Hain Welcomes £1.39 Million Funding For Victoria Gardens

HAIN WELCOMES £1.39 MILLION FUNDING FOR VICTORIA GARDENS
28 January 2010

Neath’s Victoria Gardens has been awarded a grant of £1.39 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The announcement has been welcomed by Neath MP Peter Hain who hailed the announcement at “wonderful news for the development of a Neath landmark.” The grant will enable restoration work to go-ahead along with the creation of new visitor facilities.

The Victorian park is the latest landmark in Neath to undergo a revamp. The intention is to restore the original features of the Grade II listed bandstand and replace the boundary walls with cast iron railings and gates. Repairs will also be carried out on the parks statues.

Mr Hain said,

“Victoria Gardens means a lot to the people of Neath, right at the heart of the town it is often busy with people enjoying the park or in the summer making the most of the beautiful scenery. Despite the difficult financial times we have the Gwyn Hall being rebuilt and now the Gardens are going to undergo a revamp.”

Victoria Gardens was built in 1897-98 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee, many of its original features still survive including a bandstand and Gorsedd circle, constructed for the National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1918. A legacy to Neath's political history is the memorial stone in Victoria Gardens to the five Neath citizens killed during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-38. At the entrance to the park is the statue of Howell Gwyn.

Good News For Bus Users Says Hain

GOOD NEWS FOR BUS USERS SAYS HAIN
22 January 2010

A promise to improve services for hundreds of bus users in the Neath, Dulais Amman and Swansea Valley has been made after a summit convened by Neath MP, Peter Hain

Mr Hain had called a meeting between First Cymru, Veolia and South Wales Transport bus companies with County Council Leader Ali Thomas and his senior officers, joined by Assembly Member Gwenda Thomas.

Assurances were given to Mr Hain that the 158 will be restored next month all the way to Banwen after it had been suddenly stopped in Seven Sisters. The County Council has agreed to provide an extra subsidy to ensure the service is re-established from 21st February.

After protests by Mr Hain and County Councillor Des Davies, First Cymru has also agreed to re-schedule the X75 service from Glynneath to Neath via Clyne and Tonna, enabling workers and college students to get in on time after sudden changes late last year and prevented this.

First Cymru has also agreed to return a direct service from Ystradgynlais to Swansea, through Ystalyfera and Pontardawe.

“The fact that customers were being forced to stop in Pontardawe, often missing connections or caught in the rain was totally unacceptable to me and I had been deluged with complaints,” said Mr Hain. “I am very pleased that common sense has prevailed at last.”

It was also agreed to look again at the deterioration of services from Brynamman and Gwaun Cae Gurwen, Gwenda Thomas AM joining Mr Hain in protesting vociferously at the serious impact upon bus users in the Amman Valley.

Peter Hain, who instigated and chaired the meeting, had been inundated with complaints from across the constituency since changes were made to services in early December.

Speaking after the meeting Mr Hain said,

“This was a successful meeting where a number of issues were thrashed out. It is a massive step in restoring a working bus service to local communities like Banwen, Ystalyfera and Clyne. There are still problems including in the Amman Valley but we will all be working together to resolve these.

“The County Council and the Welsh assemnbly Government have between them been putting millions of pounds into bus subsidies and we need proper services restored.

“I will also be exploring further problems experienced by students at Neath Port Talbot College which with the County Council is putting in a subsidy of three quarters of a million pounds and getting a worse service also unacceptable.

“I will be keeping this under review and I urge constituents to keep me posted on how the buses are running from when the changes are made in late February.”

A number of issues were raised at the meeting after changes to timetables and a decline in services had brought disruption across the constituency. Following a useful and frank exchange all bus companies agreed to work with the County Borough Council to resolve the problems.

2009

Hain Urges Neath To Make A Statement Against BNP

HAIN URGES NEATH TO MAKE A STATEMENT AGAINST BNP
29 January 2009

A gathering in Neath town centre this Saturday has been called by the town’s MP Peter Hain to send a strong message to the British National Party that they are not welcome.

Local trade unionists, churches, students and others have been invited to join Labour Party members at 11 am in protest at last Saturday’s presence by a BNP delegation of outsiders in the centre of Neath.

‘Neath people do not want the BNP spreading their poison and nastiness in our area,’ said Mr Hain, ‘Their racist beliefs have no place in Neath. We want to drive them out of our communities’

‘Remember what happened in 1994 when tragically a Sikh shop manager in the Cimla was killed in a racist murder – the darkest stain on Neath’s reputation. Groups like the BNP and the National front predecessors stir up ugly emotions and prejudices against black and Asian people, and Jews too.

‘I invite everyone who cares about Neath’s values of decency and social justice to join us at The Square between 11 and 12 noon to make our feelings felt. Neath must be a no-go area for the nasty BNP.’

New Subsidy For School Visits To Parliament

NEW SUBSIDY FOR SCHOOL VISITS TO PARLIAMENT
9 January 2009

A new pilot scheme has been launched to help schools with the cost of trips to Parliament. Neath constituency schools that book via the Education Service could receive up to 50% of their travel costs back. The scheme aims to help school children visit parliament and is backed by Neath MP Peter Hain.

Mr Hain has described the scheme as a “fantastic opportunity” for Neath youngsters to visit the historic landmark and urged schools to take up the scheme.

“Those who have visited Parliament before have all said to me how much they enjoyed the experience but it has become more and more expensive to fund the trips.

“Hopefully this scheme will help schools that have been put off by the rising cost to arrange a trip to Westminster. If this scheme is successful it could be extended or be made permanent giving other schools the chance to visit Parliament.” Said Mr Hain.

Mr Hain hopes the scheme will bring politics closer to youngsters by giving them the chance to see life in Parliament first-hand.

Schools should call 0207 219 4496 from 21st January to book an Education Service visit in order to qualify. The scheme applies only to bookings made over the telephone until the end of May 2009. There is a substantial demand from visits, so the programme books up quickly.

For more information visit www.parliament.uk/education/

Hain Praises 'Huge Advance' In School