This was included in the November Magpie, Dilwynner and Pyonear
Oh, the highs and lows of trying to get stuff done as a local councillor. Without doubt the highlight was being able to coordinate contractors at Dilwyn Common Lane – Owen Pell for Balfour Beatty, Griffiths for Welsh Water – so that the works there could be done under the same road closure. It might feel like a low bar, but it’s a complaint I hear often - that roadworks are done, only for the next lot to close the road and rip it up all over again. So to coordinate these two public sector behemoths, saving costs and reducing the time the road is closed, felt like a success.
Other welcome works around the ward included the resurfacing south of Canon Pyon, fixing both the road but also a lot of the drainage and flooding issues around there. Looking to the flooding works by parish councils that we are funding, there has been further drainage work completed in Dilwyn, funding for works in Mansel Lacy have been approved, by the time you read this we should have a grill to protect the main culvert running through Weobley, and I’m supporting an extensive application for funding for projects around Canon Pyon. Arguably the three biggest problems – the Wellington Brook in Canon Pyon, the centre of Weobley, and understanding the risk in Dilwyn are all taking longer to address, but we are making progress, as well as investigations in Knapton and Brinsop complete and drainage works on Westhope hill scheduled.
If that is encouraging, the lows include the pavement works around the Burton wood area in Weobley, where we have had a lot of remedial work done because the first job was simply not up to scratch. I’m glad to have confirmed that the cost of that is not to be met by us, but by the contractors. But there are still issues including damage to private property, and I’m actively pursuing a report as to how it happened, and how it will be rectified. I remain confident that in the long run we will get those roads repaired, as well as the traffic calming and improved accessibility between that part of the village and the centre.
As I’m writing this, I’m also trying to understand what is happening with the A4112 closure, just announced, that will run until early December. There is the potential for major problems here, and I’m frustrated not to have been involved earlier in the process. It seems it’s an urgent safety issue around the bridge, but there must be better communication and consideration over the impacts on school bus services, control of how heavy vehicles use Weobley/Dilwyn as an alternative route, and so on.
The biggest frustration, though, is the news of the “settlement” from central government. I touched on this last month; but if the initial figures are right, it will have a fundamental effect on the scope of what the council can do. For example we currently make grants to parish councils so that they can, through smaller, local firms, get work done at a fraction of what it would cost us. That’s a great system (although it sometimes leaves confusion as to who should do it).
If the government does proceed as currently indicated, then there’s a real risk we will simply lose the ability to do that, as the only money we will have (from council tax and business rates, and the schools grant) will be consumed in non-discretionary services we have limited control over. I have discussed this with the leader of the council, and he is lobbying hard – as well as pointing out the fundamental errors in the apparent settlement. Other rural councils are facing similar problems, and there is a developing head of steam to get the government to reverse them. But money is very scarce.
At Plough Lane, there has been lots going on. Full Council happens a few times a year, and we met last week, discussing amongst other things policing, children’s rights, and buses (I raised the issue of annual tickets for students, in excess of £1k, not being appropriate to the post Covid world) . But in reality most of what matters is behind the scenes. A recent independent “corporate peer challenge” recognised the improvements in recent years, describing the council as “a good council striving to improve further”, highlighting improvements in areas such as children’s services and financial management (the council has now been the first to get its accounts audited this year, for the second year in a row – something you simply couldn’t do without a tight handle on them).
We had an excellent parish summit, helping improve relations between the county council and parishes, including a parish charter that lays out what parishes can expect from us and vice versa. It’s a vital partnership, particularly with resources as tight as they are. A key issue raised was the challenge over the government’s housing targets – not least as the increase from about 16k to 27k means that we no longer have a five year housing supply, and so local neighbourhood plans don’t have as much power to protect local community preferences.
Speeding and school safety concerns, in particular in Weobley and Canon Pyon, as well as the economic prospects for the county, are never far from my mind, and I continue to work on these areas.
At the beginning of this I talked about the highs of being a councillor. One of the great joys is seeing and getting involved in the many little bits of volunteerism in the area. This month just gone I’ve been out with my cricket club (Burghill, TIllington and Weobley) preparing the square for next year, and in the underpass in Dilwyn joining the brilliant team repainting the now 50 year old mural.
Please do get in touch if there’s anything I can help with (or even a voluntary project you’re very proud of!). I can be contacted on 07884 268624 or [email protected] - I’m also running “surgeries” where I’ll be available to chat in person.