IT'S ALL GONE QUIET OVER THERE...

It is time for the Welsh Government to commit to completing the rail link from Ebbw Vale into Newport and to think beyond simply connecting the valleys with Cardiff Bay. We need to build in more connectivity to our rail network and also to maximise the benefits of improvements to our railways by squeezing every possible benefit from the investment of public money, especially in times of austerity then the completion of the Ebbw Vale link into Newport needs to be completed. The restoration of the rail link into Newport from the Ebbw Vale line has an impact well beyond simply enabling passengers to travel to and from Newport. Once completed the final stage of the long promised rail link would enable commuters to travel to work in Newport, Bristol, and beyond without having to drive or catch the train to Cardiff Central. The completion of the rail link could make a significant impact on local rail services. At present within Wales rail serves run between Merthyr and Bridgend via the Vale of Glamorgan. There is no reason why it would not be possible for extra serves to be run from between Hereford, Abergavenny and Ebbw vale, and Cheltenham via Gloucester and Chepstow to Ebbw Vale, something that could add extra off peak services for passengers.

MONMOUTH SMALL SCHOOL CLOSURES - UPDATE

A quick update about the announced (and announced may well be the key word here, not to mention announced to whom) closure of one of Monmouthshire's small schools - Llanover Primary School. School Governors have gone on record (in the South Wales Argus - which makes interesting reading) stating that they are unhappy with the nature of the consultation process, which was combined with offers of places at other schools, which made parents somewhat nervous about securing places at other schools, so they pulled their children out of Llanover Primary School, effectively undermining efforts to keep the school open. Hence, falling rolls make the school uneconomic and unsustainable, due to falling pupil numbers. Knowing the way that Monmouthshire plays the game, I am not surprised at this one bit and I suspect very similar scenarios have played out over the years with small school closures in Monmouthshire and beyond.

MONMOUTH SMALL SCHOOL CLOSURES

News that both Govilon and Llanover Primary Schools are to close on the 31st August is disappointing news for pupils, parents and teachers in the affected schools and their communities. Not for nothing are our small villages and community schools referred to as the hearts of their communities - their loss will be a bitter blow to both communities. There has been much understandable local criticism of the consultation process, which has been described to me as being somewhat after the fact. 

Sadly many of our small communities across the whole of Wales have and probably will face similar situations. The National Assembly needs to take a long hard look at the programme of small school closures by Monmouthshire County Council (MCC), rather than merely acting as an effective rubber stamp. There is a bigger picture here, one that stretches far beyond the Assembly directive (which is regularly sited by MCC spokespeople) which aims to reduce surplus places. 

For many of our smaller communities a school building and its facilities aside from being a ficus of much community activity are an important community asset out of school hours - which once lost is gone forever. It's time to look at the bigger picture and and to take a much longer view - merely repeating a questionable policy of small school closures and amalgamations (as practiced over the border) is not good enough - our communities badly need some real vision here.