A councillor who represents one of the most deprived areas in Wales has spoken of her concern.
Councillor Lynne Hughes, who represents the St James ward, spoke out after the publication of the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) for 2011.
The WIMD ranked Lansbury Park in Caerphilly town the second most deprived in Wales after an area in Rhyl.
Cllr Hughes said: “I am deeply concerned at the news. However, we need to remember that the WIMD is a measure of relative deprivation so a change in ranking of one area may be just because another area has changed their position rather that St James becoming more deprived.
“What I do know though is that St James 3 area, which includes Lansbury Park, has been one of the county’s most deprived areas in 2005, 2008 and now in 2011.
“The main policy areas that have an impact on poverty and deprivation are at Westminster and National Assembly level. It is clear that the root causes of deprivation ; unemployment or very low paid work, chronic ill-health, poor skill levels have not been addressed by the previous Labour Governments and current Coalition Government in Westminster nor by the Labour-led Governments in Wales.
“There have been many initiatives to address the root causes of deprivation but they are not having the impact they should, particularly in Lansbury Park.
“This area has long been represented by the Labour Party at Westminster and Cardiff. They have clearly let down the people in these communities as they have many other Valley areas.”
The Plaid councillor said the building of a new school and integrated children’s centre at St James Primary, will provide state of the art education facilities and family support will help children from the area have the best start in life.
She added: “The Plaid-led council has also recognised the tremendous strain on household incomes at present with higher food, energy and fuel charges by freezing council tax this year and the aim is to do the same in 2012.”
Councillor Hughes has asked council leader Allan Pritchard to arrange for the issue to be discussed at cabinet level as soon as possible.
Councillor Lynne Hughes is broadly correct, however, When any one ward in the Borough area falls into deprivation to the extent it appears St James has, and with its track record to do so, it has to reflect on the lack of meaningful measures taken by the authorities Lynne mentions, and, one she fails to mention, the Caerphilly Borough Council itself.
For instance there is absolutely nothing standing in the way of the Councils Community First Coordinators encouraging community groups from initiating projects which would provide employment opportunities in the ward, there is nothing stopping them coming up with ideas to introduce projects which incompass health and well being intitiatives, and there is certainly nothing standing in the way of community groups and others, businesses and charities, initiating schemes to improve skills of all sorts, importantly, transferable skills to aid employment of the unemployed.
It certainly appears that those employed by Caerphilly County Council, and project officers at the Assembly, to introduce and encourage these community initatives in St James and for the wider Caerphilly Basin area, have missed the boat, they have certainly missed any reasonable targets to introduce schemes to improve the lot of the citizens of St James.
St James in now represented by Plaid Cymru, the problem is historical, but lets see Lynne and her other Plaid Cymru colleagues come forward with concrete initiatives which community groups could be armed with to fill these appaling skills, health and employment deficiencies, the nanny state is not the answer to this problem, the answer rests with the community itself, with help and guidence, finance and planning help from elected members of the council, the Caerphilly Council and the Assembly.
If there are three words to describe Lynne Hughes' comments it would have to be 'pathetic, pathetic, pathetic'. The comments "A change in ranking of one area may be just because another area has changed their position rather that St James becoming more deprived" demonstrates how Plaid have neglected positive policies at a local level to combat poverty for a large dose of spin. Plaid are the Party in control of Caerphilly County Borough Counci and if there are words to describe them it would be that they are the party who are represent 'poverty of aspiration'.
What I fail to understand is if unemployment is one of the indices of deprivation, why the people in Lansbury Park cant find work?. There seems to be an increasing number of Poles in Caerphilly who ahve found jobs, and about 6 hand wash car washes, manned by Asians and we have this black spot of deprivation in Lansbury Park, why?.
Ron J., this is not all about jobs, it is about social exclusion, health and well being issues, ( community wide) and about community cohesion.
Much of the solution rests with the committment to change by Caerphilly County Borough Councillors, this is why the proposal put forward by County Councillor Lynne Hughes,to get the issues debated at the highest level of local politics is going to be very interesting and as the ability be the very important turning point needed to kick start change and improvement.
I am eager to find out what the current County Council administration feel they can do, what additional policies they can introduce, or, what current policies they can tinker with to help drag the ward out of the statistical position it now finds itself in.
I will agree with one point I think you are making and that is that if there are jobs, and where there are employment opportunities, we have a lot to learn from imigrant communities in filling those jobs and grabbing business and employment opportunities. Not so easy though when you may have a young family to support to start a business, even the one trick pony sort of businesses which came and go.
I think it is a generalisation to far, and not just a little disingenuous, for you to suggest that the people of St James( referred to in the article) do not want jobs, and do not want to improve their lot by working, or, finding other ways to improve the health of their families and improving their community, they may need a help in doing so, and that help and assistance rests, as it always has, in government inspired and funded schemes of all sorts which Caerphilly Council has always had in its portfolio to administer, do they really have the will and the committment to do so? we will see when the Cabinet meets to discuss Lynne`s concerns, ( if they agree to her request to do so)
Trefor, you miss the point, if a foreign company such as Kraft take over Cadburys, the profits go to the foreign compny and the British economy loses money and is poorer. Thus in a town like Caerphilly, the existence of businesses run by, or employing, migrants, be it carwash, restuarant or newsagent, takes money and employment out of the local community, thus it doesnt matter how much money the Council and Community First throws at the problem, its wasted if it does not stay in the community, and as a result the community is poorer.
"The CAERPHILLY COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL`S Community Strategy has been in place since 2004 and sets out a vision for a better county borough through improving quality of life for local people.
The Community Strategy recognises that Community Planning is about people and organisations working together to improve service delivery and to bring about lasting quality of life improvements for local citizens.
The Community Strategy has already made a difference in the borough but still has a way to go in considering the long-term impact of its activities on the environment, local people and the local economy".
The above is taken from the Council`s regeneration segment of its own website, does the report, that Councillor Lynne Hughes is so genuinly expresses concerns about, mean that the Council has totally failed the people of St James?
We have well paid Councillors elected to take care off, and, to take due recognicence of such appaling failures such as those outlined in Lynne`s comments, we have an entire ` Regeneration Scrutiny Committee` made up of local Councillors, and Chaired by a Councillor representing the adjoining ward of St Martins, and which contains councillors from the area,who meet on a regular basis to consider and deal with issues which the report says they have failed to contribute to by way of any improvement for the People they represent.
These Councillors should hang their heads in shame. Unless you know different of course.