Someone's on the Ball!

A letter from Gareth Ratcliffe Councillor for Hay-on-Wye Ward to Jeremy Patterson Chief Executive of Powys County Council.

Dear Jeremy

Can you Help?

At the meeting of 20th October I put questions forward to full council asking for figures for civil parking enforcement for the period April 1st 2011 to 30th September 2011.

Among the questions I asked was "How much income has this generated for the Council?" and the answer I received was '£70,969.66'.

I notice that from Freedom of Information request ref: F-2011-00534 that the answer provided was "Gross revenue from issue of penalty charge notices (PCN’s) from 1st April 2011 to 14th September 2011 is £59,888.66"

On the face of it, this is a difference of £11,081.00 in 2 WEEKS !

Can you please let me know how this seeming anomaly arises
.
Best wishes

Cllr Gareth Ratcliffe
Hay on Wye Ward

and counting!

Progress at last?

A Meeting with Powys County Council Chief Executive

Perhaps all is not lost. Whilst we have heard nothing from Councillor Geraint Hopkins who is obviously far too busy with the extra responsibilities he took on when becoming one of the self-appointed Powys County Council ‘cabinet’ (and incidentally gracefully accepting the increased expenses that went with the role) Hay-on-Wye’s ward councillor Gareth Ratcliffe has arranged a meeting on 8th March at Llandrindod Wells when accompanied by two Hay Town Councillors, he will meet with Jeremy Patterson Powys County Council Chief Executive to discuss progress on parking and traffic.

Perhaps this will do something to break the seeming sloth like approach those responsible in Powys have had thus far to expediting much needed action on the county’s parking problems.

We have been promised a report on the outcomes of this meeting and shall report on it here.

A few facts

Some interesting snippets of information from the Powys County Council website FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 requests. We think they make interesting reading – at least they might amuse!

From F.O.I. request F-2011-00737

In 2010/11 126 employees of Powys County Council earned over £50,000 per annum, 15 earned over £75,000 pa and 1 earned over £100,000.

From F.O.I. request: F-2011-00633

3409 blue disabled parking badges issued in 2010/11:

From F.O.I. request: F-2011-00534

Gross revenue from issue of penalty charge notices (PCN’s) from 1st April 2011 to 14th September 2011 is £59,888.66

From F.O.I. request: F-2011-00619

1760 council employees - excluding school staff - have had a mobile phone funded by the authority in 2010/11

£185,858.68 was the collective annual bill of these mobile phones in 2010/11

£930.10 was the highest individual annual bill for mobile phone use by a council employee in 2010/11

Oh yes, and just in passing, it's another of our pet hates!

From F.O.I. request F-2011-00385

No dog fouling fixed penalty notices were issued during 2010/11.

No littering fixed penalty notices were issued during 2010/11

Watch this space for more riveting gems of information!

April 1st Fast Approaches

Councillor Hopkins, how much longer do we have to wait?

Time for a Change?

Councillors are elected, not appointed by God.

Councillor Hopkins, we are entirely sure that you among our elected councillors will do as promised and a new Powys wide Parking and Traffic Policy will be started by April 1st.

If not, then on May 3rd we have the power to elect new councillors! Hopefully re-elected councillors or those elected to replace them, will see their way clear to doing what the electorate want!

Local Elections are Coming Too!

Just a Reminder Councillor Hopkins

Only 41 days to go to April 1st. Councillor Hopkins

42 Days and Counting!

Only 42 Days to April 1st.

What's Happening Cllr. Hopkins?

ONLY 43 days to go to April 1st

What's happening Councillor Geraint Hopkins?

45 days to go to April 1st

ONLY 45 DAYS TO GO
TO 1ST APRIL

When we’ve been promised decisions regarding anew Parking Policy for Powys.

Councillor Geraint Hopkins may we remind you of your email to us of 29th January.

I am still moving forward slowly with the area reviews and other work on Civil Parking Enforcement. I certainly am not ignoring your proposals. Actually it is the opposite. Your proposals along with others from other parts of the County are forming the basis of the review. Unfortunately due to lack of resource this is not progressing as quickly as I would have liked and I haven't any money in my budget to bring in any outside help. I will contact you again when I have firm dates for various aspects of the review.


Councillor Geraint Hopkins this means by April 1st you will be paid by us the county’s voters, 45 days of your Powys County Council cabinet member’s allowance of £37.47 per day or £1,686.15 in total.

We do hope that you a recompensed sufficiently to stimulate you to meeting your promises!

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE INTERESTING STATISTICS

Broken law - Broken jaw?

Taking the law into their own hands!

On Friday last ‘Anonymous’ left the following comment on our post "An Update from Councillor Geraint Hopkins":

‘How does it feel to know that some of your so called supporters have resorted to violence, by assaulting a Civil Enforcement Officer in Hay on Wye, who has know (sic) got a suspected broken jaw.’

Well I don't quite know what to say. First and foremost it is quite reprehensible for anyone to take the law into their own hands and we can in no circumstances condone using physical violence against anyone. It's absolutely no way settle an argument - however great the considered provocation.

I don't know why 'anonymous' should believe that whoever, or whatever group of people was/were involved in this alleged incident should be "so called supporters" of CRAP. Our purpose is to work with Powys County Council in order to develop a 'responsible approach to parking' not to go around 'thumping people!

In passing, we note that Civil Enforcement Officers have been plying their trade in Hay six days a week for the last fortnight. Give us a break; this is probably the worst trading period of the year and we are deep in an undoubted recession in consumer spending. We need all the help we can get to encourage people to come in to Hay and spend their money here; surely this parking enforcement concentration on our town is doing little to help us.

Just in who's interests is the current draconian regime of parking regulations enforcement?

In March last year we were told that the introduction of Civil Enforcement would bring us the following benefits:

• Improve Safety.


• Reduce the misuse of disabled parking bays.


• Improve conditions for all road-users, particularly pedestrians and disabled people.


• Reduce parking problems, especially around schools and in residential areas.


• Improve public transport reliability and journey times.

Can anyone honestly claim the at the current enforcement has done anything to achieve any of these aims?

We look forward to Councillor Geraint Hopkins production of a parking plan for Powys as promised last year and in his recent email to us.

More later!