A Message from the Chairman
Penyffordd Community Council - Penymynydd and Dobshill
Cllr Pat Ransome – Chair
In May this year I was elected Chair of Community Council for the coming year and am therefore pleased to have the opportunity to introduce myself to all in the community. I could start by sharing my background and how long I have lived in the village, number of children, job and so on …. but I feel that to be irrelevant as we are all, irrespectively, part of our one community. It is therefore with humility and commitment that I thank Council and say I hope to represent you fairly and with consideration during the next twelve months.
As a Community Council we are the first line of governance and a part of local government that is closest to you. It is our role to serve the local area and we hold responsibility for local matters which fall into three main categories
- representing the whole electorate within the community
- delivering services to meet local needs
- striving to improve quality of life within the community
These can feel pretty ambiguous but we are fortunate to have a pro active council who are mindful of all of the above and who, despite some frustrations and challenges , continue to build on projects within the community some of which are:-
- our community walks 1 – 4 soon to be available to scan from QR codes. We will though continue to provide hard copies so they can be available to all.
- our Area Information leaflet recently updated and again to be made available in QR format
- our digital Lochly Native village trail available on line
- the appointments of our street operative and groundsperson. Both have been an invaluable support and the community benefits greatly as a result of their hard work.
- the litter collections held at various times highlight too the many volunteers who quietly gather litter whilst out walking and demonstrates how all play their part.
- West View Nature Area - an on going project working with Woodswork and providing much needed green space and a natural environment within the community
- tree planting and floral planters
- upgrades to play areas
Community Council will continue to press for a regular bus service to Chester and it is hoped meetings with the bus companies with our councillors will achieve this.
Our two County Councillors also provide a crucial link between ourselves and Flintshire County Council and play an invaluable part in ensuring our voices are collectively heard at the next level. This will be important over the coming months as we enter into dialogue with Flintshire about their plans for the development of the old school site. We have already had an informative initial discussion with officers from FCC and following the community survey will be sharing your views.
The coming year will also see improvements made to the millennium clock area which in its central location is a focal point of our community and does require some work to maintain and improve the area.
We will also be sharing an update to The Penyffordd Place Plan which enables communities to engage with the planning process and provides a voice for the community to set out their views for future planning in their area. New legislation will afford greater weight to adopted Place Plans and will form Supplementary Planning Guidance that has to be given due consideration.
Since our Plan was compiled in 2018 there have been many changes in the village with a new school, new housing developments, a new shop amongst them and these will be reflected in the update. With the recent adoption of the Flintshire Local Development Plan 1 the village should be protected from further developments but from 2030 when Flintshire have to put forward LDP 2 if there are any delays there could be further speculative planning applications made and we will need to have revised The Place Plan by then. It may seem that six and a half years is far into the future but it will go quickly so The Place Plan 2030 will remain high on the agenda. We can all have a part to play in shaping the community we wish to live in.
Community Engagement, Infrastructure and the Environment reflect our three working groups within Council, each with their own remit and rationale. These were formed to enable more in depth discussion around key areas with proposals taken back to full council. We acknowledge that talking alone does not produce results but it is the actions that come from these that make the difference.
During the current Cost of Living climate it is important that all know where to access support when needed and we have strong links with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau who are able to provide advice and signpost to relevant agencies.
We are fortunate to have many volunteers in the community who make a huge difference and are appreciative of the recent support given by various groups via the Warm Hubs and other community groups. Our youngsters benefit hugely from the volunteers who organise and run our community groups, football clubs, Scouting and Guiding groups, Toddler groups and many others. Whether it is fund raising, picking up litter, looking out for neighbours, knitting to decorate the village, supporting village events it is all of this and more that makes us the community we are.
We will keep you all updated but remember you are most welcome to join us at The War Memorial Institute on the second Wednesday of each month (bar August) at 6.30pm in the small committee room.
Pat Ransome
07946 472975