Tough start to the week. Had to be in my Cardiff office by 9.00 this morning to meet a group of local and regional government officials on a fact finding visit to Wales. They were interested in renewable energy and what we do with our rubbish. I find these sort of meetings both satisfying and enjoyable. trouble with early Monday morning starts is the traffic on the A470. The meeting stretched out and took most of the morning. They thought the new Assembly Building was 'fantasteec' - and I chickened out of telling them that I led the opposition to it being built!
One of the group, who had an 'agricultural waste' brief asked me what I thought of the ban on the burial of dead farm stock. The interpreter had a bit of trouble with "barking bloody bonkers". Anyway, he picked up my tone, and it was obvious that he agreed. But it seems that both of our nations are making it work - even if it is the single most environmentally damaging regulation to come out of the EU, ever.
I also had a bit of bother when they asked me what long term plans Cardiff has for rubbish disposal. I said that I don't have a clue - and I'm not at all sure that the City Council has either. Happy to be put right on this one - and I will pass on the info to Spain.
Had a bit of luck with the Beeb's Good Morning Wales programme, who were wandering around the Assembly to see what happens on a Monday morning - and as luck would have it, I was the only politician at my desk. The nation will think that I'm a workaholic on their behalf. I quite like that.
Rest of the day I've been clearing my desk and emptying my inbox, before the election. I'm hoping to take in a lecture from Peter Sutherland, ex EU Commissioner and Chairman of BP and Goldman Sachs International before I head for home again. A long day.
2 comments:
They don't have a clue. They've raised charges at Lamby Way through the roof in an effort to postpone the day it fills up, but this will still happen in 2009/10. The new recycling facility is also all well and good. Cardiff is bottom of the Welsh table when it comes to brecycling, but no matter how much they improve by it won't stop Lamby Way filling up.
I don't think there's any good option for creating a new landfill site within Cardiff's boundaries. The idea of Cardiff's Lib Dem administration having the political backbone to take a decision on a new landfill site and push it through in the teeth of the inevitable public opposition is just fantasy.
To my mind this is a problem that needs sorting out on a sub regional basis - but that's not an excuse for not confronting the issues in good time, not once Lamby Way has been capped off.
I hope that the Council will look at non-landfill options. It is just not acceptable to bury rubbish anymore. It needs a bit of real leadership in Cardiff.
I agree with your point on the regiuonal problem. I think that Cardiff, The Vale and Newport should be working together on this.
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