If I Lived In Maesteg This Is The One Question I Would Ask To The TalkValleys Meeting

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

I, as you're all aware am a fan of Twitter and one of the organisations I follow is Bridgend County Borough Council (Labour). Along with Welsh Labour generally, Arsenal football club and D H Lawrence one of the regular villains of this blog.

Well yesterday they tweeted a forthcoming meeting of #Talkvalleys a Welsh government initiative asking South Wales Valleys communities through a series of meetings what can be done to improve current facilities where they live such as creating more jobs, childcare, transport and so on

On Thursday there will be a meeting in Maesteg at six o'clock. I was tempted to go. But then felt no. I've never lived in the town, and I no longer live in the area. It just wasn't right.

Still this is my blog......

So if I lived in Maesteg and attended the meeting this is the one question I would have asked.....

Why are you here?

For Maesteg as a town and Bridgend as an area are awaiting two decisions. Both will affect what will happen to the area for many years to come.

The first involves the Town Hall. A focal point for the town. I've mentioned before that Bridgend Labour Council have all but won their battle to get rid of Maesteg Indoor Market for the apparently necessary repairs that have to be done. I wont go into full details here but the key point is that the creation of the "cultural hub" the council want to build depends on EU(!) funding. They have bet the farm on this. There seemingly is no plan B. So what if the council doesn't get the funding? What then?

If there is no Plan B then it will affect the town in the way that a large rotting abandoned building can do. Imposing a sort of unwanted misery on the people and businesses surrounding it.

One final thought. Maesteg Town Hall is apparently in need of urgent repairs.....and yet this meeting is being held there!

And then there is the Ford engine plant.

For if Ford even lessen production it will affect everything in the whole Bridgend area and Maesteg will not be immune from this. The council, the Welsh Government, the UK government will receive less income if there is any reduction in the workforce Control because of Brexit having moved from Brussels to Detroit.

Once these two decisions have been made then the meeting should be held. For then the Maestegians will know what the town will be facing. For the moment this meeting seems just seems like central governmental gloss.

Until the next time.