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amended. The plan ‘confirms work that will be undertaken to maintain the standard and what our key principles are to support our future approach to managing the homes, land and garage areas’. Cllr Davies asked if this could be amended to incorporate gardens. Mr Staines said that the issue of


anti-social behaviour regularly came up in consultation, but was ‘not prominent enough as a county-wide issue’. In terms of problems with


CONCERNS about anti-social


behaviour and unkempt gardens dominated the discussion of a report into a programme which sets out to bring council homes in the county up to a national standard. The Carmarthenshire Homes


Standard Plus (CHS+) business plan for 2017-20 came before the Community Scrutiny Committee last Friday (Jan 20). The report, described by Director of Housing Robin Staines as ‘self-explanatory’, incorporated ‘tenants’ aspirations for what they wanted to see for their homes’. Following on from a report into


the housing revenue account, Mr Staines told councillors that ‘this is where the money goes’. However, Cllr Sharen Davies


(Lab, Llwynhendy) suggested that the CHS+ needed to support tenants suffering as a result of anti-social behaviour, and CCC needed to work with police to avoid putting tenants at risk. Cllr Davies also suggested that one


of the main themes CCC committed to through the CHS+ - ‘investing in homes’ to maintain standards, making sure we understand what we need to do to achieve this’ – should be


gardens, he pointed out that the council was dealing with around 80 properties where untidy gardens were a problem, out of around 9,000 properties, although he accepted that it was more of an issue for some residents than others. However, the CHS+ was a


plan for the whole county, and on a county-wide level the issue had not come through. He added that in certain hotspots, council officers were working with residents, and that in areas like these a local plan needed to be put in place. Cllr Davies said that these matters


had been raised ‘time and time again’ by councillors at scrutiny meetings. She also disputed Mr Staines’ claim that only 80 gardens across the county were causing issues to other tenants. “I have put out a survey in my


area, and there were more than 80 there,” she added. However, Cllr Davies said that


when she took this information to council officers, they asked for the names and addresses of the problem tenants: “I think it is their job to go out and look,” she said. Cllr Tegwen Devichand (Lab,


Dafen) said that just because issues with anti-social behaviour weren’t happening today, didn’t mean they wouldn’t happen tomorrow, and it would be no problem to include


provision for this in the plan. Cllr Devichand also said that she was ‘sceptical’ about surveys. Mr Staines replied that the reason


he didn’t think the plan needed to be revised was because the situation was different in Carmarthen, Ammanford, and Llanelli, not to mention the smaller towns and villages. He reiterated that the best way to deal with these issues was at a local level. He agreed with Cllr Davies that


it was the duty of officers to go out into the communities, but added that they did this, and when they noticed anything amiss ‘we don’t wait till a councillor phones us to do something about it’. Referring again to the perceived


need for a county-wide anti-social behaviour plan, Cllr Devichand asked whether if there was an isolated incident in, for example, Newcastle Emlyn, whether the policy was in place to deal with this. Mr Staines replied that it was, and that in areas


where there were high incidences, ‘we need to sit down and look at more specific ways of dealing with them’. “I do not believe that Carmarthenshire is blighted by anti- social behaviour across all of its towns,” he remarked. Cllr Davies agreed that a local,


multi-agency approach was needed, and asked whether there were any examples of this in action in the county. The committee heard that there was currently a ‘pretty robust’ action plan in place in south Llanelli. However, Mr Staines added


that some incidences of anti-social behaviour may not be recorded, because tenants were unwilling to give statements to the council – possibly because they felt this would put them at risk – but CCC had introduced other methods of recording evidence, including a noise app for smart phones. Returning to gardens, Cllr Ken Howell said that one person in his


ward ‘refused to comply with his neighbours’ wishes’ and cut his garden in the summer, and there was ‘nothing we can do about it’. Mr Staines replied that the council


had the right to access the garden, cut the grass, and then charge the tenant for it. “Probably when he realises the cost, he would buy a lawn mower,” he remarked. Cllr Davies reiterated her request


that the CHS+ plan be amended to include gardens. Chair Cllr Deryk Cundy (Lab, Bynea) asked whether gardens were covered by the use of the word ‘land’ in the plan. “Some are and some aren’t –


some have a little patch and others have acres,” she replied. Mr Staines agreed that there was


no problem with amending the plan, and it was unanimously endorsed, along with Cllr Devichand’s suggestion that the committee gave a vote of thanks to the CHS+ team.


A40 to close for 18 months DELAYS and disruption are


expected for drivers as plans have been announced to close the A40 between Carmarthen and Llandeilo for up to 18 months. The closure is for resurfacing and


repairs on the road. It is scheduled to start at midnight on Monday (Jan 30). The plans have been announced


by the Welsh Government and received criticism from local residents, as all traffic will be prohibited from travelling on the road during the closures other than works and emergency vehicles. Edward Thomas, County


Councillor for Llandeilo, took to social media website Facebook and


said: "On initial reading I thought 'what is going on?' but after making enquiries, it appears that they are undertaking road surface repairs and sections will be closed for periods at a time with suitable diversions." The diversions will include the


A483, A48 and A476, with a speed limit of 40mph being enforced.


Elderly man hospitalised aſter collision AN ELDERLY man who


was involved in a collision with a vehicle in Llandovery on Wednesday (Jan 25) was taken to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen. The incident took place on


the A40 between the Garden Lane and New Road junctions at approximately 11.30am.


Dyfed-Powys Police, the Welsh


Ambulance Service and the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene. The Herald understands that fire


fighters on the scene carried out first aid on the man before he was transported to hospital. A spokesperson for the ambulance service said: "We were


called today to reports of a road traffic collision involving a vehicle and a pedestrian in the Queensway area of Llandovery. "We sent one emergency


ambulance to the scene where our crews treated one adult male patient who was then taken to Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen."


Overgrown Gardens: A problem in Llwynhendy according to Cllr Sharen Davies


THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 27 2017


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Anti-social behaviour ‘not a county-wide issue’


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