopers, which concluded that flaws remained in "modules implemented as part of authority's eGovernment system"

Councillor Michael Hedges, who sits on Swansea Council's finance scrutiny board, said: "The report reveals there were four potential bills that they were unable to say whether had been paid or not.

"The council did not know whether they had been paid once or twice. That is chaos.

"For the auditors to describe 'significant weaknesses' is very strong language.

"These are not teething problems — these systems have been in place for years. Some of this may not be recoverable, and there are millions of pounds on the computer system."

The council's controversial £83 million eGovernment programme was introduced in 2005 with the promise it would deliver £17 million worth of efficiency savings for the authority.

But the savings never materialised, and the authority is currently in negotiations with city IT firm CapGemini about how much it will have to pay out after abandoning its payroll project.

The PriceWaterhouseCoopers report identified a number of "ISIS modules", implemented as part of the e-Government programme, where "a number of significant weaknesses continue to exist."

It then revealed that under those modules, the "sundry debtors/revenues and receivables; and purchase ledger/ purchasing and payables", a payment for £614,000 was made twice by mistake in August last year — because invoices could not be found.

Last week, Council leader Chris Holley told council critics of the system to "get off the bandwagon".

A spokesman for Swansea Council said: "The vast majority of the duplicate payments were quickly recovered and the council is taking steps to ensure that the remainder is paid and there is no loss to the council taxpayers of Swansea.

"The duplicate payments were quickly identified by the council's staff and immediately looked into.

"Measures have been put in place to recover the outstanding £7,773 and procedural steps have been taken to ensure that it can't happen again."

Council hits back at eGovernment critics

2008-09-12T08:55:00.000+01:00

South Wales Evening Post – 12 September 2008

CRITICS of a controversial multi- million pound IT scheme have been urged to "get off the bandwagon".

The call by Swansea Council leader Chris Holley follows a critical report into the controversial £83 million eGovernment programme, which was projected to deliver around £17 million worth of efficiency savings for the authority, following a deal struck with city- based IT firm CapGemini.

But the savings have never materialised.

The report, led by councillors Rene Kinzett and Mark Child, criticises the spending of £4 million on external advisers, and the use of a small number of people to drive the project forward.

It was presented to councillors on Thursday, when Councillor Holley told his colleagues: "We have all been accused of not being diligent and it has gone on long enough.

"We have done everything possible to make this efficient. I urge members to get off this bandwagon."

Since the deal was struck in 2005, four sections of the programme have been successfully completed.

But the payroll project has since been abandoned, and the council is currently in negotiations with CapGemini to decide how much money it will have to pay out.

The report also highlights how the projected financial benefits will have a marked affect on future council budgets, and raises questions over the leadership of the project and the roles played by council officers — including former chief executive Tim Thorogood, Bob Carter and Michelle Morris. All three have since left the authority.

Councillor Kinzett said: "There was a lack of demarcation between officers who were driving the project and also giving advice.

"If there are three officers making decisions and advising projects, where is the scope for the cabinet to access proper independent advice?"

Conservative councillor Paxton Hood-Williams added:

"Who is responsible? What is the consequence for the people involved? If I had presided over a debacle like this at Corus, where I was involved in the implementation of computer systems, my career would have been over long before it actually was."

The report made a number of recommendations, including making clear definitions of the roles of officers, and breaking down future programmes into smaller projects.

Cabinet member for improvement and efficiency Mary Jones said: "This took 18 months, so it shows the complexity of the programme.

"We can all benefit from hindsight. It is a learning curve, There is no doubt about it.

"But the officers of that time did have distinct roles.

"They have to be independent to make sure the council does not get brought into disrepute.

"To keep criticising the officers is not the way forward. Whether we like officers or not is not the point.

"We are all human, and things change.

"Just because it was not in a document, does not mean we did not know what we were doing."

Repossession orders rise by 13% in a year

2008-09-04T19:47:00.001+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 4 September 2008

The number of homeowners facing eviction for failing to keep up their mortgage repayments in Swansea has risen by 13 per cent in the past year, new figures have revealed.

Worrying official figures show that Swansea County Court issued 154 repossession orders between April and June this year, up 13 per cent on the same period last year.

The statistics released by the Ministry of Justice also show repossession claims — the first stage of the process — have risen by 22 per cent to 211 compared with the same period last year.

In Neath Port Talbot, the number of repossession claims have risen by 34 per cent to 158
compared to the same three-month period, between April and June last year, while the number of repossession claims in Llanelli has risen by 29 per cent to 98 during the same time period.

The credit crunch has led to more expensive mortgages, which people have been struggling to pay as other household costs rise. Across England and Wales, there were 38,786 claims made to the courts for the three month period, up 17 per cent and the number of repossession orders made rose by 31 per cent to 30,220.

Housing Minister Caroline Flint said: "While we are not seeing repossessions on the same scale as the early 1990s, we are making sure the right advice and support is available for the minority of borrowers who may need it at the moment."

Earlier this year, Ms Flint announced a package of measures to help those who face losing their homes, including free legal representation at county court.

Philip Hammond, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said: "Lenders must now act responsibly — even if our Prime Minister has not done so — to minimise the number of people losing their homes."

The figures do not reveal the actual number of repossessions, because even after an order has been made, a person can still settle debts and save their home after reaching an agreement with the lender.

A Swansea Citizens Advice Bureau spokeswoman said Cabs in England and Wales saw mortgage arrears problems increase by 35 per cent in the first few months of 2008, compared with the same period in 2007.

She said: "We are continuing to see high numbers of people with mortgage and secured loan arrears. Yet some lenders are still not doing everything they can to help borrowers in trouble.

"They are piling on extra charges, refusing to negotiate with borrowers to come to a workable solution over repayment arrangements and using court action as a first rather than last resort."

'City economy is on the up' insist council bosses

2008-09-04T17:51:00.001+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 4 September 2008

SWANSEA Council chiefs have defended their record on the economy in the wake of a report which put the city near the bottom of a competitiveness league.

A report produced by the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, found that while there was a resurgence in many of Britain's cities, Swansea was lagging behind.

But the council says the survey was out-of-date and that significant progress has been made in the past two years.

It has painted a far rosier picture of the economic health of the city and says things are now moving in the right direction.

A Swansea Council spokesman said: "The Competitive Index bases its findings on tables of data which is the latest available but in many cases is two years old or more.

"Inevitably, it cannot reflect some of the major achievements and developments that have been taking place in Swansea over the past two years.

"A huge amount of effort has gone into developing and implementing the Economic Regeneration Strategy (Swansea 2020) that will guide the city over the next decade and beyond."

Swansea Council said there had also been significant development in the city's knowledge economy and pointed to the success of the new techniums in the city.

The spokesman said: "Private and public sector investment worth hundreds of millions of pounds has been attracted to Swansea and has seen the building of facilities such as the National Waterfront Museum, the Wales National Pool Swansea, Meridian Quay, Aspers Casino (pictured above) and Salubrious Place.

"In the coming years there is even more to look forward to — particularly the billion-pound transformation of several key sites in the city centre and waterfront areas.

"All this investment is being undertaken to help generate a competitive economy by creating new jobs, boosting productivity, encouraging entrepreneurship and making Swansea a more attractive and vibrant place to live, work and visit."

City behind in resurgence race

2008-09-04T11:24:00.001+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 3 September 2008

SWANSEA is one of the UK's least competitive cities at a time when many of the country's cities are experiencing a resurgence.

That is the finding of a study produced by the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff.

It found significant improvements among UK's cities and urban areas, particularly those in the North.

But Professor Robert Huggins, who devised and compiled the index, said: "Wales as a whole is lagging and within that there are certain issues over Swansea not developing as fast as certain other areas.

"Although there has been development, the pace of change is slower."

He added: "Within Wales there has been some fairly good development in Cardiff, but I don't think we have had a coherent plan to develop as a whole."

Some 400 localities were assessed, taking into account NVQ levels, business start-ups, economic activity rates and productivity.

Professor Huggins added: "I don't think Swansea is showing much in terms of improvement.

"We can look at workforce skills, and NVQ levels are at best static and business start-ups have declined slowly. And even though average earnings have gone up, they haven't risen as fast as other places. It shows, in a way, that other cities are growing faster."

Swansea was ranked 339th in the league table across the UK, below cities like Liverpool, Bradford and Plymouth.

But Swansea did outrank Sunderland, Stoke-on-Trent and Kingston upon Hull.
Professor Huggins added: "We haven't thought how we can move the whole country forward.

The Assembly hasn't really put in place a plan which has shown signs yet of rejuvenation."
Peter Birch, of Swansea Business Improvement District, and Bumper to Bumper, said he was "staggered" at the Professor's findings.

"I would have thought it was quite the opposite when you look at the progressive university we have and particularly the way we are reinvesting in the city centre and have a successful football team.

"The buzz in the air is that we are doing well," he said.

£30m plan hold-up hits revival hopes

2008-08-26T19:19:00.000+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 26 August 2008

SWANSEA city centre has been dealt a blow with the news that the £30 million flagship Princess Way development will not be ready in time for Christmas.

The scheme, on the site of the former David Evans store, was hoped to be a lynchpin in turning around the city centre's fortunes.

It was seen as a major magnet to attract shoppers back into the city centre from out-of-town shopping schemes in Fforestfach and Morfa.

News that the site will not be ready in time for the festive shopping season will shock traders.
Ray Tilley, at The Money Shop, said: "Obviously we are very much in favour of the redevelopment of the city centre as it is going to benefit the traders here.

"The news that it is not going to be ready is unfortunate, to put it mildly, and very disappointing."

Council leader Chris Holley said the timescale for the massive 70,000 sq ft development is now likely to see it opening "before Easter".

Heavy rain is being blamed for the delays — it had been hoped the three-storey scheme would be open by Christmas and would play a major part in resurrecting the fortunes of the entire city centre.

Councillor Holley said: "It's just a question that they have had a few problems, they have got over them, but it has rained so much that they have been stuck with some of the building time wise."

Slater Menswear, fashion giant Zara and JT Morgan have all signed up to the scheme.
But there have been no new names added for some time, although shoppers are hoping for a big name company to come to the city.

Speculators have suggested H&M and Zavvi (formerly Virgin Megastore), but nothing official has been confirmed. H&M has dismissed rumours it has signed up to come to the city but has not ruled out a future move.

Councillor Holley said London-based Thurleigh Estates was pushing the scheme forward.
"I know they are confident one of the other units will be going as soon as they have finished it," he said.

"The face of Swansea is really changing for the better with so much investment and development in the city centre and on the waterfront.

"This new retail complex will give the city centre another boost, and will increase footfall and further strengthen Swansea's reputation as a retail destination.

"High Street names like Zara at the complex will make a wonderful contrast, with our unique selection of small independent stores and historic indoor market that combine to make the city so distinctive."

Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Economic and Strategic Development, councillor Gareth Sullivan, said: "The sight of this landmark new retail complex on Princess Way is further evidence of the improvements taking place in the city centre."

Councillor Holley denied rumours that Zara had pulled out.

"They are committed but unfortunately because of the delay in the building, the weather and all these other reasons they will now be moving in in late Spring time next year ready for the Easter," he said.

"They were hoping to move in before Christmas."

"Zara, JT Morgan, Slater I know they are confirmed. One of the other units will be going as soon as they have finished it."

He said he could not say who will be snapping the unit up.

Watchdog called in as row rumbles on

2008-08-26T11:48:00.000+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 26 August 2008

The row over Swansea Council's controversial eGovernment project is rumbling on after 31 councillors were reported to a public services watchdog.

The issue reached boiling point last month when Labour and the Conservatives insisted the financial aspects of the deal between the council and its IT partner CapGemini should be discussed in public.

After opposition members called a vote against excluding the public, only to be defeated, they walked out.

Council leader Chris Holley then made the complaint to the ombudsman, suggesting the Labour Party and the Conservatives had broken the members' code of conduct by voting to hold the discussion in public.

In his complaint, Councillor Holley said the 31 members had "voted against the specific advice of the monitoring officer and head of legal services, plus the Section 151 officer for a report on eGovernment going into private session.

"In voting against advice, none of the members gave any valid reason why the monitoring officer or the 151 officer might be wrong or against the public interest."

However, Andrew Walsh, the director of investigations at the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales, has decided not to investigate the complaint.

In a letter to Councillor Holley, also sent to every member named in the complaint, he said the item on the council summons stated that councillors were "requested" to exclude members of the public. "This implies the council can deny the request," he added.

Councillor Holley said: "I am disappointed the ombudsman, who answered this with a great deal of speed, has felt he didn't need to investigate it, as part of the code of conduct states we are obliged to report breaches of the code.

"It calls into question whether advice from the monitoring officer is going to be valued by the ombudsman."

Controversy raged in the week leading up to the July31 meeting, after the Post revealed a confidential council agenda showed work done by CapGemini could cost £8 million. Council leaders have since emphasised the final bill will be negotiated down.

Labour group leader David Phillips said: " When I opened it I thought it was a joke. I wondered whether the leader of the council didn't have better things to do."

Tory group leader Rene Kinzett said: "It strikes me as very bizarre that the leader of the council has made such an ill-advised complaint.

"If councillors are now told that they can't vote any other way other than the way officers tell them, is that advice now an instruction? Does Chris Holley believe it is instruction, because I don't."

Top cop says city is losing drugs battle

2008-08-25T16:53:00.000+01:00

S.Wales Evening Post - 25 August 2008

SWANSEA is losing the war on drugs according to one of the city's senior police officers.

The frank admission comes as parts of Swansea are gripped by a burglary crimewave — fuelled they say by drug users desperate for cash.

The admission comes despite the arrest of three people which police say took £10,00 worth of heroin off the city's streets.

Acting Superintendent Peter Azzopardi told the Post: "Despite all the work that is being carried out, there is little evidence to suggest that demand for class A drugs has reduced or that we are making any significant impact upon the availability of drugs within Swansea."

The latest police success thwarted up to 1,000 £10 heroin deals from being peddled on city streets.

Police believe a massive spate of burglaries across the city is being fuelled by heroin addicts driven to feed their habit.

The city suffered 120 burglaries during July, and August is looking even worse, with police estimating there will be another 140 during the whole of the month.

The shocking figures have seen police appealing to the public to beware of burglars.

Some areas have suffered a massive 100 per cent increase in the number of criminal raids on homes.
The police target figure for dwelling burglaries is about 110 per month.

During the months of April, May and June this year there was an average of about 90 per month. The figure shot up to 120 in July and the prediction for August is 140.

Acting Superintendent Peter Azzopardi said: "We have had increases such as this over the years and we know that the majority of dwelling burglaries are carried out by individuals with a heavy dependence upon drugs, primarily heroin.

"We are working to identify who the individuals carrying out these burglaries are, but require the assistance of the public, one to secure their homes to make it less easy for property to be stolen, particularly vehicles which are then utilised for additional crime such as ram raids, thefts from motor vehicles, theft of petrol and so on."

Police in Swansea have increased enforcement activity in an effort to thwart the spread of killer drugs.

Last month alone there were 26 non-fatal drug overdoses and one fatal overdose.

But there have been some police successes. On Thursday last week (AUG 21), three people were arrested as a result of which 2.5oz of heroin was recovered.

Police said the arrests meant they had halted up to 1,000 £10 heroin deals on the streets of Swansea.

It is just one of a number of seizures being made on a regular basis.

Mr Azzopardi said that a huge amount of work was being carried out by Swansea's police.

But he admitted that it does not seem as though the hard work has seen the demand or supply of drugs in Swansea drop.

Mr Azzopardi added: "This is a social issue which society and Government are still trying to get to grips with."

KEY PROJECT OR FAILURE?

2008-08-15T08:55:00.002+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 15 August 2008

Swansea Council's controversial eGovernment programme has hit the headlines recently amid claims of rising costs and the project's failure. But with four of the five aims of the programme completed, should eGovernment really be branded a failure?

Council reporter ALEX BROWN investigates.

WHILE controversy rages over the final cost of Swansea Council's eGovernment programme, it would seem some want to dismiss the entire project as a failure.

However, of the five significant sections of the programme four have been successfully completed.

According to the council's cabinet member for top performance and eGovernment, Mary Jones, the finance, project costing, procurement and human resources (HR) sections have all been delivered.

The sticking point is, of course, the fifth section of the project - payroll - which has now been abandoned.

The council is currently in negotiations with IT firm CapGemini to decide how much money it will have to pay out.

But should the payroll debacle mean the project as a whole is a failure?

Since its launch, the programme has introduced a new IT system replacing dozens of outdated computer systems, saving the council time and money, and improving efficiency.

While detractors have claimed the £83 million IT deal has not delivered its promised savings, the Wales Audit Office has praised the programme for improving procurement and management information.

Last year the council's chief accountant labelled the authority's new computer system a phenomenon.

Mike Hawes was explaining how the £83 million system is transforming how council staff work.

Every year Mr Hawes and his staff deal with hundreds of millions of pounds, processing 265,000 payments with a workforce of 14,000, and he says the advantages are obvious.

"Quite frankly, it's a phenomenon," he said.

Councillor Jones said: "What people have to remember is why it was started in the first place. The reason was to modernise the council.

"The systems were 16-years-old.

"The finance system went on time and on budget, as did the procurement and project costing.

"HR went on time, but it did not go externally live, only in the department."

The cabinet member said the new finance system had transformed the way the council operates.

Councillor Jones said: "Under the Isis system, information is more readily available than was previously the case.

"For example, the council can now find out how much it spent on fuel in June, and how that compares with our estimates.

"The benefits include being able to challenge or even change our suppliers if we think we can get a better deal.

"It may sound unimportant, but the creation of financial codes is important for proper management of council spending.

"Previously it had to be done manually, with the person wanting the code having to ask finance for one and by finance having to create each code.

"It's a lot of work when there are thousands of transactions every year.

"Since going live, Isis has done the job automatically 20,000 times.

"As anyone who has to manage the family finances will know, knowing how much you're spending and what you're spending it on is vital if you're going to keep the household budge in order.

"Imagine having to do that for an organisation that employs 13,000 people.

"The council's new online purchasing system, known as i-Siop, has replaced paper-based ordering of goods and services.

Closely resembling any internet shopping website, i-Siop enables council staff to purchase the tools they need to do the job in a quick and easy way.

Councillor Jones said: "The council did not have a corporate procurement system. Orders were usually handwritten.

"The new purchasing process requires all items to be properly ordered and receipted before a payment can be made.

"This ensures the authority only pays for goods and services it has received, and buys from properly arranged contracts.

"It has made the business of doing business easier and cheaper."

But not everyone has been persuaded by the project.

Public sector union Unison raised concerns when the scheme was first mooted and members took industrial action over their fears.

Paul Elliott, head of local government at Unison, said the recent row over the scheme and its costs proved their concerns had been correct.

He added: "We believe our concerns over the arrangements with CapGemini have been proved accurate.

"Our initial concerns were that this project had not been thought through, and they had not considered alternatives.

"I think it is significant that they eventually looked at the Cardiff model which was an inhouse provision and much smaller."

Mr Elliott said that the whole process had been a blight on Swansea.

He added: "We think there needs to be far more consideration and thought before embarking on these expensive schemes.

"We believe the authority has wasted lots of taxpayers' money."

KEY REPORT SLAMS I.T. FAILINGS AT CITY COUNCIL

2008-08-07T10:18:00.001+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 7 August 2008

Councillors investigating a controversial multi-million pound IT scheme say too much money was spent on external consultants.

A long-awaited report has criticised the £4 million paid by the authority for advice from external consultants on its £83 million eGovernment programme.

The programme was projected to deliver around £17 million worth of efficiency savings which have never materialised.

The criticism is just one included in a report by Swansea Council's Performance Scrutiny Board into the delivery of the eGovernment programme, following a deal struck with city-based IT firm CapGemini in 2005.

The board's report was due to be discussed by the council's cabinet today.

The study, put together by board chairman Rene Kinzett and vice-chairman Mark Child, concludes that the eGovernment programme "was an ambitious project which could have been more effectively delivered through a series of smaller projects".

The report also criticises the spending of some £4 million on external advisers, and the use of a small number of people to drive the project forward.

It states: "The lack of robust and balanced independent advice to, and appropriate training of, cabinet members, was to the detriment of good political decision-making."

The report contains nine recommendations, seven of which have been agreed and one that was partly agreed by cabinet member for business improvement and efficiency Mary Jones.

Responding to the report, Councillor Jones said: "I would like to thank the board for their work.

"It is in-depth, and it will be taken on board for other projects being carried out within the authority."

The recommendation that has not been agreed by the cabinet member concerns keeping the council's financial and legal officers - the 151 officers and monitoring officers - separate from the project sponsor and manager.

Councillor Jones said: "They actually have legal rights within the council's constitution.

"They don't work for the administration or any political party.

"They are advisers to the whole council and they are independent."

The council's IT deal with CapGemini has caused controversy ever since it was first announced.

The council's technology workers went on strike over the proposals because of fears over job cuts.

But officers insisted the scheme would improve the council's computer systems and save hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money in the long-term.

Three years on, the payroll section of the programme has been abandoned, and the scheme has not delivered the savings the council hoped when the eGovernment project was first announced.

WALKOUT IN ROW ON £8M BILL FOR EGOV

2008-08-02T14:31:00.000+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - August 2008

Opposition councillors staged a mass walkout following a decision to debate Swansea Council's controversial eGovernment scheme in private.

When a motion for the public to be allowed to stay for the debate was defeated, every Labour and Conservative member left the meeting in protest.

The controversy over the issue has raged all week since the Post revealed a confidential council agenda showed work done by IT firm CapGemini could cost £8 million.Council leaders have since emphasised the final bill will be negotiated down.

However, at a full council meeting the opposition parties asked for the entire issue to be debated in public - against the recommendations of the council's legal officer David Daycock - but were blocked by 35 votes to 32.

The leaders of Labour and the Conservatives, David Phillips and Rene Kinzett, then led their groups from the council chamber. Councillor Kinzett said: "These matters have huge public interest.

"They can't hide behind this. It is about time these matters were disclosed to the Swansea public.

"What is the point of 72 councillors discussing it in private?"

Councillor Phillips added: "This is a matter that should be in the public domain. We are not going to go along with a council that holds these meetings in private."

Ahead of the vote, council members were advised by Mr Daycock and Jack Straw, the council's executive director, that the debate should be held in private.

Mr Straw went on to discuss the £8 million figure. He said it was made up of "invoices that have been submitted by CapGemini to be paid, contractual claims and a series of sums of money which they believe the council would be due to pay".

"My advice would be the dispute is ongoing and there is advice we want to give to councillors before pursuing."

The walkout has provoked fierce criticism from council leader Chris Holley and members of the administration. Councillor Holley accused the opposition of acting like children.

He said: "The advice we were given was for the benefit of this city, not for any political party or administration.

"The way the opposition parties behaved was shameful. They only managed to bring the office of councillor into disrepute by their actions.

"We had clear legal advice and this was not heeded. It is about time Labour and the Conservatives started to behave responsibly by having the debate and questioning officers and the cabinet member.

"The residents of Swansea elected these people for them to be accountable, not for them to walk out because they did not get their own way. They acted like little children who can't get their own way."

Cabinet member for business improvement and efficiency Mary Jones said: "This was an extremely irresponsible act.

"The reports were brought before council in response to a request from them that all councillors should have an opportunity to debate the issues. (Under the council constitution, reports are considered and agreed by cabinet.)

"Officers and staff spent a lot of time preparing these reports to ensure all councillors would have up-to-date and accurate information. This just goes to prove that Labour and the Conservatives are not interested in the running of the city, only furthering their own political ends."

Plaid councillor Darren Price, who is part of the ruling administration, also criticised the walkout.

He said: "Quite frankly, that show by the Labour Party and the Tories was nothing short of ridiculous.

"It was quite clear from the advice by the legal officer of the council and by simply reading the report on the red papers that there was significant information that would have compromised the council no end and potentially cost the taxpayers of Swansea a huge amount of money.

"The proposal to make this information public was nothing short of political mischief-making."

A council spokesman said: "The council faced a potential cost of £8 million to implement the proposed new payroll system with its partner CapGemini.

"However, cabinet agreed in June not to proceed with the payroll system.

"The council is now in negotiations with CapGemini to reach a commercial settlement following the decision not to implement the new payroll system.

"A confidential report has been presented to all councillors to inform them of the issues and the current position.

"The report contains sensitive legal and commercial information and it is clearly in the interests of the council and council taxpayers for this report and advice given in relation to it to remain confidential while negotiations with CapGemini continue."

IT BILL MUST BE FULLY DEBATED

2008-08-02T14:29:00.000+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - Editorial - 2 August 2008

This week's full council meeting was the first opportunity for the CapGemini £8 million IT bill to be discussed by all 72 members of the authority.

There are precious few other issues that are more in need of a full, frank and public debate.

Instead, what did we get?

The ruling Lib Dem-led coalition defeating a motion to make the debate open to the press and public by three measly votes, and the opposition Labour and Conservative parties staging a dramatic walkout.

This was a grand gesture against the coalition's insistence on holding the meeting behind closed doors, but in practice it meant there was no-one left in the council chamber to present the opposition's case in the ensuing debate.

So where do we go from here? Well firstly we need more from council leader Chris Holley than a tit-for-tat statement criticising the opposition walk-out.

He is right that this issue is more important than party politics - it is about negotiation over a potential bill for £8 million of taxpayers' money.

Even if this is successfully negotiated down, what the city needs, and quickly, is a public assurance that this issue will be debated in public fully as soon as possible - and with all 72 councillors present to have their say.

Biomass burner plan hasn’t come to me

2008-08-01T18:54:00.000+01:00

Western Mail - 1 August, 2008

SIR – I would like to outline my position on biomass as a renewable energy following comments attributed to me reported in the Western Mail (Upmarket flats fighting plan for local £100m biomass burner, July 28) which implied I was in favour of a biomass proposal in Swansea. This is not the case.

As Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing I am broadly in favour of renewable energy in principle, provided projects are appropriately located and subject to proper controls.

But this does not mean that I believe in overriding the planning process as was the case for the Prenergy 350 megawatt biomass proposal in Port Talbot.

Decisions on all power stations with a capacity of more than 50MW, as is the case with Prenergy proposal, are a matter for the UK Government Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Anything less than 50MW would come to the Assembly Government and, so far, no plans for a biomass burner in Swansea’s SA1 development have come to me in my role as minister with responsibility for planning.

Every planning application would be treated on its merits.

JANE DAVIDSON
Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing
Welsh Assembly Government

COUNCILLORS' MASS WALKOUT AFTER PUBLIC DEBATE REFUSED

2008-08-01T18:27:00.000+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 1 August 2008

Councillors staged a mass walkout following a decision to debate Swansea Council's controversial eGovernment scheme in private.

When a motion for the public to be allowed to stay for the debate was defeated, every Labour and Conservative member of the council left the meeting in protest.

Controversy over the issue has raged all week since the Post revealed that a confidential council agenda revealed that IT firm CapGemini had told the council that the work on the failed payroll system could amount to £8 million.

Council leaders have since stressed that the final bill payable will be negotiated down.

However, at last night's full council meeting, the opposition parties asked for the full issue to be debated in public - against the recommendations of the council's legal officer David Daycock - but were blocked by 35 votes to 32.

The leaders of Labour and the Conservatives, David Phillips and Rene Kinzett, then led their groups from the meeting.

Councillor Kinzett said: "These matters have huge public interest."They can't hide behind this. It is about time these matters were disclosed to the Swansea public.

"What is the point of 72 councillors discussing it in private?"

Councillor Phillips added: "This is a matter that should be in the public domain. We are not going to go along with a council that holds these in private."

Council leader Chris Holley said the opposition leaders had behaved "like children".

He said: "We needed to have the discussion. For the opposition, in the shape of David Phillips and Rene Kinzett, to drop and throw their toys out of the pram because they don't get their own way, shows total disregard to the council tax payers and citizens of this city."

See tomorrow's Evening Post for the full story on last night's meeting.

IT COMPANY DENIES £8M BILL DEMAND

2008-07-31T10:18:00.000+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - 31 July 2008

IT firm CapGemini has denied giving Swansea Council an £8 million bill.

Yesterday the Post reported that the council's payroll system, which was due to be included in the controversial eGovernment project, had been terminated and CapGemini wanted around £8 million for work already carried out on the project.

A spokesman for the firm said no bill has been submitted. A confidential council report seen by the Post, however, gives a cost breakdown of the work carried out by CapGemini on the failed payroll system. It totals £8 million.

The new system was first due to be introduced in October 2006 at a cost of £819,000.However, now the council's cabinet has voted to terminate the contract.

A spokesman for the IT company said: "CapGemini has not made a submission for £8 million. There are commercial negotiations taking place and we respect the commercial confidentiality of those."

Swansea Council has said the bill it pays for the failed payroll system will be "significantly smaller" than £8 million.

Councillor Mary Jones, Swansea Cabinet Member for Business Improvement and Efficiency said the decision taken by the council's cabinet to walk away from the project will in fact reduce the figure.

In a statement councillor Jones said: "The report states that if the council continued on this path then it could face such a bill in the future. The cabinet's decision to change direction and seek a negotiated withdrawal from that part of the contract instead will prevent local taxpayers having to meet such a bill and indications are that the final settlement figure will be substantially less than has been quoted.

"There are difficult questions to be answered by all parties. However, what is clear is that the final cost of this failure to match up data on two very different computer systems will be significantly smaller than the sum the Evening Post reported, and will reflect the actual work done."

Council leader Councillor Chris Holley said: "Once again we see articles in the paper which are being supported by the Labour Party that do not give a clear picture of the facts these will become clear once the matter has been resolved.

"We will be settling with a lower figure."

Conservative leader Rene Kinzett said: "I chaired the council inquiry into this when we were told over an 18-month period that everything was fine. We were mislead. Elected councillors have been mislead every step along the way."

Swansea Council was due to meet this afternoon to discuss the issue.

Reader comments

More spin and covering up from the Councillors Mary Jones and Chris Holley alias the two muppets. Its time the TRUTH was outed on this IT system. As we wont ever get the truth out of these Lib Dems let us have a public inquiry.
gwynfor, Swansea

"A confidential council report seen by the Post, however, gives a cost breakdown of the work carried out by CapGemini on the failed payroll system. It totals £8 million." The report does not say that at all. You need to re-read it.
Peter Black, Swansea

WE DEMAND AN EXPLANATION

2008-07-31T06:38:00.000+01:00

South Wales Evening Post - Editorial - 30 July 2008

Swansea Council says it is unable to confirm or discuss the £8 million of our money that CapGemini is demanding over the termination of the authority's payroll IT system.

We say legal privilege and commercial confidentiality be damned - someone has some serious explaining to do to the taxpayers of this city.

The controversial eGovernment scheme was conceived under one administration and introduced under another. But now someone needs to take some responsibility and explain why the scheme has cost so much, saved so little and - all in all - failed to deliver.

It would also be extremely helpful if CapGemini would explain, in public, and in minute detail, exactly how it calculates that it is owed £8 million in the first place.

Large-scale IT projects are renowned for their shortcomings. Several huge public sector schemes have been criticised for coming in over budget, over deadline and failing to deliver their goals.

The private sector, too, has had its fair share, but those accountable have been made to pay the price.

Swansea's administration should count itself lucky that the eGovernment scheme did not unravel until after the recent elections.

BILL FOR AXED IT SYSTEM IS £8M

2008-07-30T11:07:00.000+01:00

30 July 2008 - South Wales Evening Post

An IT system which was meant to save taxpayers millions has been abandoned, with the company tasked with delivering it demanding £8 million.

The termination of Swansea Council's payroll system was due to be included in the controversial eGovernment project.The new system was due to be introduced in October 2006 at a cost of £819,000.

However, now the council's cabinet has voted to terminate the contract, and contractor CapGemini is demanding payment for the work it has carried out - at a huge cost to the council.

While this figure has not been made public, the Evening Post can reveal that CapGemini has asked for more than £8 million.

A spokeswoman for the council said legal reasons prevented her from publicly confirming the amount CapGemini has asked for.

However, councillors contacted by the Post have reacted with fury.

One said: "It surprises me that it has reached this level of cost."Why on earth were the charges allowed to rack up?"Why was this work authorised?"

An agenda for tomorrow's council meeting reports that the council has so far paid out over £16 million to CapGemini for the eGovernment project.

It also reveals that the project has fallen well short of targeted savings.

The agenda states: "The target for strategic sourcing savings is largely unachieved, with £130,000 per annum having been saved from council budgets to date, that is a saving of £1.3 million over 10 years.

"While this saving may increase slightly over the coming months, there is a likely shortfall in strategic savings of £16 million over the next 10-year period of the contract."