THE PEMBROKESHIRE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 30 2015
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Access to allotments ‘needs improvement’
WILLIAM POWELL AM
has today called on the Welsh Labour Government to do more to make it easier for local people to gain access to allotments and community gardens.
Following a statement made in
the National Assembly today by the Welsh Government, William Powell AM urged Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant to require Housing Associations, when working on new developments, to make provision for community growing areas.
Allotments and community gardens are one way in which residents of villages, towns and cities can have access to a piece of land which they can work and cultivate. In this way, they are an important means of promoting greater understanding and appreciation of food production.
Commenting on a statement issued by the Welsh Government today, William Powell, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Environment & Rural Affairs said: “I would like to see the Welsh Government putting a requirement
on Housing Associations, when working on new developments, to make provision for community growing areas. When Housing Associations work closely with Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a partnership between farmers and the local community, this serves to reconnect people to the land where their food is grown.” William Powell
AM paid
tribute to the Clwyd Alyn Housing Association in Flintshire which is already working closely with community growing schemes in this way. He also praised the Talgarth Allotments
Association and the
Llangattock Allotments project in Powys as fine examples of where a local community has taken proactive measures to allocate land for allotments and community growing. With the oversight of a dedicated committee, both groups have been hugely successful with far-reaching benefits across the community. To this end, William
Powell
urged the Welsh Government to increase the pace of current plans to produce much needed guidance in this area.
MP fears for Infirmary THE PEOPLE of Dyfed-Powys
will pay less for their policing services this year. A proposal by their Police and Crime Commissioner to lower the council tax precept by 5% was agreed by the Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Panel last Friday (Jan 23). The
new policing precept at
council tax band D will be £200.07 (down from £210.60) – a decrease of 20.3p per week. This, along with Government money and a contribution from reserves, will deliver total 2015- 16 Dyfed-Powys police and crime funding of £95.6m.
Commissioner Christopher
Salmon said: “This will lighten the load on the hard-pressed householders of
an economically poor region.
It’s been made possible by tough decisions I’ve taken to make Dyfed- Powys Police more efficient – and by the hard work of the Chief Constable, his officers and staff. The result will be more - and improved - policing for less money. We’ll have 100,000 extra hours on the beat this year, we’re on track to make £8.8m in savings by next year and now we’re giving some of that back to the public. My decision brings our precept more in line with others in Wales. Last year the people of Dyfed-Powys paid the second highest rate in Wales – now I believe they’ll pay the joint lowest. Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion,
Pembrokeshire and Powys will continue to be safe. Crime
43 Community Commissioner lightens load on taxpayers
Load lightened: The Commissioner’s proposal means people will pay less for policing services.
is falling; we have low crime rates and high detection rates. Our police are becoming more connected with traditional
local communities and
cutting edge digital communication; new and improved services are being introduced. Ours is not a rich part of the world but I can now ensure that
families struggling with bills will pay a little bit less. Plans mean Dyfed- Powys householders will pay the same for policing in 2017 as they did in 2014. We will continue to invest in estates and IT to deliver 100,000 more officer hours to the front line in 2015 – and a modern, 21st century estate.”
Top health workers recognised THE WINNERS of Hywel Dda
Simon Hart MP: Outisde the Old Infirmary on Priory Street, Carmarthen. SIMON HART MP has learned
that the owner of Carmarthen’s dilapidated Old Infirmary has been given another 20 months to carry out its restoration. Developer
was served with a notice Carmarthenshire
Dorian County
Council
ordering him to carry out work on the Grade 2 listed building by July this year.
But Mr Davies challenged the
notice saying that it did not give him enough time and his appeal was due to be heard in January. However Mr Hart has now
been told by Eifion Bowen, head of planning at the council, that the two
parties have avoided a court case and Mr Davies now has until September 2016 to complete the work. The Carmarthen MP said: “What
Davies by
worries me is that this is no guarantee that the work will be carried out and if it does not happen soon then the building will crumble away before our eyes. The owner could have started restoration work while he was challenging
the notice but instead
chose to delay repairs by another seven months. I appreciate that the Council wanted to avoid an expensive court case but I fear that the whole problem has just been swept under the carpet for another year.”
University Health Board's Best of Health staff awards have been announced at a ceremony at Parc y Scarlets. Held annually, the Best of Health awards recognise and reward the extraordinary achievements of Hywel Dda's staff and volunteers, many of whom often go beyond the call of duty in their work for the benefit of patients and service users. This year’s winners were chosen from over 100 entries from across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire and out of the twenty seven entries selected as finalists the ten winners of the Best of Health Awards 2014 are: Improving the Patient Experience Sister Lisa Marshall, Withybush Hospital Improving Health and Wellbeing (sponsored by Health Shield Friendly Society Ltd) Carmarthenshire Integrated Evidence Based Exercise Continuum for Frail Older Adults Joint Working with the Third Sector and Partner Organisations Carmarthenshire Heart Failure Service
Engaging with People CreARTivity: The Art of Science and Wellbeing Making a Difference Through Better Use of Resources Physiotherapy
Independent
Prescribing in Spasticity Management Outstanding Leader Sharon Evans, Senior Nurse for Infection Prevention and Control Providing Bilingual Healthcare Getting the Lowdown Wales Unsung Hero Sandra Davies, Bryngolau Ward, Prince Philip Hospital Volunteer of The Year Rob Griffiths, Volunteer with the Education Programme for Patients Chief Executive’s Award for Overall Best Entry Physiotherapy
Independent
Prescribing in Spasticity Management Commenting on his first Best
of Health awards, Chief Executive Steve Moore said: “It has been a privilege to be a part of these awards and to recognise the extraordinary commitment of our staff and volunteers in providing the best care possible to those who really matter… our patients.
“I was particularly proud to
present the year’s overall winner award to Gary Morris for Physiotherapy Independent Prescribing in Spasticity Management (pictured), and I congratulate all our finalists as well as those who were nominated. Well done to you all”. The Best of Health award were made possible once again this year at no cost to the University Health Board due to the generosity and support of Health Shield and many
local businesses. The Best of Health Awards
coordinator Fiona Hancock said: “On behalf of Hywel Dda I’d like to thank all organisations and local businesses who have once again made it possible for us to recognise and reward our fantastic staff and volunteers with a wonderful ceremony at Parc Y Scarlets. The sponsors were Health Shield Society
Friendly Golf Ltd, Club Edmunds
Webster Ltd and Riverlea. Raffle donations were received from Let’s Connect, the Blue Lagoon Waterpark, Machynys
Llanelli,
Morgan & Morgan Office Group, Parc y Scarlets, Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo, Artist Helen Elliott, The Lost Coins (Haverfordwest), Stradey Park Hotel, Wickedly Welsh Chocolate, and Gravell’s Motor Group.
Chief Executive of Health Shield Jonathan Burton said: ““It has been an honour to have sponsored the Hywel Dda Best of Health Staff Awards for the second year running and seeing what a tremendous job everyone does within the NHS and specifically in Hywel Dda University Health Board. “It is such an achievement to even be nominated for an award and, on behalf of all of us at Health Shield, I would like to extend my congratulations to all those who were shortlisted and especially this year’s winners.”
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