BUCKLEY TOWN LOCAL ISSUES

BT Decision to Remove Payphones

After a review of Payphones, British Telecom have decided to reduce the number available, since statistics show that less consumers are using them.

24 little used payphones have been selected for removal. Whilst this does not affect Buckley, other parts of Flintshire will be involved.

You can read the letter of notification sent to the local authority, from BT by clicking here. If you feel minded to, you can respond to the consultation process before 6th September 2008.

The New Medical Centre.

This hot potato has been rumbling on for far too long. The Local Health Board held a briefing for councillors and officials at county hall in January. The story related was that from a possible twenty sites, the matter has now come down to a choice between three locations, not any one of them being the presently undeveloped land alongside Jubilee Road, adjacent to Somerfield Store, which most councillors and townsfolks seem to agree would be the best location.

Wherever the building does end up, it is necessary for residents to understand that neither the county council, nor the town council has any real say in the end decision. It is all a matter of discussion/argument between the Local Health Board, mainly over the cost of land and the Welsh Assembly Government's willingness, of refusal, to spend money.

Buckley Old Swimming Baths.

Last October, there was an attempt, a quite shameful attempt, by Flintshire County Council, to sell off the land and the Old Baths Building, so that it could be demolished in order to build another block of flats. In fact, the first that was really known about it was when a demolition company, acting for developers, asked the Town Clerk for the keys to the baths building so that they could take a look around it before starting demolition!

I am delighted to say that with much good, hard work performed by our Town Clerk, Martin Wright and a great deal of research into archived and non-archived records by his wife Mary, that effort was scotched.

There is no doubt that the land on which the Old Baths Building stands, is owned by Flintshire County Council. However, there is clear evidence that the building itself, built by the mining and other communities of Buckley way back in the 1920s, is NOT owned by the county authority, but by CISWO, the Coal Industries Social and Welfare Organisation.

After representations to county legal officers by the Town Clerk and all five Town Councillors who represent Buckley also at County level, a far more reasonable and acceptable dialogue is now under way. Given a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck, the Town Council will be able to purchase the land from County Council, negotiate an arrangement with CISWO, obtain funding to renovate and renew the Old Baths Building and keep it alive and used for the benefit of the town’s residents. No certainty as to what it will become yet, but suggestions vary from an indoor market to a museum, to a theatre. If you have a view on this, please let me know. Your views are important.

Coronation Gardens

Coronation Gardens This is another little piece of Buckley history that was claimed by Flintshire County Council, who did offer to sell it to Buckley Town Council for conversion into a car park to improve motoring and commerce in the Lane End Area. However, once again, some careful digging into the records of past affairs revealed interesting situations.

The reality being, that when Buckley Urban District Council ceased to exist in 1974 and the District Councils came into being, the ownership of that piece of land passed to Alyn and Deeside District Council. Perhaps because there were many loyal Buckley councilors on that District Council, Alyn and Deeside District Council actually passed a resolution giving that piece of land back to Buckley Town Council.

Somehow, although all of the written records of the motion exist for all to see, nobody at that time actually made the legal transfer of land that was needed to finalise the arrangement. Now that the county legal officers have accepted what the true legal position is, the process of transferring legal title of the land from County, to Buckley Town is actually under way and should be completed within a matter of a couple of months.

That will raise again the question of what best use to make of the gardens? Keep it as it is? Turn part or all of it into parking to encourage trade for the local businesses? What do you feel? Do let me know.

Padeswood Cement Works

Please see the report on the Environment section of this website or by clicking here, which goes into detail about this matter.

Hawkesbury Hall

Hawkesbury Hall The old house, not far from Hawkesbury Community Centre, has a lengthy history, since it was built at the end of the 18th Century by the Catherall family. The lounge was used as a non-denominational church on Sundays for many years. However, pressures from the then religious establishment meant that no bell could be used at the house. Instead, a bell tower was established some short distance away, so that the start of those religious services could be advertised to all around. That bell tower was demolished in the 1960s when the land and the house and cottages attached were sold by the old Buckley Pantomime Society to the Education Department to form playing fields for Elfed School.

Originally, the County placed a caretaker in one of the small attached cottages. However, when the incumbent died a few years later, the county authority decided NOT to replace him. As a result, the cottages and the main house fell into disrepair. The cottages were demolished and the main building boarded/bricked up. That did not prevent intrusion and degradation. In 1982, the authorities requested demolition, but the late Jim Bentley, local artist and archaeologist, ever protective of the history of Buckley, rather quietly and craftily, had it listed as a Grade II building, which prevented the intended demolition.

By 2000, the insides of the building had been badly vandalized and there was evidence of drugs use within the building. After a visit and look around inside the building, with the now retired councilor Arthur Roberts, I took a Chronicle photographer into the building and generated a little publicity about its state and its fate. It really did need restoring, or demolishing. The problem being that to restore it required around £275,000, which County did not have. In November 2003, I set a motion before Buckley Town Council, calling upon Flintshire County Council to either restore it, or demolish it. That motion was supported by every one of the 18 sitting town councilors.

Despite several potential buyers taking an interest over the past 5 years, each one has, in turn, fallen by the wayside. That leaves us with the situation where, as of present moment, the building's future is uncertain. However, shortly there will be a bit of talking going on between me and the organisers of the very successful local junior football club. Who knows what might come from that?

Walkabout Buckley

Jim and Lynne Dyson, who are ward residents, are avid walkers. They were part of Walkabout Flintshire, an activity designed to get residents out and about on short and medium length walks, for exercise or for rehabilitative activities following operations or illness. I joined in that activity and, in support of Jim and Lynne, became one of the trained walk leaders. I turn out as often as my County Councillor duties permit. Last year there was a bit of a fracture, after Walkabout Flintshire, as part of Groundwork Trust’s activities, parted company with the then co-ordinator, Ian Gibbons, for what many of us regarded as somewhat shoddy reasons. We all like to see fair play and to be treated fairly, so there was a rift. From that rift, Walkabout Buckley came into being.

Properly supervised, properly insured and well organized, walkers from all around Buckley and beyond get together for exercise and for a bit of socializing over a cup of tea or coffee after each walk. On occasions, as many as 75 of us! Basics start with around 2.5 miles, or about an hour and a bit, beginning and ending at the car park between the Potters Wheel and the Legion Buildng on Precinct way at 10:00 a.m. each Thursday morning.

There is a slightly shorter and slower walk for rehabilitation and beginners. Once walkers are comfortable and confident, they can move on to the longer walks of up to 6 miles, usually undertaken on other days of the week in the more scenic bits of the Flintshire countryside. Good exercise, grand company and usually an appetizing lunch at a friendly pub or restaurant at the end of each walk.

If you want to know more, give me a phone call, or come along on the Thursday morning. You will be made more than welcome.

Renovation of Prince of Wales Court and Chester Road Flats.

Prince of Wales Court Lane End deserves some attention! Finally, one bit of the area is getting a facelift.

Flintshire County Council is setting about a renovation and repair project for every block.

New Roofs, assorted repairs and changes to external and internal stairway and access arrangements. Starting on March 10 th 2008 and going on for some 28 weeks, block by block.

There will inevitably be some working noise and a bit of disorder as scaffolding goes up and the tasks get tackled.

If you have repairs that need doing during this exercise, make sure that your needs are known. If you find problems because of the building activities, SPEAK UP, to the FCC Houing Officers, to me, or to the Contractors involved.