More concerns from residents about Morriston bus services

The Morriston Lib Dem team have once again written to First Cymru regarding residents' concerns about bus provision in Morriston.

Residents in Parc Gwernfadog are concerned about the shuttle bus solution to the reallocation of bus services. Many feel that this option is forcing them to use their own private transportation, which is regrettable in this time of trying to persuade people to use public transport in the interest of slowing climate change.

Residents have also voiced concerns that conventional sized buses used on the new 4 service (running between Morriston and Singleton hospitals) are not stopping at the bus stops on the route which haven't been converted for the Metro. The Metro buses don't service these bus stops (many for physical practicality issues), but until the full Metro fleet is rolled out, and conventional buses are still used on this route, the Morriston Lib Dems question if there is any need for conventional buses to bypass these stops that they can easily service? It seems not to be in the interest of the customer left standing in the rain, and not in the interest of First Cymru to ignore their custom.

Find out here how bus services in Swansea will be affected when the bus station closes later this month.

Please feedback your concerns on this subject or any other regarding Morriston to us, and we'll look into it on your behalf.

Action on Morriston's parks

Morriston Liberal Democrats have written to the Council regarding broken glass in Ynystawe Park and Morriston Park, and are calling on the Council to investigate whether current park policies are effective enough to keep parks in Swansea safe to use for members of the public.

Helen Ceri Clarke said: “Like many other parents, my husband and I take our child to play in parks, and find it unacceptable for there to be broken glass in play areas and on paths. Some play areas are rendered unusable due to the sheer amount of broken glass within them and the danger it poses. There is also a large colony of rats living next to the duck pond in Morriston park.”

Dean Stone added: “Broken glass in parks represents a danger to all members of the public, as well as dogs being walked. We call on the people causing this broken glass to be more civic minded, and more aware of the risk their actions pose to others.”

Jonathan Clarke said: “We call on the Council to ensure that the amount of broken glass within the parks of Swansea is kept to a minimum, and that all efforts are made to remove any rat infestations. With the summer on its way, it will be a busy time for Morriston’s parks, and we want everyone to be able to use them safely.”

SAVE MORRISTON BUS SERVICES

The Morriston Liberal Democrat team have raised concerns after discovering First Cymru's planned cancellation of bus services in Morriston when the Bendy Bus (Street Metro) starts.

Jonathan Clarke said: "First Cymru plan to remove the number 4 service given the proposed route of the Street Metro. Residents in Llanllienwen Close, Llanllienwen Road, Heol Y Deri Road and Parc Gwernfadog will instead be serviced with a half-hourly shuttle bus travelling between Parc Gwernfadog and Woodfield Street. The 4A service will also be removed."

Dean Stone added: "We have serious concerns about this shuttle bus service. It effectively means extra travelling time for a lot of Morriston residents. We also have concerns about the effect of removing the 4 and 4A services, as they are heavily used by residents in Hafod, Landore and Plasmarl. We have asked First Cymru to look again at their plans for Morriston's bus services."

Find out here how bus services in Swansea will be affected when the bus station closes in June.

SUCCESS - Vicarage Road

A drain by the shop in Vicarage Road that was blocked up by mud and other debris (see photo taken in November 2008) has been cleaned out following a complaint by Morriston Lib Dem Jon Clarke. The mud was causing the pooling of water, with further water running across the pavement and down Cwmbath Road.

If you have any issues within Morriston that you are concerned about, then feel free to contact us, your local Lib Dem team, at morriston@swanseagowerlibdems.org.uk, or write to us at 28 Vicarage Road, Morriston, Swansea. SA6 6DH.

Pool title comes to Morriston!

The Swansea & Gower Liberal Democrat pool tournament has been won by Morriston activist Jon Clarke. The event, now in it's third year, was held at Rileys in Swansea, and drew competitors from around the local region. Jenny Randerson AM and Kirsty Williams AM, both candidates in the Welsh Liberal Democrat leadership contest, attended the event.

SUCCESS - Ynystawe Park

The Morriston Lib Dem team were contacted by a local resident concerned by the large puddles at the entrance to the kids' playground area of Ynystawe Park, making it difficult to access the area. After referring the case to local Lib Dem Assembly Member Peter Black, the path has now been resurfaced.

If you have any issues within Morriston that you are concerned about, then feel free to contact us, your local Lib Dem team, at morriston@swanseagowerlibdems.org.uk, or write to us at 28 Vicarage Road, Morriston, Swansea. SA6 6DH.

Morriston Lib Dems to defend pool championship

The third annual Swansea & Gower Liberal Democrat pool championship fundraiser takes place in October, with Jon Clarke of the Morriston team defending the title. Last year's event drew competitors from as far afield as Cardiff and Merthyr, with this year's tournament looking to be as much a success.

Stop the Landfill - Objection Letter

Morriston Liberal Democrats have written to the Environment Agency to object to the granting of a permit. Feel free to copy it or send your own. The more objections and observations the Environment Agency get, the better. You have until 3rd September to get yours to them.

"I am writing to object formally to the proposal to give SI Green a licence to operate a landfill site at Cwmrhydyceirw Quarry.

I have a number of concerns regarding the suitability of this site for operation as a landfill. Firstly, the location is in a residential area which experienced considerable difficulties the last time the quarry was used as a landfill site, such as a foul smell and an abundance of flies. Secondly, the quarry is situated close to a number of schools and the amount of site traffic could endanger the safety of these children.

My specific concerns regarding the draft permit are as follows:

3.4.1 “Emissions from the activities shall be free from odour at levels likely to cause annoyance outside the site, as perceived by an authorised officer of the Agency, unless the operator has used appropriate measures to prevent or where that is not practicable to minimise the odour”. I am deeply troubled that the operator will endeavour to lessen the smell but that it will still be prevalent and that the Environment Agency will be unable to enforce measures on them because of the use of the term ‘appropriate measures to prevent or where that is not practicable”. In my view any stench emanating from the site will ruin the quality of life for residents and devalue their houses and therefore must be dealt with in the strongest terms possible. Minimising the odour and using ‘appropriate measures’ will not give EA the opportunity to act on any complaints when they arise as the company will argue that all possible measures have been taken and that it is not practicable to take more.

Table S1.4B 1 “….If any trigger is reached the Agency shall be informed immediately, operations shall stop, and the matter investigated…..” This section of the table (as with many others) relies on a great deal of trust between the Agency and SI Green. I feel that a higher level of monitoring is required as self regulation can often lead to disastrous consequences.

Schedule 3 20 02 Garden and Park Wastes I am anxious that this waste may contain invasive fast growing plants such as knotweed which may carry into the surrounding region by air or other methods. I would request that this material is either not allowed to be dumped in the landfill or that strict regulations regarding its treatment and burial is included in the permit.

It is not clear to me from reading the draft permit that any “hazardous” materials found in the existing waste will be removed from the site. I understand that the definition of hazardous is open to interpretation and I therefore seek a clear scientific definition of what would constitute hazardous waste and ask that this be included in the permit. I am not convinced however that removing or even disturbing this waste will not impact adversely on the health of the residents of Morriston and surrounding area. If the licence is granted and the existing 70,000 tonnes of waste is reburied then the Environment Agency need to carry out vigorous control of the process so as to reduce the danger and nuisance to residents. I also would request a clause in the permit which requires a thorough evaluation of what is buried there through the boring of test holes before any work to re-site this waste begins.

Further to this I understand that the “liner” of clay and other materials is at present untested anywhere in the world, specifically on the north face. I am uneasy that disturbing the materials presently in the quarry will be hazardous to health and the problem will be compounded by a liner that may not work and subsequently leak into the ground and waterways.

I also seek reassurance from SI Green that traffic (estimated to be 44 20 tonne lorries per day) will be required to take a pre negotiated agreed route and that any damage to street furniture or the surface of the road caused by these lorries will be paid for direct to the local authority.

I would be grateful if you could consider my comments as part of the consultation process. Thank you."

Public meeting on Cwmrhydyceirw Quarry

The residents association fighting the re-opening of Cwmrhydyceirw Quarry will be holding a public meeting on Wednesday 6th August at 7pm in the Memorial Hall. At that meeting representatives will be reporting back on their meeting with the Environment Agency and operators S.I. Green the previous evening.

We have been passed files from the early 1990s detailing some of the material already buried on site. This material will need to be dug up and placed in a new cell before the site can be utilised for further waste disposal. The Environment Agency does not seem to have a copy on its files of this information.

In addition to local industrial waste such as Alcoa filter cake, spent vanadium catalyst from Alcoa, pellets treated with PCP from RAF Caerwent, ferrous sulphate monohydrate from BSC Velindre and powdered lime from Trostre amongst many others, the site contains a lot of imported waste. Thousand of tonnes of boiler ash, fly ash and filter cake from Vienna's municipal incinerator for example has been deposited there. This is recorded as 10,000 tonnes in 1989, at least 27,500 tonnes of imported incinerator ash in total. Much of this waste would be classified as hazardous today and would require specialist disposal, however S.I. Green will be allowed to re-bury it on site.

At a meeting last week residents drew up a list of questions they would want to ask of S.I. Green and the Environment Agency. Chief amongst these is how this hazardous waste will be rendered safe and what treatment will be used once it has been dug up to protect nearby residents and schools. It is important that we use the consultation period to pin down the Agency on key issues like this and demonstrate how unworkable a fresh tipping licence would be for this quarry.

Resumed tipping at Cwmrhydyceirw Quarry will cause major nuisance for local residents

The decision to allow tipping to resume at Cwmrhydyceirw Quarry will cause nuisance and danger to local residents. We believe strongly that the announcement by the Environment Agency that they are not in a position to refuse the application and will be issuing a permit for landfilling at the Morriston Quarry, will mean that lorry movements, noise, smells and dust will hit the surrounding residential area and local schools hard.

The last time domestic waste was deposited in this Quarry was in the 1980s. At that time local residents suffered badly from infestations of flies, noise and nuisance from constant heavy lorry movements and appalling smells. It is also the case that nobody fully knows what was placed in the Quarry and there are strong suspicions that there are up to 100 tonnes of hazardous substances buried there.

Before the new operator can start tipping he will have to dig out the existing material, re-line the quarry and put it back in place. That work has the potential to reopen the problems from the 1980s. There are also questions as to whether the re-lining work is viable and as to whether the watercourses can be protected from pollution emanating from the waste.

If tipping is allowed to resume then residents will have to suffer over twenty heavy lorries visiting and leaving the site each day. This is a residential area and there are a number of schools situated in the vicinity of the site. The dangers posed by such vehicle movements are unacceptable. This decision cannot be accepted by local residents or their representatives. We will be using the consultation period to argue against the granting of this permit in the strongest possible terms.