I held the last advice surgery before the General Election on Saturday. The venue was McDonalds in Barry. It is a great place to hold these types of meeting, and I saw a wide range of people on a number of issues.
Over the past five years I have tried to get out of the constituency office for advice surgeries, and go and meet people across Barry and in the Vale. I have organised surgeries on different days of the week, at different times of day in many areas of Barry. It has worked very well. McDonalds is a great place, but I have also held them in supermarkets – Tesco in Highlight Park, Morrisons on the Waterfront and Filco out in the Vale.
I have also held surgeries at coffee mornings, church and village halls – all we need is a quiet corner.
I have had the opportunity to learn more about such a wide range of issues during these meetings. I have been able to help, often in a small way, in so many cases and made it my business to be accessible in the community.
A number of issues are being raised currently – the new incinerator plans in Castleland are very concerning and I am following developments closely. Barry has changed a great deal since the last plans went in five years ago, and I am concerned about whether such a large scale plant fits in with the vision of Barry.
Education in Barry is another issue being raised by anxious parents. I met with several last week, and we have organised a public meeting on 26th March to discuss proposed changes. There is, quite rightly, a great deal of concern over the impact on pupils at a very delicate stage in their education.
The new fairground that will replace Barry Island Pleasure Park is getting close, but there is still a great deal of work to do. The challenge is to get Henry Danter on site for the Easter holidays and going into a strong summer period. Issues are being worked through, but I know from speaking with local residents that a new first class funfair can make such a positive difference to the image of Barry – boosting the economy and creating jobs. I am hopeful that all the issues can be resolved in the next couple of weeks, and we can witness the continued revival on Barry Island.