Don't Hold Your Breath!
But over the last week, a lot's been going on - albeit much behind the scenes!
Last week, Councillor Gareth Ratcliffe, Ward Councillor for Hay-on-Wye accompanied by representatives from Hay-on-Wye Town Council and Hay Chamber of Trade met at Llandrindod Wells with Jeremy Patterson Chief Executive of Powys County Council, hoping to get some action on our parking and traffic proposals before the council 'shuts down' for the May 3rd council elections.
As a result of that meeting, Cllr Ratcliffe, this time accompanied by Bob Golesworthy a Hay Town Councillor, today (Tuesday 13th March) had a meeting with Steve Holdaway, Powys Senior Director of Highways. It seems that for some reason Messrs Patterson and Holdaway had not been kept fully informed of our proposals and all that has been happening over recent months!
We've wasted so much time trying to get some action from Councillor Geraint Hopkins, Powys County Council Cabinet Member and Portfolio Holder for traffic and parking (any sign of life would help!) that we hope these approaches to officers who after all, do not have to face re-election in May, will at last elicit some action.
We live in hope, and will of course keep you informed!
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
An email to Councillor Geraint Hopkins
(another) Email to Councillor Geraint Hopkins
Copied to Roger Williams MP; Kirsty Williams AM; Councillor E M Jones OBE, Councillor Garteh Ratcliffe and various other interested parties
Dear Councillor Hopkins
It is now almost one year to 1st April 2012, the first anniversary of Powys taking over control of Civil Parking Enforcement from the police.
1. Prior to April 1st last year, you stated that the purpose of taking over CPE responsibility was to:
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.
After almost one year of becoming responsible for enforcing this policy can you provide any evidence of it meeting its wholly admirable aims?
You will hopefully recall the six months work that we, the Campaign for a Responsible Approach to Parking (CRAP) and the Hay-on-Wye community in producing outline proposals for Traffic flow, safety and parking in Hay-on-Wye. We hoped the plan might be used a blueprint for a prospective county wide policy.
On 11th October last year you will recall our meeting (postponed at your request from September) at the Powys County Council Offices in Llandrindod Wells at the end of which meeting you promised to respond to the campaign’s proposals “in detail by the beginning of December”.
Although we received no direct communication from you, in January 2012, we understand that you informed Councillor Gareth Ratcliffe that you would be unable to respond to us by the promised date, but instead “would come back to us in January”.
In response to further emails forwarded among others to Kirsty Williams AM, on January 29th 2012, you sent us an email in which you told us that you were “certainly not ignoring” our proposals. “actually it is the opposite” our “proposals along with others from other parts of the County are forming the basis of the review.” You explained that lack of money was not allowing you to make speedier progress but promised to contact us again when you had “firm dates for various aspects of the review.
Since that date, six weeks ago, we have heard nothing from you.
2. Can you please tell us whether any further progress will be made on your plans or our proposals before the elections scheduled for May 3rd?
3. On 15th May 2011, I emailed a request for a Residents’ Parking Permit on the lines outlined in Section 4 item 80. of the (Prohibition and Restriction of Waiting and Loading and Parking Places) (Civil Enforcement and Consolidation) Order 2011. I have never received the courtesy of an answer to that request. Can you please explain why?
4. At the County Council meeting of July 14th, in response to Motion CC84-2011, proposed by Councillor Gareth Ratcliffe, you confirmed a decision to bring forward the first stage of the review. How far has the review been brought forward as a result of that promise?
5. Will the promised deadline of April 1st 2012 be met for the introduction of your ‘consolidation order’?
I understand that on March 19th Powys County Council will go into ‘Purdah’ and after that date we should expect no response to any questions we may have until after the elections on May 3rd. Would you kindly respond to our questions before that date.
Regards
Copied to Roger Williams MP; Kirsty Williams AM; Councillor E M Jones OBE, Councillor Garteh Ratcliffe and various other interested parties
Dear Councillor Hopkins
It is now almost one year to 1st April 2012, the first anniversary of Powys taking over control of Civil Parking Enforcement from the police.
1. Prior to April 1st last year, you stated that the purpose of taking over CPE responsibility was to:
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.
After almost one year of becoming responsible for enforcing this policy can you provide any evidence of it meeting its wholly admirable aims?
You will hopefully recall the six months work that we, the Campaign for a Responsible Approach to Parking (CRAP) and the Hay-on-Wye community in producing outline proposals for Traffic flow, safety and parking in Hay-on-Wye. We hoped the plan might be used a blueprint for a prospective county wide policy.
On 11th October last year you will recall our meeting (postponed at your request from September) at the Powys County Council Offices in Llandrindod Wells at the end of which meeting you promised to respond to the campaign’s proposals “in detail by the beginning of December”.
Although we received no direct communication from you, in January 2012, we understand that you informed Councillor Gareth Ratcliffe that you would be unable to respond to us by the promised date, but instead “would come back to us in January”.
In response to further emails forwarded among others to Kirsty Williams AM, on January 29th 2012, you sent us an email in which you told us that you were “certainly not ignoring” our proposals. “actually it is the opposite” our “proposals along with others from other parts of the County are forming the basis of the review.” You explained that lack of money was not allowing you to make speedier progress but promised to contact us again when you had “firm dates for various aspects of the review.
Since that date, six weeks ago, we have heard nothing from you.
2. Can you please tell us whether any further progress will be made on your plans or our proposals before the elections scheduled for May 3rd?
3. On 15th May 2011, I emailed a request for a Residents’ Parking Permit on the lines outlined in Section 4 item 80. of the (Prohibition and Restriction of Waiting and Loading and Parking Places) (Civil Enforcement and Consolidation) Order 2011. I have never received the courtesy of an answer to that request. Can you please explain why?
4. At the County Council meeting of July 14th, in response to Motion CC84-2011, proposed by Councillor Gareth Ratcliffe, you confirmed a decision to bring forward the first stage of the review. How far has the review been brought forward as a result of that promise?
5. Will the promised deadline of April 1st 2012 be met for the introduction of your ‘consolidation order’?
I understand that on March 19th Powys County Council will go into ‘Purdah’ and after that date we should expect no response to any questions we may have until after the elections on May 3rd. Would you kindly respond to our questions before that date.
Regards
Monday, 12 March 2012
'Purdah in Powys'
19th March - It’s Purdah in Powys
Monday 19th March is the last day that you will be able to table any ‘politically sensitive’ questions to Powys County Councillors.
May 3rd is election day, when voters in Powys will select their future town, local and county councillors. Councillors are elected for four years so it will be May 2016 (there is rumour that the law may change allowing elections every five years from now forward) before we next have a chance to choose the people who will be representing us and our interests over the next years.
More power is being devolved to local council level and the introduction of ‘localism’, the ramifications of which are still not fully appreciated by both the electorate and the elected, will mean that the decisions made by our elected councillors, both local and county will have a significant effect on county and local communities.
Remember, county councillors are elected to represent us the voters and are meant to listen and act on our views. There has probably been little enough listening over the last few years and CRAP proposes to ask the leaders of all parties, and all those who put their names forward for election whether they will commit themselves to ‘grasp the nettle’ and take on the responsibility, so sadly missed by present councillors (Councillor Hopkins, are you listening?) to support our campaign and instigate an instant review of Parking Policy supporting both businesses and residents across the whole of Powys.
It’s about time that residents and businesses were listened to. We are tabling a Freedom of Information request to Powys so that BEFORE THE ELECTIONS ON MAY 3RD. we the electorate know not only exactly where each and every councillor stands on this important matter but also we have the full facts and figures on the costs and income derived from the first year of Powys County Council taking over responsibility for Civil Parking Enforcement. Without the facts, we just won’t know whether CPE has been an effective policy or an expensive farce.
REMEMBER if you have any questions, or want us (or your councillor) to ask Powys County Council anything on your behalf, DO IT BEFORE 19th MARCH!
Over the next few weeks and the lead up to the elections, we shall be blogging reactions to our request for a statement of commitment from both councillors seeking re-election and the new blood hoping to become councillors, and will publish answers to the questions we have asked in our Freedom of Information request. We shall also blog anything else pertaining about Parking which we feel will interest our ever expanding readership both here and those in the over fifty countries following CRAP’s campaign.
Monday 19th March is the last day that you will be able to table any ‘politically sensitive’ questions to Powys County Councillors.
May 3rd is election day, when voters in Powys will select their future town, local and county councillors. Councillors are elected for four years so it will be May 2016 (there is rumour that the law may change allowing elections every five years from now forward) before we next have a chance to choose the people who will be representing us and our interests over the next years.
More power is being devolved to local council level and the introduction of ‘localism’, the ramifications of which are still not fully appreciated by both the electorate and the elected, will mean that the decisions made by our elected councillors, both local and county will have a significant effect on county and local communities.
Remember, county councillors are elected to represent us the voters and are meant to listen and act on our views. There has probably been little enough listening over the last few years and CRAP proposes to ask the leaders of all parties, and all those who put their names forward for election whether they will commit themselves to ‘grasp the nettle’ and take on the responsibility, so sadly missed by present councillors (Councillor Hopkins, are you listening?) to support our campaign and instigate an instant review of Parking Policy supporting both businesses and residents across the whole of Powys.
It’s about time that residents and businesses were listened to. We are tabling a Freedom of Information request to Powys so that BEFORE THE ELECTIONS ON MAY 3RD. we the electorate know not only exactly where each and every councillor stands on this important matter but also we have the full facts and figures on the costs and income derived from the first year of Powys County Council taking over responsibility for Civil Parking Enforcement. Without the facts, we just won’t know whether CPE has been an effective policy or an expensive farce.
REMEMBER if you have any questions, or want us (or your councillor) to ask Powys County Council anything on your behalf, DO IT BEFORE 19th MARCH!
Over the next few weeks and the lead up to the elections, we shall be blogging reactions to our request for a statement of commitment from both councillors seeking re-election and the new blood hoping to become councillors, and will publish answers to the questions we have asked in our Freedom of Information request. We shall also blog anything else pertaining about Parking which we feel will interest our ever expanding readership both here and those in the over fifty countries following CRAP’s campaign.
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Friday, 2 March 2012
It's all happening on April 1st
April 1st 2012 - A red letter day
April 1st, only thirty days away, and what a lot will be happening.
First, it will the first year anniversary of Powys County Council assuming responsibility for Civil Parking Enforcement and the appearance of nine new Civil Enforcement Officers adding brightness and cheer to our streets. We shall be registering a Freedom of Information request asking for sufficient detail about the first year of operation to be able to judge whether it has been a success or ............... not!
Second, its the date by which Councillor Garaint Hopkiuns has promised to give a progress report on the adoption of a new traffic control and car parking policy (hopefully along the lines suggested by CRAP and with which Councillor Hopkins professed his [qualified] support at our meeting in September)
Third, It's April Fools Day !
Thursday, 1 March 2012
Councillor Hopkins - It's Your Choice
Councillor Geraint Hopkins - April 1st is the deadline you promised for the next stage of a Powys wide Traffic Management & Car Parking Policy - or it's April Fools Day - It's Your Choice
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