Any potential commercial business moving in to Parc Howard will do so safe in the knowledge that the County council has gifted them a car park costing the tax payer £100,000. That was the view of a number of Town councillors following an extraordinary meeting of the Town Council this evening, Tuesday (June 6).
Speaking to Llanelli Online following the meeting a number of councillors aired their concerns claiming that that as things stand, the County council is placing the interests of a commercial venture as yet not ensconced in the park before the interests of the people of Llanelli.
As well as objections over lack of detail, lack of information, lack of consultation, worries regarding health and safety, noise and air pollution, historic mining areas, the visual impact and impact on local residents there was a damning indictment of the County council’s whole handling of the planning application process from councillors and the general public at the meeting.
Councillors regardless of political persuasion lined up to offer their own objections to the plans as well as calling on each other to unite in objecting to the current plans for Parc Howard. The general public had also turned up in numbers for the 6pm scheduled meeting but were left to wait as the Head of Corporate Property Jonathan Fearn informed the Town council that he would not speak in an open meeting citing purdah (the pre-election period in the United Kingdom, specifically the time between an announced election and the final election results which affects civil servants) as his reason for not doing so.
When the general public were invited in one hour later the Chairman of the planning committee John Jenkins offered them the opportunity of speaking first. Quite calmly and articulately, not as ‘angry residents’ as reported elsewhere, they addressed the Town council and made clear and concise arguments as to why the plans for a car park and space net should not advance in their present form of application.
Llanelli Online will be providing a full report and interviews with Town councillors and the chairman of the planning committee John Jenkins here soon.
