Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Carmarthenshire Council is to start a national campaign against overground cables and pylons being placed as part of a national power grid. Leader Cllr Kevin Madge will launch a Wales-wide petition against the proposals by Western Power Distribution, with the intention of getting the issue debated at the House of Commons. The suggestion was made by Deputy Leader Cllr Pam Palmer during a debate on a Notice of Motion brought by Opposition Leader Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths. The motion stated: “That Carmarthenshire County Council finds it totally unacceptable that the proposed Brechfa Forest wind farm(s) National Grid connection should be made via an overhead line supported by wooden pylons. As the Council itself has no statutory power in this matter, we ask the UK Energy Secretary to ensure that the connection cable is laid underground for its entire length.” Councillors agreed unanimously to support the motion and the national campaign against the overhead pylons. They argued that they ...

A leading environmental charity has called on Environment Minister John Griffiths to strengthen the protection for communities in Wales against fracking for shale gas. Friends of the Earth’s anti-fracking petition * – signed by more than 1,000 people – has been passed to the Environment Minister by the National Assembly for Wales. Gareth Clubb, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: “Fracking poses a clear danger to communities across huge swathes of Wales. It can pollute groundwater and it has caused earthquakes across the border in England. But most ominously, fracking would destroy any hope we have of keeping greenhouse gas emissions in check. “I’m delighted that the Environment Minister will now be considering stronger protection for Wales’ communities against the threat of fracking. “Wales needs to be a frack-free country, and the Minister can take the first step towards this by changing Welsh planning laws.” * The petition reads: “We call upon the National Assembly fo...

'Stop the beer duty escalator' is the appeal in a new e-petition to the UK Government's Treasury department. The petition says - Every year, the beer tax escalator increases the tax on beer by 2% above the rate of inflation, thus adding considerably more pressure on the British pub, the cornerstone of many of our communities. Removing the beer duty escalator at the next budget will help keep beer more affordable and go a long way to supporting the institution that is the great British pub. Going to the pub is a core British tradition and so is enjoying great beer. If you want to continue enjoying your fresh pint in your local pub, then it’s crucial that you support our campaign to grind the beer duty tax escalator to a halt. If we don’t show our support for the great British pub, we risk losing more pubs and more jobs within our local communities. Support great beer in the great British pub and sign our e-petition now... British Pubs Need You! Link to e-petition ...

Carmarthenshire Council's Executive Board Member for health and social care has formally responded to a petition regarding a Llandeilo day club service. At a recent Executive Board decisions meeting, Cllr Pat Jones acknowledged the petition, handed to the county council in June, and noted the concerns raised regarding the closure of Noddfa Teilo. She has now penned a formal response letter, assuring petitioners that a replacement club, which was launched by the WRVS at the nearby Maes Elfryn Sheltered Scheme, is already meeting the needs of those who had formerly attended Noddfa Teilo. It is one of five county council run day clubs which have successfully transferred to the voluntary or independent sector. Cllr Jones said: “Of course I understand that people in the Llandeilo area had their concerns about what they had perceived as a loss of service for older people in the community. “We reassured service users, staff, and members of the public at the time, that we had no plans to e...