We hope that you will enjoy meeting up with some family and friends over this Easter period. We all want to stay safe and at the moment this means limiting our gatherings to four people from 2 households in a garden or public space
Pontyclun Community Council blog
Friday, April 9, 2021
Pontyclun Happy Easter
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Happy New Year - a year for hope!
We hope you were able to have a safe Christmas celebrating with some of your family; and if you were on your own, we hope it was peaceful.
Unfortunately, this January we are in lockdown again; but the
great news is that the Pontyclun Surgery has started a programme of
vaccinations. If you are over 80 you may already have had your first
vaccination and if you have not, contact the surgery. If you are unsure about
having the vaccination, remember that we all need to have the vaccination in
order to keep us all safe. You will be protecting your children and
grandchildren.
Can we imagine returning to a sociable and safe life? Let’s keep
hoping.
Christmas in Pontyclun
Pontyclun had a festive feel during December with the
sparkling street lights, festively decorated shop windows and the fantastic
Christmas tree that many of you helped to decorate.
Apply for your right to free school meals
Because of COVID, some of you may lose your job. If you have
children, don’t forget to apply for free school meals. This not only helps your
family finances, but the school your children attends receive a small grant
depending upon the number of children who are in receipt of free school meals. If
your child is not able to attend school, you may be eligible for vouchers. Go
to this link in order to apply: https://www.rctcbc.gov.uk/ENhoolsandLearnin/Resident/Scg/Freeschoolmeals.aspx.
The Strategic plan for Rhondda Cynon Taf.
During this next year, Rhondda Cynon Taff Council will be
consulting on a new local development plan. The development plan is the
strategic document for our council area which sets out locations for new
houses, industry, business sites etc. Look out for the consultation. We will
keep you updated.
Already there are land owners around Pontyclun who are
preparing their fields with the intention of submitting them as candidate
sites. Trees are being felled, access into fields is being made bigger and
service pipes are being laid. We are challenging this activity.
Community Council News
Pontyclun Community Council has 11 volunteer members, none
of whom receives payment. It still meets monthly on Zoom. With our part-time
staff, we organised the Christmas lights and tree. We are preparing for next
year’s flower displays. The Community Council maintains 25 miles of public
footpaths in our wonderful countryside. It maintains Pontyclun Park and Ivor
Woods as much valued local facilities. We provide the public car park and toilets.
If Covid subsides, we will in the next year resume our organisation of both a
Summer Festival and the Christmas Festival as well as re-opening Café 50 as a
venue for daily meals and numerous social groups. The Community Council has
agreed to set a budget of £128,105 for next year and this will cost the average
Pontyclun household £36 as part of your Council Tax bill
Thursday, November 12, 2020
Happy Christmas Pontyclun
Happy Christmas to all residents and
visitors to Pontyclun
We all know that this Christmas is going to be different to other years. Despite
all the challenges facing us, we feel sure that with love and care for each
other we can still have a very merry Christmas..
We continue to live with the restrictions that Welsh Government are
asking us to observe. We are being asked not just to stay within the law but to
do all that we should to keep ourselves, our families and friends safe. Sadly
most people get covid from those they love most, their friends and families. We
protect our families by always limiting our contacts with others – keeping to a
‘bubble’ of just two households who can meet together indoors. The bubble must
stay unchanged. If we meet people at a
social distance in cafes or pubs, we should meet as a group of no more than
four people, making sure that we leave our contact details. Our elderly
relatives need to be protected from family members who have a wide range of social
contacts; perhaps in work, school or college.
Regrettably, so many of Pontyclun’s Christmas events have been cancelled.
The pantomime has been cancelled as well as the Macmillan Christmas Fair along
with the Community Council festival of Christmas music and choirs.
Cancellations also include so many school concerts, Christmas dinners, carol
services and other events.
Pontyclun Community Council will be lighting up your lives with the
lights across the road in Pontyclun, a Christmas tree outside Giles Gallery
decorated by Stars made by our residents and local organisations and a
Christmas tree in Groes Faen.
Pontyclun people continue to be innovative in a safe and caring way. On
28 November residents around Ffordd Cefn yr Hendy in Miskin organised a Christmas
Fair by organising the sale of Christmas crafts on residents’ driveways. The
Community Council organised support from Father Christmas and many elves – who
all kept their distance
Pontyclun Remembers 2020
In recent years, three to four hundred people have been commemorating
Remembrance Sunday at the War Memorial. This year because of COVID, the
organisers decided that it was not possible to organise a Remembrance Service
to which many people would want to attend and due to the location it would not be
possible to ensure social distancing. However, the organisers, Denise Ellis and
Mother Rosemary Hill coordinated production of a wonderful and emotional video
with the help of members of the community and video editor Matthew Hackett. The
video includes members of the community singing and reciting Larence Binyon’s poem ‘For the
Fallen’. If you are interested in
viewing it, go to You Tube and type in Pontyclun Remembers 2020 or follow this link here
A new Primary School for Pontyclun
At a recent meeting of the Cabinet of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough
Council, it was agreed to apply to Welsh Government for funding for building
replacement primary schools in Pontyclun, Penygawsi and Llantwit Fardre. The
Governors of the School and all the staff are delighted and excited that
possibly within three years, the children of our community will have a modern
school in which to learn. I have been pressing for the new Pontyclun school to
be on the existing site. It is in the town centre and many pupils are able to
walk to school. The Council has agreed to test the practicality of this site.
There will be public consultation on the design and location of any new school.
We hope that this will take place
sometime next year.
RCT Cllr for Pontyclun, Margaret
Griffiths
Chair of Pontyclun Community Council,
Cllr Paul Griffiths
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
September update
Oh Dear! Just as we write this article we are reflecting on the news that a spike in the cases of Coronavirus has caused a local lockdown in Pontyclun and the whole of RCT.
Our plans for the return of social groups in Café 50 have been suspended and once again we need to consider how we provide our range of council services.
Our hearts go out to all the families and businesses which will be affected.
We ask that everyone complies with the restrictions that have been announced. Other than for work or exceptional circumstances we stay within the county boundaries. Our pubs and restaurants close before 11 pm and social distance is maintained in all places. We should not meet anyone indoors, other than our own household, without good reason. We work from home wherever possible.
Whilst this is a great nuisance for us all. The decisions taken by RCT Council and the Welsh Government are intended to increase our control the virus. Let’s all do we can can and continue to support each other.
Paul Griffiths
Chair
Pontyclun Community Council
Friday, July 31, 2020
Buy local Shop local support your Community
Pontyclun Community Council has launched a “Buy local Shop local” campaign to encourage people to use our many and varied shops and businesses
Covid 19 has hit all communities hard and Pontyclun is no exception. Lockdown has meant that many of our local businesses have had to close temporarily and our shopping areas have been strangely quiet.
Things are now returning to normal with businesses back open and ready to welcome customers back.
We urge people to help support our local community by using our shops when you can. We have a great variety of shops providing a range of services from food to clothing, flowers to hairdressers. When these businesses do well we all benefit from them and our Community improves.
Councillor Gwyn Jacks on said “The Council is really proud of our community and the wide variety of shops and businesses that we have. We wish to encourage as many people as possible to support and help them to thrive and continue to serve us and our needs.
If we Buy local and Shop local then we all gain from the vibrant and energetic shops and the great spirit that builds in the heart of our Community”
More information about the range of businesses that can be found in Pontyclun can be found here
Friday, July 24, 2020
The Covid spring of 2020
2020 has
been a very challenging year for the community of Pontyclun. Coronvirus has
threatened us all and some families have lost loved ones. Many of us have been
isolated in our homes. So much of what makes Pontyclun lively and exciting has
been put in limbo. All our local groups, our sporting clubs, many of our
businesses, our churches and chapels have suspended their activities.
But we are
not defeated. Quietly, behind the scenes, the people of Pontyclun have worked
hard to keep in touch with each other, support each other. Businesses have
changed their plans and despite their difficulties they are returning,
providing work and vitality to our town.
Local
volunteers and local councillors have been working together to provide support
– conversation, shopping, medicines – to our most vulnerable neighbours.
Our local
workers in social care and the health service have put themselves at risk daily
to provide care to those most in need. We thank them
Our
volunteer community councillors have continued to meet regularly on our tablets
and computers. At the peak of the virus we needed to close down so much – Café
50 with its daily meals and daily activities, Pontyclun Park, the public
toilets. We cancelled our annual ‘Picnic in the Park’.
But our
staff, despite the restrictions on working together, have kept open our public
footpaths and Ivor Woods and this has been so important as we have taken our
daily exercise. They continued to collect litter and empty the bins. They have
given us our usual floral displays in Pontyclun Miskin and Groes Faen. We thank
them.
For the
moment the virus has abated. Our businesses are re-opening. We have the best of cafes, pubs and
restaurants, shops and galleries – they deserve our support. We have re-opened
the Park. Our sporting clubs are resuming some of their activities – they
deserve our support. Our schools will re-open fully in September –our teachers
have done a fantastic job in caring for the most needy children and providing
lessons over home computers. We are all working within the suitably cautious
guidance of the Welsh Government.
The virus
has not disappeared. We must take care to stay safe. But the people of
Pontyclun are truly remarkable. Working together, supporting each other we are
re-making our marvellous community. Well done everyone.
Paul Griffiths
Chair, Pontyclun Community Council
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Coronavirus support in our area
Coronavirus support in our area
Anne Williams 22 Cowbridge Rd, Pontyclun CF72 9EE 01443 22431
Residents seeking help and support from local people should contact Margaret Griffiths who can arrange for one of out nearly 100 volunteers to help you
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