Flintshire Lib Dem County Councillor Nancy Matthews helped the campaign to elect Barack Obama as the next US President during a holiday with her sister Naomi in America last week.  Nancy helped by campaigning on the doorsteps of North Carolina for Barack Obama.  Her sister, Naomi, has lived in the US state for 10 years and invited Nancy to join her on the streets to drum up support for the Democratic candidate in a black neighbourhood. 

Nancy said: “I arrived at Naomi’s house on October 30 and by the following afternoon she had me in the local office working for the Obama campaign. 

“We counted leaflets into bundles and my sister was doing telephone canvassing. 

“But by Saturday we were out knocking on doors in a black neighbourhood – two white British women neither of whom were able to vote as we were not American citizens! 

“But at least we weren’t on the shift that went out at midnight last night to hang voting reminders on people’s door handles!”

HOUSEHOLDERS in Flintshire will be able to recycle cardboard for the first time, thanks to a new pilot scheme.

Flintshire Council has launched a trial scheme, targeting one area in the county, which will give residents the chance to recycle their cardboard waste, alongside newspapers and magazines, in larger blue recycling bags.

The council has, until recently, only had access to facilities to recycle paper, cans, plastic bottles, glass and green waste.

Cllr Nancy Matthews, executive member for waste strategy and management, said: “We have excellent recycling collection services in Flintshire, but people also want to recycle cardboard packaging, and now we are introducing a trial scheme so they can do this.”

Residents in the pilot area will be issued with new blue bags and a leaflet explaining how they can use the new service, collections for which began on Monday.

Cllr Matthews added: “We appreciate residents in all areas of the county will be keen to have this service too, but we ask people to be patient, as we trial this only in certain areas initially.”

For more information on recycling, call 01352 703350.

Flintshire Lib Dems are calling for the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance to be extended to include the blind. 

In a motion tabled by Cllr

Robin Baker to be discussed at the next full Council meeting on October 28^th, the Lib Dems highlight the injustice of the current system despite the obvious difficulties blind people endure. 

Cllr Baker, Leader of Flintshire Lib Dems, said: “No one can doubt the difficulties experienced by blind people and the barriers to independent mobility their disability creates. 

“This motion calls on the Government to recognise those difficulties and barriers and provide blind people with a level playing field. 

“Many blind residents find it difficult to access facilities that many of us take for granted – including Council services – without facing additional costs. This campaign aims to redress that injustice and unfairness and help with those costs, particularly at a time when everyone is facing difficult financial times. 

“I hope all members support this campaign,” he added.

 

Members of Flintshire County Council are to visit UPM Shotton this week (Friday 3^rd October 2008) to assess the impact of the renewable energy plant that reduces its carbon dioxide emissions by 30,000 tonnes annually. 

The cross party visit, coinciding with Flintshire Business Week, has been arranged to help elected members gain a greater understanding of the technology that has increased UPM Shotton’s self-sufficiency in heat by up to 95% and in power by up to 25%, whilst also reducing carbon dioxide emissions. 

Organised by Cllr Nancy Matthews, Executive Member for Waste Strategy and Management, 18 elected members will meet with senior UPM executives to discuss the success of the investment. 

Cllr Nancy Matthews said: “This visit will give elected members the opportunity to see for themselves the benefits of renewable energy and how it can provide heat and power while also reducing emissions. 

“Embracing new and emerging technologies are going to be vital in developing a sustainable strategy to tackle waste and waste management in the coming years, so it is critical that elected members have an insight into what is available to us. 

“We are working on a new waste strategy to be considered before the end of the current calendar year and this visit will help with its development and with members understanding of the issues we face.”

Well with a title like that and with my responsibility for Waste Strategy and Management at County Hall how could I refuse to head of to the NEC in Birmingham and find out what was happening in the world of RWM! 

The exhibition proved to be extremely productive and informative, leaving me full of ideas and inspiration! From new technologies for dealing with waste and recycling to seminars on new legislation and its impact and live demonstrations of new equipment, all designed to encourage and improve recycling and waste control.  And I also learnt some very interesting facts about the subject while I was there! Here are a few I thought I should share with you along with some links to other sites to help you find out how you could do more to tackle this problem. 

Waste & Recycling factsEach year the

UK generates about 100 million tonnes of waste from households, commerce and industry combined but the majority of this still ends up in landfill. (Source: Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs)It has been estimated that up to 80% of the contents of our dustbins could be recycled or composted. (Source: www.recyclezone.org.uk)

On average, each person in the UK throws away seven times their own body weight (about 500kg) in rubbish every year. (Source: www.wasteonline.org.uk)

Every year each person produces four times as much packaging waste as their luggage allowance on a jumbo jet. (Source: www.wasteonline.org.uk)

Around a third of all the food we buy gets thrown away. If we stopped wasting food it would have the same impact as taking one in five cars off UK roads. (Source: www.lovefoodhatewaste.com)

Around 600 million UK household batteries – weighing the equivalent of 110 Jumbo Jets – are sent to landfill unnecessarily every year. (Source: Waste & Resources Action Programme)

Waste typically costs up to 4% of a company’s turnover. (Source: Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs)

About 98 per cent of FTSE-listed companies now mention the word environment in their annual reports and accounts. (Source: Environment Agency)Computers account for 39% of electronic waste. (Source: Environmental Services Association)

On Saturday morning I attended a very lively meeting organised by the Youth Council in Nercwys who had invited local residents to come and talk to them about local issues.

Our young people often get such a bad press – and regularly get an unfair deal at the hands of our media - so it was refreshing to be able to engage with them and see them taking the initiative to talk to other residents.  

They are working hard to raise funds for a kickback wall, which has planning permission already granted.

They were anxious to talk to residents about any rules they thought there should be for its use, for example they suggested no play after 9pm. I’m sure everyone enjoyed it and went away feeling very positive about the meeting,

I know I certainly did so well done to the Youth Council.

  A survey of local residents by Gwernymynydd Liberal Democrat Cllr Nancy Matthews has delivered overwhelming support for the party’s policy proposals “Make it Happen” to be debated at its conference in

Bournemouth next week.

  The policy paper sets out the Lib Dems priorities for a government in

Westminster, focusing on the key issues and challenges for the future.

 

The proposals include detailed plans on schools, hospitals, tackling crime, taxes and the environment. 

The key findings of the survey showed 100& of those responding supported the Lib Dems proposals for greener taxes to tackle the environment, while over 70% felt that taxes generally should be cut to help hard hit families during the current credit crunch and rising process. 

Almost 86% supported extra funding for those who need it to improve standards in education while 72% were behind the Lib Dems opposition to the introduction of expensive ID cards to stop further invasions of our privacy. 

And more than 85% agreed that the voting system should be changed to ensure everyone’s voice counted. 

Cllr Nancy Matthews said: “The feedback I have had from local residents to my survey shows just how popular some of these policy proposals that Nick Clegg is making in this paper are and how they resonate positively with voters in my area. 

“As with many of our policy papers this one is sure to generate some lively discussion and debate next week in

Bournemouth but given the popularity of the proposals among residents in Gwernymynydd I’m confident they will get conference’s backing.”

  ”a victory for common sense and our future heritage” says Cllr Nancy Matthews

 The Welsh Assembly Minister , Jane Davidson, has upheld the decision of Flintshire County Council to impose a Prohibition Order on Bryn Gwyn Quarry, Gwernymynydd. 

In July 2007 elected members of Flintshire County Council took the brave decision to impose this order, which would prohibit working at the dormant quarry in Gwernymynydd. 

The owners DP Williams Holdings lodged an objection to the Order which resulted in a Public Inquiry held in February, April and May this year. 

The Minerals Planning and Legal Services Departments of Flintshire County Council worked tirelessly throughout the winter supported by the communities of Gwernymynydd and Nercwys and the surrounding villages to prepare a case to put before the Planning Inspector.  

Gwernymynydd Cllr Nancy Matthews said: “We have heard today that the Minister has upheld the Order, a victory for common sense and our future heritage, which ensures the future well-being of local communities.  “Our heartfelt thanks must go to the officers of Flintshire County Council for their work towards this decision which sets a precedent throughout Wales and for the rest of the United Kingdom.”

ENDS

 A report into the future education provision in Flintshire carried out by the Wales Audit Office and presented to the Council’s Executive last month (August 5^th, 2008) exposes yet more Labour failures local Lib Dems have claimed. The report highlights the lack of planning by the previous Labour administration, the absence of a strategy to address the future provision of education across the County and key decisions put off by an Executive “lacking the morale fibre” to tackle the big issues say the Lib Dems. 

The Audit Office also identified that in addition to a backlog of £35million of work needed to improve the condition of schools and to address disability access, the full cost of the work required to make Flintshire schools fit for purpose remains unknown. 

Additionally, spending on Flintshire schools was forecast to be among the lowest in Wales at £215 per pupil compared to an average across the country of £400. 

Cllr Carolyn Cattermoul, Lib Dem Education spokesperson, said: “This report is a damning indictment of the previous Labour run Executive and exposes yet more failures and their lack of morale fibre when faced with making tough decisions. 

“Slowly, but surely, the skeletons are beginning to emerge from the cupboards as the full extent of Labour’s mismanagement at County Hall is gradually becoming known to the new Executive. 

“The scale of the task facing the new Coalition administration is a huge one but I am confident that collectively we can rise to the challenge and under Arnold Woolley’s leadership we can turn these problems around. 

“We have had to listen to constant sniping and petty attacks from the Labour party since their fall from power in May. 

“But faced with the growing evidence of the failings on their watch and under Cllr Shotton’s leadership, maybe it is time for them to take a long hard look at their own performance over the past ten years before commenting further on ours over the last four months.”

ENDS 

 

A recent planning application for a new landfill site for our waste was rejected by the planning committee because of the objections made by local residents and business in the area that would have been affected by this proposal. 

Although there is likely to be an appeal against the decision Buckley councillors were clear in supporting the objectors’ opposition; Enough is enough. 

These words mean a lot to the residents of Buckley, just as they mean a lot to its councillors.  

But the fact is that we can all do something towards bringing a change in how we consider ‘Rubbish’. 

There are currently 6 landfill sites, some almost full to capacity, within 2.5 miles of Buckley, Northop, Ewloe, Altami, Aston, Queensferry and Shotton. Two more new landfill sites are proposed within this same perimeter.  

Landfill sites historically produce visual nuisance, noise, litter, vermin and smells & odours. We can argue about how much and whether we can control them, but it’s obvious that over a period of 15 years or more, the perception of any landfill site is not going to be a positive experience. 

Control measures imposed by planning conditions in relation to some of the problems associated with landfill will only be effective by careful management and enforcement. 

While all these issues are contentious, probably the most difficult one to control are the ‘smells and odours’ caused by rotting food waste. Any methods used to control them results in further odour issues, especially when residents and businesses are in close proximity. 

We therefore have to recognise why there is a need for landfill and what we can all do collectively to reduce that demand.   

The volume of landfill and the number of sites required is completely dependant on our individual response to waste and our long term waste management plan. 

The most logical solution is to remove the food waste that makes up approximately 17% of the waste that goes to landfill so that it doesn’t cause the problem in the first place. 

Flintshire County Council (FCC) is presently considering plans in this direction, in conjunction with other prescriptive requirements from Welsh Assembly Government. 

Of course we should not expect someone else to provide the answer for us, it’s up to us all to understand the problem and contribute towards the formulation of an action plan to reduce landfill site requirement. 

Why do we need landfill? Landfill provides a means of discarding of the residual waste stream. 

What is the ‘Residual waste stream? It is the black bag rubbish that we leave for collection. 

So, what can I do to make a difference? 

By reducing the amount of waste, Re-using all appropriate goods and put more in your recycling bins, thereby reducing the amount of rubbish that needs to go to landfill.  

If we do this, we can all make a significant difference. Remember everything you put in your black bag goes to landfill. The more you recycle the less landfill space we need! 

Let’s face it. Do you want to live or work next to a landfill site? 

‘Think before you Throw’