Dear Resident
Households in Montgomeryshire should have received a calendar through the post this week listing my surgery dates throughout the year. If you have not received a copy, I’d be interested to know and I’d be happy to send you a copy. Please feel free to forward this email on to your friends and colleagues and please let me know if I can help in any way.
Transport
Dyfi Bridge - Earlier this month, I received a letter from the Minister for Economy & Transport, Edwina Hart AM. The Minister outlined progress on the Welsh Government’s long-term plans for a new crossing after having appointed an employer’s agent. We remain hopeful that construction could begin by the end of next year. For more information on the next steps, please visit my website.
Caersws Bridge - The Minister has confirmed to me that she has appointed a company to undertake work on detailed options to resolve the safety crossing issues on the bridge. If you would like to have more information on potential options, please contact me.
Llanymynech / Pant Bypass - The Minister has written to say she has contacted the UK Government to reopen discussions on the proposed bypass scheme. The Minister also informs me that a schedule of meetings have been established between the Welsh Government and UK Government to work together and to take forward these discussions.
Newtown Bypass - Work is due to start this year and is due to be completed by the end of 2017. Earlier this week I had a meeting with Powys County Council officials to discuss the options for the A483 main road through Newtown and to discuss what options should be considered for altering the road layout once the bypass is complete. It was agreed that the public will be able to submit their views in this regard. I will of course update you when this process has been agreed.
Train Services - I was pleased that the Minister accepted my invitation to visit Montgomeryshire yesterday to meet with the Carno Station action group. Apart from discussing the proposed new station, we also discussed the hourly train service which is due to start in May. The Carno Station action group will be holding a drop in session tomorrow at Carno Community Centre between 11am – 6pm. I will be there from 11am – 12pm, and MP Glyn Davies will be there between 3pm – 4pm. Please feel free to call in if you would like to lend your support to this local campaign or to discuss wider issues about rail services with me.
Health
Ambulance Response Times - Ambulance response times, for immediately life-threatening category A calls, has reached an all time low in Powys and the Welsh Government’s targets have been missed every month since records began, three years ago. In December 2014, performance in Powys fell to 51.6%. I am supporting calls for a short, sharp investigation into the Welsh Ambulance Service to very quickly identify the reasons for such appalling performance and recommend solutions to meet target response times so that patients and staff can have confidence in the Welsh Ambulance Service.
The Future of Emergency Care in Mid Wales - The NHS Future Fit Programme Board have recently released six shortlisted options for changing emergency, planned and urgent care within Shropshire and Mid Wales. For a list of scenarios, please visit the FutureFit website. What is absolutely crucial for the people of Montgomeryshire will be the location of the new Emergency Centre, and as expected, three short-listed options remain on the table: a new Emergency Centre at Royal Shrewsbury; the Princess Royal at Telford; or at a completely new site. Both Glyn Davies MP and I last week met with the Chairperson of Powys Local Health Board to discuss the situation for Montgomeryshire patients. Glyn’s and my view is that either the existing Newtown or Welshpool hospitals should be designated and equipped as an Urgent Care Centre. No formal consultations or final decisions are likely until the end of 2015. I will keep you posted with developments.
Council services and funding
Secondary & Post-16 Education in Powys - I am of the view that Powys County Council’s cabinet should provide assurances over the provision of secondary education in the County after they accepted a report which has suggested the closure of a number of high schools and sixth forms in Powys. A full report on specific proposals for individual schools is due to go to Councillors in March for consideration. This is worrying for parents, pupils and teachers. Whilst I understand the financial pressures on the council, the most important issue is the future education of our children. It is my view that the council needs to prioritise and invest in education.
Council Funding - Last week I contributed in a debate in the National Assembly to call for the local government funding formula to be overhauled to ensure that Powys gets a fair deal. The funding settlement is particularly challenging for rural authorities like Powys County Council, which received one of the largest cuts last year and this is proposed to be repeated again this year. It means that we are now seeing the local authority in Powys considering to close secondary schools, following many years of reducing other local services. This is clearly unacceptable. Money must be apportioned to local authorities in a fair way which properly takes into account the challenges of delivering vital public services over large rural areas like Mid Wales. For detail on my full contributions in the National Assembly, please visit my website.
Broadband
Superfast Cymru project - The Superfast Cymru project has made good progress in rolling out superfast broadband to Montgomeryshire over the last 8 months. Fibre broadband is currently available to around a third of the 30,000 premises in Montgomeryshire with further work to roll out superfast broadband to more rural areas in the pipeline. Over recent months, I have been liaising with BT on behalf of residents who would like more information on their specific circumstances. Please contact me if you would like any advice.
Agriculture
Campaigning for Young Farmers’ Clubs - I have recently had a conversation with Nia Lloyd, the Chief Executive of YFC, to discuss the campaign to support YFC’s in Wales. Earlier this month, I added my support for Wales’ Young Farmers’ Clubs who are threatened by significant funding cuts from the Welsh Government. I believe that the Welsh Government should revisit the decision to axe the funding which the YFCs receive from the National Voluntary Youth Organisations grant fund. Without this funding, the YFCs will struggle to support and assist young people in farming communities as they currently do and it will endanger a movement which has a very important role at the heart of our rural communities.
Other news
Montgomery Canal - A couple of weeks ago, Glyn Davies and I met with various community groups at Welshpool Town Hall to discuss future restoration plans for the 200-year-old canal which runs for 33 miles from the Llangollen Canal to Newtown via Welshpool and Llanymynech. This year a Heritage Lottery Fund project will enable volunteers to restore a currently dry section at Pryce’s Bridge. Over many years, a huge amount of work and fundraising has taken place by organisations such as the Heulwen Trust, Friends of Montgomery Canal, Montgomery Canal Partnership and the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust which should be commended. We are keen to play our part to ensure that these barriers are removed so that the ambition to link the canal with the Shropshire Union Canal can proceed unhindered. For more information on the events on the canal, visit the “Making Waves” website.
European Tree of the Year - Our MP, Glyn Davies, and I have leant our support to Llanfyllin’s famous Lonely Tree which has been nominated for the European Tree of the Year competition after having won last year’s Wales Tree of the Year award. The Scots Pine tree is a famous Montgomeryshire landmark, and has played a large part in community life for over 200 years. Voting for the European Tree of the Year competition takes place from February 1st – 28th 2015. Cast your vote here. Please spend just a few moments to cast your vote.
Montgomery Town Crier - And finally, I recently had the opportunity to lend my support to Sue Blower, the Montgomery Town Crier, who has been invited to take part in the World Town Crying Competition in New Zealand in September. After questioning the Minister for Public Services, Leighton Andrews AM, on what support is available for Sue’s trip, especially as she is not only representing Montgomeryshire but the whole of Wales, Leighton Andrews committed to looking at what support can be made available. I’m sure you will all join me in wishing Sue all the best for the competition in September and we look forward to hearing how she gets on.
Surgeries
I have published a full list of surgeries for the coming year. You can find the complete list on my website. Please find below my upcoming dates:
- Carno – Saturday 14 February, 11am-12pm
- Trefeglwys Community Centre – Saturday 21 February, 12m-2pm
- Morrisons, Newtown – Friday 20 February, 5pm-7pm
- Morrisons, Welshpool, Saturday 7 March – 9am-11am
- Llanidloes (Please call for venue) – Friday 13 March – 11am-12pm
- Lion Hotel, Llansantffraid – Saturday 14 March – 10am-11am
- Caersws (Please call for venue) – Thursday 19 March – 10am-11am
- Meifod Community Centre – Saturday 28 March – 11am-12am
Please contact my constituency office on 01686 610887 to make an appointment or to discuss any issue you want to raise with me.
Best wishes,
Russell George
National Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire
Aelod Cynulliad dros Sir Drefaldwyn