Address by Councillor David Cowans
Wednesday 13 th July 2005
Councillor David Cowans was present and started by saying that he had recently attended a presentation by Superintendent Barry Jones who had been charged with the reorganisation of the Beat Managers, he was accompanied by Inspector Gary Ashton and Sgt Kelly.
He said that instead of waiting for things to happen, they are knocking on doors where people are consistently known to be a nuisance and telling the people concerned that they know what is happening and that it is not acceptable.
Cllr Cowans suggested that the association write to Supt Jones who would be pleased to talk to a future meeting and suggested that we would be also very impressed by what he has to say which was born out of experience in Liverpool 6.
With reference to the Old Church house, Cllr Cowans said that what the association should do is to get the applicant to try again with his application and Councillors would call it to committee which would require six letters. Then the debate could be opened to a wider forum.
The Chair asked when people should be writing in and Cllr Cowans replied ‘when the application is lodged'. When questioned how we would know when the application was in, Cllr Cowans replied that he could find out but if we write to the planning officer, he has to let us know if an application is lodged.
Cllr Cowans welcomed the favourable comments made about the input of the Council into the environment of Old Colwyn, which he said in his opinion, is fantastic this year, especially St Johns garden. He said that he was unable to give any more input about Authority business as that was to have been Cllr Cossey's input who was elsewhere that evening, on business.
Questions and answers
A resident asked ‘What does antisocial behaviour constitute? I have four or five schoolgirls who sit on my door step at the top of Princess Road every school-day from 8am to 8.30am and they cover the step in spit, as they spit at one another and drop litter and behave in all sorts of unreasonable ways. I have tried all the nice ways of stopping them but it does not have any effect.
Secretary It is antisocial behaviour to spit in public and if it is a recurring theme, I will speak to Martin our PCSO and ask him to make a visit occasionally and deal with anything that he sees. I am sure that he will do that.
A resident commented that he wished to be associated with the compliments to the workers in the Church Gardens . He felt that it is a pity that the promenade in Old Colwyn does not receive the attention that other sections of the promenade have had. The railings are in a dreadful state although said to be the next in line for attention for the last 18 months.
The Chair added that the section of wall damaged by the sea had still not been rebuilt.
It was established that some work had been done to the railings recently to replace some damaged sections.
Cllr Cowans replied to the question that he believes that there is a specific allocation for the promenade refurbishment in the next financial year.
A resident raised the issue of a lack of dog bins in Wynn gardens which is the biggest dog toilet in Old Colwyn. He asked for clarification about whether dogs were in fact allowed in the gardens at all. Notices to that effect were put up several years ago but destroyed.
Councillor Cowans agreed that it is definitely official that dogs should not go in Wynn Gardens .
The secretary asked if it is a byelaw.
Councillor Cowans replied that it was part of the whole issue of the dog problem which was addressed in the late 80's. The Council was obliged to nominate areas where dogs could go with or without a lead or not go at all. The two most noticeable from his recollection were Queens Garden in Colwyn Bay and Wynn Gardens in Old Colwyn. He said that we just need the dog warden to sit there for a while and educate people.
It was generally thought that the Council should either allow dogs there and provide bins accordingly or put notices up to inform people of the rules which should then be enforced.
A resident asked if it was possible to have the bins replaced at the end of the Promenade which disappeared some years ago.
Another resident brought up the subject of the toilets on the Old Colwyn side of the pier, which have been closed for most of the spring and may have just opened. It was generally thought unacceptable that people come to a seaside town and are unable to use conveniences on the promenade.
Councillor Cowans said that as part of the Council's strategy on the issue of toilets, a developer had approached the council to use the land adjacent for chalets and part of his proposals was that he would adopt the toilets. No decisions have been made as yet .
It was generally thought unacceptable that the toilets east of the pier should be usually closed, whereas the one west of the pier was generally open.
Councillor Cowans said that he believed that there is a relationship between the west one and a concessionaire in the area of the pier which is what the council are working at to save the ratepayers money. He drew a comparison with other areas where 20p is charged to use a good standard of toilet facility and expressed a view that we need to consider that type of facility. The other way is to fix them to have them broken again.
