Sheesh - now Wrecsam council want to take down Saith Seren's flags

Welsh General / Questions
#61

I was afraid that might be the case. I suspect, therefore, that S4C’s only real chance is with Liz Saville Roberts and the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Inquiry. I did send her an e-mail, but I’m not sure any of them got the actual petition as all there is on the site is a copy of my letter to the Committee! It will be really helpful if anyone with a Plaid MP e-mails him/her with the link:


This is the signature link. I don’t think it gives the petition wording. I’ll post this and check!
Edit: I was right! Petition addressed to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, is worded:

We, the undersigned, are all learning or have learned the Welsh language. We all live outside Wales, so are not counted in the audience figures for S4C, which we all want to watch. Some of us have real trouble doing that and are willing to pay a fee! We have heard there is a threat to reduce the channel’s budget, despite it already having been cut by 30%.

Please Minister, this is an ancient language, This is the only TV channel in the world which uses it. You value old buildings and history, why not this beautiful language which the ancestors of many in England, Scotland and Ireland spoke, as well as many in the Commonwealth. Surely you do not want to cut the funds to an unsustainable level? After all, it was a Conservative Prime Minister, Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, who agreed to the setting up of S4C.

To @aran Any help gratefully received! p.s. Glad you survived! All women detest being ill, don’t blame Catrin for being normal!!!
Edit: @Deborah-SSi Did you see this exchange I had with @aran yesterday?

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#62

No, I didn’t. I haven’t had any response at all from our local Lib Dem MP after I emailed him about the petition (though I did write in Welsh!). I’ll send him the wording and the link and see if that gets anything. The more support the better!

EDIT: Done - I’ll let you know if I get any response.

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#63

I’ve just checked this again and thought it might be in someone’s interest … the application is still pending. Will check back in a while again.

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#64

Don’t hold your breath, @tatjana! There is a well known tactic in politics called ‘kicking it into the long grass’.or ‘putting it on to the back burner’! Take long enough and everyone will forget the matter, or die or it will go away!!

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#65

That’s why I don’t want to forget …

It’s no different situation in any country regarding such matters I believe …

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#66

I had an email (in English and Welsh), from Wrecsam council, together with an attachment (in English…). Basically it’s been referred to an Inspector (working on behalf of the Welsh Government).

Sounds like an expensive way of kicking it into the long grass. :frowning:

For anyone who’d like some Welsh official-ese plus translation:

Rydym yn croesawu gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg. Byddwn yn ymateb i unrhyw ohebiaeth yn Gymraeg ac ni fydd hyn yn arwain at unrhyw oedi.

Ewch i weld - mi fedrwch chi dalu, rhoi gwybod, gwneud cais, dweud eich dweud, a dod o hyd i wybodaeth ar-lein yn www.wrecsam.gov.uk. Arbedwch bapur - meddyliwch cyn argraffu!

Mae’r neges e-bost hon ac unrhyw atodiadau wedi eu bwriadu ar gyfer yr unigolyn neu?r sefydliad y?i cyfeirir atynt yn unig. Am yr amodau llawn yngl?n ? chynnwys a defnyddio?r neges e-bost hon ac unrhyw atodiadau, cyfeiriwch at www.wrecsam.gov.uk/top_navigation/disclaimersw.htm ??

We welcome correspondence in Welsh. We will respond to any correspondence in Welsh and this will not lead to any delay.

Take a look - you can pay, report, request, have your say and find information online at www.wrexham.gov.uk. Save paper - think before you print!

This e-mail message and any attachments are intended solely for the individual or organisation to whom it is addressed. For full conditions in relation to content and use of this e-mail message and any attachments, please refer to www.wrexham.gov.uk/top_navigation/disclaimers.htm.

This is the core of the attachment:

Town and Country Planning Act 1990
Section 78 Appeal at: 18, CHESTER STREET, WREXHAM

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to inform you that an appeal has been made to the Welsh Ministers in respect of the above-mentioned site and will be determined by an Inspector appointed by the Welsh Ministers.

The appeal follows this Council’s non-determination of the application. The appeal is to be decided on the basis of Written Representations.

As an interested party/neighbouring occupier, you may wish to make representations in connection with this appeal to The Planning Inspectorate.

Any comments from consultees following the original application for permission (unless they are expressly confidential), will be forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate and copied to the appellant and will be taken into account by the Inspector in deciding the appeal.

If you wish to make any additional comments you should do so within six weeks of the start date shown overleaf. If any representations are submitted after the deadline, they will not be seen by the Inspector and they will be returned.

The address for The Planning Inspectorate is:-

The Planning Inspectorate
Crown Buildings
Cathays Park
Cardiff CF10 3NQ

Alternatively you may make your comments by e-mail to: wales@pins.gsi.gov.uk

Planning Reference:
P 2015 0936

Site Address:
18
CHESTER STREET
WREXHAM

Site Description:
LISTED BUILDING CONSENT FOR THE ERECTION OF 6 NO FLAG POLES

Welsh
Government Ref/Planning Inspectorate ref:
H6955/E/16/3145534

Start Date:
23/03/2016

#67

It would be interesting to know what that actually means! I wonder if it’s the same thing as a refusal?

#68

To be honest … I don’t understand (mentally) dim byd! When decided I’ll probaby understand just “yes” or “no” and this will be sufficient to me. My face would be :frowning: if there’s “no” answer and :smiley: if there’s “yes” answer so … keep me posted some simple worded solution … :slight_smile:

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#69

As best I remember if the Council doesn’t make a decision within the required time the applicant - here Saith Seren - has the right to ask the relevant government minister to make the decision instead (but perhaps only in the case of listed building consent). So it looks as if Saith Seren themselves decided to make the appeal as I guess Wrecsam council either were taking too long to make their minds up or they wanted to avoid making a decision which they thought might be controversial for some reason.

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#70

Most councils don’t like this as it makes them look, shall we say, a tiny bit inefficient. Clearly, in this case, the decision was so hard that it was worth the humiliation to pass it on! Problem now is:

  1. Will decision take full account of the value of Saith Seren to yr iaith Cymraeg?
  2. How long will it take?
  3. Is it possible to appeal to anyone else?
#71

I actually wonder if our e-mails we’ve sent were (or will ever be) read at all or should we “repeat the exercise”? But this time I’m not familiar to who it should be sent at all and if there’s a right for me as not UK citizen to write anything to anyone at all.

#72

There’s a link here on the Welsh Government website about the Saith Seren appeal:
https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/ViewCase.aspx?CaseID=3145534&CoID=0
(the reference number’s APP/H6955/E/16/3145534) and it looks as if there’s a deadline of 4th May for people to write in and comment - there’s a link on that page (“Make representation”) to an online form which people can use to comment/support the application (plus a link to 6 documents about the appeal).
@tatjana I don’t see any reason at all why you shouldn’t send your support if you wish to - the government planning inspector will see everything that people send in and he’ll decide what weight to place on it all.
@henddraig If the government’s planning inspector turns down the appeal the only other course is to appeal to the courts to overturn his/her decision - expensive! But there’s nothing though to stop Wrecsam council being persuaded to change their minds…

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#73

Thank you @johnwilliams_6. Will try to put something a bit different together from the first time I’ve written. Despite these are now different people it wouldn’t appear too good if I’d put the same e-mail into the matter twice.

#74

Comment - representation (whatever it’s called this in UK) done. I actually didn’t quite go for anything what I didn’t write the first time already. I’ve just alterred the text a little bit so it’s no use to post it on here one more time.

However I just hope the mail will be read despite I’ve sent it directly via e-mail and didn’t include all data which are required in the form on the site (my address for example). To be honest I didn’t use the form as I fear it might happen I wouldn’t be permited to submit it due not being resident of UK. :slight_smile:

So, the work is done for me now all I can do is wait and see what happens.

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#75

WAIT A MINUTE! CAN I SAY WOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! TO THIS?

I believe the document of the deceision is understandable enough so I can claim I understood it perfectly.

THE POLES ARE GRANTED TO BE 6 OF THEM!

Here’s the direct link to the Planning case https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/ViewCase.aspx?CaseID=3145534&CoID=0

I have to say this just made my day.

Llongyfarchiadau Saith Seren! :slight_smile:

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#76

They didn’t break any speed records, did they? (the council, I mean).
Ond chwarae teg; Ar y diweth, mae nhw wedi gwneud y peth iawn.

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#77

Ie. Dw i’n haups iawn. Mae’n drwg da fi bydda i ddim yn gallu mynd yna achos bydda i ddim yn cael digon o amser i gweld ac ymweliad popeth. .

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