Why Does Welsh Labour Not Take Pride in Bridgend Town?

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish that when I'd gone to Bridgend Town centre on Monday I'd taken more pictures. At the time it seemed pointless. After all they would have just shown the very same swathes of empty shops, the neglect and the general look of a tired town which has become an urban tragedy.

But what has made me regret that decision a few days later is the front page of the yesterday's Western Mail which led in to the towns on the shortlist for Wales' best high street award. And you knew, you knew that Bridgend Town wasn't going to be there.

It led me though to the question: Why does Welsh Labour (which on a national and local level has controlled Bridgend for decades) not take pride in Bridgend Town?

I've discussed since this blog began the empty shops as well as the stalls in the indoor market. Some of these shops let us not forget that that were closed down and left to rot not just itself but the look of the town The classic which I'm sure will be urban myth in years to come was the McDonalds which was closed then left for seventeen years. The Phones4U shop, rotting for four years now has a lot of catching up to do.

There are some shops where renovation work is being undertaken. However from what I could see most of them have a TO LET sign on them afterwards

It's also the neglect. If Welsh Labour had any pride in the appearance of the town it would not have left the Christmas decorations (as I've discussed previously) in the indoor market for nearly a year. Or the bunting hanging along the town following a World War Two VE event in May. It's September and it's still there.

As I've explained previously Welsh Labour have caused the problems through the numerous mistakes the council/national government have made through the years. The pedestrianisation of certain streets proved to be unpopular for example. And crucially the effects of the Macarthur Glen outlet store on the town were not properly thought through.

Thing is of course this situation is going to get worse. Welsh Labour in the form of the council are blaming Welsh Labour in the form of the national government  for the reduction in the monies they receive from Cardiff. Rats fighting amongst themselves there. However this wouldn't be so important if it wasn't for the fact that the council as I've explained before are proposing a series of cuts to accommodate the shortfall.

These cuts include the closing of the public toilet, the bus station and the reduction in the collection of rubbish. How I ask you does that make the town attractive to look at? How does that attract visitors that would spend money that would help make the town thrive?

Other than proposed cuts there seems to be no Welsh Labour plan for the town. It's all crisis management hoping no one will notice.

Welsh Labour have betrayed Bridgend Town. If the town was a child it would have been taken away from Labour's clutches and put in a home with people who would care for it's future. In this case it would be Plaid Cymru.

Labour cannot say it cares for Bridgend Town. For like the Phones4U shop under their stewardship.....it's been left to rot.

Until the next time