There is a group on facebook called 'you know you are from Pontypridd when...' mostly full of harmless chatter and people reminiscing about Ponty. Amongst them is the Treforest Labour Councillor Steve Powderhill.
Now things rarely get too political on there, but now and again someone will pipe up with a comment about the Council or something it is or isn't doing, to which Cllr Powderhill's inevitable answer is that political debate should be taken elsewhere. The subject of a few such comments has been the paddling pool fiasco which has stirred anger amongst a large number of Pontypridd residents in all wards - including Powderhill's.
When said Councillor started bragging about what a good job he is doing for Treforest and what dreams he has for its future (pass the sick bucket please) paddling pool campaigner (and non party political resident) Amanda Jones decided to question him on why he didn't support keeping it.
His response gave me almost as good a laugh as tonight's Mrs Brown's Boys and was certainly more inventive than Coronation Street
“Amanda, anyone who knows me knows I am my own man and will stand my ground when I believe in something, My area is Treforest and I intend to do my best to clean it up and turn it around and it is probably the most difficult ward in RCT. Ok because you don't read about me and see me in the newspapers every week other than irresponsible journalism and cheap political swipes at me doesn't mean I don't care, i'll do my talking when it is the right time and that's not now, when the time comes maybe you'll understand why I seem quiet I can assure you it's not because i'm afraid of anything, more I don't want to jeopardise anything like the grant funding etc now I respectfully ask you to put your comments about the pool on the page set up for it and when the time comes I will fight for what the people of Treforest tell me to fight for regarding the pool and everything else even if I sometimes don't agree with things I will vote in the way my electorate tell me to and actually the only thing we have voted on to date is outline planning to secure the grant funding. As i've said a few times I love this group, the chat, the memories old photos etc I don't want to spoil it with politics and neither will the majority on here so please keep politics for the right time and place not here. Thank you.”
Now the people of Pontypridd, including Treforest, have made their opinions clear. A 2077 vote to 151 in the referendum on keeping the pool seems pretty clear to me. So at what point exactly does Powderhill intend starting to listen?
He says the only thing they have voted on to date is planning permission. Yet he voted in favour of that, knowing it would mean the removal of the paddling pool. There won't be another opportunity for him and his fellow backbenchers to vote and keep the paddling pool. His chance has passed.
He attended the meeting in the Muni in October,but didn't say a word for or against holding a referendum. So when is his self enforced silence going to end?
As for posting "on the page set up for it" there is one slight problem there for anyone wanting to question him or any of his Labour colleagues - they are too cowardly to go online even and face the public never mind doing it in person.
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