Nancy, in her role as the Executive Member for Waste Strategy and Management, recently attended the launch of a state of the art mini power station that has started generating electricity from waste in Flintshire.
Developed on the former landfill site at Brookhill quarry, the eco-friendly plant has been installed by AD Waste and wil generate power from methane and other gases given off as a by-product of decomposing waste.
AD waste will use 10 per cent of the electricity generated for its nearby site while the remainder will be sent to the national grid providing enough power to supply the needs of several hundred homes.
Nancy said: “This is an interesting example of using waste gases to produce energy which demonstrates the ongoing life of a closed landfill site.
“It will help Wales – and Flintshire – meet national targets to use more renewable energy sources and cut down on fossil fuels.
“The Government has set a target nationally for 10 per cent of energy needs to be met from renewable sources by 2010 and I am delighted we are already doing our bit here in Flintshire to contribute to that goal,” she added.

Local Lib Dem campaigner Cllr Nancy Matthews has welcomed the Health Ministers’ decision to establish a new neurology unit in North Wales.

Nancy said: “After originally being lead to believe that patients would have to travel to South Wales for treatment, I am absolutely delighted for our area and the region at the announcement of the planned Neurological Unit in North Wales.

“I welcome the Health Minister’s common sense and good judgement in this case and look forward to these plans being delivered through the North Wales Office, taking into account the costing of the plans.

“Edwina Hart has listened and acted positively in a situation which should never arisen.”

Flintshire Liberal Democrat Councillors are calling for radical improvements in recycling if the County Council is to meet ambitious targets of 40% recycling and composting of municipal waste by 2010.and 70% by 2025.

The call came after Cllr Nancy Matthews, the new Executive Member for Waste Strategy and Management for the coalition administration, joined waste leaders from across Wales at a meeting in Cardiff to discuss the mounting pressures on local authorities.

Jane Davidson AM, Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing was also present at the meeting with the Cabinet Members with responsibility for Waste to discuss how they can improve recycling facilities and proposals for meeting Welsh Assembly Government waste targets.

Cllr Nancy Matthews said: “Despite early successes in Flintshire and making reasonable progress in our initial recycling plans it would appear that listening to other local authorities’ improvements they have caught us up.

“My vision is to put Flintshire a the forefront of waste management, rewarding residents for good practice and realising efficiencies that can save them money by making less to landfill our motto.

“Every council in Wales must aim high when it comes to waste reduction. While we face significant financial pressures in meeting targets around recycling, composting and the management of waste services, we have to embrace waste management as a key priority and tackle it in a creative way so that it is self-sufficient in the long term.

“Our recycling record to date is a clear indicator of the councils’ investment in recycling services and commitment to encouraging a cultural shift in consumer behaviour so that the public make use of the services available to them and therefore send less to landfill.

“However, we have to be realistic about what is achievable and an ambitious 70% recycling target by 2025 means we must looking at every feasible option.

“It also means we need a strategy that will deliver step change and radical improvement, coasting along is not enough to get us where we need to be.”

Flintshire Lib Dem Group Leader Robin Baker added: “This is certainly a key issue for our group and one that we will be discussing in the coming weeks with our coalition partners. I am confident we will be able to come to a consensus on our joint approach to tackling this agenda, along with other key issues we face.”
ENDS

Liberal Democrats in Flintshire have welcomed the launch of the Liberal Democrats’ vision for Britain by Party Leader Nick Clegg MP. Called ‘Make it Happen’, the paper will be debated at the party’s conference in Bournemouth in September.

In ‘Make it Happen’ the Liberal Democrats say:

• They will cut taxes for ordinary families
• If your local hospital can’t see you on time, they will pay for treatment elsewhere
• They will switch taxes from people to pollution - so it pays to go green
• To improve standards in education, they will fund extra help for those who need it most
• They will put Britain at the heart of Europe to make us a force for good in the world
• They will stop ID cards so we can keep control of our privacy
• They will change the voting system so everyone’s voice counts
• They will bring communities together with local people in charge
• They will give communities a say in how offenders pay for their crimes

Cllr Nancy Matthews, Chair of the Flintshire Lib Dems Council group, said, “I am delighted to be able to back ‘Make it Happen’. It sets out how the Liberal Democrats will run Britain.

“No resident of Flintshire has escaped the rising cost of food and fuel. The credit crunch is biting hard and local people are feeling the pinch.

“Nick Clegg has set out how we can help ordinary people through cutting taxes on those on low and middle incomes. Thousands of people in Flintshire will benefit from this.

“We are taking the plans in ‘Make it Happen’ to the people of Flintshire during the summer to get their response. And in September, we will be heading to the Liberal Democrats’ conference where we are looking forward to taking part in the debate.”

Strange goings on in the House of Commons this week when Home Secretary Jacqui Smith MP appeared to perform one of the fastest u-turns in the history of Parliament over the Government’s proposals to tackle knife crime following a rash of fatal stabbings in recent days.

The following is an extract from the BBC News web site –

Meanwhile the home secretary denied she wanted to make youngsters caught with knives visit stab victims in hospital.

Conservative leader David Cameron told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I’m completely baffled. Over the weekend we were told by the government that knife criminals were going to be taken to accident and emergency departments.
“It sounded like a gimmick… Now they [ministers] are in wholesale retreat.”

Ms Smith insisted she had been talking at the weekend about “knife referral schemes” - where young people caught with knives would “face up to the consequences of their actions”, including “graphic” weapons awareness workshops and visits to hospitals to talk to health workers to hear about the impact of knife wounds.

“We are not, and I have never said we are, proposing to bring young people into wards to see patients,” she added.

So were the proposals reported widely by the media over the weekend half baked plans that were hastily scrapped by the Home Secretary in the face of criticism of them prior to her Commons speech? Or did the PM step in and order a change in approach? Or even worse did our national press hype up (or even worse sex up?) the briefings they were given or merely misunderstand what was said?

Meanwhile Sky News web site is also reporting it as a u-turn –

In an interview with Sky’s Adam Boulton on Sunday Live, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said youngsters caught with knives would be forced to confront the possible consequences by bringing them face-to-face with blade victims in hospitals.
But now, the Home Office said they would instead only be expected to meet doctors to be educated about the injuries caused by knives.
“One of those proposals is that people caught carrying knives should be taken to see people in hospital who have been stabbed, or to meet the families of victims, is that correct?” Adam asked.
“It is,” replied Ms Smith.
Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said Mrs Smith had been “panicked” into bringing forward proposals which evidence in the United States had shown did not work.
“Jacqui Smith is coming up with half-baked ideas because the Government has been in denial about the scale of the knife crime problem,” he added.

Mr Huhne also launched his own response to the problem in a paper entitled “A Life Away From Crime.”

The proposals include -

• The creation of a Youth Volunteer Force, to engage with young people, involve them in community projects and give them skills to benefit them in later life
• Establish Community Justice Panels across the country, where offenders admit their guilt to the community and agree on a Positive Behaviour Order as a course of action
• Create a dedicated PCSO youth officer within every Safer Neighbourhood Team to identify and work with teenagers most at risk of offending
• 10,000 more police on the streets by scrapping the ID cards scheme
• Intelligence-led stop and search and ‘hot spot policing’ targeted at gun and knife crime
• Restorative justice programs to be run in every community, specifically targeted at early intervention with widespread use in schools and care homes

Chris Huhne said: “This Government has spent 10 years trying to sound tough while failing to cut youth crime.

“In fact, ministers have embarked on the mass criminalisation of a generation of young people. By dragging more and more young people through the criminal justice system, they have reduced the fear of a criminal record and contributed to the problem.

“Instead of shock tactics to grab headlines, we need practical measures that are proven to work.

“Only the Liberal Democrats propose a dual approach to stop kids from getting involved in crime in the first place, and measures to make them face up to the consequences of their actions if they do.”

More details of the Lib Dems plans can be found here –
http://www.libdems.org.uk/media/documents/policies/A%20Life%20Away%20From%20Crime.pdf

Details of the proposed post office closures for North Wales are due to be published on the 29th July followed by a six week period of consultation with the local community.

The loss of post offices will hit communities hard in our area. They are vital assets for many local people and closing them will cause many difficulties for older people and others with mobility problems, in particular.

Despite the decision of Labour MP’s to help the Government press ahead with closures, Liberal Democrats are continuing to fight the demolition of the post office network.

Our plan would give a real investment of £2 billion in the post office, would increase the services offered at local post office branches and improve the network so that every community that needs a post office gets one.

We are the only party with a fully-funded plan to save the post office, give it a long-term future and not just manage its decline.

Our plan would see:
· £2 billion invested in post office network;
· New branches opening where needed;
· Government services continuing to be available at the Post Office;
· The Post Office freed from Royal Mail restrictions to let it develop new business;
· A new legal requirement for the Government to maintain the local Post Office network.

We will keep you posted

Thank you once again for your kind and generous support and for electing me to serve you Gwernymynydd including Nercwys for the next four years.

Across Flintshire the Lib Dems made four gains and now hold 12 seats on the County Council.We made one gain from Independents and three gains from Labour who ended up losing control of the Council.

This has put us in the position of being able to form a coalition administration with the Independent and Tory groups.

As a result Quentin Dodd has been elected as the Chair of the Council for 2008/09 and we have two positions on the Executive - held by myself and Neville Phillips - and several key posts on scrutiny.

New Group Leader Robin Baker said: “Naturally we are delighted to have made four gains at a time when all the press nationally and locally were talking about was the Tory resurgence.

“We are delighted to welcome Richard, Grenville, Rosetta and Tim to the team at County Hall.

“We now have the opportunity to shape and influence the agenda at County Hall and bring some liberal and democratic views to the delivery of services in Flintshire.”

Nancy Matthews was re-elected to serve on Flintshire County Council for another four years on May 1st 2008 representing the Gwernymynydd Ward.

Nancy has a proven track record of representing the community in Gwernymynydd Ward

Since being elected as your County and Town councillor in 2004 Nancy has
carried out significant ‘casework’ for many households in the ward and resolved minor queries and issues for many more.
Was instrumental in the withdrawal of planning application for 24 houses on the A494.
Kept residents informed with a regular ‘Focus’ newsletter.
Regularly attended County Council meetings and committees.
Member of the Lifelong Learning Scrutiny committee.
Member of the Teacher’s Consultative committee.
Attended Gwernymynydd and Nercwys Community Council meetings
Sat on Gwernymynydd Village Centre committee.
Sat on proposed Nercwys Village Hall committee.
Member of Nercwys Parish Church Council.
Attended a wide range of meetings outside the councils on issues affecting our ward.
Always been available to listen to your views and concerns.