Letters to the Editor

The latest readers’ letters taken from the printed edition of the Glamorgan Star dated Thursday 16th April 2026, followed by letters publish from previous editions.

Thursday 16th April 2026

A big ‘thank you’ to swan rescuers!

A FEW weeks ago at the Knap Lake people became aware of a swan with horrific neck injuries in what was described as a possible fox or dog attack.

The poor creature was subdued and visibly shocked by its ordeal and over time a Facebook page was created and it gained many followers of people concerned for the swan’s welfare.

I rang a rescue in Wales and they couldn’t help. Then I rang a well-known swan rescuer Peter Martin, who was miraculously one mile away! He had been contacted by others earlier.

He arrived with gear to hand and set about assessing how to catch the swan, this being no mean feat!

Then along came wonder woman Sharron from a local cafe wearing cold water attire and wellies. Armed with two nets she proceeded to wade into the middle of the lake toward the ailing swan who took flight and managed to evade capture that day.

All was not lost. That weekend Sharron did not give up – even though Peter was unavailable.

With patience and determination, she managed to grab the bird single-handed at the lakeside. She took it to her cafe and managed to contain and calm the bird until Peter could come from miles away to collect it.

What a pair of superheroes who went above and beyond to rescue a very poorly swan, who thankfully is making a full recovery and will be released back into the lake in the near future.

Well done to both of them!

T Abery

Barry

Government needs to fix tax system

IN REPLY to David Richard’s letter (2 April) re taxing pensioners. He wanted to know if not pensioners where to get the shortfall in tax receipts.

Luckily, my taxes help to pay for over 600 politicians in London to come up with monetary policies to fund the UK. They will be with us for the next few years giving them time to correct the many wrongs of their predecessors.

Paul Blanchard

Barry

Don’t just dismiss ‘NIMBY’ views

I AM responding to John T Price (Letters, 2 April) regarding so-called ‘NIMBYs’, in relation to the proposal for 105 new homes at Bryn Melin.

This issue can apply to any new development, and who better to explain and understand the community than those who live nearby? I do not share his view, because poorly sited development can have a detrimental impact on existing residents.

At the same time, I agree that appropriate, safe and well-supported accommodation should be provided to protect people experiencing homelessness and help them rebuild their lives

Being fair to established communities also matters. Many people have worked hard throughout their lives to choose where they live, and they deserve a planning process that identifies appropriate sites and minimises avoidable harm.

Wherever possible, this should mean prioritising locations with good access to schools, health services, shops and public transport; using brownfield land before greenfield sites; designing in buffers and green corridors and respecting green wedges.

This is not an abstract issue for me. We have a similar proposal affecting a much-cherished community field in Clive Road, St Athan, suggested for supported accommodation. That experience reinforces my belief that decisions must take account of the value of community assets and green space.

For example, the initial illustration of the proposed Clive Road field development appears to show homes positioned in a way that faces directly onto existing properties and could potentially overlook them. When layouts feel as though they “impose” on current residents, that is precisely when better design is needed.

It is also reasonable to say that the people who fund public services (including homelessness support) should not be left carrying the burden of preventable noise, disruption and a deterioration in quality of life. Supportive, stable environments can often be achieved within existing communities through small-scale, well-integrated homes, rather than large, concentrated schemes.

The recent BBC Countryfile segment on homelessness was a sobering reminder that, behind the statistics, there are real people, often young, who are trying to stay safe, remain in work or education, and rebuild their lives without a stable place to live.

The UK has faced a severe housing shortage for decades, and doing nothing simply shifts the burden onto families in temporary accommodation and people sleeping rough. That said, new homes can and should be delivered in ways that reduce impacts on existing neighbours.

That means: a robust construction management plan (restricted hours, clear routes for heavy vehicles, and effective dust and noise controls); safe walking and cycling links, alongside realistic parking and traffic measures. If we insist on high standards, we can meet urgent housing need while ensuring developments are genuinely neighbour-friendly.

This raises a basic question of fairness: is it right to pursue housing numbers, developer timelines and national targets if the predictable costs (noise, congestion, loss of amenity and stress) are concentrated on the same local residents, often for years? If national need is being met, then national government and planning authorities should ensure impacts are shared fairly and properly mitigated, rather than simply pushed onto the communities closest to the building site.

In that context, I would caution against dismissing local objections as “NIMBYism”. Many residents are not “shouting for no reason”; they are trying to protect their homes and the kind of place future generations will inherit

If development is to proceed, it must be on the right sites, delivered to a high standard, with enforceable conditions and clear long-term responsibility for maintenance and support. Communities should not be asked to sacrifice wellbeing so that short-term profit is maximised or national targets can simply be ticked off on paper.

Maxine Levett

St Athan

New flats are an eyesore

WHO in their right mind designed and approved those blocks of ugly flats built to replace the Girls Grammar school on the Aberthin Road, Cowbridge.

What an absolute eyesore when entering Cowbridge from that direction. I feel sorry for the people who live opposite who have look at them.

C Wilkins

Thursday 2nd April 2026

If pensioners pay less, who pays more?

THE letter from Paul Blanchard (19th March) does not address the question I asked him.

His proposal cannot take off on one wing alone. If state pensions should be removed from taxable income, what should be taxed elsewhere to make up the state revenue shortfall? 

(As he raises the matter, I do receive a state pension and I have other income that is taxed as a result.)

David Richards

Bridgend

NIMBYs should be banned

IT WAS a pleasure to read the Glamorgan Star this week (19 March) edition, however:

 1/ I was dismayed by the reported negative opinion of Cowbridge residents concerning the plan for 105 new homes to be built in Bryn Melin.

These NIMBYs would do well to watch the recent episode on BBC’s Countryfile. The harrowing plight of a homeless youth may sway their opinion.

A critical housing shortage has existed in the U.K. as long as I can remember and that is over 70 years. NIMBYism should be banned by law!

2/ The Vale Council’s plan to raise our Council Tax by 6.5% this year is outrageous.

Worse is that their planned expenditure includes: £21.2 million ‘Pride in Place’ funding which includes a ‘watersports centre’!

That money would be better spent on our appalling roads. It is reported that only £11 million is to be spent for ‘highway improvements’. I trust that all of that money is to be spent exclusively remediating the myriad of potholes.

Who in the Vale Council makes these egregious decisions?! Council, get your priorities correct.

John T Price

St Athan

Odds are stacked against residents in planning issues

PEOPLE in the Vale are increasingly being asked to respond to highly technical planning documents, such as Local Development Plans (LDPs), despite working full-time jobs, caring for families, and having limited spare time.

These plans often run to hundreds of pages and require specialist understanding that most residents have never been trained in.

Meanwhile, developers and land promoters employ paid planning consultants, environmental specialists, transport analysts, ecologists, and legal teams whose entire job is to interpret policy and influence planning outcomes. These experts have the time, funding, and qualifications to shape documentation in their favour.

Residents do not.

This creates an inherent imbalance: ordinary people, who are directly affected by changes to their environment, must try to understand complex planning processes in their evenings and weekends, while competing against professionals working on these issues full-time.

For residents with families or caring responsibilities, it is simply unrealistic to expect them to read, digest and respond meaningfully to national legislation, LDPs, environmental reports, and consultation materials. Many feel overwhelmed before they even begin.

The result is a planning system that is technically open to everyone, but practically accessible to only a few. Until public consultations are simplified, better supported, and genuinely inclusive, residents will continue to feel they are fighting a battle they were never equipped to win.

Why Consultation Often Feels Token to Residents

Although consultation is a formal requirement, many residents experience it as a process that records views rather than meaningfully shaping outcomes. This perception is reinforced when key discussions take place before the public stage, when decisions are framed as meeting pre-set housing or growth targets, and when technical evidence (often commissioned by applicants) carries more weight than non-technical public concerns. In practice, this can create the impression that development is treated as the default position and that community input is managed rather than acted upon.

Common reasons residents describe consultation as “token” include:

1/ Complexity and time burden: consultation documents can be long, technical, and difficult to interpret without specialist knowledge.

2/ Early decisions feel pre-determined: pre-application discussions and internal assessments may shape the direction before residents are aware.

3/ “Material considerations” filter: many heartfelt concerns are discounted if they do not align with planning policy tests (for example, impacts that are hard to evidence).

4/ Unequal resources: developers and promoters can fund consultants, reports, and legal input; residents typically cannot.

5/ Pressure to deliver targets: councils must balance local views against national policy expectations on housing, growth, and land supply.

6/ Limited feedback loop: residents may not see clearly how their comments changed the plan or decision, which undermines trust.

Ordinary residents are not “anti-development” for asking questions or raising concerns; they are exercising a basic right to shape the places where they live, work, and raise families. If consultation is to be more than a box-ticking exercise, it must be designed around the realities of everyday life: clear summaries, accessible evidence, realistic timeframes, and a transparent explanation of how public input influenced the final outcome.

A planning system that relies on communities to engage must also invest in helping them do so, otherwise participation will remain unequal, and trust will continue to erode.

Maxine Levitt

Rhoose

House of Lords should not be able to stall legislation

THE House of Lords will soon ‘kill’ the Terminally Ill adults (End of Life) Bill by talking it out.

As a private member’s Bill it will run out of time as it must pass through both houses in this session of Parliament. It cannot be carried forward to the next session. It has already been approved by the elected House of Commons but the unelected House of Lords has decided its demise by raising over 1,000 amendments that each have to be debated. This Bill is effectively dead. 

Everytime a member of the House of Lords attends, he or she receives approximately £400. I raise this point because it seems, if only partly, the Bill is just putting tax payers’ money in people’s pockets for simple prevarication. 

Our PM should have seen through this, reacted earlier. This is a travesty. 

The comments raised are that people should be better cared for in hospices. They simply do not exist in sufficient numbers. 

What does this mean? Instead of a dignified death, people in pain and indignity can now look forward to what? 

The government of the UK should have the means of driving such legislation through parliament. 

Paul Blanchard

Barry

Thursday 19th March 2026

Sad about habitat loss

HOW sad I feel that the Vale Council has seen fit to destroy vital habitat along the escarpment at Penarth marina on day two of official bird nesting season. 

Such bad timing, reinforcing Wales shameful reputation for being one of the most nature depleted countries on earth with one in six species at risk of extinction and 20% decrease in average species. 

T Abery,

Barry

Will the new Senedd be defection proof?

THE defection of a political candidate or elected member to another party is a fairly common event, as seen recently in Penarth.

However, will defection still be possible in future for members of the Senedd?

For the elections in May we have a new voting system. We will be marking a cross to choose a party, not a candidate. Each party will have already provided voters with a list of their candidates to potentially be allotted seats for the Senedd, and the seats will be divided proportionally among the parties according to the numbers of votes received, six members for each of the 16 constituencies.

But what happens in this system if a Senedd member changes allegiance?

Surely this person must lose their seat and the original party voted for then fill it with the next candidate on their list. This would also presumably be the top-up procedure should a Senedd member resign, retire or die.

The system also caters for an individual to be elected as an Independent. So how would an Independent be replaced with no back-up list?

In conclusion, therefore, am I right in assuming that the new system eliminates the need for any by-elections?

Niclas ApGlyn,

Penarth

Who should pay tax? – not pensioners

IN the letters section on 5th March, David Richards asked me who should pay tax if pensioners did not. I am assuming Mr Richards is not a state retiree and does not receive a stipend from the government. If he is, well here is my answer on both counts.

I have been paying tax for over 50 years and accepted that running a country needs funds. I am still working, albeit part time. 

When I was working, I benefitted as other workers did from a certain amount tax free. This is now called ‘Personal Allowance’. But now I do not as I receive the state pension which corresponds with today’s personal allowance. Everything I earn/any pension I have contributed to over the 50 years, or interest on investments/dividends, is now taxed at 20% or more.

I contributed to my state pension as every working person does. I hope Mr Richards can read between the lines. 

The kicker is that I feel I do not get my money’s worth. NHS poor, roads rubbish, expanding bureaucracy (The Senedd) in an AI world.

There are other reasons why I grimace every time March comes around and my love letter arrives from the HMRC telling me how much I have paid over the last year and sometimes how much I still owe.

Paul Blanchard,

Barry

High street litter is on the march

IN A city not far from here, I heard a woman say, as she dropped a cigarette packet onto a litter-strewn pavement, “Well I might as well” and indeed it disappeared immediately into all the other detritus.

Since ‘Winston’ retired, Cowbridge High Street is going the same way. Can we please have a street cleaner?

Who drops it all anyway? I never see anyone do it.

 R Bradshaw  

Cowbridge

Why more 20mph speed limits?

WHY has the Vale council tax gone up by 6.5%? This is way above inflation.

Why, when there is such a need to greatly increase council tax, has the 20mph been extended along Lavernock Road to Brockhill Rise? Apart from ensnaring more drivers having a day out at Cosmeston in these hard times, when the speeding van is parked by the old schooner pub. 

How much is it costing to implement the new speed limits here? Is this being replicated elsewhere in the Vale?

Admittedly there is a new bus stop there but everyone managed to cross the road safely before.

Couldn’t this exorbitant rise in council tax be better spent elsewhere ie housing, schools, potholes, supporting the OAPs? Most council taxpayers would sooner see our money spent this way instead of using it to inflict more penalties on hard-pressed taxpayers at a time of rising fuel, food, energy, and living costs

Tim James,

Penarth 

Repair potholes – not lay-bys

I NOTICE that between Waycock Cross roundabout and Cardiff Airport, a lay-by has been re-laid with lots of fresh tarmac which, of course, will be free of potholes for the occasional vehicles to park up.

What about all the numerous potholes on all the local roads that we residents of the Vale travel on daily that are ruining our cars?

Does the Vale Council have no sense whatsoever? If they have so much tarmac, they could have filled many, many potholes. What a waste of our taxes.

Jane Jarrett,

Rhoose

Barry’s rare habitat must be protected

MAY I thank all the people who signed Barry Action for Nature’s petition calling for the saltwater marsh at the Old Harbour, adjacent to Barry Island, to be declared a Local Nature Reserve.

Saltwater marsh is one of the rarest habitats in the UK. The Old Harbour’s marsh supports resting and feeding red listed species such as curlew, whimbrel and other wading birds.

I would also like to thank councillors of all political parties who have backed our petition at the Vale Council’s ‘Place’ scrutiny committee (not forgetting the Glamorgan Star’s recent ‘Protecting our Planet’ column by Brian Mayne).

The process to declare this important wildlife habitat a Local Nature Reserve may take some time so, in the meantime, we respectfully ask dog walkers to keep their dogs at least 50 metres away from the salt marsh to avoid disturbing these resting birds.

Rob Curtis,

Chairman, Barry Action for Nature

Thursday 5th March 2026

No one likes paying tax

I would be interested to hear from Paul Blanchard who begrudges having to pay tax as a pensioner (Letters, 19th February). Who should be paying more taxes? 

David Richards

Bridgend

Opening cafes won’t reduce obesity

SO, yet another coffee shop is proposed with the refurbishment of the old HSBC bank premises in Penarth. Hooray! If you can’t do anything else in The Vale, you can eat!

The Vale Council has expressed concern over the increasing level of obesity amongst young people. In it’s wisdom, they decided that banning posters of fast food outlets at bus stops and public places would dissuade people. What absolute rot!  

The way to cut down on obesity is to refuse approval of all the cafes and food outlets which seem to be appearing on every street corner. Whenever new premises are opened, there is always a ‘welcoming’ coffee shop/cafe included. So long as there is a cafe, people will eat. Banning adverts isn’t going to stop them.

Mrs CH Baker

Penarth

Are public naïve about government policy?

NAIVETY is essential in the general public because without it, a lot of government legislation would not be implemented.

The present government have U-turned on quite a few pieces of new legislation because their own MPs have seen the implications of, for example, new tax legislation. 

Before any concrete is laid for that new ‘white windmill on a hill’ the company who are funding the installation have agreed what return they will get on every mega/kilowatt it generates. This is understandable good business sense.

Unfortunately, the price agreed is more than the general public are paying today. So how can there be a guarantee that energy prices will ever go down? Also, the price agreed is for every unit of energy whether is used or not. The amount of battery storage in the UK is minimal compared to countries in the world. 

The UK generates one per cent of the world’s global output of greenhouse gasses. The efforts of reducing this one per cent hit the general public hard through their pockets. Something has to give. 

Paul Blanchard

Barry

Thursday 5th February 2026

Council must take action on A48 speed limits

THE latest closure of the A48 at Bonvilston was a consequence of a three-vehicle collision involving a stationary vehicle that was waiting to turn right from the A48 towards Llancarfan. 

This is a turn frequently raised by residents as particularly uncomfortable and hazardous due to traffic speeds. We are fortunate that this collision did not result in more serious injuries.

Too many have already suffered fatal or life changing injuries due to vehicles traveling at inappropriate speeds for the village of Bonvilston.  The residents of Bonvilston fear further collisions and seek a reduction of the speed limit to the widely accepted 30mph. 

For over 25 years, the Highway Authority (Vale Council) has refused to accept that Bonvilston is a village despite all the criteria being met. Bonvilston extends for more than 600m along the road, has street lighting, and has key buildings (pub, Reading Rooms, shop, café, church and Memorial) in addition to more than 20 dwellings fronting the main road.

In Wales, the default speed limit for villages like Bonvilston is half the current 40mph speed limit. When people see the GoSafe van, they are often confused and drop their speed to what they expect for a village – 20/30.  The Highway Authority is waiting on yet another serious collision to occur in Bonvilston before correcting the speed limit. This isn’t acceptable. 

Bonvilston lacks a safe crossing to the shop and Reading Rooms and suffers from excessive traffic lane widths and narrow footways that make walking along the busy road uncomfortable and crossing particularly perilous. 

Meanwhile, the Highway Authority has obtained Welsh Government funding, and without the support of the police or local councillors, is to proceed with the reduction of the speed limit on Port and Porthkerry Roads west of Barry. The speed limit through the countryside and around the airport fence will now be the same as on the road through the village of Bonvilston.

To the west of Bonvilston, there is a cluster of recorded collisions outside the Aubrey Arms.  Also at this location, children must cross the A48 to access bus stops for school transport. 

The reduction in speed limit at the section of the A4226 at Cwm Ciddy has been justified due to a similar cluster of collisions and improving safety for those accessing bus stops. The national speed limit no longer appears to be appropriate with the crossings and turnings by the Aubrey Arms and Baffle Haus.

There is a failure to follow and be consistent on Welsh Government guidance and act where action is needed and wanted.  Seven years ago, I was informed that the A48 through Bonvilston was already included in the Vale Council’s Capital Programme for highway safety improvements. The health and safety of the residents of, and visitors to Bonvilston must now be given top priority.

Finally, residents of Llancarfan, Llanbethery and St Georges have asked for 20mph streets.  Given the nature of the narrow streets without footways, these are sensible requests, supported by Welsh Government policies. 

Action and funding must be forthcoming.

Cllr Ian Perry,

Elected Member, Vale Council

No place for The Pope in my Christian Church

IN THE Glamorgan Star (22nd January) Rev Zoe King is free to follow the man-made concoction of faiths presented by The Pope and King Charles III where she is focusing on and praising Buddhist thought as an example to follow, with an afterthought of Jesus Christ at the end.

She doesn’t state which God they are praying to but it certainly is not our God of the Bible. Did her few days away reading a few books include reading the Bible? If she did, she would have learnt that there is only one way to God, and that is through his son Jesus Christ, to whom all power of Heaven and Earth have been given.

Many verses point to this, including John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to The Father except through Me”. So preach what you like Zoe, but yours and the Pope’s teachings have no place in my Christian Church.

Kasey Burrows, Barry

Do pensioners pay too much tax?

THE wasted generation are those individuals that have retired and are now receiving a state pension.

The majority of this generation have been paying tax for over four decades, potentially five.

What do they have to look forward to?

Criticism for getting a triple lock pension increase, which by the way will automatically be taxed at 20% for those on a full pension. The prospect of a poor NHS when, due to their age, they have more need of it.

If they chose to subsidise their state pension and carry on working, these additional earnings will be taxed at 20%. Therefore if they take up “minimum wage” employment they will have an effective wage of under £10 per hour.

Any private pension they may have accrued will also be subject to 20% tax. An annual pension of £12,500, which is the equivalent of being paid minimum wage today, would attract a £2,500 tax automatically deducted by HMRC.

HMRC allow an individual to earn £1,000 of interest before tax is levied – if that individual has earned over their personal income allowance. As a state pensioner they will have achieved this level. Any interest earnings over £1,000 can be taxed potentially at a rate of 33%.

Why are pensioners the wasted generation? Why carry on working, investing etc when it is taxed so heavily. A fair percentage of pensioners are still able to work and chose not to. Every year, as a tax payer, I get a letter from the HMRC telling me how much tax I paid and how much I still owe.

Paul Blanchard, Barry

Thursday 5th February 2026

Senedd needs more transparency

I READ with interest the letters in the 22nd January edition of The Glamorgan Star regarding the expanding Senedd and wished to add that I very much share the two writers’ frustrations at the apparent disconnection between Cardiff Bay and the Welsh public.

It’s clear that the Welsh parliament hasn’t kept people fully informed over its enlargement otherwise the writers might have been aware that the size increase is necessary after the parliament gained increased responsibilities, and thus workload, following the 2011 referendum.

It’s also obvious that more should have been done to inform Welsh voters that a majority of the parties elected into power in 2021 were in favour of enlargement and they intended to address this matter upon election into power.

The people of Wales deserve a Senedd that’s transparent to all — it must work harder to keep the Welsh public informed.

G Davies

Treoes.

Is education worth the cost?

IN THE UK, there is a very high cost of going to a university and I wonder if teachers make pupils aware of the ongoing amounts of debt that will follow them.

Interest rates are high and the debt will increase year on year. Recent calculations have shown that salaries would have to be over £60 to £65k per annum before the debt starts to diminish. And then only marginally.

HMRC automatically take payments from a person’s earnings. There is a threshold where no automatic deductions are taken out of a salary to pay the outstanding amount but this is around the minimum wage mark.

There is also evidence of fewer opportunities for graduate employment. The outstanding debt students accrue does not disappear if they give up part way through the 3, 4 or 5-year term of their education.

It is critically important that teenagers are made fully aware of the implications of potentially owing such a huge amount of money beginning in their teens.

Paul Blanchard

Barry

Holocaust Memorial Day

ON Holocaust Memorial Day this year, I chose to make a personal commitment to remembrance and to learning about the Holocaust, in particular to remember the six million Jews who were murdered.

For me, remembrance is not a purely symbolic act. It is a responsibility to listen to survivors, to learn from their experiences, and to reflect honestly on how prejudice, hatred, and dehumanisation can take hold within societies. Holocaust Memorial Day offers an opportunity not only to look back, but to consider how the lessons of history apply to the world we live in today.

As part of this commitment, I wrote to the Holocaust Educational Trust to share a personal message of remembrance and to affirm my opposition to antisemitism and to all forms of hatred and prejudice. I felt it was important to articulate this pledge clearly and thoughtfully, recognising the vital role the Trust plays in education and remembrance across the UK.

Remembering the Holocaust is not a task confined to one day each year. It is an ongoing moral responsibility — to challenge intolerance when we encounter it, to listen when others speak of their experiences, and to ensure that the realities of history are neither forgotten nor distorted.

By committing ourselves to remembrance and education, we can work towards a future rooted in understanding, respect, and shared humanity.

Aled Thomas

Penarth

Thursday 22nd January 2026

Who is governing Wales?

I WAS born here in Wales – a country I was taught is a democracy – 97 years ago and was allowed to vote for the first time when I was 21. 

Since then, I have voted in all elections and referendums that have taken place, in the knowledge that many before me had fought very hard to get the vote for all the citizens of this country.  I am saddened to read that often only 45 – 48% of those entitled to vote turn out to complete their voting papers.  

However, when I look at the way in which our Welsh Assembly in Cardiff Bay behaves, maybe our citizens believe that their views are of no importance.  We hear that the ‘powers that be’ have decided amongst themselves to increase their number by 36 Senedd Members – which will cost millions of pounds – for no apparent reason. 

Surely if the idea is to make such important changes, it should be put to the citizens of the country to vote on in a referendum? If not, it seems to me more of a dictatorship than a democracy.

We are told time and again that there is not enough money to deal with the responsibilities the Assembly has towards this country and yet millions have been spent putting up 20 mph signs all over the country, including lanes, cul-de-sacs and other roads that nobody could possibly drive more than 10 mph on, and I hear they are going to put up more new signs in Welsh, at even more cost to the country.  

It seems to me that the Senedd Members are removed from the lives of citizens and I wonder who on earth is responsible for governing our country? If it’s the backroom boys, I suggest somebody opens the door and lets them out.

Basil George

Ogmore-by-Sea

Politicians don’t care about cost control

CONGRATULATIONS on your articles on page 3 of your 25th December edition. 

I suspect most ‘thinking’ people had read the previous cost details for the increased numbers of Senedd Members with a large pinch of salt knowing the limited financial skills of current members. Only a short period ago we were being told the increase in the number of members would ‘only’ be £17 million, now increased to £40 million. Makes you wonder who put the first lot of figures together! 

What the pay rise item demonstrated was the greed of politicians demanding increased salaries for less work, it cannot be an increase in work load as the numbers are jumping from 60 to 96 and whilst the defence will be that the levels are set by an independent body the question is – who selects the members of that body? 

The other item regarding the ever-increasing costs of the primary school in Cowbridge gives a clear picture of the lack of skills in tendering procedures, particularly the inference that the contract was awarded on the basis of no fixed cost, come back for more when you want, project management and control. 

I admit I am a little biased, as I have been waiting over two years to see a consultant at the University Hospital and think that better use of £40 million would be improving staffing levels in the health service.  

David Ludlow

Barry

Time to look again at St Athan facilities?

THE once impressive military base in St Athan, now abandoned, stands as a testament to a forgotten era.

Surprisingly well-preserved, the sprawling complex features an Olympic-sized swimming pool with diving boards still in place, offering a view of the swimming pool, with a large viewing deck remaining a perfect spot for spectators or daydreamers to take it all in.

Nearby, two giant sports halls stand, their vast spaces echoing with the memories of past games and training sessions. The polished floors are still intact, and indoor running track is still in place.

The well-preserved 400-seat cinema looks like it was vacated yesterday, its ticket office still waiting for the next customer. The entire base, once a symbol of strict discipline, now feels like a time capsule.

There’s a growing call to give these facilities back to the Vale so we can all benefit from these wonderful facilities. I can testify that the rumour these facilities are beyond repair is far from the truth. With 9,000 homes given the green light to come to the Vale of Glamorgan, wouldn’t these facilities be much-needed to support the growing community?

Steve Overton

St Athan

Thursday 8th January 2026

Barry town needs tidying up

I COULD not believe what I was seeing the other day when it was raining heavily in Barry.

There where workmen power washing King Square. Surely there is far more important work to do, like levelling the pavements, not just in Holton Road but in many Barry streets. There was also a need to clean up streets after the rough weather we have had, leaving broken twigs to walk on.

The town is far from what it used to be. 

P Rees

Barry

Wales is suffering from poor leadership

IN life we have to make choices all the time. In Wales our choices traditionally were based on the fire in our souls and the chapel ethos of fairness and honesty.

As we look ahead to 2026 the choices being made on our behalf leave me sad and undermine my understanding of what made me proud to be Welsh.

Our leaders are choosing to save money by cutting out a premier rugby team attacking the heart of our community spirit and the sport that has made us kings. Davids in a world of Goliaths.

Instead, our political leaders are choosing to invest millions in expanding the Senedd so that more can talk more about poverty at the same time as they use scarce resources in self- indulgence.

In England, the Labour government is planning to delay significant local elections in order to avoid embarrassing loss of standing, and Labour councillors, with very poor justification. Yet in Wales, the same Labour Party refuses to consider delaying the Senedd expansion and use these resources to tackle poverty in a hope that Labour at least will keep a toehold on power – even as a junior partner in a Plaid- led coalition.

Fairness goes out of the window and the fire in our souls is dampened down by this deceit and double standards.

Happy New Year 

Alan Jones

Wenvoe

Another great year for Cowbridge Poppy Appeal

A PUBLIC ‘Thank You’ must go to the magnificent team of people who make up the Poppy Appeal supporters in Cowbridge and the surrounding villages.

Many do not even know each other but they do have a common aim; that of supporting the Poppy Appeal. They are very wide range of people – from children in the Vale primary and secondary schools to those who are old enough to remember World War Two.

They include many businesses (large and small) who hosted a collection box, members of ATC 293 Squadron, who manned most of our Saturday collection points, members of the RBL, Cowbridge Rotary, Vale Probus, and Cowbridge Male Voice Choir, plus private individuals who collect for the appeal, sometimes in the most atrocious of weather. 

I must not, and cannot, forget the other vitally important members of this team, the public. They give loyal, generous and enthusiastic support to the appeal year after year after year whatever the economic situation. What a community!

In 2025, although there are still donations to come in, we have already banked over £25,000. 

My sincere and heartfelt thanks to all involved with the Poppy Appeal this year and in the past. A massive ‘Thank You’ to you all, relax and enjoy the festive season; you deserve it.

David Howell

Hon Poppy Appeal organiser, Cowbridge.

‘A centuries-old Service in Barry’

MAY I through your newspaper offer my thanks to the wonderful people of all ages who joined with us to sing carols and listen to the Lessons at Merthyr Dyfan Church on Christmas Eve afternoon.

The church was atmospheric – lit by candlelight and twinkling coloured lights. The amazing Barry Brass Band played traditional carols and everyone sang with gusto. When we saw the people arriving it made all the hard work worthwhile. We saw new faces and many familiar faces too.

Thank you to all who joined us and made it a truly community event. There was a spiritual awareness of the many feet that had trodden the same path for centuries to celebrate the Birth of Christ

A happy and peaceful New Year to all. 

Wendy Cook

Barry

Does The Senedd really need 36 new members?

IN less than 120 days, the people of Wales will elect 96 members of The Senedd – an additional 36 members.

The voters may also have read report in the Glamorgan Star (page 3, December 25) that this additional increase in bureaucracy is at a cost of £40 million over the next three years alone. The report also stated that the additional 36 members were needed to cover “additional responsibilities”. 

Surely the people of Wales are due more of an explanation from Wales’ First Minister Eluned Morgan? 14 existing members of The Senedd have stated that they will be retiring and not standing in May.

There will be no new constituencies. What will be the new election process? Taking into consideration that turn out has been less than 50% over the last few elections, in my opinion the people of Wales have realised the futility of worrying who is in charge. 
What could that £40 million fund? 

Paul Blanchard

Barry

Older/Archived Letters to the Editor:

Got something to say? Use the form below and tell 33,000 other readers in the next edition of the Glamorgan Star:

Glamorgan Star: Privacy policy and Terms and Conditions.

⭐ All of our social media in one handy place – here