What a terrific interview! I have wondered for ages what happened to Martin (I am a vet runner up in Yorkshire) so it was good to see him looking so well, and understanding why he stopped competing whilst in his veteran running prime. I used to follow his results on Power of 10 and was mystified when they abruptly stopped coming through. What he achieved in his early 60s (my age now) was simply mind-boggling, and yet he comes across as a really decent bloke. For an impromptu interview, that was a real pleasure to watch I wish I'd found it earlier!
Thanks for the comment Ian, Martin is indeed a really decent bloke and he's extremely humble about his achievemnets. The amount of arm twisting I have to do to get him to take part in an interview is unreal. But I almost always get there in the end, good luck your running.
Glynneath Town Council especially two Councillors already mentioned by Mr Richards are indeed corrupt as Christmas. One in particular has his fingers in development pies and helps local businessmen pass through development plans by supporting their planning applications. Is this a conflict of interest. They also hide evidence of land ownership to protect businessmen. If you have concerns, they fail to keep you informed, they say and write evidence to you and then gaslight you into believing that they never said these things. Glynneath Town Council and Councillors do not protect the concerns of their constituents and really need to be looked into by the Welsh public ombudsman. In relation to Mr Richards interaction with both NPT and Glynneath Town Council you can visibly see the contempt toward Mr Richards by the chair by her body language, eye rolling and sighing. Mr Richards has so much knowledge that obviously scares and intimidates her. She was not listening, she was counting down the minutes with great glee at the end. This was not a personal opinion of Mr Richards this was knowledge and fact. The tin pot council show their lack of knowledge and shows a level of narcissism that is really quite shocking.
#After the flood has striking similarities to what is happening to as to high levels of corruption within Welsh authorities with regards to planning and development. (Personal experience within POWYS). With the impact on the communities we live.
On the 3rd November., the clerk received the following email, Public Audit Wales were copied to this email. Thanks for your reply. I refer to my public question and your reply which suggested that you pass on the information to NPTC Planning. I would politely request that you read the attached letter and view the linked public viewing video uploaded to RU-vid in July 2021 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZNR32GjgBqM.html with 250+ views reaches the following conclusion........ "Ceri Morris (Head of Planning and Public Protection at NPTC) is continuing to, and has potentially murdered Glynneath residents to support the corrupt activities of the Neath-Port Talbot Council Planning Department." The Head of Planning is blatantly covering up malpractice and corruption at NPTC that is almost certainly causing the death of Glynneath residents. The following link is to 5 questions asked by the Council Leader of the same Ceri Morris subsequesnt to this video. They are on-line in the public domain. www.walk-around-wales.com/county/npt/glynneath/enzo-development/archive/2021/10-2021/20211031S-WB-cllr-hunt-questions5.htm Ceri Morris refused to answer questions relating to contaminated land to the Chair of the relevant scrutiny committee. I would suggest that you investigate this fully or pass on the WAO. The NPTC planning department are out of control and have been supported by Del Morgan and Simon Knoyle who refuse point blank to support the residents surrounding the site.
continued from description........... If we refer to the following document published by One Voice Wales. www.walk-around-wales.com/county/npt/glynneath/enzo-development/archive/2021/04-2021/20210407R-DO-OVWA-good-councillors.PDF at page 12 we see that the clerk has the full power to investigate the documents provided without referring to NPTC. "In 2011 The Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 gave the power of well-being to community councils enabling a council to “do anything which it considers likely to achieve the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of their area.”In effect, the council has the "power" to investigate "environmental wellbeing"I would suggest that people dying of rare neurodegenerative disorders that can be linked to contamination who were living next to a dusty toxic waste dump may be considered as a sign that the "environmental wellbeing" of residents is in danger. The clerk is in possession of the following information: Council of Death document - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KcivmWSeK0Q.html which shows that the Glynneath Town Councillors Del Morgan and Simon Knoyle have covered up malpractice in the planning process corruption at NPTC. PSP Cluster Document - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2X2tkxPI6rE.html The conclusion of which is that “Residents of Brynhyfryd are dying from the rare neurological disorder Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. These deaths are almost certainly due to specified and other potential unspecified contamination tipped at the Heol y Glyn landfill site. Public officers who have covered up this contamination are responsible for the unlawful killing of these residents.” Councillor Del Morgan is potentially one of those officers. Key points to note during the video that provide evidence of corruption at the Glynneath Town Council during this agenda item are at the following points: 1. (0.18 seconds) PERSONAL INTEREST None of the current (Simon Knoyle, Hayley Davies) or former councillors (Del Morgan) of NPTC have declared an interest in the item. If we refer to the 'planning applications The documents submitted to the clerk are exclusively about Councillor's Knoyle and Morgan cover up of contamination. They include the following document which shows how Councillor Knoyle is lying to residents about the current planning status at the site and email extracts from a concerned former Glynneath Town Councillor who resigned shortly after..... www.walk-around-wales.com/county/npt/glynneath/enzo-development/archive/2022/09-2022/20220904A-LE-GRAC-GTCO-ski.plans.htm If we also refer the Good Councillor's Guide (Once Voice Wales) page 20 about declaring an interest in the subject matter being discussed. "Remember, if you [a serving councillor] might have a personal interest in a council decision, you must declare that interest as soon as you are aware of it. The big question, if you have declared a personal interest in respect of a matter being considered at the meeting, is whether it is a prejudicial interest (prejudicing your judgement in the public interest). If so, you cannot speak or vote on the matter and must leave the meeting while the matter is being considered" (One Voice Wales, Good Councillor's Guide, page 20) document "2. (1.20) The clerk mentions that she has spoken to Craig Griffiths at Neath Port Talbot Council. We have been publicly stating on the following page for the last 2 years that Craig Griffiths is corrupt and is supporting planning department corruption at NPTC. www.walk-around-wales.com/county/npt/glynneath/enzo-development/corruption-coalition-heol-y-glyn.htm 3. (1.35) The clerk's intention to 'pass the buck' to NPTC can be seen at this point when she says it is a Neath Port Talbot Council issue. 4. (2.41) The clerk states that she doesn't want to jeopardise somebody's claim to a class action. This would suggest that she is aware of health issues surrounding the site and that she doesn't want to inform the family member of a dead resident that the reason they can't have money is because the Glynneath Town Council investigated the concerns of Glynneath residents. There has been a clear breach of council protocol in relation to contaminated land which Councillors Knoyle and Morgan are covering up. In effect she is saying that the Glynneath Town Council are aware that people are dying and they do not have the power to investigate this as an independent body. If we refer to the advice give by One Voice Wales. "In 2011 The Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 gave the power of well-being to community councils enabling a council to “do anything which it considers likely to achieve the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of their area.” (One Voice Wales, Good Councillor's Guide) 5. (3.23) Councillor Morgan takes over, and again it should be emphasised that Councillor Del Morgan works for One Voice Wales and has been a councillor in Glynneath for 30+ years, he is fully aware of his prejudicial interest. "Remember, if you [a serving councillor] might have a personal interest in a council decision, you must declare that interest as soon as you are aware of it. The big question, if you have declared a personal interest in respect of a matter being considered at the meeting, is whether it is a prejudicial interest (prejudicing your judgement in the public interest). If so, you cannot speak or vote on the matter and must leave the meeting while the matter is being considered. (One Voice Wales, Good Councillor's Guide, page 20) Only two people have taken part in the debate, the Town Clerk and the Mayor, Del Morgan. No other no Glynneath Town Councillor has taken part in the debate. They all are happy to allow Councillor Morgan to dictate the content and to make the decision to pass on the information to Neath Port Talbot Council. The purpose of the item is to support historical corruption within the Glynneath Town Council and the parent authority Neath-Port Talbot County Borough Council, in particular the actions of Councillors Knoyle and Morgan. If we refer to the following web page we will see that Neath Port Talbot Council Planning Department have refused to answer relevant questions relating to the site to the Chair of the Contaminated Land Scrutiny Committee at Neath Port Talbot Council. www.walk-around-wales.com/county/npt/glynneath/enzo-development/archive/2021/10-2021/20211031S-WB-cllr-hunt-questions5.htm
In a letter dated 30/6/22 the Glynneath Residents Against Contamination Monitoring Officer asked the clerk............... "We would therefore request that the Glynneath Town Council contact the Neath-Port Talbot Council on our behalf and ask them to provide an update on the exposed contamination and also for them to provide details of its categorisation in accordance with the council's most recent Contaminated Land Strategy and the toxicological report associated with this. We would also urge that a remediation plan be put in place as soon as possible.". This information is clear and concise and not acted on by the twn council clerk
@@walkaroundwales2536Martin was a fantastic runner and ran some superbly fantastic times for any age. What made him stop running, was it age or injury or a mix of both? Does he still do a bit of non competitive running now? Thanks and nice vid
@@mountaingoat1982 I couldn't be 100% sure why he finished so I won't take a stab at answering that but I know that he doesn't run or compete anymore, but he's on the bike a lot so has kept his shape and fitness to a certain extent.
Are you saying Professor Bevan Richards that we should surround ourself with good positive peers but if we lay with dogs (not this dog!) we will catch fleas. Should we be nice to our mam and seek out rewarding activities which create fulfilment in one self and add to the well being and nourishment of others?
Dear Clive - I think you've hit the nail on the head there Sir. You should become a teacher. The key to a good life I would suggest is the ability to manipulate the circumstances and environment (C&E) in which one finds oneself for the good of your own personal life plan and to the betterment of the circumstances and environments of those connected to you. A key factor in this equation is the creation of quality C&E by your parents and/or carers when you are developing as a child. - regards - Prof DGPB Richards
Dear Clive - I am in full agreement with you there. What do you suggest the first word added to the dictionary should be? - regards - Prof DGPB Richards
"Social murder' kills thousands each year" Thousands of British citizens are dying needlessly each year because of the government’s failure to tackle food poisoning, health and safety breaches and pollution, a new report from the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies claims today. The report - Better Regulation: Better for whom? - by Professor Steve Tombs of The Open University, argues that lax regulation and weak enforcement has created avoidable business-generated, state-facilitated ‘social murder’. www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/news/social-murder-kills-thousands-each-year
A week later to this meeting the land was again tested as contaminated with 17 instances noted up to 9 times the safety guidelines. This information is contained on the the following document which is also available on the NPTC website. www.walk-around-wales.com/county/npt/glynneath/enzo-development/2021-06-plans/p2021-0546-01-chemical-testing.pdf
Subsequent to the meeting seen in this video another member of our group died of a very rare neurodegenerative disorder. The same disorder that a neighbour 4 houses away died of. The cause of death can be linked to the contamination that was hidden on the site in 2010. A report was produced and submitted to the Glynneath councillors Gerry Reynolds and Haulwen Morgan for the town council''s attention. Only the personal covering letter of Haulwen Morgan made it to the town council meetings. The report itself has not. See below foir this report. www.walk-around-wales.com/county/npt/glynneath/enzo-development/archive/2021/05-2021/20210501A-DO-EGRA-psp-report-plain.pdf
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in residential dust and risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia My dad died of acute myeloid lukemia in 2009 10 years after working those tunnels.??
sorry to hear about your dad Dan. Please feel free to elaborate on where he worked etc, there may be others out there with similar circumstances to you.
It’s likely you’d think. ive heard of 2 that developed ms, I recall quite a bit about that part in my life it’s quite bit to write. It was my first job with pops. Why did they move Swansea city football ground to smaller seated stadium is it because of toxic elements on the old pitch . I’m sure the new ground illustrated low amounts of toxins if I’ve referenced the geological survey 2005 correctly. Lots of strange occurrences. I recall the tunnel traveled under river tawe through the sediments. They probably tipped the excavated ground at the ash tip… We worked on several parts of the tunnels, one part was in the construction news by Sean Cronin 1997. They then provided after apparent contamination scare chemical Suits breath apparatus. Locals mentioned possibly the area of the excavation used to be a railway or old steeping pits for railway sleepers. I think we were exposed to toxic heavy metals & pahs benzene etc if the 2005 geological survey is anything to go off. Sure something I came into contact with has effected degenerative joint disease I was diagnosed with at 37 years old. The main contractor was Tarmac soletanche joint venture. There are articles dating prior to the construction illustrating toxic elements. I recall the strong smells that came from the groundwater’s that flooded into the tunnel possibly the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. I’m sure I noticed in the watery sediments from the pit bottom quite a bit of glistening possibly the trace metals. I recall my dad complaining of hip pains, I developed lower back pains later worsening now degenerative joint disease all over. I was told part of the tunnel was going through an old petrochemical site. We used to eat our bait in the tunnel….
"from geological survey nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/504837/1/Swansea%20NORA%20entry.pdf" Timber works Chemical treatment and coating of timber West of the Swansea docks Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Zinc, Tin, toluene, xylene, halogenated solvents, phenols and PAH's this is where one of the tunnels was going underneath confirming from 1997 the locals suggestion of railway sleepers steeping pits. its well documented about old railway sleepers being banned.
Four dogs have reportedly died within 24 hours from "what appears to be ingesting rat poison" in Swansea. ... To begin with it was three dogs in Clyne Park but 12 hours later a dog passed away after going near the Loughor estuary. Probably ate mushrooms which apparently absorb toxic metals ie cadmium from the ground🤬
EVIDENCE 1 EXTRACT 1 (20 April 2020 - email to Council Leader copied to Del Morgan & Simon Knoyle) Dear Councillor Jones, We would like to formally raise our concerns regarding the historical handling of contamination at Heol Y Glyn, Glynneath; in which we believe that the council has not upheld its responsibilities with relation to the Environmental Protection Act 1990: "Every local authority shall cause its area to be inspected from time to time for the purpose- (a) of identifying contaminated land; and (b) of enabling the authority to decide whether any such land is land which is required to be designated as a special site." EVIDENCE OF CONTAMINATED LAND (2008) PROVIDED TO NPTC - 5/4/2020 In an email dated 5/4/2020, to which you were copied, we provided you with evidence from the Geo-Technical and Geo-Environmental Report (prepared for Moore Knight Limited) and submitted to your planning department for planning application P2008/1462; that the ground on the proposed Enzo development (P2020/0195); was in 2008 found to be contaminated. The potential receptors for this contamination included neighbouring site users (local residents) and passers-by (local residents out walking, cycling, tourists to the area etc). Two of those contaminants, Benzo[a]pyrene and Arsenic are classified as grade 1 carcinogens; which means they can cause cancer. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - 5/4/2020 The email of this date was directed to Councillor Del Morgan and your planning department and we asked the following question: "…please can you both provide evidence of how you worked together to ensure the removal of the land identified as contaminated in 2008 from the same area?" INFORMATION PROVIDED BY NPTC We have yet to hear from Councillor Del Morgan of Glynneath but Steve Ball of your planning department has replied with the following statement on behalf of the NPTC: "You also refer to the 2008 ground investigation which concluded that there was evidence of contamination. In response, I would wish to emphasise that the presence of contamination on sites is incredibly common on land within Neath Port Talbot, and this matter is routinely addressed in consultation with our specialists on land contamination matters, as well as in responses from Natural Resources Wales (NRW). In this respect it is important to understand that the presence of contamination does not make land “a danger to residents”. The planning officer neglects to reference or provide any information with regard to a 2008 ground investigation; and launches directly into his personal opinions ("I would wish to emphasise") and present day generic processes ("in consultation with") about contaminated land; therefore, until evidence is provided otherwise, we have assumed that your council did nothing about the contaminated land that was identified in the previously mentioned 2008 survey. His personal opinion that the land is not “a danger to residents” conflicts with the evidence submitted in the 2008 report on the land which states the potential receptors are neighbouring site users and passers-by. This being the case, the following carcinogens (Benzo[a]pyrene and Arsenic) are still present at the site. FURTHER INFORMATION REFUSED (TWICE) As you will see from the above response to the question asked, the planning officer Steve Ball avoided the relevant question. The question was about the actions of the planning department and County Councillor Del Morgan in 2008, whereas the answers were his personal opinions and the current 2020 processes of the planning department. Later in this email he refused to provide further information on the subject should we request it: "I also trust that the above detailed response covers matters raised to date, and that you will be able to restrict further communications to representations raising your main issues of your concerns relating to the application in question." (Steve Ball, NPTC Planning Officer email dated 9/4/2020) This follows on from his previous refusal to provide information on 2/4/2020 "I must advise that we will no longer be able to respond to your requests for information or respond to your questions." (Steve Ball, NPTC Planning Officer email dated 2/4/2020) This is the reason why, as the council leader we copied you to the directed question on 5/4/2020; so that you could either provide an answer yourself or delegate the responsibility down the council chain of command because the Page 2 of 4 21/03/2021 appropriate department had refused to answer it. NPTC CODE OF CONDUCT I would refer you at this point to the reply of that email by the Planning Officer, Steve Ball and also to the NPT Council "Policy Statement and General Principles of Code of Conduct" which states: "The public is entitled to expect the highest standards of conduct from all employees…… The role of such employees is to serve the Authority in providing advice, implementing its policies, and delivering services to the local community. In performing their duties, they must act with integrity, honesty, impartiality and objectivity. Public confidence in the Authority and in an employee's integrity would be shaken if the least suspicion were to arise that an employee could in any way be influenced by improper motives." Openly ignoring and refusing to address our legitimate concerns regarding planning at Heol Y Glyn brings into question the planning departments integrity, impartiality and objectivity. This behaviour constitutes a breach of your code of conduct and erodes our confidence in the council. We should expect that in future communications that our concerns are not ignored in the same way the concerns regarding contamination have other issues been systematically ignored in the past. NPTC LEGAL REQUIREMENT & PUBLIC PROTECTION STATEMENT To refer back to the Environment Protection Act 1990 and also your Environment Strategy publication also dated 2008 which states that the NPTC have had a legal responsibility towards contaminated land since 2001. It is recorded that you also had a Contaminated Land Team in situ in 2008. In the "What we will do" section relating to contaminated land, your council said in 2008 that your aim was: "To identify, remove and prevent significant harm occurring from contaminated land to people, property, animals and the environment" This publication also states that: "Council owned and privately owned land are always treated in the same manner." This being the case, it would seem from the planning department's response to the question is that they have provided evidence of negligence within that department. That is; in 2008, the NPTC Planning Department failed to report identified contaminated land to the Contaminated Land Team. Page 3 of 4 21/03/2021 We would welcome a response from the Neath-Port Talbot Council leader and also the Glynneath Town Council leader (copied to this email) on: • What (if any) procedures were in place for the planning department to report contaminated land to the appropriate department or relevant authorities in 2008? • We would also request any evidence to suggest that these guidelines were followed or any evidence that the contamination was dealt with and/or investigated if at all? • If no evidence can be provided we would like the council's response as to what can be done to remediate this? • What steps will now be taken to properly investigate and record the contamination? • Finally what steps the council will now take to remediate the contamination at this land? We would also welcome an answer to the previously unanswered question directed to Councillor Del Morgan and the Planning Department: • "… please can you both provide evidence of how you worked together to ensure the removal of the land identified as contaminated in 2008 from the same area?" regards - Dai Richards cc - Cllr Haulwen Jones (Glynneath Town Council) to this email for the purpose of printing this information and placing it on record with the Glynneath Town Council. In the interest of public awareness we have placed this email on-line at the following web address, the links on this page provide evidence of the information we have provided you in this email: www.walk-around-wales.com/county/npt/glynneath/enzo-development/correspondence/nptcleader.htm see EVIDENCE 2 below............
EVIDENCE 2 EXTRACT 2 (15 May 2020 - Email to Council Leader Rob Jones copied to Del Morgan & Simon Knoyle) Dear Council Leader, I now have enough evidence from the chain our correspondence with your council planning department and the actual planning department records to confirm my inference that the NPTC planning department have contravened the Environmental Protection Act 1990. What is clear from this chain of communication is that members of your council are aware of this and have attempted a cover up of misconduct/malpractice and possible corruption. HISTORY We wrote to you previously as the council leader because your council is failing in its purpose to serve us as a group of residents of this area. We requested relevant information to help us understand the planning history of the Enzo site. You in turn ignored our request for this information and passed our request on to your Head of Planning and Public Protection, Ceri Morris who has treated an information request as a complaint. (despite our refusal to complain). It is clear that he has done so in order to refuse to provide this information and avoid me entering the complaints process in the correct manner. The Head of Planning and Public Protection has provided us with a copy of his report (authored by Steve Ball) and we can see from his report however that although it is an extensive communication, your council's protocols of providing personal opinions, avoiding relevant questions and refusing further communication are still in evidence which confirm the complete lack of integrity of Mr Morris who has signed the communication. FAILURE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION Your council are still refusing to provide any evidence of having followed the correct procedures following the identification of contaminated land in 2008. We reference the information release allegedly written by Ceri Morris: 1. It refers to but does not deal with the evidence we provided you of the deliberate avoidance of the 2008 contaminated land identification question we asked the planning officer Steve Ball. 2. It refers to but does not answer any of the questions we asked you in our email of 28/4/2020. COUNCIL OF DEATH The report by Ceri Morris of the planning department provides evidence of a disregard for human life by referencing the carcinogens Arsenic and Benzo[a]pyrene as "low level contamination" I refer to an extract from his email which states: "I note that the Geo-Technical and Geo-Environmental Report to which you refer, which supported planning application P2008/1462, did find low levels of contamination" We would assume that being a planning officer as opposed to a toxicologist, Ceri Morris who has signed the letter is not an expert on the carcinogenic properties of Arsenic and Benzo[a]pyrene and their effects on the human body. A scientific paper on the US National Library of Medicine by Zahir Ur Rehman et al states that: "There is no evidence that Arsenic is essential for human health and its exposure has been linked to severe health complications such as hyperkeratosis, gangrene, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, melnosis, keratosis, bladder and internal cancers and also its carcinogenic consequences on skin and lungs." Arsenic causes cancer both internally and externally, what is clear to us is that the complexities of the human body and its interaction with the chemical elements including carcinogens such as Arsenic and Benzo[a]pyrene should be left to the experts in the field of toxicology not the personal opinions of the Neath-Port Talbot Council Planning Department. It should also be noted that from 2010 onwards and including the present day application the contaminated land identified in the 2008 application has not been referenced by the NPTC planning department in any way. Remediation of the contaminated land cannot be found in any of the conditions and there is no evidence of remediation having taken place before 2010. In 2010, the planning department allowed the Cuddy group to submit a new geo-technical survey without any chemical testing. The contaminated land including the carcinogens Arsenic and Benzo[a]pyrene has clearly been hidden by the planning department for the last 11 years and it would have remained hidden if we hadn't provided evidence of its existence. What is clear from the information available is that your council has hidden the contaminated land information thereby leaving these grade one carcinogens to be moved around at leisure by the Cuddy Group. Some of this land was moved to less than 20 meters away from my house and I had to personally confront the driver of an earth moving machine to prevent it being moved closer. What is also clear from the planning history is that the planning department have approved further tipping on the site and considering that classified grade 1 carcinogens had already been tipped there; this provides further evidence of a complete disregard for the lives of the local residents. To confirm the information we have just provided you with: 1. The geo-technical report conducted in 2008 containing the information about classified grade 1 carcinogens being present at the site was never referenced again. The planning department failed to report the contaminated land which they were bound to do according to your Contaminated Land Strategy and the Environmental Protection Act 1990. 2. In 2010, the planning department changed one of the conditions to allow the Cuddy Group a delay in providing a new geo-technical report which was eventually completed by a different company without the chemical testing. This delay in a new survey allowed the Cuddy Group to continue to tip industrial waste and poison. Allowing a new report without chemical testing is clear evidence of the deliberate attempt by your planning department to cover up the existence of contaminated land thereby endangering the lives of local residents. You should also be aware that I have additional incriminating information not provided in this communication. The above actions and the current cover up actions by the members of the planning department of your council would indicate that they are guilty of at least the criminal offence 'Misconduct in Public Office'. I would suggest that you appoint someone outside of your organisation to investigate the activities of this department who seem to place themselves above the law. The planning department of your council have for at least the last 11 years deliberately endangered the lives of the 300-400 residents of this area. If you fail to act on this information you are also guilty of the criminal offence 'Misconduct in Public Office'. END OF EXTRACTS That the Glynneath Town Council have failed to investigate further or undertake due diligence to investigate a potential breach of the 1990 Environmental Protection Act is a clear indication that the Glynneath Town Council have clearly failed in their DUTY OF CARE to the residents of East Glynneath
EVIDENCE PART 1 The Glynneath Town Council have been aware since 20 April 2020 that the Neath Port Talbot Council potentially breached the 1990 Environmental Protection Act in 2010 when the planning department hid a test and risk assessment that identified carcinogens in soil and potential health hazards to residents bordering the site. The following two extracts are from emails to the NPT Council Leader Rob Jones, both emails were copied to Simon Knoyle and Del Morgan and both emails were replied to by the Council Leader who also copied in Simon Knoyle and Del Morgan. The first email was copied to Haulwen Morgan and it was requested that she place the information on file with the Glynneath Town Council for future reference. The contents of this video prove that the Glynneath Town Council are hiding significant and relevant information from the residents of Glynneath. That the Glynneath Town Council have failed to investigate further or undertake due diligence to investigate a potential breach of the 1990 Environmental Protection Act is a clear indication that the Glynneath Town Council have clearly failed in their DUTY OF CARE to the residents of East Glynneath. EXTRACT 1 (20 April 2020) Dear Councillor Jones, We would like to formally raise our concerns regarding the historical handling of contamination at Heol Y Glyn, Glynneath; in which we believe that the council has not upheld its responsibilities with relation to the Environmental Protection Act 1990: "Every local authority shall cause its area to be inspected from time to time for the purpose- (a) of identifying contaminated land; and (b) of enabling the authority to decide whether any such land is land which is required to be designated as a special site." EVIDENCE OF CONTAMINATED LAND (2008) PROVIDED TO NPTC - 5/4/2020 In an email dated 5/4/2020, to which you were copied, we provided you with evidence from the Geo-Technical and Geo-Enviromental Report (prepared for Moore Knight Limited) and submitted to your planning department for planning application P2008/1462; that the ground on the proposed Enzo development (P2020/0195); was in 2008 found to be contaminated. The potential receptors for this contamination included neighbouring site users (local residents) and passers-by (local residents out walking, cycling, tourists to the area etc). Two of those contaminants, Benzo[a]pyrene and Arsenic are classified as grade 1 carcinogens; which means they can cause cancer. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - 5/4/2020 The email of this date was directed to Councillor Del Morgan and your planning department and we asked the following question: "…please can you both provide evidence of how you worked together to ensure the removal of the land identified as contaminated in 2008 from the same area?" INFORMATION PROVIDED BY NPTC We have yet to hear from Councillor Del Morgan of Glynneath but Steve Ball of your planning department has replied with the following statement on behalf of the NPTC: "You also refer to the 2008 ground investigation which concluded that there was evidence of contamination. In response, I would wish to emphasise that the presence of contamination on sites is incredibly common on land within Neath Port Talbot, and this matter is routinely addressed in consultation with our specialists on land contamination matters, as well as in responses from Natural Resources Wales (NRW). In this respect it is important to understand that the presence of contamination does not make land “a danger to residents”. The planning officer neglects to reference or provide any information with regard to a 2008 ground investigation; and launches directly into his personal opinions ("I would wish to emphasise") and present day generic processes ("in consultation with") about contaminated land; therefore, until evidence is provided otherwise, we have assumed that your council did nothing about the contaminated land that was identified in the previously mentioned 2008 survey. His personal opinion that the land is not “a danger to residents” conflicts with the evidence submitted in the 2008 report on the land which states the potential receptors are neighbouring site users and passers-by. This being the case, the following carcinogens (Benzo[a]pyrene and Arsenic) are still present at the site. FURTHER INFORMATION REFUSED (TWICE) As you will see from the above response to the question asked, the planning officer Steve Ball avoided the relevant question. The question was about the actions of the planning department and County Councillor Del Morgan in 2008, whereas the answers were his personal opinions and the current 2020 processes of the planning department. Later in this email he refused to provide further information on the subject should we request it: "I also trust that the above detailed response covers matters raised to date, and that you will be able to restrict further communications to representations raising your main issues of your concerns relating to the application in question." (Steve Ball, NPTC Planning Officer email dated 9/4/2020) This follows on from his previous refusal to provide information on 2/4/2020 "I must advise that we will no longer be able to respond to your requests for information or respond to your questions." (Steve Ball, NPTC Planning Officer email dated 2/4/2020) This is the reason why, as the council leader we copied you to the directed question on 5/4/2020; so that you could either provide an answer yourself or delegate the responsibility down the council chain of command because the Page 2 of 4 21/03/2021 appropriate department had refused to answer it. NPTC CODE OF CONDUCT I would refer you at this point to the reply of that email by the Planning Officer, Steve Ball and also to the NPT Council "Policy Statement and General Principles of Code of Conduct" which states: "The public is entitled to expect the highest standards of conduct from all employees…… The role of such employees is to serve the Authority in providing advice, implementing its policies, and delivering services to the local community. In performing their duties, they must act with integrity, honesty, impartiality and objectivity. Public confidence in the Authority and in an employee's integrity would be shaken if the least suspicion were to arise that an employee could in any way be influenced by improper motives." Openly ignoring and refusing to address our legitimate concerns regarding planning at Heol Y Glyn brings into question the planning departments integrity, impartiality and objectivity. This behavior constitutes a breach of your code of conduct and erodes our confidence in the council. We should expect that in future communications that our concerns are not ignored in the same way the concerns regarding contamination have other issues been systematically ignored in the past. NPTC LEGAL REQUIREMENT & PUBLIC PROTECTION STATEMENT To refer back to the Environment Protection Act 1990 and also your Environment Strategy publication also dated 2008 which states that the NPTC have had a legal responsibility towards contaminated land since 2001. It is recorded that you also had a Contaminated Land Team in situ in 2008. In the "What we will do" section relating to contaminated land, your council said in 2008 that your aim was: "To identify, remove and prevent significant harm occurring from contaminated land to people, property, animals and the environment" This publication also states that: "Council owned and privately owned land are always treated in the same manner." This being the case, it would seem from the planning department's response to the question is that they have provided evidence of negligence within that department. That is; in 2008, the NPTC Planning Department failed to report identified contaminated land to the Contaminated Land Team. Page 3 of 4 21/03/2021 We would welcome a response from the Neath-Port Talbot Council leader and also the Glynneath Town Council leader (copied to this email) on: • What (if any) procedures were in place for the planning department to report contaminated land to the appropriate department or relevant authorities in 2008? • We would also request any evidence to suggest that these guidelines were followed or any evidence that the contamination was dealt with and/or investigated if at all? • If no evidence can be provided we would like the council's response as to what can be done to remediate this? • What steps will now be taken to properly investigate and record the contamination? • Finally what steps the council will now take to remediate the contamination at this land? We would also welcome an answer to the previously unanswered question directed to Councillor Del Morgan and the Planning Department: • "… please can you both provide evidence of how you worked together to ensure the removal of the land identified as contaminated in 2008 from the same area?" regards - Dai Richards cc - Cllr Haulwen Jones (Glynneath Town Council) to this email for the purpose of printing this information and placing it on record with the Glynneath Town Council. In the interest of public awareness we have placed this email on-line at the following web address, the links on this page provide evidence of the information we have provided you in this email:
EVIDENCE PART 2 EXTRACT 2 (15 May 2020) Dear Council Leader, I now have enough evidence from the chain our correspondence with your council planning department and the actual planning department records to confirm my inference that the NPTC planning department have contravened the Environmental Protection Act 1990. What is clear from this chain of communication is that members of your council are aware of this and have attempted a cover up of misconduct/malpractice and possible corruption. HISTORY We wrote to you previously as the council leader because your council is failing in its purpose to serve us as a group of residents of this area. We requested relevant information to help us understand the planning history of the Enzo site. You in turn ignored our request for this information and passed our request on to your Head of Planning and Public Protection, Ceri Morris who has treated an information request as a complaint. (despite our refusal to complain). It is clear that he has done so in order to refuse to provide this information and avoid me entering the complaints process in the correct manner. The Head of Planning and Public Protection has provided us with a copy of his report (authored by Steve Ball) and we can see from his report however that although it is an extensive communication, your council's protocols of providing personal opinions, avoiding relevant questions and refusing further communication are still in evidence which confirm the complete lack of integrity of Mr Morris who has signed the communication. FAILURE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION Your council are still refusing to provide any evidence of having followed the correct procedures following the identification of contaminated land in 2008. We reference the information release allegedly written by Ceri Morris: 1. It refers to but does not deal with the evidence we provided you of the deliberate avoidance of the 2008 contaminated land identification question we asked the planning officer Steve Ball. 2. It refers to but does not answer any of the questions we asked you in our email of 28/4/2020. COUNCIL OF DEATH The report by Ceri Morris of the planning department provides evidence of a disregard for human life by referencing the carcinogens Arsenic and Benzo[a]pyrene as "low level contamination" I refer to an extract from his email which states: "I note that the Geo-Technical and Geo-Environmental Report to which you refer, which supported planning application P2008/1462, did find low levels of contamination" We would assume that being a planning officer as opposed to a toxicologist, Ceri Morris who has signed the letter is not an expert on the carcinogenic properties of Arsenic and Benzo[a]pyrene and their effects on the human body. A scientific paper on the US National Library of Medicine by Zahir Ur Rehman et al states that: "There is no evidence that Arsenic is essential for human health and its exposure has been linked to severe health complications such as hyperkeratosis, gangrene, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, melnosis, keratosis, bladder and internal cancers and also its carcinogenic consequences on skin and lungs." Arsenic causes cancer both internally and externally, what is clear to us is that the complexities of the human body and its interaction with the chemical elements including carcinogens such as Arsenic and Benzo[a]pyrene should be left to the experts in the field of toxicology not the personal opinions of the Neath-Port Talbot Council Planning Department. It should also be noted that from 2010 onwards and including the present day application the contaminated land identified in the 2008 application has not been referenced by the NPTC planning department in any way. Remediation of the contaminated land cannot be found in any of the conditions and there is no evidence of remediation having taken place before 2010. In 2010, the planning department allowed the Cuddy group to submit a new geo-technical survey without any chemical testing. The contaminated land including the carcinogens Arsenic and Benzo[a]pyrene has clearly been hidden by the planning department for the last 11 years and it would have remained hidden if we hadn't provided evidence of its existence. What is clear from the information available is that your council has hidden the contaminated land information thereby leaving these grade one carcinogens to be moved around at leisure by the Cuddy Group. Some of this land was moved to less than 20 meters away from my house and I had to personally confront the driver of an earth moving machine to prevent it being moved closer. What is also clear from the planning history is that the planning department have approved further tipping on the site and considering that classified grade 1 carcinogens had already been tipped there; this provides further evidence of a complete disregard for the lives of the local residents. To confirm the information we have just provided you with: 1. The geo-technical report conducted in 2008 containing the information about classified grade 1 carcinogens being present at the site was never referenced again. The planning department failed to report the contaminated land which they were bound to do according to your Contaminated Land Strategy and the Environmental Protection Act 1990. 2. In 2010, the planning department changed one of the conditions to allow the Cuddy Group a delay in providing a new geo-technical report which was eventually completed by a different company without the chemical testing. This delay in a new survey allowed the Cuddy Group to continue to tip industrial waste and poison. Allowing a new report without chemical testing is clear evidence of the deliberate attempt by your planning department to cover up the existence of contaminated land thereby endangering the lives of local residents. You should also be aware that I have additional incriminating information not provided in this communication. The above actions and the current cover up actions by the members of the planning department of your council would indicate that they are guilty of at least the criminal offence 'Misconduct in Public Office'. I would suggest that you appoint someone outside of your organisation to investigate the activities of this department who seem to place themselves above the law. The planning department of your council have for at least the last 11 years deliberately endangered the lives of the 300-400 residents of this area. If you fail to act on this information you are also guilty of the criminal offence 'Misconduct in Public Office'. END OF EXTRACTS That the Glynneath Town Council have failed to investigate further or undetake due diligence to investigate a potential breach of the 1990 Environmental Protection Act is a clear indication that the Glynneath Town Council have clearly failed in their DUTY OF CARE to the residents of East Glynneath
At 6.30 in this meeting the Glynneath Councillor Steve Evans (known locally as Esso) shows his true colours when he states that if the Neath Port Talbot Council fail to follow their procedures then it is they who should out this problem. We should bear in mind at the point that he is in possession of a document that states that the Neath Port Talbot Council planning department are already covering up their failures and that both Simon Knoyle and Del Morgan are covering up council malpractice.
At this point in time both the County Councillors Simon Knoyle and Del Morgan have been made aware of identified contamination that had been hidden in the council archives in 2009. They are aware that the Neath Port Talbot Council of which they are members has breached the 1990 Environmental Protection Act. This infomation can be found on the following video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OcqDYTulk8s.html
Howard - that's fantastic info - thanks for that, are you aware of how they were sold/marketed? For instance were they sold at the 1972 Wales v All Blacks game, or over the counter anywhere? - Dai
Morning Dai. If my memory serves me right, the original was bought in by one of Glossops customers. It was before the 72 game. I can’t remember how many were printed, but 2 colour papers . Cream and Blue. I was given about a dozen copies, but unfortunately over the years of house moving they have been lost. As you know they pop up now and again, sometime being described as official!. The Glossops who ran the business knew l was rugby nut, so if l had tickets for any midweek touring side games, l always had to show them my ticket to get time off. And didn’t get payed for lost hours. !!!. One other thing, the old Welsh Rugby Magazine edited by Fred Croster, seemed to follow me around, when l changed jobs. I worked for 5 companies, and for the first 3 , they all ended up printing them. Don’t think l ever bought a copy😏. Hope you are keeping well. Howard
@@howardahmun5932 Hi Howard - that's great info thanks, the dating of that programme has always been a mystery to me. We are well here, hope you are likewise. - Dai
Evening Dai . Further to the Glossops reprint. I got in touch with an old workmate, who’s memory is as bad as mine. But we both reckon they were printed for Brian Chappin. He ran C&B books in Cardiff. !! Howard.
@@howardahmun5932 Hi Howard - thanks for the info - I'd heard that Brian was involved with a reprint so I assumed it was the reprint of the official programme. He may have had a hand in them both. That makes sense because he most likely had originals of both. His collection was quite amazing. Thanks again. - Dai
At 6.23 in this video we see the input of Councillor Steve Evans (known locally as Esso). He mentions the Town Council representation to NPTC planning. It should be noted that this representation was word for word what the East Glynneath Residents Against Contamination group supplied the town council. No additional input was made by the council except for substantial hot air and bumping of the gums by some councillors looking to increase their personal political profile. This added no value to our representation. In a private conversation with Councillor Evans in approximately July 2020 I asked that he chat to Simon Knoyle and let him know that all we wanted were the answers to the questions we'd asked. Councillor Evans agreed to talk to Councillor Knoyle and also commented that he was aware of a Cuddy employee who worked on site delivering waste and had left the job because of the nature of the waste he was asked to tip. Councillor Evans failed to get back to me (David Richards, EGRAC spokesman) in relation to my request of Councillor Knoyle. Councillor Steve Evans is the treasurer and Councillor Simon Knoyle is the secretary of the Glynneath Rugby Club. As they have declared these interests at the start of the meeting, are Councillor Evans comments appropriate considering that his fellow rugby club committeeman has been accused of covering up NPTC malpractice?
