Tesco
Tesco started work this week on building its new store at the Bowls Inn in my Penyrheol ward. Its eventual opening will obviously be of concern to local traders, not just in Penyrheol but also Abertridwr and Senghenydd.
This will be the fifth Tesco in the Caerphilly area and we also have Asda, Morrison and Lidl stores.
While Tesco may be creating employment will other businesses have to lose staff or close as a result? Only time will tell and, of course, money spent in local businesses stays in the community rather than ends up at Tesco HQ and in shareholder dividends.
Tesco sent out a leaflet last week announcing the start of work on the store at Brynhyfryd – but I think everyone local knows it is at the end of Bowls Terrace. Perhaps a sat-nav is to blame.
Some Really Good News
I was thrilled to hear that Caerphilly Observer is to become a fortnightly printed version as well as continuing online.
The big newspaper groups have imposed major cuts in staffing in recent years and this has inevitably had an impact on local news coverage.
The launch of a newspaper is a bold move and I’m sure it will be particularly appreciated by those that don’t have access to the internet – particularly older members of the community.
It is important that public bodies and organisations are scrutinised by the media and I wish the editor Richard Gurner good luck in this exciting venture. It’s great to have local news produced by a local lad.
Civic Chairs
I was so pleased that two historic civic chairs from the days of the old Caerphilly Urban Council have a new home at St Martin’s Church.
Readers may recall I raised the issue last year because they were moved into storage at the Ty Penallta council offices.
Their new resting piece is appropriate as they were carved from an ancient oak tree that stood on the crossroads at St Martin’s Church until 1913. Caerphilly Local History Society has been very much involved in this project.
Miners’ lodges in the valley, if you’ll excuse the pun, chipped in for them to be carved and they were part of a set of eight presented to the council at the time.
Lindsay Whittle
Plaid Cymru AM South Wales East
I would be interested to hear labours response when people start asking the question, "how will the new tescos store affect the local traders in the AberValley", considering it was a labour and Independent majority that voted through the application for the old "bowls pub" to be developed into a retail unit on the planning committee.. Myself Cllr John Taylor and Cllr Whittle both spoke out against the development and spoke about the impact it would have on the shops in the Valley and the extra parking nightmare it could create on the only main road out of our Valley..,,