Following Labour’s victory in the local elections, Bridgend County Borough Council has agreed the six councillors who will form the new Cabinet.

The Labour administration will again be led by Councillor Mel Nott, with Councillor David Sage returning as Deputy Leader.

Councillor Lyn Morgan retains the Wellbeing portfolio, and Councillor Phil White will lead on Communities, the role he was first appointed to last year.

Councillor Huw David moves to Children and Young People, while former party chair Councillor Mike Gregory takes over the Resources portfolio which is responsible for the authority’s finances.

Announcing his Cabinet to BCBC’s Annual General Meeting, Councillor Nott told councillors it was a privilege to lead the authority and he was looking forward to repaying the trust and faith placed in him to carry out the role.

He said: “Being a councillor can be tough and we are answerable to our constituents in a very public way. But we are also in a unique position to help shape the lives and futures of people here in Bridgend County. I hope you are ready for the challenge!

“I’m very conscious of the fact that the people of the borough have chosen to return 39 Labour councillors this time around – some 12 more than during the last period of administration. From a political point of view this is a fantastic achievement and a tribute to the hard work of the local party. But with that large majority also comes great responsibility and accountability, something I will continue to reinforce with my group. This is certainly not a time for complacency.

“I would also prefer to keep our politics and the way we all do business positive and constructive. Yes, we are the largest group but there are 54 elected members of this council and we should, as far as possible, be working together with the common aim of improving our communities despite our different political views and opinions. Your feedback, opinion and perspective, especially through the scrutiny process, will add great value to what we as a Cabinet wish to achieve.”

He added: “The financial climate undoubtedly remains a challenge for all councils especially as our frontline services have never been in greater demand. But for the last four years we have stood by our election pledges to both protect and invest while still being efficient. We wish to help ease the pressure being experienced by local households through, for example, our decision to freeze council tax this year.

“As a whole Cabinet we want to continue our work with local businesses to build a stronger and more prosperous economy and create local jobs in our local area. That includes saving the ones we have which is why we have been at the forefront of the campaign to support Remploy workers.

“As we begin a new year and a new administration we can feel encouraged about where we stand and where we are going. We look forward to working with you and your communities as well as with officers and our partners to make Bridgend County Borough a better place to live, learn, work and visit.”

THE NEW CABINET:

• LEADER: Councillor Mel Nott: (Sarn): “It’s my privilege to be Leader once again. I know each one of my Cabinet Member will give outstanding dedication to their roles and portfolios. We will also work closely with our AMs and MPs to help tackle the terrible hardships placed on local families by the UK coalition government.”
• DEPUTY LEADER: Councillor David Sage (Brackla): “I’m very proud to be Deputy Leader and to play such a significant role in shaping the future of our borough. I’m looking forward to continuing our good work regenerating our town centres and reducing crime and disorder through the rollout of our Designated Public Places Orders.”
• WELLBEING: Councillor Lyn Morgan (Ynysawdre): “Working with partners to create our first Extra Care facility was one of our major achievements. Over the next five years I would like to see us thinking more creatively about how we make more of these high-quality facilities available for our older and more vulnerable people.”
• COMMUNITIES: Councillor Phil White (Caerau): “I’m pleased that the Cabinet has had the confidence in me to continue in this important role. I want to grow the success of our recycling initiatives and look at how we improve our transport infrastructure to help tackle unemployment and allow those who do not have a job a greater opportunity to travel and seek work.”
• CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE: Councillor Huw David (Cefn Cribwr): “This is a hard act to follow after our colleague Alana Davies. I’m looking forward to continuing the success of our very ambitious school modernisation programme and the very positive progress in our safeguarding service which protects our most vulnerable children.”
• RESOURCES: Councillor Mike Gregory (Felindre): “I’m honoured to be the newest member of the Cabinet. I’m taking over a portfolio which has been well-served by Councillor David. Even in these difficult economic times the Cabinet has managed to freeze council tax for the coming year in order to ease the burden on local families. I will be working hard to protect frontline services.”

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Bridgend County Borough Council can supply affordable composting bins at a reduced rate to local householders who can then produce their own nutrient-rich homemade compost for their garden.

Garden or ‘green’ organic waste such as grass cuttings, leaves and twigs is biodegradable and will decompose easily, and naturally in a compost bin. Vegetable peelings, egg shells, shredded cardboard, tea bags and even the contents of your vacuum cleaner can also go into your compost bin.

A spokesperson for Bridgend County Borough Council: “Once you’ve invested in a compost bin there are no further costs and you can have rich, homemade compost to use on your garden in as little as nine months. Anyone with outside space can compost. If you don’t have a garden, remember that you can still recycle any vegetable peelings, fruit cores, teabags and egg shells by using your weekly food waste collection service.”

For more information and to order a bin, check your blue Recycling Handbook, or contact BCBC’s Recycling Helpline on 01656 643439.

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Tories, Lib Dems and “Independents” all lose out as Labour makes gains

It was a stunning night for the Labour Party in Bridgend with a net gain of 12 seats on the council: 39 of the 54 seats returning a Labour councillor. The Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have been all but wiped out, but Plaid retained their solitary seat.

The coalition parties suffered heavy defeats with the Conservatives being reduced from 6 seats to just 1 on the new council. The Lib Dems fared slightly better, winning back 3 of their 6 seats.

It wasn’t just the mainstream parties that felt the ire of the electorate. Bridgend is noteworthy for having a strong independent presence on the council, but they two lost 4 of their 14 seats as Labour swept all before them.

Bridgend AM and Wales’s First Minister, Carwyn Jones (pictured) said: Labour had “reconnected with people”. He had been urging the electorate to use the vote as a referendum on the Westminster coalition and the message was loud and clear in Wales.

"The momentum is clearly with Welsh Labour tonight," he said.

"We are taking seats from every party across the country – with impressive gains in Wrexham, Caerphilly, Newport and a total Lib Dem wipe out in Merthyr.

"We have reconnected with people and our community campaigning has resonated with voters right across Wales."

Elsewhere in Wales, Labour has taken control of Newport, Swansea and Cardiff; the three big jewels in the crown of Welsh politics. The Cardiff result was particularly stunning, with even Peter Hain predicting late last night that Labour would struggle to take the city. With the result as yet undeclared, pundits are predicting Labour will have a comfortable majority in the capital. The outgoing leader of Cardiff council, Liberal Democrat Rodney Berman is in danger of losing his seat, as his heart of the city ward, Plasnewydd, goes to a third recount.

In the Vale of Glamorgan, the Conservatives lost overall control of the council, with Labour now the largest party in an area that has been regarded as the Welsh Tory heartland. If Labour had taken a majority in The Vale, it would have represented meltdown point for the Tories, but they just held on to sufficient seats to deny Mr Jones the cherry on top of a cake that had already been mixed, baked and iced. 

In neighbouring Neath-Port Talbot, Labour won a total of 52 seats, up from their previous 39 to cap what was a strong endorsement of Carwyn Jones’ leadership of Wales.

The Bridgend results in full

• Conservative 1 – down 5
• Labour 39 – up 12
• Liberal Democrat  – down 3
• Plaid Cymru 1
• Independent/Other 10 – down 4

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There are no rounds on Monday 7 May, meaning all collections will be one day later than usual for the rest of that week.

Households who would usually have a collection on Friday 11 May will have a special collection on Saturday 12 May instead.

All collections return to normal on Monday 14 May,

A spokesperson said: “If we’re lucky enough to have good weather and residents are planning a picnic or barbecue for the bank holiday, please remember to recycle your food waste and packaging rather than put them in a black bag for landfill. We’d like to thank householders for helping to make our award-winning recycling scheme such a success and keeping our borough cleaner and greener.”

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The authority wants residents and visitors to the borough to follow @BridgendCBC for regular news and information about the council and its services.

The service will be officially live from 1 May meaning the council will be able to tweet its election results as soon as they happen.

@BridgendCBC will also tweet up to date information on recycling, events, services and local news.

Chief Executive Jo Farrar said: “We’re excited to join the Twitter community and hope that other tweeters will follow us for instant news and information about our many different services.

"We’re especially pleased to be launching this in time for the council elections on 3 May. We will be tweeting the results as they happen over night, meaning our followers will be among the first to know who their new councillor is."

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A Bridgend resident recognised the potential scam and sent the letter to BCBC Trading Standards for investigation. The letter claims the recipient has won a cash prize of £900,000 in a global draw which ‘aims to change the lives of millions of people’.

According to Senior Fair Trading Officer Ellis Roberts, the letter bears all the hallmarks of a postal scam, and should not be responded to.

He said: “We often see letters of this nature being sent to our residents. It is very possible that those who operate regular lottery scams have simply added the Olympic logo to this particular letter in the hope that people will part with their money, just before the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games begin.

“The letter informs the recipient that their winnings must be collected within six weeks, and that the information must be kept away from the public. A common tactic by scammers is to rush people in to making decisions and to keep the letter a secret, which allows the scam to spread quickly.”

Whilst many may identify this type of letter as a scam, Trading Standards are aware of people who have lost vast sums of money in these situations.

BCBC Service Manager for Trading Standards, Helen Picton, explained: “As with most lottery scams, fraudsters are preying on the good will of consumers. It is tempting to believe that you have won a major financial prize in conjunction with the forthcoming Games, but in reality you are likely to lose money if you respond to these scams.

“The good news is residents of Bridgend County Borough can celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by lining the streets to witness the Olympic Torch Relay pass through six of our communities on Saturday 26 May. But we want to ensure that nobody is caught out by this or any scam in the weeks leading up to the event which is why we will be running a campaign during May to raise awareness about various scams, which includes bogus lottery letters.”

If you believe you have received a letter, email or telephone call informing you that you’ve won a large cash prize you can contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 040506 to discuss the matter. They can inform you of how to avoid becoming a victim of a scam.

· For further information on these issues or to seek advice, residents can contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service by calling 08454 040506 or visiting the website: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk

· Scams Awareness Week is an annual national event organised by the Trading Standards Institute, held in May 2012.

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Speaking of the decision Cardiff Blues CEO Richard Holland said,

"The Cardiff Blues management have discussed the matter at length but have acted swiftly since the incident occurred on Saturday morning."

"Gavin admitted himself that his behaviour was totally unacceptable and the immediate termination of his contract sends out a clear message that behaviour like that will not be tolerated at the Blues."

"We have a duty to our supporters and sponsors to protect the good name of Cardiff Blues and those associated with our brand."

"Gavin Henson is obviously a talented rugby player and it’s unfortunate that his career at the Blues has ended this way."

"However, we would like to thank him for his service and wish him the best of luck with his future career."

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Run by Bridgend County Borough Council, the home provides a range of residential, day and respite care services for older people, and has increasingly focused on dementia care over the last two years.

Now refurbishment work is set to take place which will provide beds for 30 people with dementia and enable the residents to enjoy greater access and freedom of movement around the home and its gardens.

The work, taking place as a result of investment by the Labour run Council, will also establish special ‘quiet’ areas, a colour-coded living environment that will help residents find their way around the home, an enhanced dining room, a new visitor area and other new improved facilities.

Councillor Lyn Morgan, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, said: “The refurbishment work at Glan yr Afon will help provide a safe, secure managed living environment for some of the most vulnerable members of our community.”

Council Leader Mel Nott added: “With skilled staff on hand to provide expert care, the refurbishment plans form an important part of our commitment towards modernising adult social care services in Bridgend County Borough.”

The work is expected to be completed later this summer.

Photograph: Council Leader Mel Nott and Councillor Lyn Morgan, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, enjoy a chat at Glan yr Afon with resident Gillian Davies.

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The hooker sustained the injury during Wales’ win over Scotland at the Millennium Stadium, and having started the first two games of the Grand Slam campaign he has since been sidelined.

Ospreys Head Physio, Chris Towers, confirmed the surgery today, saying: “Despite undergoing a period of intense rehabilitation work Huw has failed to recover from the Achilles injury he picked up in the Scotland game, and as such, the best course of action for him is to undergo surgery.

“He will be treated this week, before commencing his post-op rehab programme with the Ospreys. At this stage we are looking at an eight to twelve week period for Huw to complete his rehabilitation following the operation. We will be working in close conjunction with the WRU medical team throughout.”

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The council has submitted an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for an initial amount of £532,000 to set up the scheme, which will focus on the town’s harbour, breakwater and historic square. If the funding bid is successful, the THI scheme will enable key historic buildings in the area to be repaired and restored to their former architectural glory. This would include the Jennings building, which would offer a flagship project designed to attract developers and occupiers.

The scheme will also contribute towards public realm enhancements and help to identify sustainable new uses for vacant buildings as part of the wider Porthcawl Regeneration Strategy.

With the total first phase cost of the Porthcawl THI scheme estimated to be £1.45m, the proposals are currently being considered by the Heritage Lottery Fund. If successful, the council hopes that the Porthcawl THI could begin in 2013.

Bridgend County Borough Council launched its first THI project in Bridgend town centre where it has transformed Dunraven Place and has been recognised with awards including International Green Apple status. A similar scheme is also running in Maesteg town centre which the Council is delivering alongside the ongoing regeneration project.

Major progress has been made in the town in the last four years. The council is about to start work on the £3m harbour refurbishment, has introduced the 1.3km shared footpath and cycleway linking the Esplanade with Rest Bay across Locks Common, is extending the Rest Bay boardwalk to cover 1,100 metres of coastline, is looking towards the opening of the Wales Coastal Path in May, is developing surf and water sport festivals, and has secured prestigious events such as the 2012 Senior Open Championship and the UK Pro Surf Tour.

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