Random Stuff!!

[Jerry]

Family fight to stop Vale's Model Farm becoming business park

The Jenkins family have been told to go by next July as a financial services firm wants to build there.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[KARFA]

it's not their land tho so not sure on what basis they can challenge this? even if they overturn the planning decision L&G are within their rights to terminate the lease anyway presumably.

 

[Jerry]

I'd assume that they'll challenge it on environmental grounds? Idk if Vale of Glamorgan council declaring an environmental emergency has any bearing on planning permission or not.

 

[KARFA]

yes but even if they overturn the planning decision, they are only tenants and the land owner L&G may move them anyway.

this isn't about environmental issues really, they are just using that as a convenient excuse to try and avoid getting moved. i suspect they wouldn't withdraw their objections even if L&G changed and said they want to develop a wind farm on that site.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

I'd assume that they'll challenge it on environmental grounds? Idk if Vale of Glamorgan council declaring an environmental emergency has any bearing on planning permission or not.

of course it doesn’t, because much like Welsh Government the whole climate emergency is a lot of spin with a few small actions to make it look like something is being done.

if they really cared they would halt this development.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

yes but even if they overturn the planning decision, they are only tenants and the land owner L&G may move them anyway.

this isn't about environmental issues really, they are just using that as a convenient excuse to try and avoid getting moved. i suspect they wouldn't withdraw their objections even if L&G changed and said they want to develop a wind farm on that site.

I am not sure on the terms of the lease by any means - but if it’s one of the old school farm tenancies they may not be able to move them unless they’re selling the land (which is obviously is what is happening here)

Although Legal and General can get a far better return by developing the land and of course it has obligation to its pension fund holders to provide pension payouts.

 

[Jerry]

if they really cared they would halt this development.

I have no idea if they can or can not halt it even if they have the will especially if the grounds are just on environmental grounds. The land is and has been part of the airport enterprise zone for a while. I think there is a fine line between safe guarding the environment and progressing the economy but i do think that the farmers situation is a consequence of not owning their own land, tenants are always at risk.

 

[Jerry]

UK government not willing to let this die!

UK Department for Transport refuses to rule out overruling Welsh Gov on M4 relief road

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has refused to rule out overruling the Welsh Government on constructing an M4 relief road. The UK Government department suggested that it could overturn the decision of Welsh ministers to scrap the plan for the 14-mile motorway near Newport following the...

nation.cymru

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The WG in its rejection of the M4 relief road idea seems to be favouring the environment over the country's economy.

It will be interesting to see if it makes the same choice with its own airport.

 

[Jerry]

The WG in its rejection of the M4 relief road idea seems to be favouring the environment over the country's economy.

It will be interesting to see if it makes the same choice with its own airport.

The irony is that the Conservatives made the M4 a big part of their election campaign and seem to be happy to build over the Gwent levels while campaigning against a business park being built next to the airport.

At the moment I think for this WG the airport isn't much of a priority except to make sure it stays open. Will be interesting to see if that changes with the next First Minister in a couple of years time.

 

[Jerry]

Not this weekend but last weekend i took a walk along the part of the Wales coastal path in the Vale of Glamorgan. Some spectacular views along the path from Nash point to St Donat's Bay and a couple of ships in the distance! Going to go the other way next time and actually go down to the beach.
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[TheLocalYokel]

Lovely views, Jerry. I sometimes walk the other side of the water along the Clevedon to Portishead coastal path and around Sand Point near Weston-super-Mare.

On clear and sunny days it seems that you can almost touch Cardiff and Newport. It's certainly possible to view these cities in some detail through binoculars.

 

[Jerry]

First time i've ever been along there as well! Sometimes you don't realise what's on your doorstep.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

UK government not willing to let this die!

UK Department for Transport refuses to rule out overruling Welsh Gov on M4 relief road

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has refused to rule out overruling the Welsh Government on constructing an M4 relief road. The UK Government department suggested that it could overturn the decision of Welsh ministers to scrap the plan for the 14-mile motorway near Newport following the...

nation.cymru

well it’s something that should be happening and it would of gone ahead under First Minister Carwyn Jones. The problem is the current far left administration.

and people claim Wales isn’t reaching it’s full potential…

 

[Jerry]

well it’s something that should be happening and it would of gone ahead under First Minister Carwyn Jones. The problem is the current far left administration.

and people claim Wales isn’t reaching it’s full potential…

Would it? I'd have thought that even under Carwyn Jones there would be a climate emergency and building a new motorway through an environmentally sensitive area wouldn't have fitted in with that and any new government probably would've reviewed it.
And the current administration definitely isn't far left that's for sure!

Looks like WG are sounding out people about tolling the M4 and A470.

Welsh Conservatives blast suggestion of tolls for older cars on Wales' roads

Conservatives have blasted a suggestion in a government survey that older cars could be asked to pay tolls on some Welsh roads. The Welsh Government asked motorists for their views on paying to use parts of the M4 motorway and A470 in order to tackle air pollution, but say there are “currently...

nation.cymru

 

[Poshgirl]

Penalising drivers of older cars is nothing new.

When I was still working (over 6 years ago), my employer was actively trying to discourage staff from coming to work in cars more than 5 years old and using them for company business. All down to insurance and not impact on climate. Needless to say, there were many objections with at least one guy claiming it was discrimination and the company telling him to get a new car! Same happened at client's office where I was based. Yet, when there was an incident on the carpark, it wasn't an old car that deposited its petrol tank contents but a two-year-old Audi TT!

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Looks like WG are sounding out people about tolling the M4 and A470.

Welsh Conservatives blast suggestion of tolls for older cars on Wales' roads

Conservatives have blasted a suggestion in a government survey that older cars could be asked to pay tolls on some Welsh roads. The Welsh Government asked motorists for their views on paying to use parts of the M4 motorway and A470 in order to tackle air pollution, but say there are “currently...

nation.cymru

And plenty of people are unhappy (and rightly so) about that.

 

[Jerry]

And plenty of people are unhappy (and rightly so) about that.

Probably not much different from what they've done in London with the Low Emission Zone and Ultra Low Emission Zone. Will be only a matter of time before something similar is looked at in Wales.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Probably not much different from what they've done in London with the Low Emission Zone and Ultra Low Emission Zone. Will be only a matter of time before something similar is looked at in Wales.

the demographics of London are slightly different and it has an absolutely amazing public transport network. Probably the best in the world. It’s actually inconvenient to drive a car there in my opinion, even with the congestion charge removed.

we have nothing of the sorts in Wales. The quickest way for someone to commute to an industrial estate in Caerphilly from Bridgend is to use the M4 and A470. Or someone who lives in St Mellons commuting to llandow for work. It’s just completely impossible via public transport.

such a tax would hit the poor the hardest, but if Welsh Labour are happy to dissolve their voter base it’s fine by me.

 

[Jerry]

we have nothing of the sorts in Wales.

Yes there's been a lack of investment in public transport which needs rectifying and will be with things like the Metro but cities and regions like southern Wales will look lower emissions and the motorist will be the target. I'd hope that they would launch some sort of scheme for electric cars to help people buy them
As for Labour's vote I doubt they're going to lose it over this.