Saturday 15 April 2017

Election Tour 2017: Bynea, Bigyn and Pontyberem (Updated)

Not so happy families


Who sits and stands where is important in Labour circles. In the group portrait taken when Labour launched its manifesto in Carmarthenshire poor old Kevin Madge, once the centre of things, has almost been squeezed out of shot, standing (from Tegwen's point of view) on the extreme right, while occupying a conspicuous place of honour next to Dafen Dolly is Rob James, who was also given a speaking part at the launch.

Rob, who has dislodged Labour's best councillor, Bill Thomas in Lliedi, has no local connections and popped up in Llanelli after serving a pretty uninspiring five years in Neath Port Talbot.

His star billing at the launch can't have gone down well with the old hands who have toiled away in County Hall for the last five years.

Take Derek Cundy, for example. Derek, who was one of the brighter lights in the low wattage Labour group elected back in 2012, will be standing again for Bynea, although such is his attachment to the ward that he moved out of it after being elected and now lives in Llangennech which is less prone to flooding.

2012 was a very good year for Labour as it recovered from the Brown years, and Derek Cundy won the ward for Labour with a majority of 117 over Gwynne Wooldridge (Independent) who held the ward previously.

This time round, Plaid is fielding Gwynne's son, Ian Wooldridge.

Ian is the first Plaid candidate to stand in Bynea since 1977, and unlike Derek Cundy was born and brought up in the village, and still lives there.

He works as a mathematics lecturer at Neath Port Talbot College, and his electoral address is a model of what a good electoral address should be. It is devoid of the usual meaningless platitudes, and concentrates on local issues such as a plan to build 240 houses on land at Genwen Farm:

With so many new houses built in Bynea ward recently, I’m very concerned that 240 more are planned on Genwen Farm land. The current inadequate sewerage/drainage system cannot cope with existing demands and, as a result, often causes flooding in the ward. It would therefore be highly irresponsible to build more housing estates in the ward. As a Councillor I shall oppose any such proposals.

Derek Cundy has got a fight on his hands.

Bigyn and Pontyberem

As we saw recently, Lee Waters has gone to extraordinary lengths to create the impression that he lives in Llanelli when in fact he lives in Barry, and we have three Labour candidates for the county council - Sion Davies (Llangyndeyrn), Lisa Williams (Trimsaran) and Philip Thompson (Kidwelly) - all giving a small house in Kidwelly as their home address.

Even more confused about where he really lives is Edward Skinner who is standing as Labour candidate for the county council in Pontyberem and for Bigyn on Llanelli Town Council.

Skinner's nomination papers for the county council elections gave his address as 11 Railway Terrace, Llanelli, an address unknown to the postman or indeed anyone else. Meanwhile the address given for his Bigyn candidacy is 11 Railway Place, Llanelli.*




Correction 18 April

Llanelli Labour Party has asked for this piece to be corrected to show that the addresses given for Edward Skinner were both in Llanelli. The Labour Party has also stated that Mr Skinner has not attended an interview at Llanelli Police Station with regard to the discrepancies on his nomination papers.

Y Cneifiwr apologises for any confusion and distress caused.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

If they break the rules shouldn't they be removed as candidates? What's the point of setting rules and procedures if they don't adhere to them? Surely that's the whole point of rules?

Jac o' the North, said...

If this picture is to be interpreted as an old USSR group shot then Gary Jones' position might cause him some concern. Though it would appear that Barry Lee Waters is still well in favour. But who's the one in the position of honour between Dafen Dolly and Nia Griffith?

Anonymous said...




Labour's Lethargic Liars are out leafletting today, with a leaflet full of the usual crap. Surely no-one can take the likes of Keith 'train wreck' Davies seriously after his Assembly showing?
Llanelli voters need to wake up and realise what they are doing when putting their cross in the Labour box.

Anonymous said...

I find it shocking that they can give false information to the electorate . Also not living in the area they want to represent . Whaere will their loyalties lies if they get elected and have to vote on important issues where they live ? Or where they represent ? And as for Bynea the lab there has moved out of the area .

Anonymous said...

Anyone who moves from Bynea to llangenech to avoid flooding hasn't studied the NRW Developement Advice Maps. I trust Deryk has one of those nice new houses on the hill as the old village looks like its heading for a very damp future.

Neville Jones said...

Have you seen llanelli.online, a 'news' site that has crawled right up Llanelli Labour's backside in the hunt for Barry Waters? Someone ought to expose whoever is behind it. There is not even half of a pretence at unbiased reporting.

Anonymous said...

Alan Evans who had to leave the herald is llanelli.online

Anonymous said...

I find the whole red leaflets very distasteful . They are all claiming to be a STRONG VOICE . Where ? They all claim they had parks done or transferred ? Take Dafen Pwll Felinfoel and Llwynhendy ? Wasnt it officers who decided to transfer assetts and ALL councillors voted on it ? The same they all claim safer routes funding . Wasnt this allocated to CCC to spend on areas and officers at Ccc applied and secured funds ? So why are councillors stating the secured these wag and lottery funds ?
I find the whole lot stinks .
And personal attacks on disabled candidates is a favourite now too . They never have had a clean fight have they ?

Deryk Cundy said...

Deryk Cundy clarified:

As always a pleasure to be mentioned in one of these famous blog spots, although I remember the last comment 5 years ago as being more complimentary.

I would prefer it if all the source information was valid and correct and would like to set the record straight if you will kindly allow me.

I understand that Ian has indeed lived in Bynea all his life and you are correct in stating that I have moved out of Bynea after selling our house a few months ago, which was far too big for us, after our children left home.

We are currently renting a property 500 yards outside the borders of Bynea in Llangennech, just minutes drive away from any house in the Bynea Ward, until we can find a home suitable for my wife’s health needs, back in Bynea.

The sewage flooding in Bynea has been alleviated by an extra sewer in Berwick Road, close to Ian’s house and my previous property, two years ago, and the Bynea pumping station has been upgraded at the cost of £3,500,000 to ensure that flooding does not happen in the area.

This was due to extensive lobbying of DCWW by Bynea residents including myself.

This upgrade however does not allow for new developments and is why we as a community objected to and stopped the development of 34 houses off Station Road and are still fighting to stop any inappropriate housing overwhelming the local infrastructure.

As most people are aware, I and most of the community have been fighting against 240 houses being built at Genwen Farm for 5 years due to the aforementioned concerns.

In fact you can view the residents and my vain attempts to stop outline planning permission in the County Council Webcast Archives for the Planning session should you so wish.

We are continuing to fight the detailed Planning Permission due to dangerous increase in traffic conditions through the village, lack of education places and the fact that it is proposed that sewage will be held on site in a huge tank next to established homes to be gradually released into the inadequate sewerage system.

We all feel this is dangerous and unproven and is only proposed, as a technical solution, to save money at the expense of the degradation of the local population’s lifestyles in Bynea, Llwynhendy and Llangennech, which all the local County Councillors oppose (see planning application S/33342 documents).

I therefore welcome Ian’s recent support, as we need as many people as possible to be involved and look forward to seeing him at future meetings and protests.

Anonymous said...

Just like this blog?

Cneifiwr said...

Anon 18 April @20.41 Thank you for your comment. I believe that Alan Evans left the Herald by mutual agreement.

Anonymous said...

Appologies .