[michael hunt]

I’m not sure he is a gooner – I always thought he was from Sunderland way?

[michael hunt]

I thought the grass in the drain looked luvverley just like those wild flowers on Cefn Road reported in another news item.

“It was a very successful scheme, very beautiful and got UK-wide coverage, but I understand that certain leading councillors were unhappy they weren’t invited to a photo opp to publicise this scheme and claimed councillors shouldn’t have even funded the flowers because they were planted on highways land”

The Queensway councillor added: “If that’s right, it’s ridiculous that the driver for preventing this scheme, according to several sources I’ve spoken to, was because of people throwing their toys because they didn’t get their picture in the paper.

Who is the leading councillor referred to?
Something to do with highways and enjoys a photo opportunity?
Names anyone?

[michael hunt]

I think that being a local Councillor for little more than 8 months hardly qualifies Mr A to become a Lead Member on the Executive Board. I know experience can be only be gained over time, but surely for such ‘an important’ position their must be someone better suited to the role.

Absolutely right Maureen. Just look at the talent on show at the executive board now.

There;s a window cleaner looking after youth service, a railway signal worker on environment, a hairdresser on childrens services, a mechanic on planning, and Biffa Bacon in overall control. All very worthy professions in their own right ( Biffa excepted) but do they really have the knowledge required?

[michael hunt]

Council Leader Mark Pritchard’s said in his opinion “If we just put an advertise locally within the Wrexham Leader or on Wrexham.com, obviously we wouldn’t get the right calibre of individual.

“I meant it when I said if we advertised locally we certainly wouldn’t get the right individual. That’s why we cast our nets wide.”

It is now 5 months since helen whatshename left the council and in that intervening period WCBC has been controlled by Clare Field, who if Mark Pritchards reasoning is correct, is not the right calibre for the job. What a ringing endorsement.
I have to confess that I havent noticed any difference whatsoever. the transition has been smoother than a david bithel twatter post. Maybe the job doesn’t need to be filled? it seems to me that all the power is held by dumb and dumber – pritchard & bithel and the supporting cast of village idiots on the executive board.

why appoint a chief executive when the real power is held by a bunch of half wits?

[michael hunt]

I think you may have unwittingly hit the nail on the head Derek Fisher because you are absolutely correct that there is a noticeable difference between the Ruabon and Johnstown ward and its not just the weeds.
Whereas Ruabon (and indeed every ward in wrexham) is plagued by potholes, Johnstown doesn’t have any. Every other ward in Wrexham needs significant investment to resurface their roads to a decent standard whereas Johnstowns roads are all recently resurfaced.

Is that the sign of a hard working councillor as you suggest? That would suggest that all other councillors aren’t hard working, and I don’t think thats a fair reflection on all of them

I think its more likely that Johnstowns councillor gets his roads resurfaced and his weeds cleaned and his litter bins emptied and his speed reduction measures implemented just because he is lead member for the environment and therefore has his say where the budget is spent.

I’m sure your ward would look as wonderful as Johnstown if your councillor was lead member and had no shame at all in taking a vastly disproportionate share of the highway budget at the expense of other wards

[michael hunt]

I think that we have moved away from the point of the post which was to highlight the issue of Councillor Bithell telling a fellow councillor that there was no money for traffic calming features, while he makes sure that his own ward has an abundance of every possible feature.

So how has Bangor Road has changed in the last 3 years?

2 new zebra crossings, numerous flashing warning signs and in the last 4 months two speed bumps have appeared on a layby leading past about 6 houses. I’m not decrying the use of traffic calming I’m saying that there seems to be plenty of money for Johnstown but none for Ruabon.

I just hope that Johnstown isn’t being favoured over all other wards just because the ward member is also Lead member for environment where he can get his hands on the highway budget

[michael hunt]

Apologies if I have missed it but where does it say that Councillors are retaining their free parking?

Does anyone think that Pritchard is bending the truth a little? This suggestion that they have listened to what was said and so changed their minds on many of the cuts.

They are still slashing 250k off the music budget
They are still cutting park rangers even though there were hundreds of objections to it

and for a man who has his photo in the papers virtually every day of the week Bithell is being unusually coy about his plans for the bin collections

There were also hundreds of comments about cutting councillors pay and expenses – no comment whatsoever on this? Perhaps he is saving that discussion for the meeting next week?

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