Village green campaigners vow to fight on in court

A LEGAL battle to keep one of Wales’ largest village greens intact will make its way to Cardiff High Court in November.
The 30-acre Gloucesters and Ironworks site in Hirwaun, which has long been used as a haven for wildlife and a venue for community events, was granted village green status in 2009.
But Piper Land Development, who want to build houses on the 30-acre site, hope to overturn its status so it can be used for future development.
Last week, at the High Court in London, applicant Richard Jones – on behalf of the Action for Hirwaun Group – attempted to throw the case out of court to stop Piper Ltd from overturning any previous council decisions.
Mr Jones’ lawyers claimed the company had left it too long before launching its claim, arguing that the long passage of time rendered the case “too stale” to proceed to a full High Court hearing.
But after a detailed and intricate legal debate, the judge found in favour of Piper Land Development, dismissing Mr Jones’ application.
The case will now head to Cardiff later this year.
In 2009, following a public inquiry and dedicated campaigning by Action for Hirwaun, the Gloucesters and Ironworks site was granted village green status, making it one of the biggest village greens in Wales.
But a year ago, solicitors representing one of the site’s three landowners issued a legal notice of their intention to challenge this in the High Court.
Despite Rhondda Cynon Taf Council granting the village green status, they were unwilling to finance or take part in legal proceedings – a move which has angered the action group.
After campaigners slated the council for failing to support their fight in the courts, coun Paul Lucas sent a letter to the group stating any future applicants would be made aware that the council would not always get involved in legal proceedings.
The community says they will continue to fight to keep their beloved green and need around £5,000 to fund legal costs.
A number of fundraising events are scheduled to take place this year

Ysbyty Cwm Cynon hospital nears completion

The £70m Ysbyty Cwm Cynon, which replaces Mountain Ash and Aberdare hospitals, is expected to be fully open by the end of April.
But dental patients are already being treated in the state-of-the-art unit in one wing of the 123-bed hospital.
The finishing touches are being put to the hospital but before any patients can be admitted or staff relocated, just under 5m pieces of equipment must be moved.
.Rachel Marsh, assistant director of capital at Cwm Taf Health Board, said: “We want to be able to provide as many services locally as possible. The dental wing has already opened but the rest of the hospital is being commissioned and staff inducted.
“By the end of February the rest of the hospital will be handed over to us and we will be able to move services – outpatients and office-based staff – from Mountain Ash Hospital to here.
“Then, a day later, health visitors, district nurses and school nurses based at Aberdare Hospital will move over. By the end of April, everything will have moved across from Aberdare Hospital.
“Facilities in the two older hospitals – Aberdare and Mountain Ash – are no longer what we’d expect in this day and age.”
Keith Powell, Cwm Taf Health Board’s senior manager for the Merthyr and Cynon locality, said: “There has been some sadness about moving. Mountain Ash is a beautiful property, but when you go around the new hospital you see how much better it is.”
Ysbyty Cwm Cynon will be home to a range of hospital services, including radiology, outpatient clinics, GP out of hours and minor injuries. It will serve as a base for community rehabilitation services and provide intermediate care to people in Cynon Valley.
Half of the beds on each of the hospital’s wards will be in single en-suite rooms, apart from the 15-bed elderly mental health unit, which will be all single rooms.
There will be an increase in the number of palliative care beds in Ysbyty Cwm Cynon and all palliative care specialists and therapists will be based on one site.
The hospital’s dental wing was opened earlier this month and staff expect to be seeing up to 100 patients a day.
Mountain Ash Hospital will close when all services have been transferred. The building and site has been sold.
It is expected that the Aberdare Hospital site will be used for residential homes, according to the local development plan

Healthy chippy frying high to batter the fat

A CAFE in Hirwaun has launched a new range of super-healthy chips.
The Chippy, on High Street, is serving up 94% fat-free fries to weight-conscious customers.
Their fried chips and battered fish have been separately analysed by a food nutritional laboratory.
Owner Lee Penaluna said the new healthy chips were a big step forward in helping people enjoy fries without piling on the pounds.
The Chippy was recently placed in the top three shops in Wales in the Independent Fish and Chip Shops section of the National Fish and Chip Shop of the Year competition 2012.
Owner Lee previously worked under TV chef Stephen Terry in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
He has owned The Chippy and The Cafe in the Cynon Valley since 2006.
A spokesman for the cafe said: "A recent customer survey gave us 99% for taste and quality for our food, this is down to the consistency and commitment of all the staff.
"Our staff know what the customer wants, they are customers themselves and appreciate the quality we produce.
"Returning 220kcals per 100g for fried chips and 238kcals for fried battered fish you can have a standard meal of our fabulous chips, battered fish and mushy peas at around 850 calories and only 32g of fat.
"This means it's around 94% fat free - a real bonus to those lovers of fish and chips."

'Be safe, be seen', is message for children

PUPILS from schools across the county borough will be seen more clearly when walking to schools thanks to a donation of high-visibility vests from a local opticians.
Specsavers in Pontypridd has donated luminous vests to seven schools in the region as part of the store's Be Seen, Be Safe initiative.
Penrhiwceiber Primary, Evan James Primary, Trallwyn Primary, Coed y Lan Primary, Maes y Coed Primary, Trehopkin Primary and Carnetown Primary School were all recipients as part of the scheme.
The initiative forms part of Specsavers' national Drive Safe campaign.
Store director, Paul Molton, said: "We were keen to help increase the safety of children, particularly now that the nights are so dark, and we're delighted that local schools have put our high-visibility vests to such good use by using them for walking bus schemes and class trips."
Mr Makin, Headteacher at Penrhiwceiber Primary School, says: "Our classes often walk down to the local hall, church or park, and the vests will ensure they are seen more clearly when crossing roads, helping to increase their safety."

Young artists brush aside competition to win prizes

AS ARTISTS, children aren't exactly fabled for their delicate touch, deft shading techniques or striking realism.
Most parents are used to seeing wobbly faces, wonky houses and blobs of paint in their beloved children's masterpieces.
But for one Aberaman mam it's a different story - two of her young, talented sons have already tasted artistic success.
Amelia Pritchard, who admits to being no artist herself, said her creative boys can't get enough of art.

Joseph Pritchard, eight, brushed aside the opposition and won first prize at the Rhondda Heritage Park's annual young@art competition.
Joseph's 3D collage "Faces of Life" beat entries from across the whole of Rhondda Cynon Taf.
His winning piece was based on the theme "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly" and it was displayed in the Rhondda Heritage Park.
But Joseph's younger brother Edward, four, isn't to be outdone by his sibling.
He entered Cynon Valley MP Ann Clwyd's Christmas card competition and narrowly missed out on first place for his design of Santa in the flood.
Parents Andrea and Andrew both admit they're at a loss to explain exactly where their boys get their artistic flair from.
Both Abernant Primary School pupils are following in the footsteps of their older brother Oliver, 14, who won the same competition as Joseph when he was younger.
Andrea said: "Joseph put so much effort in to win the competition, it took him three weeks to make his collage out of cardboard.
"He absolutely loves art, they both do, and they can't stop doing it, they spend so much time working away.
"The house is always a mess with paints, crayons and bits lying around the place. I'm very proud of them.
"Their older brother Oliver is artistic as well so all three of them are very into their art. But I haven't got a clue where they get it from.
"I'm not very artistic at all and neither is their dad, so it's a surprise to us both."

The Patch Project

The PATCH project is aimed at engaging with anyone in the Rhondda Cynon Taff area who has a physical health condition (which has a limiting effect on their lives). The project is currently running in 3 centres throughout the district

· The YMCA in Pontypridd between 10-3 every Monday

· Providence Church in Ystrad between 10-3 every Tuesday

· The Feel Good Factory, Ynysboeth between 10-3 every Thursday

Some of the activities on offer include: Independent living skills (for example cookery, healthy eating, money advice), just for fun courses (such as art and craft and flower arranging) adult learning courses (including basic skills, computers, food hygiene, first aid and sign language) as well as help to find volunteering placements in the local community and suitable employment opportunities.

To take part in the project participants must reside in the Rhondda Cynon Taff area, be between the ages of 16-65, have a physical health condition and be economically inactive (or working less than 16 hours per week)

For more information please contact the PATCH co-ordinator @ The Feel Good Factory, Bryncynon Healthy living centre, Abercynon Road, Ynysboeth, Mountain Ash, CF45 4XZ, Telephone: 01443 479018 or Email: healthylivingcentre@hotmail.co.uk