Brynyffynnon Election Candidates Question and Answer

We here at Wrexham.com sent written letters to all 130 odd candidates in the local Wrexham Council elections this year, and here are the replies! Where there is no reply below from a candidate, we did not receive one before the week of the 23rd April. If you are a candidate or voter reading this join in the debate or let us know what you think in our Wrexham Forums!

Brynyffynnon (1 seat)
Harvey – Welsh Labour
Wynn – Independent

Harvey – Welsh Labour

1 – Which party do you align yourself with, and why? (Or if non aligned, why not?)

Welsh Labour. They are the only party that share my beliefs on creating a fair and just society.

2 – What will be your first personal priority or aim if you were elected?

One of the Labour pledges for Wrexham is to increase spending on Primary and Secondary Schools. That is something we can do on the first day. Wrexham Schools have been let down under this council, our schools are funded well below the national average.

3 – Why do you personally want to be a councillor when so often you just get blamed for problems beyond your control?

I just want to give something back to a town and a community that has given me so much.

4 – Many politicians and local councillors are accused of bring out of touch with voters. What will you do to ensure you stay ‘in touch’?

The one thing people want is for you to take the time to listen to what they have to say and to basically engage with them. This is something that i will strive to do every day.

5 – How do you plan to tackle or prevent anti-social behaviour in your local area?

All children need is to have a place to go to do something constructive. Wrexham Council does not do enough for me in this regard, more needs to be done to promote Youth Clubs in the area. We need to keep and improve our green spaces in Wrexham. In Brynffynnon there is not one skate park or artificial pitch, this needs to change.

6 – Do you think any local authority has the means to improve economic and job opportunities? And if you do, what do you think the priority actions should be?

There is alot we can do to improve the local economy. Labour will lobby hard to get an Enterprise Zone for Wrexham, we have one of the biggest Industrial sites in the UK we need to work hard to build on this and to keep JCB, Kellogs and Sharp in the area. Labour in Wrexham will work hard with Schools, Colleges, local business and manufacturers to create jobs and most of all get youth unemployment down.

7 – What do you think has been the best decision taken by the council in the last four years?

Big strides have been taken in green projects such as recycling and the solar panels; we still have a long way to go however.

8 – What do you think has been the worst decision taken by the council in the last four years?

The city status bid was a complete farce.

9 – What is your favourite place to visit or favourite thing to do in the local area?

I love going for walks down Erddig.

10 – If you had to pick your best memory connected to Wrexham, what would it be?

My best memories of Wrexham have actually involved Wrexham AFC. Cardiff in 2005 was amazing, during the past summer when the fans and the Trust saved the club. It was fantastic to see so much solidarity in the community. Just goes to show how great the people of Wrexham can be and show how much we can change when we put our minds to it.

Wynn – Independent

1 – Which party do you align yourself with, and why? (Or if non aligned, why not?)

I was elected as a Lib Dem County Councillor back in 2008 but in the last year I have decided to stand as an Independent candidate. So with no affiliation to any national party my time and energy is very much focused on ward and county issues.

2 – What will be your first personal priority or aim if you were elected?

To assist the residents of Maesgwyn in their discussions with Glyndwr University as regards finding a permanent solution to the inconvenience caused by football and rugby fans using the residential streets near to the Racecourse as a free car-park.

3 – Why do you personally want to be a councillor when so often you just get blamed for problems beyond your control?

Being born and bred Wrexham I take great pride in my town and would like to continue to play a part in influencing positive outcomes for the residents of the county and Brynyffynnon. Being a county councillor provided me the opportunity back in 2009 to influence the council’s decision to adopt a policy to protect Public Open Space.

4 – Many politicians and local councillors are accused of bring out of touch with voters. What will you do to ensure you stay ‘in touch’?

An important role of a county councillor is to keep ward residents informed of any major issues which will have a direct bearing on their daily lives e.g. Bryn Offa and Bradley Road residents were kept informed of the Morrisons planning application with a Q&A event held at the RAFA club, as well as being leafleted with information updates.

I will also continue to attend the regularly-held meetings of the Maesgwyn, Bradley Road and Bryn Offa resident groups and act upon the issues raised by residents at these meetings.

5 – How do you plan to tackle or prevent anti-social behaviour in your local area?

The worst form of anti-social behaviour I have witnessed in Brynyffynnon over the last four years has been the misery created by inconsiderate tenants of privately-rented properties. The only way to deal with such behaviour is to ensure that all agencies i.e. the Police, the council’s Public Protection Dept., the property landlord and the Community Safety Partnerships act collectively to ensure a swift solution is delivered. My role has been to act as an advocate on a number of occasions for residents who have been affected by this form of anti-social behaviour.

6 – Do you think any local authority has the means to improve economic and job opportunities? And if you do, what do you think the priority actions should be?

The council have a major role to play in ensuring Wrexham is a place where people want to live, work and visit. This issue is addressed by the council who have recently approved their Council Plan for the period 2012 to 2016.

The council also need to continue to be innovative in their aspirations, as recently demonstrated by the installation of 3,000 solar panels on council rented houses and by them securing the funding needed to enable the start of construction of affordable homes on the site of the demolished Hightown flats.

On a personal note I think all the politicians of Wrexham need to do more to promote Wrexham as the capital of north Wales in the eyes of the Welsh Government and in doing so secure additional central government funding for major capital projects for the county.

Put simply, more money [both private and public] spent in Wrexham means more jobs for the residents of Wrexham.

7 – What do you think has been the best decision taken by the council in the last four years?

Adopting a policy to protect Public Open Space.

8 – What do you think has been the worst decision taken by the council in the last four years?

The withdrawing of funding support for Shelter Cymru during an economic down-turn.

9 – What is your favourite place to visit or favourite thing to do in the local area?

My favourite place to visit has to be the Racecourse on a Saturday afternoon, when the lads in red are playing well and winning. When Wrexham score it always tickles me to see my Dad, who is seventy-nine next month, jumping up and down like a youngster.

10 – If you had to pick your best memory connected to Wrexham, what would it be?

One of my earliest pleasurable memories of Wrexham was as a youngster sitting on the back-step of our Maesydre family home, listening to the chiming bells of St Giles. Forty years on it is still a pleasure to hear the bells ring.