THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 27 2017 Like us on Facebook


facebook.com/thellanelliherald CAMPAIGN LAUNCH plans for the Wellness and Life


Science Village in Delta Lakes, which seeks to include: an outdoor leisure area, the Wellness Hub, sports and leisure, the Institute of Life Science, Communtity Health Hub, Wellness Education Centre, an assisted-living community, business space and research, and a Neuro Village, which would include an Integrated Rehabilitation Centre. There would be an ecopark with housing and a wellness hotel.


SPEAKING TO THE CANDIDATES


The Herald spoke with several


candidates about their reasons for standing. Pembrey candidate Peter


Freeman explained why he was standing for council in the election: “I’ve always been a supporter of Plaid Cymru and the things that Plaid Cymru stand for are things that are close to my heart,” he told our reporter. “The idea of a free Wales is


the main plank of Plaid Cymru but also the ability that Plaid Cymru councillors have to make positive change in their neighbourhoods and that’s what I want to be.”


He would work with other


councillors of other parties on particular issues. He said: “Certain items on a line-by-line, I wouldn’t give a blanket support to any other political party but it depends on the particular issue; if they are supporting an issue then yes, I would work with them.” He has a simple pitch to the


residents of Pembrey and is asking residents what is important to them: “I’m prepared to fight for my corner and it doesn’t matter who is going to be in control of the council or who is not going to be in control of the council; that isn’t as important as fighting for the things that are needed in my corner”. Glanymor candidate George


Herbert said: “I want to champion my ward, the people where I live, I’ve been helping them for a long time and now I’ve decided to join Plaid and do it properly.” His pitch to voters as he


canvases for votes is simple; he wants to continue with his work within the community: “I will tell them that I will help them as I’ve been helping them already. I’m here to help them because the area where I live in is very poor and they need help and we’re not getting it, so


they need a voice and I’m going to be the voice of the community,” he said that he would work with other councillors as he has recently done. Standing for the Bigyn ward,


candidate Troy Tiencken told The Herald he was standing after speaking with friends and family. Also, he wants to make his community better and after seeing results from previous campaigns, he said that it was time to step up: “I want to change my community; a few people I’ve spoken to don’t know who their current councillors are. Considering one of them is the current leader for the opposition, Labour, I find it a little bit appalling so I’ve decided that I want to make my community better but I also want people to know who their councillor is. “I would work with anyone; I’m


willing to work across the board, it doesn’t matter which party. You're all in it for our community or should be in it for our communities. “I want to work for them and


I want to work with everyone for what they want and the problems that they see. I can see problems but that could be isolated to my little area.”


Llanelli needs a shock THE NEW owner of the Stepney


Arcade has told Llanelli Chamber of Trade and Commerce (LCoTaC) that the town needs 'electricity' in order to facilitate street markets, pop up events and live music. John Trowbridge purchased the


arcade recently and claims that Llanelli is lacking in the basic infrastructure that is hindering opportunities to increase its vibrancy. Speaking to members of the


LCoTaC, he said the town needed an 'electric shock' to jolt itself into the new age. Mr Trowbridge alluded to the difficulties people faced in order to organise a hog roast or to arrange some live music. Mr Trowbridge advised that what


was needed was easily accessible access hook up points for electricity and other basic services to enable the easy transformation of streets. Citing the example of London


Boroughs where footfall is considerably greater and may not have to compete with a council that invests in out of town shopping centres, he said it did not take a lot of money and the streets could be brought alive with pop-up markets. Many Llanelli residents will


remember the outdoor market in the town, which drew in large numbers of people until it was built over by Asda. Many will remember the wealth


of shops offering fresh food and unique gifts, displaying them on the pavements outside their proudly-kept premises before Tesco arrived and they all closed. Still more will remember watching live bands perform in the Sunken Gardens, complete with beautiful fountains, before that was filled in. It won acclaim from the Welsh Office Secretary in the 1980s for attracting live bands to perform for free for shoppers.


One cannot fault Mr Trowbridge


for his ideas, his energy and his will to make something happen. It remains to be seen whether the Task Force, The Ymlaen Bid and the business owners and County Council can come up with a simple strategy similar to towns across the UK like Ludlow, which became famous as the gastronomic centre of Shropshire and won its first Michelin star in 1995.


Safwynt Plaid


by Sean Rees, Campaigns Manager


Working for you - all year round NEW figures released last


week have revealed that Plaid Cymru MPs were the hardest working Welsh MPs in the UK Parliament in 2016, asking more questions and making more speeches than their Labour, Tory and Lib Dem opponents. Plaid Cymru MPs spoke, on


average, 163 times each in 2016, significantly more than Labour and Tory MPs at 128 and 119 respectively, and the Liberal Democrat MPs at 96. The House of Commons


Library’s figures also show that the Plaid Cymru MPs submitted more written questions on average than the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats combined. Commenting on the figures,


Plaid Cymru’s Parliamentary Leader, Hywel Williams, said: “These figures show clearly that Plaid Cymru is standing up for Wales against the Westminster establishment. We are by far the most active of all the Welsh MPs. “We are in Parliament to


represent our constituents and to hold the Westminster Government to account. We’re not here to sit on our hands and obediently accept whatever Westminster does. We will always speak up for Wales and we will never vote for anything that is against the interests of the people we represent. “While the Labour Party


might be the so-called ‘official opposition’, it is clear that it is Plaid Cymru that is providing the


real opposition to this right-wing Tory Westminster Government. “Whether it is on matters of


national importance such as the Wales Bill or the steel industry, or on more locally important matters such as flooding in the north-west or the police helicopter service in the south, we are all well used to standing up next to empty Labour benches, fighting for the interests of our constituents and we will continue to do so.” Closer to home, since Plaid


Cymru took over the leadership of the County Council from the Labour Party in May 2015, it has received high praise from the Wales Audit Office. Inspectors have congratulated Plaid for providing strong leadership and direction, actually being in charge and having a clear vision as well as Plaid Executive Board members taking ownership of their responsibilities. We all remember how the


reputation of our County Council declined steeply under Labour but, with your support, we can continue to improve the credibility and performance of the authority as well as empowering our communities. We know it will not be easy but Plaid will not settle for services that are only marginally better than nothing. Like you, we want the very best for our area. We would like to hear from


you. Please feel free to contact us on 01554 770345 or info@ plaidllanelli.wales.


New Year drink-driver banned A LLANELLI resident has been


disqualified from driving for 12 months after he appeared before the Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Jan 26).


Joshua Halliday, 19, of Olive Street,


pleaded guilty to the charge of driving whilst under the influence of alcohol. Sharon Anderson, prosecutor, told


the court that on January 1 at 1.50am, officers were on duty and stopped a Vauxhall Corsa for a routine check. When they attended to Halliday, there was a smell of alcohol. A roadside test


proved positive, and he was subsequently arrested and taken to Ammanford Police Station. A breath sample showed a reading of


48mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg. Halliday addressed the court and


said: “I’ve made a mistake. I’m sorry for what I’ve done.” Magistrates disqualified him from


driving. He will also pay fines totalling £235, which include a £120 fine, £30 surcharge and court costs of £85.


Bomb materials owner remanded into custody A MAN who is accused of


having bomb-making manuals and instructions on carrying out knife attacks has appeared in court this week. 26-year-old Lee Edwards


Griffiths, from Swansea, had copies of an Islamic State (ISIS) magazine and the Anarchist Cookcook. Griffiths has been charged with five counts of possessing information


which may be useful to someone who commits or prepares acts of terrorism. On Thursday (Jan 26), he


was remanded into custody by Westminster Magistrates. It is also alleged he had videos


which included prisoners being blown up with homemade explosive devices and being stabbed to death. Griffiths will appear at the Old Bailey for trial on February 6.


5 News


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