Neath Ferret www.neathferret.co.uk Neath's Private Eye Looking for Community Problems Blaenhonddan / Dyffryn Clydach Edition PRINTS THE NEWS THAT NEWSPAPERS WON'T Contact: News or Comments:   news@neathferret.co.uk or use our new readers letters facility June 2009   Version 19.13 Welcome to the website that aims to inform everyone about what is happening in our community and to highlight what needs to be done when an injustice or wrong doing is apparent. See our new website extension -- express your views -- have your say Add this page to your favourites Please note that the latest news does not always appear at the top of the page. Updates have been made to some existing items, we therefore suggest you make frequent visits to this website for changes and more news items.       Please note that the version number changes with every update. What's New? New Older People's Forum Details Neath Guardian print letter at last Details Dangers of energy saving lamps - Council's concern Details Council dissolve Finance Committee Details LNG Pipeline Concern Details Should Linda Ware pay Council £24,000? Dai Dust speaks out. Details 19 refuse bins set on fire at Longford - PACT report Details Community Finances Revealed ? See further Meetings you may have missed - June 2009 22nd June 2009 -- Monday -- 2:00pm -- Caewern Community Centre -- PACT Surgery 23rd June 2009 -- Tuesday from 1:30pm -- Carnegie Hall, Evelyn Road Skewen. Council Vote 'NO' 25th June 2009 -- Thursday -- 2:30pm -- Longford Memorial Hall -- Older People's Forum YOUR VIEWS Have you written to the press and they have not printed your letter - or have they edited it unfairly? Have you written to your MP or the Prime Minister and have had no reply? If your answer is 'yes' then let us know. Remember we print what newspapers won't. Libel laws must apply - also the right to reply. LATE EXTRA See our new open letter page where Dai Dust gets it off his chest You may disagree with him - if so tell us why? LETTERs TO VIP's Housing Saga Getting Hotter Long letter from John Morris - see our letter page More and more council tenants are beginning to take notice of the fact that our local authority would like to get rid of their council housing stock. Read what John Morris from Port Talbot has to say about it on our reader's letter page. Remember to tell your friends about this web site - we print what the press will not - as you will see below. Departing - Age Concern Arriving - Older People's Forum Cllr Martin Peters has informed us that with no funding available for the Age Concern charity it seems that it will be phased out in the future. To make up for the departure, a new local organisation is being formed to help the older generation to be aware of the benefits that they are entitled to from the Government and local authority. The group will be called: Neath Abbey and District Older People's Forum. Further details will be given in due course. Neath Guardian print letter at last! Earthquake/lightening danger to the community highlighted Fresh from his holiday break, Neath Guardian's chief reporter, Anthony O'Connell, assured a reader that his letter would be printed in the edition due out on 25th June 2009 - and we are pleased to say that it was. It's regarding the possible effect of an earthquake or a lighting strike on the Cilfrew LNG pressure reducing station. Following the earthquake ten miles outside Port Talbot on 2nd June see report below the letter, submitted by a Guardian reader, states the concern of residents living near the Cilfrew station. The LNG pipeline was the subject of an ITV-Wales broadcast on 8th June 2009, which highlighted some disturbing facts about the project. The programme was actually put together before the earthquake occured and therefore did not relate to it. Nevertheless, concern was expressed about its constuction. When fully operational the pressure of the gas in the pipeline will be 1,345 psi - a fact that was not mentioned in the TV documentary. There is still a big question as to why a pressure station was built so close to the Cilfrew village, which has only one access road in the event of an emergency. Warning on Energy Saving Lamps Neath Guardian fails to alert readers of possible danger to health Councillor Tony Wyn-Jones told members of Blaenhoddan Community Council that he was concerned the public were not aware of the dangers in using energy saving lamps. His comments follow a Daily Mail awareness campaign to highlight facts relating to their use. The Daily Mail reports: "Energy-saving light bulbs are so dangerous that everyone must leave the room for at least 15 minutes if one falls to the floor and breaks, a Government department has warned. The startling alert came as health experts also warned that toxic mercury inside the bulbs can aggravate a range of problems including migraines and dizziness. And a leading dermatologist said tens of thousands of people with skin complaints will find it hard to tolerate being near the bulbs as they cause conditions such as eczema to flare up."     The Daily Mail report     BBC news item The same warning applies to fluorescent tubes We suggest that you print a copy of the above and keep in a safe place - this information has been passed to the Neath Guardian who have failed to print it to date. Council to dissolve Finance Committee in favour of an agenda item Yet another item that the Neath Guardian has failed to print. Members of Blaenhonddan Community Council have decided to disband the Finance Committee formed last year to look in depth at financial matters. Cllr. Doreen Jones said she was in favour of a regular financial report being put on the agenda of each meeting instead. Cllr. Gareth Morgan stated that a Finance Committee could look closely at certain items of expenditure in a way the full council would not have time to do - and they (the committee) would report back to the full council anyway. The motion to dissolve the committee was agreed by the council after being opposed by the Plaid Cymru members. The Liberal member abstained from voting. We are concerned about tenders - who are going to open them? Surely not just the Clerk and Chairman as done in the past? Remember it is alleged that some time ago work was done by a councillor with no tenders involved - and we are talking about thousands of pounds. If this is true we certainly don't want it to happen again with no Finance Committee to keep a watchful eye on proceedings. We would like to have your comments on this - especially as the Neath Guardian has failed to report on it. Dyffryn Clydach PACT meeting 19 Bins set on fire in woods by vandals Dyffryn Clydach residents who attended the PACT meeting at the Longford Memorial Hall on 17th June were told to keep reporting anti-social behaviour to the Police. They were assured that all calls were recorded and given an incident number. It was not established if the same number would be given to three different people reporting the same incident. Those reporting incidents should make a note of the number given. A priority was set for the Police to deal with the gangs that are having late night drinking sessions in the area, mainly on weekends, and setting fire to refuse bins. It was stated that many of the youths are from outside the district and are taking advantage of the woods in the vicinity. Mobile phones and even a website are being used to notify gang members of the so called 'raves'. Each bins is said to cost £100 to replace - all at the expense of the council tax payer. The next PACT meeting at Dyffyn Clydach is scheduled for the same venue on Wedneday 12th August, at 6:30pm but a PACT surgery will be held on 15th July to see what progress had been made. Contact tel. no's: Police 01792 456999   Emergency 999   PC-Support Officer 07805 301569 (calls to this number are not recorded). You can also report anti-social behaviour to 01639 889709. Should Gordon Brown use BossHunters to solve his problems? ....A firm linked to Peter Hain – MP for Neath With Gordon Brown’s quest for new faces, and with Sir Alan Sugar, the businessman and Apprentice star, being awarded a peerage and a new enterprise role in government, we wonder if the Prime Minister is going to BossHunters for more talent. BossHunters is the trade name of HAYWOODHAIN, a company formed by Peter Hain and his wife Elizabeth (Haywood) after another firm she was associated with was declared bankcrupt in May 2008. A report by the Mirror states: “The firm run by Peter Hain's wife owed more than £1million when it went bust. Elizabeth Haywood's headhunting outfit left debts that included an outstanding tax bill of almost £250,000. Ms Haywood, 52, owned a 50 per cent stake in KMC, which went bankrupt in May 2008.. Administrators have warned creditors owed almost £900,000 are unlikely to receive a penny. KMC held a string of government contracts as a "preferred supplier" to Whitehall. The firm went out of business just months after Mr Hain, 58, was forced to resign for failing to declare donations of more than £100,000 to his deputy Labour leadership campaign.” Mirror report dated 7th July 2008 Wales on-line report dated 1st January 2009 Information and register of interests. HAYWOODHAIN - Includes biographies of Peter Hain and his wife Peter Hain MP   His website where he replies or makes comments on letters sent to him. Copy of letters our readers have sent to Peter Hain MP LNG Pipeline Earthquake Concern Residents contact Neath Ferret Several residents have expressed their concern about the recent earthquake (see link below for BBC report) and state that is was one of the reasons why they opposed the LNG pipeline being so near to their homes. They state that this area is one of the very few earthquake zones in the UK The earthquake, the largest measured in South Wales for 34 years, was confirmed by seismologists. The quake was felt at 2042 BST on Friday, 5th June 2009. with the epicentre near Nantyffyllon, 6.2 miles (10km) north east of Port Talbot. BBC earthquake report British Geological Survey Report The ITV-1 'Wales This Week' programme broadcast on 8th June 2009, highlighted some serious issues regarding the LNG pipeline running through Wales with a pressure reduction unit near Cilfrew. Already there has been incidents in other countries with similar pipelines. It is important to be aware of the dangers before anything happens. The video below illustrates what has already been experienced elsewhere. LNG Pipeline - High Pressure The pressure of the gas in the pipeline is perhaps best compared with the pressure of air in the tyres of a car, which is around 35 psi (pounds per square inch). The LNG pipeline pressure is classified as "High Pressure" and is 1,324 psi. This figure is above what applies in some other countries. Heath & Safety - LNG Pipelines COMMENT --- It is considered that not enough thought has been given to the pressure reduction station near Cilfrew. The village has only one access and exit road and in the event of an emergency there could be a serious traffic problem. It is not just the remote possibility of an earthquake but a more lightly lightening strike - not to mention it being a target by terrorists. We do not want to be alarmists but it is wise to be prepared for any event. It is obvious that the Neath Port Talbot Planning Department were very short sighted when they granted the planning application for the station to be built so near to the village. Futher thought should be given before the pipeline is fully pressurised. What National Grid say about the system "The methods and procedures we use to build pipelines are based on established best practice, the latest industry guidance and a number of British and International Standards and regulations." Security "In this day and age no major piece of engineering can be built without adequate regard for security and anti-terrorism measures. We can't reveal what these measures are, but we work closely with the police, the security services and the Ministry of Defence when designing and building all our installations." Good Safety Record National Grid state that they have an excellent safety record over the past 34 years. We must add that there have been no earthquakes of any significance during this period - until the one we mentioned on 5th June 2009. Have you any questions? You may get the answers from the following website, on which there is a means of contacting the company for further information. The more you know about the system, the better, because you then become aware of the dangers and the measures taken to avoid them. Apart from this, the more interest and concern the public show in the project, the better. It will hopefully reflect in an even higher standard of maintenance and prevent the temptation to cut corners to save money in what is basically a profit motivated scheme. National Grid Pipe-line website. National Grid Shareholders - information The cost of speaking out about the LNG Pipeline £24,000? Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council are claiming £24,000 for court costs from Cilfrew resident, Linda Ware, as a result of her acting and speaking on behalf of her village residents in connection with the LNG Pipeline (see item above). M/s Ware cannot currently comment on the matter because of a pending court hearing in conjunction with the Aarhus Convention. The Aarhus Convention grants the population a series of rights that act as a kind of "bridge" between environmental rights and human rights. Basically it is to ensure justice without penalty for genuine campaigners. Dai Dust, a writer of a letter on our readers letter page, speaks out very forcefully on the matter. All we will say, at the moment, is that NPT-CBC are likely to he headline news in the national newpapers if they pursue this matter in what seems to be a vindictive manner to many people. They could well end up as the laughing stock of the nation. Dai Dust on our letters page A link to the Private Eye Magazine About the Aarhus Convention Legal matters (for reference) on Internet Crows attack resident in Bryncoch Something must be done At a recent County Councillor's surgery, a Bryncoch South resident said she has been attacked by crows. Apparently the wooded area near her home is due for cutting back later this year, but it appears that this should be done sooner rather than later. The resident stated that the large population of crows in the area are causing problems and added that she was no longer seeing small birds in her garden because the larger birds have taken over. The Councillor in attendance said that she would refer the matter to the relevant council department. If any other readers have had similar problems, please let us know. Anti-social Behaviour Anti-social behaviour was reported about some youths at Caewern who were throwing empty beer cans into a residents garden. Residents can have help in dealing with this type of behaviour by telephoning 01639 889709. Incidents should be reported to 01792 456999 where they are logged - remember to ask for an incident number (and keep it for reference). In the event of being physically threatened or if there is a danger to life, dial 999. Councillor makes citizens arrest It was reported that a Bryncoch Councillor made a citizens arrest and held the offender in custody until the Police arrived. We remind readers that they have the right to do this but should not endanger themselves in the process. Councillor Tony Wyn-Jones would like it known that he is still a member of Blaenhoddan Community Council as well as being a member of the Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council. He was not in attendance at the above mentioned surgery as he has his own means of keeping in touch with the residents he represents. Cllr. Wyn-Jones rightly objects to paying £10 to Blaenhonndan Community Council for the hire of a community centre when it is used on a non-profit basis to benefit local residents. Do you think the Community Council should charge for a non-profit facility that benefits residents? You are invited to write in and let us know. Neath Guardian reveals council finances for 2008/9 The Neath Guardian, edition dated 4th June 2009, has revealed figures relating to the finances of the Blaenhonddan Community Council for the year 2008/9. It is now up to residents to ask their community councillor about anything they don't understand - bearing in mind one has to respect the privacy of council staff and what they are paid. Ironically, the wages of MP's and AM's and their expenses are public knowledge. It is no good asking one of the recently retired councillors for information because they have all just received the following letter from the Council's clerk:- "Re: Information appertaining to this Authority Council would like to remind you that information circulated to you, that is not in the public domain, remains confidential even after you have ceased to be a Member of this Authority - this includes information appertaining to individual employees, salaries & expenses - which are protected under the Data Protection Act 1998, including the full copy of the Income & Expenditure Report for 2008-9. As this information is no longer required by yourself in the capacity of Member of the Authority it is recommended that it is shredded or returned to the Council Office where it can be destroyed." Stock Transfer of Council Houses How safe are council house tenants? --- Latest news The first official "VOTE NO" public meeting took place at the Longford Memorial Hall on Wednesday, 3rd June 2009, and was reasonably well attended, considering the lovely weather. Residents of Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council have the big advantage in looking at other areas and seeing how they voted - and why.   Nearby Swansea residents have voted NO. The most impressive comment was from Cllr.Martyn Peters, who said that there has been many requests from residents wanting to move from their Gwalia Housing accommodation to council houses but none the other way around. This indicated to him that more residents are satisfied with their present council house accommodation than those under the cover of a housing association. The next meeting will be in Skewen - date to be announced shortly. Background story - as previously reported Neath Port Talbot County Councillors voted for council house tenants to decide on their own future and if their council homes should be transferred to a housing association - or not. It therefore seems strange that the local authority is prepared to spend over £5 million pounds in an attempt for council house tenants to vote in favour of the transfer. From what we see of it, the council's arguement is rather one-sided and many reasons for voting 'NO' have not been put forward. At a public meeting held at the Owain Gyndwr Community Centre on Monday, 11th May 2009, it was stated that any possible transfer would be a form of privatisation and that a housing association could sell part of their stock on to another landlord at sometime in the future - or so it seems. County Borough Councillor, Tony Wyn-Jones, who organised the meeting, introduced several speakers, and residents, to give their views. One resident expressed the view that the transfer would dilute the need and necessity for County Councillors to whom current council house tenants can address problems. Councillors who have been sitting on the fence are now beginning to see many questionable issues that are just coming to light. The transfer could also effect someone who has bought their council house but find themselves living next door to a noisy (or undesirable) neighbour who has not. What can a councillor (and the Council) do if the undesirable neighbour is no longer responsible to the Council? This is one of many questions yet to be answered. More information on the issue Previous report and more links for guidance NOTE... You are unlikely to read the foregoing information in the local newspapers who chose to ignore this website - so please make your friends and neighbours aware of the issue and the date of the next meeting when the date is known. Would the £5m for the promotion of the stock transfer be better spent on improving council houses? Give your views on our letters page. LATE EXTRA.... Letters on this important issue have already started to come through -- see our letters page To be fair, we also give a link to the Gwalia website Former Councillor speaks out ... and reveals his concern for the community Former Blaenhonddan Community Councillor, Cled Griffin, writes for the first time on our readers page and expresses his concern for the community in which he lives. We note that he reiterates some of the facts mentioned on this website. We have no objection to him, or anyone else, quoting facts that we have highlighted. In fact, having others endorse what we print is very encouraging - and gives us added confidence. The ex-councillor states that he would not have been able to write that way if he were a member of council. If he did he would have been accused of bringing the council into disrepute - even although he would be expressing views of those who elected him. Community Spirit Helps Environment Something for nothing - free swop shop A free swop shop for unwanted items and a free skip is available, courtesy of Keep Wales Tidy, at March Hywel Estate, Cilfrew on the third Wednesday of every month. The skip is manned by members of Cilfrew Resident's Association. People who wish to donate goods to be recycled by other people in the Community can bring goods along from 10 am to the site alongside Family Fayre shop in March Hywel Estate where they will be made available to others at no cost. Anything good remaining when the skip arrives at 12 noon is then given to the Red Chapel restoration fund for resale by the Chapel. The skip was filled in record time last month, 20 mins from arrival to full to capacity. Clean up your houses and gardens and make your space and someone elses a better and cleaner place. Words, words and more words Where have heard this before? Gordon Brown pledges MP code of conduct.   MPs face a legally binding code of conduct to "clean up" politics after the expenses row, Gordon Brown tells the BBC. The foregoing is an extract from a BBC News website and is reminiscent of actions by Blaenhonddan Community Council BNP Active in Neath Leaflets being handed out It seems that the BNP are targeting Neath for forthcoming elections. It has to be admitted that some of the things they say in the leaflet they were giving out last weekend makes sense and should be considered by other parties. Some say that the BNP is a racist party so lets look at the facts that we discovered from the Internet. In 1950 the population of this country was 41 million - at the end of 2008 it was 61 million. We are wondering how many of those are immigrants - not just coloured people? On the subject of immigrants, we must not be afraid to express our thoughts. One of our readers told us that he took his daughter to Birmingham airport to go on her job abroad and in the airport lounge there wasn't a white person in sight - not even the airport staff. He said he felt a stranger in his own country! The same can be said when walking the streets of certain towns in the UK. However, this is not the case here in Neath so we wonder why the BNP has this town in focus? Their leaflet states that they are not far right - but say they are not far wrong either! By the way, the foregoing population figures were not mentioned by the BNP in their leaflet- it is something we figured ourselves. It should be remembered that the BNP have criticized this website so they are no friends of ours - but we feel we should look at both sides of the coin and make people think for themselves. In the end it is the quality of life that matters for those who have families here that go back many generations. We eat our words ... but look ahead to the summer evenings In a previous version of this website we were critical of a fish and chip shop openng next to the Tesco Express at Waunceirch. However, this has become an asset to the community in view of the choice of the ready cooked items available. Their chips are cooked in vegetable oil, which is better than fat used in the past. From 1st June the closing time will be extended from 9:00pm to 10:00pm., so we will be looking fairly at the area because we have already noticed an increase of litter on our streets - something that the Bryncoch Environment Group has already mentioned. Late night 'eaters' are more lightly to dump their wrappings anywhere - without a thought of the environment and local residents. The following items were highlighted during the past month Pills, Money and Bankers A new feature page with news about a new cure pill that nobody wants to make because there is no money to be made! And how about those Bankers? Click to view Democracy Destroyed at Blaenhonddan Community Council Meeting It was almost a mirror image of the House of Commons earlier in the day when May's Community Council meeting, the AGM, opened at the Owain Glyndwr Community Centre on the third Monday of the month. Councillor Martyn Peters, the leader of the Plaid Cymru group, was not allowed to speak on the past year, as is customary with the outgoing Chairman - only in this case the outgoing Chairperson, Cllr. Janice Dudley, was absent due to a stress related illness. After several attempts to speak, Cllr.Peters was shouted down by members of the Labour party and, with democracy thrown out of the window, he tendered his resignation as a member of the council and walked out of the meeting. It can be revealed that bullying tactics of the Labour members had been anticipated by five other Plaid Cymru members who showed their support for Cllr.Peters by handing prepared resignation notices to the Council's Clerk All six members are totally dissatisfied with the administration of the Council over a long period and the latest episode to the long running saga cumulated with the orchestrated walkout - indicating that something must be wrong with the system for so many members to act the same way. Members in the public in the gallery, and the press, were present to witness the bulling tactics of Labour and the end of democracy at local level. How does the BCC compare with the neighbouring Dyffryn Clydach CC ? Dyffryn Clydach Community Council fosters a great community spirit and is run to benefit residents. Children have a summer party and another at Halloween and Christmas when they are all given a gift. Every senior citizen is treated to a Christmas dinner during the festive period. The children playgounds are well looked after and it is possible to book their community centre at short notice - it is currently used by Struthers Church following their failure to get satisfaction at BCC. In addition to all this, the Dyffryn Council produce a community magazine twice every year. Cllr.Peters is proud of the Dyffryn Council that he helped to develop and is grieved at the difference between the sub-standard one at Blaenhonddan, as he is (or was) a member of both. His expertise and experience could have been used to restucture Blaenhonddan Community Council were it not for an administration that he says seems to be operating with a lack of direction. And just like the Speaker at the House of Commons there seems to be no way to get change. Perhaps the BNP is at looking at the situation - that will make the Labour members laugh the other side of their face. One thing is certain, this matter is not going to go away because residents can see what is happening and they are going to have their say. Not only that, the six resigning members from the BCC feel they can do more for the residents who elected them outside the council than being a part of it - they can now speak freely without being gagged by the Council's so called standing orders and code of conduct. So watch this space! You ain't seen nothing yet! Read the BBC News report on Blaenhonddan Councillors walking out. Read the Neath Guardian report (Wales on-line) Read what our readers say on our letters page It's not working at Westminster either What readers say One of many letters from our readers letters page ****Letter of the month (so far)**** "Well, they tried! They tried to bring order out of chaos. They tried to bring transparency out of secrecy. They tried to bring accountability to the electorate and they tried to drag the whole sorry lot of them into the 21st century. In the end, because of the honourable people they are, they decided that, for the sake of their sanity and their ethics they had no other option other than to resign. The despotic, ruling cadre that remains are but a ghostly reflection of the shower in Westminster. Their willingness to forgo honour and fealty for the people in favour of a desperate urge to cling to power overrides all. All pretence of decorum, comity, and decorous behaviour vanished as they were challenged for the first time. It was during those ‘laughable’ council meetings that the true measure of the Labour Party was revealed. The Plaid members were regularly insulted and belittled even, on one occasion, to the extent of one ‘Honourable?’ councillor calling another a ‘Bitch’. This was also heard by a journalist present for the meeting. The finances are in ruins, health and safety ignored, but by God they still have their power. Well so be it, let them have it back; at least we know the truth. They can run themselves into bankruptcy and like the sheep that they are will no doubt come bleating to the electorate for more money." The writer gives her name on our letter page. If you wish to reply, if you agree or not, you are welcome to do so Council's website updated after a long delay We are pleased to say that Blaenhonddan Community Council's website has been updated following a comment in the press about it being out of date. The website includes a press release by the Council's Clerk in an attempt to clarify adverse comments made by the media. The website can be a big asset for the council's administration if it continues to be kept up to date as we hope it will be. Compare Community Councillors to MP's and what they get The expenses of MPs at Westminster have been in the news this month with details of how they are fiddling their allowances, which we agree is not good enough. This cannot happen with your Community Councillors because they do not get paid expenses - in fact, they do not even get paid at all. That's right - they personally get no money at all. In fact they are out pocket, because apart from their time, they travel to meetings at their own expense. We mention this because some of Blaenhonddan Community Councillors have been in the news and have have allegedly been accused of bringing the Council into disrepute by saying the wrong thing at the wrong time in spite of a so called code of conduct. But one thing is certain - there is no financial gain whatsoever with no councillor running a business and getting work from the Council - but this has not always been the case. Council Accounts But lets be clear, we cannot speak for the Council's finances because the Chairperson of the Finance Committee says she has not seen the accounts for the past years for reasons unknown to us. Why look at figures for past years, you may ask? The answer is simply to compare expenditure from year to year as done in business. And the Council should be run as a business - not to make a profit but to spend YOUR money wisely. Every household in Blaenhonddan is paying around £40 this year out of their council tax to the Community Council - and that adds up to a lot of money. NOTE.... County Borough Councillors get an allowance and expenses which are accountable. For Those Who Really Care Have a look at the website of The Tax Payers Alliance and sign the petition.   Details European Parliament Elections 4th June 2009 Who wants to be a **millionaire? Our view is unbiased. We think that you should vote for the candidate who is most likely to care for the environment and the interests of Wales. Perhaps the recent revelations of MP's expenses at Westminster should also be taken into consideration as to whom is likely to be the most honest and sincere person for the job. **Anyone becoming elected is likely to become a millionaire in 4 years time! If you missed Questiontime on BBC 1 (14th May), then click on the link below to see it - what an eye opener!     View BBC1 TV - Question Time This is still viewable at the time of this version going on line Another party with new approach and new ideas. Libertas is the fresh and exciting new political force sweeping across Europe. There is candidate in this area. Click here for more details. Community Centres - Flu Pandemic Measures Likely vaccination centres? It can be revealed that Blaenhonddan Community Centres are being considered as likely vaccination centers with the possibility of the Swine Flu alert being raised from level 5 to level 6 - providing a vaccine becomes available. One drawback for the use of the centres is that British Telephone land lines are no longer active because the council decided to discontinue payphones in favour of mobile phones carried by the hirers of the centres. This decision was opposed by Cllr.Cled Griffin who said it was a backwards step with the development of Broadband, which would be a future asset in the use of the centres. Broadband/Emails would be a vital part of a communications network in the event of a mass vaccination programme if the present strain of the flu virus became more virulent as maybe the case towards the end of the year. What is happening now? Booklets are being delivered to every home, these are entitled: Important Information About Swine Flu. You should read the booklet and keep it safe. The following contacts may be handy:- Information telephone line: 0800 1 513 513. Callers will hear a recorded messages with 5 options for further information. Internet information: www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk       www.wales.gov.uk It is wise to be prepared and know where to get information. If Swine Flu does develop it will spread quickly. Remember the best isolation place is you own home. Your local radio station will keep you up-to-date with what is happening in your area. Its all a matter of common sense - just follow the advice in the booklet and you should have nothing to worry about - its just a case of being prepared. PACT Meeting at Bryncoch The PACT meeting (Police And Community Together) held at the Bryncoch Community Centre on Thursday, 14th May, was attended by many residents having problems with youth anti-social behaviour. As the start of the meeting, a first viewing of a DVD was shown on the subject. It featured a film made by Port Talbot school children as actors and showed the yellow and red card warnings that are given before the ultimate ASBO.   It was stated that copies of the DVD will be sent to local schools. Crime figures were given and it was noted that while these are generally lower, there is an increase in anti-social behaviour. A booklet entitled:"Anti-Social Behaviour" was handed out and it was requested that further copies be made available at the local Post Offices. One of the telephone numbers to report anti-social bahaviour is: 01639 889709. This is manned during the day with a recording service after hours. The PCSO covering Caewern and Brycoch is Lian Gittus who can be contacted on: 07805 301 541 Crimes should be reported to: 01792 456999 - calls to this number are logged and go on the crime statistics. For life threatening crime, or emergency services, call: 999 Information on the Rhiwlas Neighbourhood Watch website may also be helpful: View. The next PACT meeting in the Bryncoch area is scheduled for Monday, 13th July 2009, at the Owain Glyndwr Community Centre at 6:30pm. Linda Ware in the news New website online Linda Ware, one of our many contributors, now has her own exclusive website. Linda has broadcast several times on the BBC Radio Wales' phone-in programme, talking to listeners about her views on the environment. Linda's website: www.lindaware.co.uk LNG Plant Opens What are the dangers? The Queen and members of the Royal family opened the LNG plant at Milford Haven on 12th May 2009. There has been much concern about the safety of this plant and its pipeline with its associated 'pressure' stations enroute. We will be looking at potential dangers in due course because ever since it was first announced liquefied natural gas (LNG) is to be shipped to this port there have been safety fears. We want to make residents aware of what is vertually on our doorstep and to know about the unknown factors of this source of energy - so watch this space. BNP to Target Neath at next election A warning for Labour! One of our undercover reporters has revealed that the British Nationalist Party has Neath in its political gunsights. The recent town centre demonstration by Neath's MP, Peter Hain, to discredit the controversial organisation resulted in a YOUTUBE video being put on by BNP in which they question the alleged missing £103,000 linked to the MP's political activities. The video highlighted in version 14 of our website has now had over 7,150 viewers. The tactics of the BNP is to look for, and highlight, political weaknesses. Our reporter states that the BNP is even looking at community councils with the aim of getting a foothold at grassroots level. If the BNP's efforts succeed Labour will have much more to worry about than the Plaid Cymru Party. The BNP will dig and delve into the past affairs of the council in an effort to bring the Labour Party into disrepute - this is the way they work in order to gain power, as they are now doing with Peter Hain. It is a fact that members of the BNP have been seen in the public gallery at recent Blaenhonddan Community Council meetings and are taking a keen interest in the finances of the council in the hope that they can discredit the council's Labour connections. In the event of any future vacancy on the council it is very likely that the BNP will take the opportunity to establish themselves on the bottom rung of the political ladder - we must wait and see. View the controversial video White's Folly - no homes for toads A sad environmental story The Llwyn Helyg development at Waunceirch, better known as White's Folly, has drastically destroyed the toad population in the area, according to a survey by the Bryncoch Environment Group (BEG). Every year BEG monitors the migration of toads to the Dyfryn pond and help them to survive on the roads in their journey. This year (2009) only 150 toads were picked up as opposed to 650 last year. Motorists will have observed the yellow road drain covers, which are placed in position to prevent the creatures falling down them. BEG say that having a toad in your garden in a good thing as they eat slugs and other garden nasties. We feel sad that the White's Folly developers were rather late to acknowledge one of natures activities resulting the decimation of the Waunceirch toad population. For further details of the BEG and their activities, visit their website. NOTE... White's Folly is named after Geoff White, Chief Planning Officier of NPT CBC, who allowed the ridge top to be developed and become Neath's greatest eyesore. More details Yellow Pages not Green What a waste of paper! With the imminent delivery of the Yellow Pages telephone directory to all homes in the area, everyone should be vigilant about copies being left outside their house and neighbours homes. It only seems like the other day that we had the last issue. The truth is that they are delivered annually with very little change to the content. It is, in fact, a big money making exercise by YELL who paid BT for the business. The publication would be equally effective if printed bi-annually - but money talks and big profit is the motive. We consider it to be a waste of paper with no consideration to the environment. And have you noticed what BT has done since selling Yellow Pages to YELL? They are now (after a gap of a couple of years) printing their own classified section in the Phone Book. This is bi-annual, at the moment, but don't be surprised to see it yearly sometime in the future. It has to be said that BT is saving paper by making the print so small that you can hardly read it - except for the profit making advertisments in the classified section. When BT restarted their classified section it reminded us of someone selling their shop and then opening another similier shop next door just two years later. All is certainly not fair in big business. Please remember to put your old Yellow Pages out for recycling. Would it not be a good idea for an organised collection of the old issue?     Sorry - there is no profit in that! PS... We must be fair and say that we have found some recycling information on Yellow Page directories - see link below. How effective this is we will have to find out. It seems that it not really organised as we would like to see it. Yellow Pages recycling Swine flu and cure for the common cold What's in it to make money? Swine flu, preferred to be called Mexican flu by certain secular races known for their attitute to pigs, has revealed that a viral capsule is available to combat the infection once you have it. Looking more deeply into the subject at this worrying moment in time, our research suggests that a cure for the common cold has been found but has been suppressed by the drug industry for profit motive reasons. There is so much money to be made from medicines that relieve and supress the misery of common cold symptoms, coughs with stuffed and running noses, that it would not be in the interest of drug manufacturers to market the alleged new commom cold cure. Here again it is the case of money talking and big business putting financial gain before the needs of the general public. The fact that swine flu is a potential killer has made the drug industry (and Governments) move fast to produce an anti viral capsule. Is this a contradiction in terms you may ask? We think not as the flu drug is more of a life saver - and besides, the manufacturers do not want to lose customers for their common cold products! If the common cold was a life threatening problem it could very well be a different story - then surely the alleged cold cure would become available? Because this is not the case, we have to tolerate the common cold for the pharmaceutical companies to make tens of millions of pounds each year on a recurring problem that we simply have to live with - or so it seems. NOTE... See also our new feature page about another drug that has been ignored because there is no profit in producing it. We regret we cannot validate or divulge the source of our information, which is classified and not in the public domain. But everyone must agree that it does not make sense that we can travel to the moon and yet with all our other discoveries we have no apparent cure for the common cold. Windfall for Blaenhonddan community! We look at a councillors comments Cllr.Martyn Peters was reported in the local press as saying in a council meeting that the Blaenhonddan Community Council has had a windfall over the years and yet has spent little on children's playgrounds. We asked Cllr.Peters to be more explicit and explain more fully what he meant by 'windfall.' He said that since 1994 many new houses had been built, particularly in North and South Bryncoch, which has added to the council tax precept for the whole community. The houses in question were the developments by Barretts, Wimpy, Redrow and Westbury Homes - not to mention several private developers who had built high council tax band homes. Cllr.Peters endorsed the comments he made at the council meeting and said that with the increase of revenue the community should have the finest playgrounds and community halls in the SA postcode area. NOTE 1... Residents at North Bryncoch have written to Peter Hain MP and their minister at the Welsh Assembly regarding the state of the children's playground in their area. NOTE 2... Read below about the ownership of the Caewern hall going back to the Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council in 2001 - see Struthers Church, move from Caewern. And there's more .... lots more It must be said that Cllr.Peters was not altogether happy with the above report and went on to say that it did not go far enough because 'the windfall’ had created millions of pounds since 1994 and it is a mystery where all the money has gone. "It makes me wonder why some Labour Councillors did not want a Finance Committee set up to look more closely at the council’s finances,” added Cllr.Peters. In a previous statement to the media the Clerk of the Council said that the accounts have always been audited by an independent body and were open to scrutiny. Cllr.Doreen Jones, one of the former chairpersons of the Labour controlled council for the years in question, stated at a recent council meeting that the council finances had always satisfied the auditors. Cllr.Jones is also on record as saying that she never believes what she reads in the newpapers or on the Internet. Cllr.Linda Ware, chairperson of the Council's Finance Committee, said she has failed to get hold of the accounts for previous years, and was not prepared to comment beyond that or say anything that would bring the council into disrepute in view of her privileged role on the council. However, she would like to make it clear that any figures she has quoted over recent months with regard to the Caewern Hall are those given to her in emails by the Clerk of the Council who is the Responsible Financial Officier (RFO) and Administrator. The figures and accounts for the previous year will be presented at the Council's AGM on 18th May 2009 by the RFO without being seen first by the Finance Committee - because the Clerk says that they have not yet been finalised. Satisfaction at Rowan Tree Close Residents at Rowan Tree Close are pleased with the outcome of a recent planning application to extend their cul-de-sac and remove a natural hedgerow for a house to be built on an allotment area behind it. Apart from a petition by residents, the Council decided that the site was unsuitable for the proposed development on environmental grounds. Full details can be seen on the Council's website. This decision refers to the issues we raised in Version 15 of our website, which also gives us the satisfaction that the right thing has been done. NOTE... This is yet another interesting story that has been overlooked by the local press. It highlights the fact that we deal with matters ignored by by the media. The following items remain on this website for the benefit of the hundreds of first time viewers that we get every week. Please also see our topical and up to date readers letters page. Community Housing Stock Transfer The future of council houses? Neath Port Talbot Council intends to spend several millions of pounds promoting the venture which will be the subject of discussion in the forthcoming months. There is much information on the Internet and we give some links below. Neath Port Talbot councillors have unanimously agreed to consult with tenants on whether or not to transfer the authority's housing stock to a new, not-for-profit Registered Social Landlord (RSL). Every local authority in Wales is required, by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG), to demonstrate that it can meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) by 2012 and maintain that standard for thirty years. The decision to consult with tenants was taken at a council meeting on 30th September. This is likely to lead a confidential tenants' ballot in the autumn of 2009. It should be remembered that council tennants in Swansea rejected the scheme along with some other areas in Wales - see link below. The final decision rests sorely with the tenants who must decide what is best for them. The following information may be helpful for those concerned:- How tennants voted in other authorities Wales Green Party Oppose the Transfer Readers are invited to send in their views to our letters page. Struthers Church Move away from Caewern Members of Struthers Church are moving to the Memorial Hall in Dyfryn Clydach with the uncertainty of the Caewern Community Centre, which is not owned by the Community Council - it is leased to them by Neath Port Talbot County Council. The lease has just two years to run. Many of the present Community Councillors would like to know why a Labour controlled council handed the lease back to the NPT CBC around 2001. The building is therefore not an asset to the community because they do not own it. In fact, it is a burden with the health and safety issues that have to be attended to in order to make the buildings and third party liability insurance valid. We repeat! Is there life at the Welsh Assembly? Still waiting for answers It is six months since we asked Dr. Dai Lloyd, the AM for this area, if he could find out if the Welsh Assembly is paying Waterstone Homes (Bridgend) 20% of the delvelopment costs towards the "White's Folly" development at Waunceirch on basis that they are building so called affordable homes. Dr Lloyd assures us that he working on the case. The longer it takes to answer this question will make people wonder what is behind all this? We are confident that Dr Lloyd will come up with the answers to the questions that so many people are now asking. Link to Dai Lloyd's website Letter Page where you can read what others have to say in the community. You can comment or reply on the above or a new subject - remember your views will be read by those who run your Council, represent you in Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. . Please note that complaints about the Community Council should go directly to the Clerk of the Council - see her address on the Council's website. Any letters that we receive relating to community council complaints will be forwarded for her attention. Tell your friends about this website - or send them a copy by email, our website address is:- www.neathferret.co.uk Email news and comments to: news@neathferret.co.uk or use our readers letter page. Go to LATEST version Back to version 17   Is Health & Safety going over the top?, Caewern Communuity Centre saga, Is Cllr. Martyn Peters an outsider? Back to version 16   Neath Ferret v BNP, Economic comments, Environmental award. Back to version 15   Bryncoch Environment Group new website, Community Service, Bats petition, Community Centres under used, Back to version 14   BNP insult our MP, Community centre news, What has our Council done? Back to version 13   Tesco disappoints, Colourful website for BCC, Chairperson change over at BCC, Peter Hain, MP. offers help. Back to version 12   The Caewern Community Hall. Questions about a 'lame duck' situation. Back to version 11   What Tesco wants Tesco gets. NOTE. Issues in version 10 are included in version 11 - including details of the Council's new complaint procedure following our item in version 9. Back to version 9   A Case for Public Services Ombudsman? Back to version 8   Councillor's website leads the way - an example for others to follow? Back to version 7   £5,000 reward for information Back to version 6   Councillor put in the picture. Back to version 5   PC Councillors scold Neath Ferret Back to Version 4   Neath Port Talbot dentist leaving NHS Back to Version 3   Anger over Neath Guardian Back to version 2   Planning consent for paedophiles? Information for this website is accepted and printed in good faith. It is gathered from various sources and may, or may not, reflect the views of the webmaster or any member of the community council or its officials. No responsibility is accepted for any errors that may occur from time to time. Sources of information must be made known to the webmaster but will not be divulged to any third party We aim to put the community first and make the residents of Neath aware of injustances and wrong doings. Neath Ferret,Neath Private EYE,Neath Ferret,Neath Private Eye,"Neath Ferret",Neath's Private Eye, Neath Ferret,Neath Private Eye,Neath Ferret,Neath Private Eye,"Neath Ferret",Neath Private Eye. Neath Ferret,Neath's Private Eye,Neath Ferret,"Neath Ferret",Neath Ferret,Neath Ferret,"Neath Ferret",Neath Private Eye - a sight for sore eyes!