Porth Erias (snag list)

I recently went around the new tourist attraction Porth Erias (The Skip), to see were all the money had gone for the Jet Skiers and the people responsible for follies.

Well the building is supposed to look like a Ship what type of ship, to me it looks like a cross channel ferry, role on role off. The majority of people who visit Porth Erias say it looks more like a Skip, judge for yourself.

It has taken more than 2 years to build and many alterations along the way.
Allegedly. The slope up and down and the roof had to have extra reinforcing as the council wanted their Big Road Sweep to be able to clean the slope and roof. Well after this work was done the local Mobility group went round and informed the council that the slope was too steep for anyone to push a wheelchair up, so alterations yet again had to be made, by making
a zig zag path and steps up one slope. But after this was done the bend at either side of the zig zag path is to sharp to be able to turn a Mobility Scooter round. So that is That One. Oh apart from the Doors not being wide enough and something to do about steps. Ah Well!!

The areas between the path is filled with sand and planted with salt resilient plants I hope. Ha Ha.

There is a very nice rail in white around the car park, but during the building work after the railings were installed some one has bent 2 of these rails and not by hand. As their was a grand opening of Porth Erias and some one had to sign off on completion of the build, this was not fixed. Nice.

 A few more things just to keep you interested.
Some of the outside walls are clad with wood planking. Except some have been put on the wrong way round. You see wood Cups to the centre of the grain after it has been cut and starts to weather. So when you fit it to a wall you make sure that it cups to the wall NOT away, because it will stick out and you may catch your clothes or your hands, great way to get splinters.

 Or you may get splinters from were it has split by nails being put too close to the edge of the planking and a knot.

This is about 2ft from the ground. Just the right height for a child to get cut.



 There are some very nice shower units for people to shower away the salty water after swimming or Jet Skiing. But the grids are on a slope and water hits them and then runs down hill to the seats. Not even the Council or the builders can yet make water run UP hill.



 But still do NOT USE as the two grids are not safe. The cement that should be around them is missing and all you are left with is slabs with SHARP cut edges and cracks, waiting to cut your feet or small children's fingers. Who signed off on the work at hand over. Or is it just crap workmanship ?

Even the Grid covers are soft plastic. How long will they last if some vandal hits it with a stone ?


Great British Workmanship



Next to the children's play area is not much better as you can see the metal rebar protruding out the sides of the concrete. (Yes those dots around the top step are metal bars) Great for cutting you foot on. Not to mention the rough concrete finish to the side of the step below the rebar.

 Nice finish.

The new curved wall to protect the extension onto the beach is filled at the joints with some sort of mastic that is supposed to expand and shrink as the wall sections get warm and cool, thus keeping a seal. Lets hope they put a bit more mastic in all the other joints as this one you can put your hand in.

 Lookout for your child's Hands and your car keys.

 







The sloping gardens. These are planted areas on the East side slope. There is no wall bordering these sandy slopes so when it rains which it does do a bit in North Wales, all the sand and plants get washed down the slop, or people just walk straight through kicking up the sand and the plants. How long will it be before someone trips or slips on this short sited idea and we the Tax payer have to pay via the Council COMPENSATION for injury.  

 

 

Finally this time. How do Mobility challenged and people with push chairs get to go on the new sandy beach. The entrance from Porth Erias is a lot of steps or a long trek to the slope by the Derelict Pier. The one level way to get on the sand is blocked.

Its OK if you can get over the wall after you have parked your car. But then you have to carry all the beach stuff over that same wall and back when you go.
Nice to see a Council wanting to encourage people to go to the new sandy beach that cost 6 Million, just for sand.

Oh and as to why the Skip, Poth Erias is not selling food or drinks is partly due to the Council not getting permission from the Crown, before their planned official opening in May 2013.  (Everything from High Tide to Low Tide is governed by the Crown Estates and permission must be given for any new Erection/Building and Business I believe).  So we are still waiting for this permission and someone to take on the Bistro/Café at what I am sure will be an exorbitant Rent.

 Lets see 2014,15,16,17 who knows.

Shame they don't seem to clean up such a new attraction

Were are the Bins ? up on the Top of the Skip. It might help

Rule for one, one rule for the other

Why is it that when the Council cut the grass in public areas ie this the embankment at Rhos on Sea they do not have to clean up their cuttings. This lot of cuttings will get blown onto the road and pavement, or do they think it just evaporates.
If it was us the Tax payer that left any garden cutting on pavements or roads we would be prosecuted and fined

Rule for one, one rule for the other.

Soggy Bags

Allegedly Conwy County Council bought a load of Biodegradable Bags for Greens Waste. These were stored on the floor in a warehouse, yes it did, it was flooded and the Biodegradable bags got wet. Well the specs for Conwy County Council Biodegradable Bags is that they start to Biodegrade (Rot) after 2 weeks from contact with Greens waste (Liquid starts the Bag to Biodegrade). I wonder whether they sent the Sloppy mess to the Land fill or sent them for Recycling.

Rule of thumb never store Biodegradable Bags on the FLOOR put them off the ground on a shelf in a DRY room.

Well done Conwy County Council.

Green or Not so Green

I have just been to my local Council Recycling Centre. A man had brought his Greens rubbish in the Official Council Green bags stamped on the side. These are Biodegradable Council recycling bags that you have to purchase from the Council and are only acceptable by the Council for your Greens rubbish. (You may seen my over use of the words Official, Council and Biodegradable sorry ). Well the men at the Council Recycling Centre had to have a discussion over whether the enclosed Green rubbish in the Official Council Biodegradable bags was ok or not to go into the Greens Recycling skip in the Official Council Biodegradable bags or whether it had to be emptied out of the Official Council Biodegradable bags. Yes you got it, they emptied the Greens rubbish out of the Official Council Biodegradable bags, which were then thrown into a Non Official black bin bag (Non Official because it did not have any Council information stamped on it) Have Conwy Council Gone MAD !!!!! or do they like to waste our Council Tax on Biodegradable Bags, only to be thrown away into a land fill, after all you cannot Recycle a Biodegradable Bag.

Oh! Does the Council Know? Or will they have to discuss it!!!!!

Well done Conwy County Council.

"No Swear Zone"

I spotted this interesting article by Philip Davies and thought, could it happen here.

Barnsley Town Centre will become a "No Swear Zone" in June, as foul and abusive language is targeted by Police and businesses.
Barnsley Voice, the town centre business association, has made "Swearing" the number one anti-social priority, and Police have agreed to help stamp out the blight by issuing £80 spot fines to offenders.

Business managers agreed at their May meeting that something needed to be done about the bad atmosphere that was created by people 'screaming abuse' across the precincts. Leanne Beverley from Primark agreed that the friendly Barnsley welcome was undermined when the air was filled with foul language, but pointed out that it wasn't just a youth nuisance.

"It's older folks as well", said Leanne. "And they pass it on to the young ones".

For South Yorkshire Police, Alison Wales acknowledged the problem and pointed out that officers simply need the public or retail staff to report abusive behaviour whenever it offends them. "We can take a pocket-book statement and then issue a fine on the spot", said Alison.

South Yorkshire Police do NOT want to raise the expectation that people will be arrested simply for swearing however. It is when abusive language is used aggressively that an offence occurs.

Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 creates an offence of being threatening, abusive or insulting in a way which is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. 5(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he -
(a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or disorderly behaviour, or
(b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting,
within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby.

Cycle to Llandudno How and Why

It was a lovely sunny day and as a family we all decided it would be nice to cycle from Deganwy to Llandudno along the cycle route. We parked the car, unpack our gear and set off. Not very far.

In front of us was a sea defence, a approximate 2 foot high steel gate padlocked. We all got off our bikes and I lifted them over the gate and we set off once again on our journey. Thinking why didn't they not put in a ramp instead of a locked gate as this prevents not only able-bodied people, but anybody who has trouble with walking or in a wheelchair or even people pushing a pram.
The next thing we came across was a sign “Terminal Point of the Definitive Right of Way”. Now I can only imagine that this refers to the end of the public right of way, because directly after it starts the cycle route. So, if there is a right of way then why is there a large steel gate preventing some people from getting access.

Next we were on the cycle route all was going well. We were making a concerted effort not to run over any dog shit, of which there was plenty and this I don't blame the Council. I don't blame the dog. I do blame the dog owners.They even put it in plastic bags and then leave the plastic bag standing proudly ready for someone to stand on it. Perhaps someone should leave a pile of poo on their drive or path and maybe they might get the idea.

On we went then suddenly no more cycling the cycle path ahead was blocked with sand that had been blown down from the sand dunes or off the beach. There have been attempts successfully to prevent the sand from collecting on the cycle path by the erection of windbreakers and fencing, but in the areas that were not sheltered it was impossible to cycle along and as for pushchairs and prams, I pity the person pushing. The Council had come along and cleared some sections but the sand looked as if it had just been dumped by the side of the cycle path ready to be blown back again over the very same spot. Perhaps if it was moved or more windbreakers installed it may not sand over so quickly.

After a bit of a hard walk through the sand pushing the bikes, we were back on our bikes again heading towards the car park at West Shore to look at the plan of Llandudno to see where we were to cycle next. But nothing, there was nothing marked on the map that was the continuation of the so-called national cycle route. So we turned round and went back.

On a later investigation by driving through Llandudno in the car, It appears that the cycle route starts or ends near the paddling pool on the promenade at Craig y Don. So how would you get from West Shore to Craig y Don. You have to go on the very busy main roads, you cannot even cycle along the promenade on North Shore, if you are caught you will be prosecuted and fined. You must cycle along the busy promenade road with cars parked on both sides and coaches sometimes double parked dropping off people at the hotels. Why is it that on Rhos on Sea and Colwyn Bay promenade which is much narrower, cycling facilities have been made available.

Rhos on Sea with cycle route

Llandudno Nothing to prevent a cycle route

If Llandudno is to attract tourism why are they alienating so many people, from young families to the disabled. There was a law passed about the right to roam, well how about the right to common sense. Whose family will it have to be that is injured or killed just for the sake of a couple of lines defining a cycle route along the promenade. As for getting from North Shore to West Shore, Gloddaeth Avenue and Gloddaeth Street are wide enough to install a dedicated cycle route just like the one that exists in front of the Cayley Embankment on West Promenade at Rhos on Sea, with very little cost, Compared to the price of a life. But it seems as always someone will have to do be killed or seriously injured before someone comes to their senses.
I think the original developers of Llandudno. The Mostyn family would be disgusted with the attitude towards tourists, the disabled and young children. How about YOU.
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