The Chester Chronicle came to my rescue last week by publishing the truth over a little “B—-s up” over a “No Ball game” sign wrongly placed in Level Road Park. Responding to frustrated constituent, whose garden backed onto the park (he was tired of footballs crashing into his garden), I had enlisted the help of Leisure Services supremo who suggested a sign as a temporary measure. We would meet to explore the siting of a kick wall facility which would direct footballs away from fences. Problem sorted I thought and moved on to the next job.

Next day, I lifted the phone to very angry resident who shouted:

“You’ve really blown it now, where are the children supposed to play now”.

After a few more rants, I discovered who he was and why he was so mad. The sign - “No ball games allowed” had been plonked near the play swing area and nowhere near had the ball in the garden fence and Mr Angry assumed the whole park was out of bounds for games. Please tell your neighbours this is not the case and we are working on a final solution, I beseeched. Mr Nasty now calmer, agreed to assist. Phone went again. Leisure Services supremo had also received a blasting and had rung to try and warn me.

“He was very rude, said the supremo”. I’m not happy to be shouted at in such a way”.

“I know him, had dealings before” I said. “He’s just a bully.”

I rang George Tattum, Chester Chronicle chief reporter and asked for help. An article and a picture would help spread the word and remove some hassle from me. Slot for photographer was found, I collected ball protesting constituent and we trotted into the park to be photographed by offending sign. No sign. Not even a hole visible. Must have been one or why did angry neighbour ring? What would photographer say; she having been briefed to snap a sign? Val, the Chronicle’s excellent photographer, was understanding and made do with the play area as the background, a bit of fence, the troubled resident and I.

We went our separate ways and I peeled off to call on my angry resident. Contrite and repentant, I was invited in and told that the sign was in a bed of nettles, having been vandalised by whomever!! Of course the information was correct and it was back to the drawing board as the sign would spend its entire life in the nettles.

I had my meeting; Leisure Services supremos and a picture of the kick wall will soon be on display and planning notices will be in the post. If residents agree to this unit then play facilities will be much enhanced and there will be a small victory for compromise and common sense.

On Monday 28th July, I joined the bus taking Planning Committee members to see the sites.  It’s all taken very seriously and, at each site, we are reminded of the rules of engagement, including that the objectors are not allowed to address us and we do not make any decision on the spot but wait until the committee meets later in the week.

A neighbour was objecting to the erection of a two-storey extension that would replace a smaller one.  Bus rolled up to a very smart part of Mold and we all trooped into the applicant’s garden to have the facts explained by our officers.  We then trotted round the corner to the garden of the objecting neighbours to look at things from their side of the fence.  The neighbours could only stare mutely at us as we wandered around observing and noting, as the rules do not allow objectors to address us.  I thought the objection was unsustainable and wondered how much this visit alone had cost, taking into account the bus, the driver and the time out for officers and councillors alike.

Then on to see where a new psychiatric hospital was to be erected.  The plan had been tastefully prepared and I would support it despite numerous objections from a community across the fields that did not want such a hospital on their back yard.  Then onto Flint to look at a garage.  Building had already started thus moving the new building a metre forward from its original footprint.  The neighbour was not at all happy nor would I have been had it been my garden as being much lower down, the garage would have dominated the entire site.  She would lose light and view. Ugg!!  Very senior and experienced councillor marched about and authoritavely announced that there was no significant loss of amenities.  I protested mildly at this strange view and wondered how significant an amenity loss had to be.  When leaving the objector I gave her a winning smile, the closest thing I could do to offer her my support.  “Condition approval” was the advice of officers.  I wrote “refuse” in big letters across that planning application.

Working our way through the list took us from Mancot to Mostyn where we had to decide if 6 houses could be built on an area between the Listed Building Clock Tower and a row of cottages.  I could not see a problem but officials felt it did not accord with planning policy and would have a significant impact on this Listed Building.  Surrounded by an ugly fence and close to an electricity pylon, again I could not see the problem.

The bus passed thought parts of Flintshire I had never encountered before and the tour ended in Trelawyndd.  What a nice county I live in.  A rather uninspiring bungalow in view from the road wanted to extend to make a bathroom as well as other amenities.  Planners said “No”.  “Far exceeds the general guidelines of a 50% increase in original floor space and being in open countryside was visible from the road”.  Yellow lines had been thoughtfully drawn to show the new footings and it looked reasonable to me.  It was the side away from the on road and again, I wanted to say “Yes”.  The bus went down the road and back again but facing into the sun, the bungalow slid past me in a flash.  No significant impact here, I thought.

The Committee met two days later and our Planning officers’ ‘50% increase and no bigger rule’ that had denied the Trelawyndd property was in tatters.  When was a 110% not 110% became the issue!  Item 17 on the agenda had been awarded conditional approval to an extension although the “proposal represents an approximate 110% increase in footprint over the existing ……. it is considered that the proposal will not have an detrimental impact upon the visual appearance of the building itself”.

Senior Planner made a valiant attempt to explain that this inexplicable configuration was “in fact not as the report stated as it applied to the whole building”!.  Gulps of disbelief echoed round the chamber at this weird explanation!  Sheer weasel words I thought and incredulity was not mine alone, when the local member weighed in to challenge this departure from usual practice of the 50% rule.  The report admitted that the Ombudsman had previously accused the Council of maladministration and a senior member demanded that the application should be withdrawn, as the report was unreliable.  I also agreed that as the report was flawed, then the application must surely fall.  Why I asked, in true Perry Mason mode, whilst rejecting the Trelawyndd “uninspiring bungalow” application on over 50% of floor space grounds, had Item 17 found such favour.  After intervention from the Legal Officer, item was 17 was deferred for later consideration.  The uninspiring bungalow was refused with instructions to re-submit less ambitious plans.

During more Planning Training the next day, whilst discussing how we would handle a case that had been previously decided, light and size was an issue, Cllr.Armstrong Braun knowledgably informed us that loss of light could be appealed under European law.

I was amazed as this was contrary to what we had been told.  He also suggested that there was no legislation that determined the policy on the size of an extension.  I recollect that officers did NOT refute his claims in any way!  The body language from the Senior Planner was very revealing.  No wonder more training has been scheduled for the Autumn when I shall certainly grapple more fully with the rules of engagement on “size and light”.  Hopefully another silly 110% that is not 110% situation will not happen again.

Now into the third month of its new administration, Flintshire councillors are coming to terms with lots more training and looking warily at the 5“elephants on the doorstep of most county councils, certainly this one. At a full training day in Llandudno on 11th July, the best speaker, a Daniel Hurford believed waste management, affordable housing, social services school places and climate change were just some of the more pressing issues we must address urgently. He added another which worried him even more; our aging profile with the number of people over 55 escalating rapidly and an eight billion funding gap in Social Services budgets. To make the point, he described how the Queen’s Birthday telegrams had risen from 255 to 7000 in a few short years.

The cost of recycling waste will soon rise dramatically and councils were facing a double whammy as charges imposed by Europe were beginning to bite and national targets to recycle more and landfill less were now close and stringent.

He assessed that in the next four years, the need for new affordable housing ranged from 6500 to 14000 houses and also re-possessions were up by 26%.

In my opinion, the most unsatisfactory speaker, was a WAG official. He had never inspired me when I had had dealings with him at the Assembly. I found his presentation rather patronising. He suggested that:

“councillors had huge potential to change service delivery and unlock scope for partnership even though the credit crunch and pay pressures were really going to make budgets squeal”.

He spoke of the need to test the relationship with WAG and Local Authorities and focus of improving public services. What the real message was:

‘that WAG is giving less away, Local Authorities are in for a very rough ride and councillors are expected to work miracles and cope with frugal Assembly handouts, yet still maintain services.

On the bus back to Flintshire, the general opinion was that the day could have been better spent.

WAG official’s pontificating still rumbling in my mind when I read an item under “Bonuses condemned” in 25th July Chester Chronicle by Prospective Parliamentary candidate for Delyn, (my former constituency): Antoinette Sandbach. She slammed the 154% increase for Welsh Assembly civil servants bonuses and stated that more than £680,000 had been pocketed by WAG officials. How nice if I had the time to determine if the bumptious official had claimed a bonus. Surely not!

Only two days before the seaside Training Session, the “Waste Disposal Elephant” had roared into the Communities Housing and Waste Scrutiny meeting at County Hall. Quoting from a Council report dated February 2008, I asked if the proposed time scale of April 2013 for a Waste on-stream facility in the county, (contracts to be awarded April 210), was fast enough when contrasted with ever closer and costlier infractions penalties. (The more we dump the more we pay). Showing off my well informed “clever clogs” preparation, I threw in some statistics from this official report. Amazingly, my remark about the worrying infraction penalties was quickly pounced on as ‘a red herring’ by a leading councillor on the Executive. I then witnessed a real spat between the “red herring” councillor and two of the former Administration’s heavyweight Executive members. The Labour councillors were furious that these very real and very punitive costs were being played down. ‘Councillor Alison Halford is absolutely right’ and shame on the complacency of the opposing councillor. Tempers cooled and officials confirmed that Flintshire was actively seeking solutions, that the problem was serious and the county had run out of land fill sites.

A previous appointment made me late for the meeting when the costs of handling Flintshire waste may have been discussed. However later in the day, the Flintshire Leader revealed the stark truth. ‘£4 million is the cost of taking our rubbish elsewhere’!

I wondered why the former Executive, that had been in power since 1995 had done so little to progress the rubbish dilemma? As two had spiritedly attacked the councillor for playing down the problem, they knew it was a pressing issue that should have been addressed. Could they have done more in twelve years in Government? The Jury is still out on this thorny issue. I am concerned that this new Coalition Administration will end before we have a fully operating mechanism for disposing of more of our waste. I hope that the Coalition Government, of which my Party is party too, learns from lessons of the past!

We are all already paying to manage our waste. We must be responsible to take recycling seriously. FCC can’t do it on its own alone, it’s a team effort.

Blogging has been on the back burner for age, not because of the “hate mail” threats but because of the heavy schedule of training sessions and meetings demanded by County Hall. I’ve had three compulsory training sessions, and more are in the diary, plus Overview and Scrutiny, Corporate Governance and Local Government and Democratic Services presentations. As I’m on the Audit Committee, we had to learn how to read an accounts sheet and fathom the mysteries of Local Government finance.

The Authority turns over some £360 million and manages a pension fund of £900m. The Council is legally bound to produce a budget by a given day and 100’s of officers are involved in closing the accounts for the year ending March 2008.

The statement of accounts had to be presented to the Audit Committee on 25th June and questions were invited and then the full Council were invited to attend the next day to vote acceptance of this important document. Everything went according to plan apart from my querying why no mention had been made of my question the previous day as to the whereabouts of the A&D Waste management accounts. This is an “arms length” company of the Authority and looks after all aspects of dealing with landfill and waste collection in the County. However, my persistence was rewarded and I have been sent my own copy. (Its not the most exciting read but as Ewloe is fast becoming the tipping ground of Flintshire, its right to keep up with what is going on).

The Planning Committee met on 18th June and now trained, I was entitled to take part. Despite being allowed to rise three times by our courteous Chairman, I failed to sway my colleagues to vote against Dormer windows in a proposed prestigious building development in my ward. I sympathised with my constituent who did not want to be overlooked by this new development and the best I could do was to insist that the house nearest to constituent was rotated sufficiently to lessen the problem. Amongst the members of the public entitled to sit on was one Mr P Bernie. He introduced himself and reminded me that he was the builder and that I had knocked him off the Council in 1995 when I stood for the first time as a Labour councillor in Ewloe. He must have been bewildered that I was back again but this time I was representing his party

Shelia Stewart, Capricorn Animal Rescue was also in the public gallery and must have been appalled to listen to those councillors, and seemingly one officer who turned their faces against allowing the charity to move to badly needed larger accommodation. This was the second time Shelia had asked for permission and despite good Labour support, (from a particularly but unexpected source), the Committee threw it out by two votes. The width of the lane was the excuse this time. Main Labour Support came from Bernie Attridge who told us that the bus taking councillors to a pre-meeting site visit, had no difficulties at all in reaching the site and manoeuvring to turn round to leave. It was thought that obstructions had been strategically placed in the lane to coincide with this visit but all obstacles were successfully negotiated.

The Highways officer’s advice was brutally unhelpful. Something about difficulties in reversing. I got told off twice for failing to keep my comments on Planning issues I was really upset by such an opinion as I’ve admired the excellent work of Capricorn who has been helping the community for years. Where else can we take our damaged birds and our neglected and abused animals?

The vote was recorded – meaning every councillor’s name is called and we reply ‘for’ or ‘against’ or ‘abstain’. Thus the record will show for posterity those councillors who did nothing to help with this most deserving cause. I really felt for Shelia and rang her that evening to tell her that a highly experienced councillor, with years of Planning meetings under his belt thought she had excellent grounds for appeal. By the time our conversation finished, I had promised to take Sadie, a Yorkshire Terrier whose owner had died recently. “What have I done?” I thought, “That will make four plus the cat.”

Sadie was in the main room at Capricorn’s HQ surrounded by a variety of all sized kittens, some in cages, others draped about the furnishings. I went to stoke one particularly tiny creature who was huddling against another and her front claws shot up to defend herself.

”Abandoned in a shed,” only arrived yesterday”

was Shelia’s explanation. She named seemingly identical kittens who were stomping around a big cage.

“Joe, he’s going out tomorrow.”,

another was due to be re-homed the following day and so it went. This one is on hourly feeds, that one needed something else. A bell clanged and Shelia went to answer to return holding a young bird that had just been handed in.

“That’s what happens when you tangle with a cat,”

she scolded as the hand full of feathers fastened its beak on a finger. Whilst she was sorting out the new arrival I took in the photographs adorning the walls, all showing the state of some wretched creature that had found sanctuary with Capricorn.

“That one was thrown to three lurchers. That one had open wounds and needed 24 hour nursing,” she stated nonchalantly.

“Did they survive?”.

“Oh yes,” she replied.

I was incredulous.

Whilst the paperwork was being sorted, I noticed all the birds in cages crowding the floor of an outer room. There must be 10 at least, including an angry looking crow that was bashing and jumping around his cage. “How do you cope?” I asked. She smiled, finished Sadie’s paper work and walked me to the gate. I left clutching Sadie, even more an admirer of Capricorn and Shelia and even more frustrated that she had lost her bid for better accommodation.