Sophie Howe

Labour sorts out local litter problem

LABOUR will took to the streets on Saturday to clean up the litter in Llandaff North, Whitchurch and Llanishen.

Local residents are fed up that Lib Dem run Cardiff Council has left rubbish to fester.  In a survey conducted locally by Cardiff North labour, littering was listed one of people's main concerns.

Labour's Cardiff North candidate and Labour council group deputy leader Sophie Howe will lead a team of local residents, Labour students and party members on the litter pick.

SOPHIE HOWE said:

"Residents in the north of Cardiff are fed up that the Lib Dem council has been so slow at getting the litter around here picked up.  People have the right to live in clean and tidy neighbourhoods.

"If the Lib Dems won't get it sorted, then our Labour team is prepared to hit the streets and sort it out for local people.  This is Labour taking action, on the side of local people."

"The Labour Assembly Government has passed tough new penalties for littering.  But the Lib Dems on Cardiff Council are yet again letting down the people by failing to make use of powers available to them."

The litter pick started at 11:00am on Saturday outside the shops on Gabalfa Ave.  It then moved to the Whitchurch Hich lower site and community centre in Whitchurch before cleaning up around Fishguard Road.

Council Questions 22nd Feb 2007

During last months Council meetings Sophie asked the following questions:

• Questions to Councillor Stevens (Finance and Economic Development):

1. "On enquiring about the Council's plans to provide childcare vouchers for employees via a previous question to Council you advised me that you were progressing the issue and would report back in February 2007.  As we are now in February 2007 can you advise me what progress has been made in relation to this?"

• Questions to Councillor Elgan Morgan (Environment and Transport): 

1. "Please advise what steps you have taken to comply with the Disability Equality Duty in relation to your proposals to implement Controlled Parking Zones?  Are you confident that you have complied with the legislation?"
2. "Are you aware that there are considerable concerns amongst parents of children attending Cefn Onn Primary School about the dangerous situation created by school coaches in the area?  Could you arrange for Traffic and Transportation Officers to meet with the Headteacher and parents to discuss these concerns and identify a solution to this problem?"

• Questions to Councillor Dixon (Health and Social Services):

1. "Please advise me of what progress has been made in relation to the development of the Council's breastfeeding strategy as approved by Council in September.

• Questions to Councillor Woodman (Communities, Housing and Social Justice):

1. "Does this Council comply with the Race and Disability Equality Duties and will it be in a position to comply with the Gender Equality Duty when it comes into force in April?  Please outline the steps that you have taken to ensure compliance and advise me of any polices that you have impact assessed in accordance with the legislation in the last two years."
2. "What progress has been made in relation to the request that I have made for parts of Whitchurch and Tongwynlais to be designated areas for the prohibition of consumption of alcohol?
3. "Does the Council Housing Department deal effectively with complaints of neighbour nuisance?"

You can download a word document with all of the above questions and responses. (Download council_questions_feb_07.doc).

Let Down By Liberals

A recent Labour Party telephone survey shows a staggering 87% of Cardiff North residents feel that Liberal Democrat run Cardiff City Councili has let them down and failed to address local concerns and tackle people's priorities.

Sophie Howe, Labour Assembly Candidate and local councillor said:

"This survey provides indisputable evidence that the Liberal Democrats have failed in Cardiff North, and that local people have had enough of them, and the Tories who support and prop them up time and time again."

The Lib-Dems, backed up by the Tories, have failed to address growing concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour, made a mess of local school reorganisation, and allowed children's play areas to be closed.

"These are the 3 main areas of local concern",  said Sophie, "and I couldn't agree more.  I have already been busy campaigning with local people on these issues, and they are my priorities for Cardiff North, and I pledge to:

• provide more community support officers to help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour;
• stop the botched re-organisation of our local schools, and work with parents and families to deliver the best education for local children;
• provide proper community play areas for out children."

Sophie added: "It's only through listening to and working with local people that I've been able to fully understand what matters to them, and I look forward to having the opportunity of working within the Assembly to deliver a better Cardiff North for all its' residents.  People have had enough of the Liberal Democrats and Tories who seem to be working together purely for their own benefit, at the expense of local people."

'Safe routes to schools will save lives,' says Local Councillor

Local Councillor and Labour Assembly Candidate for Cardiff North today welcomed the announcement that Cardiff County Council has been given £431,000 for the creation of Safe Routes to Schools for Whitchurch High School.  The project which will include eleven safety improvement schemes across Whitchurch and Rhiwbina has come as a result of Councillor Sophie Howe working with the school and the Council's Traffic Department to look at ways to address the concerns that were raised by pupils about their routes to school.  Council Traffic Officers worked with teachers and pupils at the school to identify the routes they used and any safety issues and then submitted a bid for safety improvement work to the Welsh Assembly.

The bid submitted to the Assembly included the following improvements to routes used by pupils.

1. Velindre Road roundabout - Velindre Road and Kelston Road - pedestrian crossings
2. Pantbach Road - pedestrian crossing
3. Three phased scemes providing cycle lanes along Manor Way
4. Church Road - soeed reduction scheme
5. Park Road and Park Crescent - junction improvements and speed reduction measures
6. St Margarets Road - improvement to dropped kerbs
7. Plas Treoda - table junction and speed reduction measures
8. Pantmawr Road and Coryton Rise - junction improvements
9. Provision of cycle stands and lockers at the school

Councillor Sophie Howe had just last week criticised the Lib Dem Council for leaving a backlog of 114 road safety schemes in a council black hole awaiting finance.  She said she was "delighted by the news of this funding from the Assembly", which would address many of the schemes in Whitchurch which had been awaiting finance.

Sophie Howe said:

"Too many children are hurt in road accidents around schools.  16 children aged 0-7 are killed or seriously injured every week on the roads.  This is unacceptable.  These road improvements will help to encourage children to walk to school and make parents feel more confident about allowing them to."

She continued:

"Many of the schemes which will be funded have been identified for some time by local residents as problem areas but funding has not been forthcoming from the Council to deal with the problems and improve road safety.  This news will be welcomed by pupils, parents and local residents who will be pleased that there will finally be some action to improve road safety in the area."

Labour Assembly Minister, Andrew Davies said:

"Cars kill more kids than cancer.  That is why, if re-elected, the Labour party will introduce a £100 million safer roads fund for Wales.  We will introduce more Safe Routes to School and more 20mph zones outside schools."

Party Political Broadcast

Tories too offensive for Welsh TV

Welsh Labour launches alternative YouTube party political broadcast

WELSH Labour today launched an alternative party political broadcast on YouTube, featuring footage of Tories too offensive for television.

The broadcast features greatest hits compilation nightmare memories of Tory rule in Wales.  It features John Redwood forgetting the words to the national anthem, Margaret Thatcher, and other reminders of the Tories' disastrous 18 years.  The video tells Welsh voters "the Tories are still singing to the same old tune" and urges people to "tell them to sing it elsewhere".

It reminds people of the Tories' worst calamities in Wales:

• Unemployment in Wales three time higher than it is today
• Wales suffered its two worst recessions since the Second World War
• Interest rates hit 15 per cent for a whole year
• Inflation hit 10 per cent
• Over 8,000 hospital beds were closed
• Over 70 hospitals were closed
• Recorded crime doubled
• Public spending on housing was cut by over £100m
• £70m was sent back to London by John Redwood

Welsh Labour Enterprise Minister ANDREW DAVIES said:

"The Tory Party has always been alien to the people of Wales and David Cameron has proved as much by bringing the Vulcan John Redwood back into frontline politics.

"The Tories have a terrible record of wreaking misery on the people of Wales with an entire generation of our people left without hope of a decent future.

"They haven't changed and are still singing the same tired old tune: cuts, unemployment and despair.

"The only way of stopping the Tories running our schools, hospitals and jobs is by voting Welsh Labour on May 3."

ENDS

Labour Calls for Action on Road Safety

Labour Councillors in Cardiff have called for more funding for road safety schemes after their enquiries revealed that there are more than 100 road safety schemes awaiting finance across the City.

Labour Deputy Leader and Cardiff North Assembly Candidate Sophie Howe began to make enquiries about road safety schemes following concerns about the delayed schemes in her ward including a traffic calming scheme on The Philog where there was a fatality last year.

Councillor Howe's information request to the Traffic and Transportation Department revealed that there were 114 schemes across the City which had been drawn up following surveys which identified traffic safety issues.  These schemes included modifications to junctions, pedestrian crossings and most importantly traffic calming schemes designed to reduce the speeds of traffic in areas where speeds are considered dangerous.

Councillor Sophie Howe claimed that these delays were putting lives at risk and The Labour Group have proposed that additional finance should be included in the Council's budget to enable the Council to implement more road safety schemes.

Labour Deputy Leader and Cardiff North Assembly Candidate Sophie Howe said:

"It is extremely worrying that more than 100 road safety schemes are stuck in a council black hole seemingly with no hope of receiving finance.  The Traffic Department have stringent criteria in deciding whether roads need traffic calking and therefore those roads which have been identified clearly have safety issues which need addressing."

She continued;

"One of the top complaints received by Councillors across the City relate to the speed of traffic in residential areas.  I have secured agreement from the traffic department for schemes in a number of areas in my ward but am constantly told that they are awaiting finance.  This is quite literally a matter of life and death.  The Administration must take action to make our roads safer and this can only be done by committing to extra finance for these traffic calming schemes."

ENDS

Schemes which have been affected by these delays:

1. Allensbank Road Junction Build-outs
2. Ventnor Place/Western Avenue Junction Improvements
3. Llantarnam Road at Western Avenue On Slip Junction Modification
4. Llantarnham Road, Road Humps
5. Pantbach Road (Southern Section) Junction Modification
6. Entrance to UHW from Allensbank Road - right turn filter arrow Junction Modification
7. Pantbach Road Pedestrian Facilities
8. Tair Erw/Pedair/Pum Erw/Heol Dyfed Road Humps
9. Lisvane Road and St Mellons Road Traffic Calming
10. Capel Gwilym/Heol Hir Junction Improvement
11. Heol Y Delyn/Mill Road and Mill Road Junction Improvement and Traffic Calming
12. Colwinston Street Speed Cushions
13. Gabalfa Avenue Cycle ways
14. South of Gabalfa Avenue Gabalfa Road River View Speed Cushions
15. North East Traffic Calming Improvements
16. North West Evansfield Road and Ty Mawr Road Speed
17. Heol Hir North from its Junction with Excalibur Drive Speed Cushions with 20mph
18. St Mellons/Bridge Road/Church Road Traffic Calming
19. Newport Road Cypress Road Roundabout to Wern Fawr
20. Heol - y- Deri Junction Modification
21. Rhiwbina Southeast Road Humps and Parking Measures
22. Heol Don Build out at Zebra Crossing
23. Coryton Rise/Pantmawr Road Juncion Build-outs
24. Heol Don Zebra Crossing
25. Tongwynlais Castle Road Junction improvement
26. Cae Gwyn Road/Plas Treoda Whitchurch Junction Modification
27. Heol-y-Gors Area Road Hump Scheme