Constituency days and the sun is shining!
This week I have been focussing attention on visiting in the constituency as we are in recess.
Cultural issues are vitally important at the moment because of threats to funding and withdrawal of funds by the Arts Council of Wales. This is a serious issue and I can’t help recalling when we were told by Plaid Cymru’s Minister that the extra funding for the Wales Millennium Centre, which I backed, would not have an adverse affect on the arts outside of Cardiff. Yet here we are with a withdrawal of funding for Celf o Gwmpas, which provides high quality arts experiences primarily for people with learning disabilities and is based in Llandrindod Wells, and a withdrawal of funding too for the Centre for Performance Research based in Aberystwyth.
These organisations will not survive without the funding, and both provide unique and vital cultural services to the people of Wales. The Centre for Performance Research is based in Aberystwyth and I visited them yesterday. Their premises are based on the Penglais Campus of the University and some of the staff related to teaching at the University are paid for by the University, but others responsible for theatre production are, of course, funded out of monies provided by the Arts Council of Wales. The Centre has an international reputation and has built up a considerable collection of research materials provided by people by bequest or by gift. It is an organisation that is certainly worth preserving and, indeed, enhancing.
I also visited the Brecon Beacons National Park Headquarters to deliver a letter to Chris Gledhill about the dysfunctional problems that they have on planning issues. These problems have been highlighted by the Gilestone Caravan Park decision and the audit that was carried out into the Park’s planning in relation to that. It highlighted many process problems and these must now be addressed. I hope that the Park can put together a recovery plan to put things back on track. They are certainly serious issues, although to be fair to the Park they have accepted the recommendations and are, I believe, moving to implement them.
Another major issue I have taken great interest in in the constituency is road safety. Uniquely in Wales, Powys casualty figures have shown no signs of improvements over the years and there are some junctions that need to be made safer. I can’t understand why the filter lanes have been removed where the A438 meets the A470 at the Pontybat junction. Other junctions are not properly signposted.
Then there are other areas which need lower speed limits such as the stretch through Howey on the A483 and the 40 mile limit coming out of Rhayader on the road to Llangurig, which should be lowered to 30. I do hope that we can get some action on these points before there is a serious accident which then will force the Minister’s hand
