Life in Wales is tough, unless you have powerful political friends that is.
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We are conducting investigations into all aspects of government in Wales, currently we are on the trail of questionable member and officer activities in Welsh local government including Gwynedd County Council, the Snowdonia National Park Authority and the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, if anyone has any information we will treat it with utmost confidence.
Now that Plaid Cymru Members of Parliament (MPs) and Assembly Members (AMs) have firmly nailed their colours to the mast we will be researching all aspects of Welsh political life including expenses claimed.
This website will be growing quickly over the next few weeks.
What has devolution done for us?
We once asked Rhodri Morgan via the BBC for a referendum to see if we in Wales still wanted the Welsh Assembly, he can veto any such request, so much for democracy. How many people actually want full independence? The vote should be based upon the total number of people in Wales.
Is the only solution to repeal the Wales Governments Acts?
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/welshdisassembly/
VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN GWYNEDD COUNTY COUNCIL
National parks, those in Wales in particular, have created problems with affordable housing. Despite the acute shortages in some villages the parks can override the obligation placed upon them under the law which is to 'foster the social and economic wellbeing' of communities, they do this using the overriding right to protect the landscape even in populated areas. With this in mind Evan Owen of Dyffryn Ardudwy asked Number 10 to put a petition on their website to allow residents of national parks everywhere to register their support of the motion for the prime Minister to repeal the NATIONAL PARKS AND ACCESS TO THE COUNTRYSIDE ACT 1949 -
We the undersigned support the establishment of a group that is dedicated to representing the views of English speakers in Wales.
This group would be open to anyone living in Wales who considers English their primary language, or who wants to ensure a fair representation of the views of people who speak English as their first language.
We are very aware of the concerns of people who might sign this petition in terms of their confidentiality and if this is the case you can sign and not make your name public. It is an unfortunate fact that many people working in some sectors would feel that expressing these views could compromise their positions.
DESIRED OUTCOME
That there is a balance in Wales to the Welsh speaking lobby. This in order to ensure that the 4 out of 5 people who are English (first) speaking have a voice. In no way do we wish to denigrate or criticise the Welsh speaking lobby - only to provide a balance to this view.
http://www.petitionthem.com/default.asp?sect=detail&pet=4420#sigs
Learn Welsh the quick and easy way http://www.saysomethinginwelsh.com/home/
Brecon Beacons National Park Authority - Digester
Had this in today from Council Source. There has to be something they are mad about regarding the leak of the sale of the Goleuad and the Penrhyn site. Apparently in the Arfon Planning meeting...they cleared the public and journalists for the last item....The sale of the Goleuad Building for £5,000.
next week. 30 min interview x 30 people is 15 hours @ £50 per hour = £750.
They only got a £10 tenner for it and it costs them £750 to investigate.
You remember Watergate, Victoria Dockygate, now we have tennergate "
A file was sent to us anonymously entitled: 'How to get planning in the Snowdonia National Park', something mere mortals or non-farmers find impossible! Looks like the best ways to get what you want are to build it first and then apply for 'retrospective' planning permission or do it unhindered for long enough then apply for a 'certificate of lawful use'. Now we have more information which suggests the certificates should be revoked, the documents demonstrate the the evidence used in the 'Assessment' of NP5/62/LU328 is unsound and in the case of NP5/61/LU15D the letter dated 11 November 1996 from Head of Planning John Bowers to Aled Sturkey, Director of Planning and Cultural Heritage is clear, that there was no justification for granting the certificate. http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/doc/321202.doc
http://www.eryri-npa.co.uk/swiftlg/apas/MediaTemp/9529-7689.pdf (suitable properties elsewhere?)
http://www.eryri-npa.co.uk/swiftlg/apas/MediaTemp/9529-5833.pdf (incorrect boundaries?)
http://www.eryri-npa.co.uk/swiftlg/apas/MediaTemp/9309-7438.pdf (yet another in a series of abuse of planning process?)
http://www.eryri-npa.co.uk/swiftlg/apas/MediaTemp/9460-7273.PDF This was supposed to be a disabled person's dwelling
http://www.eryri-npa.co.uk/swiftlg/apas/run/WPHAPPSEARCHRES.displayResultsURL?ResultID=18863&StartIndex=1&SortOrder=rgndat:desc&DispResultsAs=WPHAPPSEARCHRES&BackURL=<a href=wphappcriteria.display?paSearchKey=10413>Search Criteria</a> Owned by sister of Authority Chairman, previous owner failed to obtain permission for decades, is this an example of consent bias?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7726862.stm
Politicians are either misguided or ill informed, read comments from Elfyn Llwyd PM, Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas AM, Alun Ffred Jones AM. Their words are now written in stone.
http://wales.gov.uk/docs/desh/publications/081125inspectorsreporten.pdf
This was an application made by a Council employee which was pushed through by the Council members despite apparent officer guidance to refuse based on local and national policy. Tipped of by internal County Council informant who wishes to remain anonymous, obviously.
The Committee on Standards in Public Life today (10/11/2008) announced that the subject of its twelfth inquiry is to be ‘Local Leadership and Public Trust: Accountability and Transparency in London and Local Government’.
http://www.public-standards.org.uk/Library/PN218.doc