Reject Conwy Councils City Of Culture Bid For Conwy 2025..... And Here Are Some Of The Reasons Why!

The reason for this post is, to tell the truth to the people who will receive the Conwy Councils Bid for the City Of Culture 2025.

We are a group of community individuals who believe that Conwy Council does not deserve to be awarded this title for all of the reasons listed below, and more.

By The Conwy Community Voice

see below

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/search-for-the-next-uk-city-of-culture-launched

and 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-city-of-culture-2025-expression-of-interest-guidance-for-bidders/uk-city-of-culture-2025-expression-of-interest-guidance-for-bidders


Fail
1. Articulate a vision that uses culture to transform a place through social, cultural, and economic regeneration, making it more attractive to live, work, visit and invest in. 
(The council has destroyed some of our most loved buildings that have been a part of our culture and our lives and ended up building some of the ugliest, cheapest buildings that the community hate, yet the council always know best!
But the council still have time to award itself a pay rise in 2021

Above the hates Skip, at Porth Eirias which the community would have preferred the money to have been spent on the pier

Above a very famous theatre where Laurel and Hardy played as well as Cary Grant and many more, yet Conwy Council owned this building and decided it was to be demolished regardless of its historic importance.

And yet the culture of the residents and their wishes has been ignored time and time again.

1, 2, and 3 below, Our Welsh School in Conwy, over 100 years old, just by the Castle, and despite a petition, and objections by historians the council decided to demolish the building they owned rather than convert it. 
The fact that it stood in a World Heritage Site meant nothing to Conwy Council.


Conwy Council have launched this bid

see below, 

https://conwy2025.co.uk/back-our-bid?fbclid=IwAR3dqz2Q59XSmPh9V-mKJtPr25ioTdSu0cLlaxjpHQTpYcxaNKwr0R8BAYQ

We are a group of community members and residents that are fighting for a variety of things in Conwy Borough and one of the problems is Conwy Council. We want the assessors to see the damage and also the hypocrisy that is happening within the borough on Conwy and individuals will also be sending letters in as well.

Heritage

Conwy Primary School see above.

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-the-old-bodlondeb-school-youth-centre


Penmorfa Hotel, 

Alice In Wonderland Hotel that inspired Lewis Caroll to write the book

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7177445.stm




Colwyn Bay Pier which the council bought and then failed to do repairs on for seven years until it collapsed!

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/colwyn-bay-pier-collapses-sea-9738568


Local listing

Larkfield House, 

A huge campaign was started by local residents to stop the destruction of this historic house, The house was not listed, however, a historical survey was submitted to the council over 12 months ago, yet they have still failed to add it to the list. Currently, Conwy Council does not have one building on the Locally Listed Register!

https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/18725599.historic-rhos-on-sea-house-saved/

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/bid-save-pioneering-aviators-home-18248210

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cMx1wSLVFI


Above local residents funded a historical survey on the house that linked The Cayley family and  Gh Willoughby was the famous Architect

300-year-old Welsh cottage was demolished after the council snuck in a four-week demolition order, not giving campaigners enough time to save the building.

The Cottage was originally a welsh cottage before the town was built see

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y5tLoy8t34&t=35s

And https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/what_is_the_connection_between_c#incoming-1539719

Conflicts of interest

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/conflict_of_interest_in_planning_2?unfold=1 

and 

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/peter_brown_head_of_planning#incoming-1578816

The council often submit applications that they then approve, this is a conflict of interest, the council has refused to see this, but what this means is that the public and taxpayers have no power, or even a chance to stop development,

also the council work in partnership with developer and housing associations, so objecting to these applications is also pointless and means the community is powerless to do anything about any plans, for example, the demolition of a 300-year-old welsh cottage in the conservation area.



Civic Hall 

Rejecting an offer of a Hotel for the Grade II listed Civic offices, and then giving it away to the developers building A new Carbuncle Council office

This historic building was offloaded onto developers with no public consultation. The council received an offer to turn the majestic building into a high-class hotel but rejected this again with no public consultation.

If the hotel ha been converted to a hotel it would have brought jobs and tourism,

so the council have failed on 

UK City of Culture aims and objectives Part 1!


The Civic Hall boarded up, picture taken 15th August 2021


Listed Welsh Chapel Conwy

Despite being a grade II listed building, and within the historic town walls of Conwy Castle, the council still gave permission for its demolition, thankfully it never happened and was bought, but the fact remains that again part of our Welsh culture was approved for destruction by Conwy Council.


Drive growth

  • Create a sustainable economic impact from the program, through investment and innovation in culture and creativity

  • The council has systematically allowed nearly all of the hotels in the town of Colwyn Bay to be demolished, for flats mainly, now tourists have very few places to stay in the town, how is this driving growth?


https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/residents-fight-to-secure-hotel-2872227

and

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/residents-anger-plans-demolish-colwyn-2751762


Above the Colwyn Bay hotel torn down for flats and St Enochs now gone for flats too, as well as The Rhos Abbey, 


The Rothsay below,


And not just in Colwyn Bay but Rhos On Sea, Llandudno, Deganwy, and Penmaen Mawr.

  • Demonstrate cultural and artistic excellence and innovation, including using cutting-edge technology to exhibit and enable creativity and cultural engagement to flourish across the UK

  • Conwy council won't even pay for the library roof to be repaired or music lessons for children, and Wales has its roots in music

  • Create a cultural program that exemplifies best practices in the UK and showcases cultural excellence through the UK’s art, heritage, and creative industries

  • Well as to heritage Conwy Council has fallen flat, Conwy Council is currently trying to close Colwyn Bay Library which was built by public funds, and move the library to a few rooms in the much-hated new Coed Pella Office. 

  • The community has fought back with a public consultation just like it did with the bins collections, it ignored the wishes of the community there and the outcome of the consultation. 2,000 people have signed a petition to save our library a Facebook campaign and more yet the council state it needs 175k spending on the building, yet they have spent millions on the Skip at Porth Eirias,

  •  https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/19423631.costs-fixing-colwyn-bay-seafront-buildings-roof-revealed/

  • https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/porth-eirias-mp-fears-facility-7561330

  • Yet the council claim they cannot afford the library roof, and yet it is to be used by children's services if the library moves out, and also Conwy Council staff have all had a pay rise in the authority costing millions! but no reply here with the FOI request! 

  • https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/staff_pay_rises_within_the_autho#incoming-1841707

  • Develop new cross-sector partnerships, including exploring collaborations between science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics

4.Reach out across the UK and abroad

  • Include and work with a broad range of local, national, and international partners

  • Strengthen and celebrate links and relationships with places across the four nations of the UK

  • Actively contribute to the UK’s global reputation for high-quality programs, artistic development, and international collaboration 

  • (the council have made the area a laughing stock and total joke as the world watched the grade II listed Pier collapse after they neglected it for 7 years, and then scandal after scandal, Youtube and Blog sites show the world the awful things happening in Conwy County)

  • The council even rejected an exhibition on the Pier because they wanted to demolish the structure!

  • Enhance the profile of the area (how have they done this? 

  • (All the council has done is destroy the area and allow cheap rubbish to be built) 

  • and the UK to domestic and international audiences as a place to live, visit, work or invest in

  • Promote the city as a cultural destination, attract new and returning visitors and boost tourism across the region, emphasizing its particular place in the UK (But the council have killed tourism in Colwyn Bay, Penmaenmawr, West Shore, Rhos On Sea, and continue to do so, they will not listen to the community)

  • Deliver a high-quality cultural program that builds and expands on local strengths and assets and also showcases shared connections and characteristics with places in the UK and abroad 

  • (When and where would be the question be? )

  • Conwy Council has sacrificed Colwyn Bay, Rhos On Sea, Penmaenmawr for Llandudno, they even get nicer planting schemes and gardens!

  • Foster leadership and ambition in the globally competitive cultural and creative industries.

5. Maximise the social benefits of investing in culture

The Library, 

But as discussed the council is cutting services to our culture even destroying it! 

The petition submitted, https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/conwy-council-please-do-not-close-or-move-colwyn


Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/433653207698109


Above Darren Millar supporting our Library, he is fantastic.

5. Maximise the social benefits of investing in culture

Heritage Officer 

Conservation officer not replaced, after qualified one left under a cloud, now someone unqualified in charge of our heritage

Questions need to be asked as to why he left and why someone unqualified has been put in the post?

https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/16903868.100-year-old-murals-colwyn-bay-pier-race-clock-find-new-home/ 

Failure to implement with listed buildings at risk

Conwy council have failed to implement repairs to be done on a listed building in Conwy County, including Colwyn Bay Pier which the council-owned, 



https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/300003271-capel-tabernacl-conwy

Capel Tabernacl

A Grade II Listed Building in Conwy, Conwy

also 

Environment

refused planning/ conversion due to parking despite being central

Not converting buildings isolation Bron y Nant, on an FOI request the council stated that they could not convert due to the fact that it needed new boilers and had asbestos when this was questioned it appeared that all the asbestos had long been removed, and then the council stated it was Welsh Assembly Government Guidelines to demolish it, which it was not. The council appear to hate conversion, yet the hospital was part of our history, the building was in an excellent state of repair.


The building which was built with public money was purchased off the NHS, yet both the NHS and The Council refused to state how much the building was bought or sold for. The historic hospital was demolished last year, here is the FOI request.

FOI https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/cost_grants_and_private_funding#outgoing-1009133

And, If you follow the thread the council gave Asbestos as the reason for demolition and were caught out lying!

From FOI https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/council_staffs_exposure_to_asbes#incoming-1506923

And https://thoughtsofmrscolwynbay.blogspot.com/2019/12/colwyn-bay-bron-y-nant-isolation.html

FOI, and please read this part, which is total rubbish, FOI https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/bron_y_nant_dinerth_road_propose#incoming-1496361

"All rubbish", we would not have the accommodation that is required and at the conclusion, the buildings would not be sustainable particularly in the mind of Welsh Government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2050, with the intention that by 2030 (10 years away) installation of new Gas Boilers will not be permitted. The site as it currently stands presents a number of risks: Asbestos, Site Gradient, Level Access, Trees/Ecology, Lack of Parking Provision, Security"

The trees are all still there. security is just the same as is the gradient of the site!

And FOI https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/bron_y_nant_isolation_hospital_d#incoming-1496363

Failure to discuss with the community

No consultation, for

Porth Eirias. the community chose the two castles design and the council ignored it and put up the mess that is there now.

Children's Center, the conservation area has been destroyed, trees cut down a 300-year-old, yet no public consultation welsh cottage destroyed, and 3 million borrowed

https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/planning-application-made-for-childrens-assessment-centre-in-colwyn-bay/

A vast amount of social housing in some towns and not others, and again no public consultation to huge new developments in the town bringing a mass of social problems in some areas, but not all.

The Pier Pavilion Flats Llandudno, no public consultation, https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/pier-pavilion-development-call-request-20825532

https://conwy.nub.news/n/39conwy-town-council-undemocratic-and-plagued-by-nepotism39-says-councillor

Media Bias

A flood defense manager who worked for Conwy Council was arrested and bailed, following historical allegations of sexual abuse. 

He returned to work on bail and continued to work in his job until just before he went back to court and admitted his guilt, before being dismissed by the council.

Locals are aware that the local media receive financial payments from the Council, and some stories are not printed despite it being in the public interest, This is one such case! 

FOI https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/dates_that_former_flood_manager#incoming-1427747

A letter was sent to the Daily Post who states "We only print stories that we think are of interest to the public" So instead local blogs had to print the stories, Conwy Council should not control the media as it has done on many occasions, see 

https://thoughtsofmrscolwynbay.blogspot.com/2019/08/conwyformer-conwy-council-manager-found.html

Debt

And the council has just awarded themselves a pay rise!

See https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/18736631.4-3m-covid-cash-shortfall-leads-warning-service-cuts-conwy-residents/

and

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/council-tax-rises-school-funding-15902966

And https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56221664

And https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51910200

And https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/conwy-council-meets-secret-over-20760876

And https://www.thenational.wales/news/19123195.conwy-council-mistakes-revealed-botched-3-6m-agreement/

Colwyn Bay.....Flashback 2013 Conwy Council Chief Executive Iwan Davies Forces for Good fraud Scandal!

https://thoughtsofmrscolwynbay.blogspot.com/2021/02/colwyn-bayflashback-2013-conwy-council.html

Llandudno Beach Fiasco!

So firstly they put the rocks there and now will be removing them, which will cost millions!

https://www.janetfinchsaunders.org.uk/news/pressure-first-minister-address-beach-scandal

But they will waste money on this but allow the schools to lose Music lessons and other cultural learning

Language and culture

Above cuts to schools and music lessons. 

https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/17688233.cuts-school-funds-conwy-comes-8-1-million-four-years/

https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2019-03-02/parents-protest-against-conwy-school-cuts

https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/17688233.cuts-school-funds-conwy-comes-8-1-million-four-years/

Thank you, we will also look at sending in more evidence to you


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