No justification for Llais Gwynedd criticism

Mar 19 2009 by Our Correspondent, Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald

I WOULD like to respond to Maldwyn Lewis’ letter in the Herald (March 13) and his totally unfounded criticism of Llais Gwynedd members on Gwynedd Council and in particular in council meetings.

Although meetings of the full council, council board, area committees and scrutiny committees are open to the public, neither I or my fellow members have any recollection of seeing Mr Lewis sitting in the public gallery.

How therefore can he sit in his ivory tower in Borth y Gest and write such a critical letter?

Mr Lewis then accuses Llais Gwynedd of poisoning the atmosphere in the chamber by “making spiteful and personal remarks concerning members and officers".

Once again, given the fact that Mr Lewis has not graced the council or its meetings with his presence since the May election, what evidence has he got to support his wild accusation?

Following December’s meeting of the full council a member of the Plaid Cymru group was reprimanded for swearing at me during a debate where I was presenting a report that saved the ratepayers of Gwynedd £1.4m by re-structuring the senior management team of the Council.

No member of Llais Gwynedd has spoken in such a vindictive and undignified way to another member or officer of the council at any meeting.

His letter goes on to accuse Llais Gwynedd of making “unrealistic and naive proposals”...here are two examples of amendments that were proposed by Llais Gwynedd at the last Council meeting – A proposal to raise the home care fee by 25% rather than by 50% in order to lessen the effect on the vulnerable elderly people in the County and their carers (nothing naive about this, just a reasonable and fair compromise I would say?). A proposal to keep the Bryn Llywelyn Care Home open and to develop it for the future...once again, a proposal that respected the wishes of the residents.

To close, Mr Lewis arrogantly spouts that the council (not Llais Gwynedd I add) discussed public toilets for 45 minutes and the rates for only 10.

The answer to that is simple. The increase in the rates in Gwynedd for the coming year is one of the lowest in Wales and from what I could see there was more or less unanimous support for that increase.

However, the threat to close the public toilets across the county has received widespread condemnation from the elderly, young mothers, community councils, tourist associations and those suffering from various bowl and urinary illnesses across the county due to the fact that such proposals pose a serious danger to public health.

Thanks to Llais Gwynedd they will remain open for at least six months longer than intended so that a detailed assessment can be made as to what effect any proposed closures will have in each individual community.

CLLR GWILYM EUROS ROBERTS

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