Editor

Early on in the coronavirus pandemic the only indoor establishments that the public could visit with any regularity were shops selling food and emergency services such as doctors, vets and pharmacies.

Later this was extended to non-essential shops and then gradually, as they instituted coronavirus control procedures, such services as opticians and dentists.

Recently pubs, cinemas and theatres could open with some restrictions on numbers. It is thus perhaps surprising that, as I write, Ceredigion County Council (CCC) has yet to open the doors of its offices at Canolfan Rheidol even apparently to a skeleton staff let alone the general public. Its doors bear the somewhat contradictory statement.

“Welcome to Canolfan Rheidol. This office is currently closed.” Persons wishing to contact the council are given a phone number or they email [email protected]

I note your report of the CCC corporate services overview and scrutiny committee of July 7 this year in which the disconnect between Clic, the departments to which they have referred requests and complaints and the councillor or member of the public making the original request. The automatic reply to an email from Clic is merely an acknowledgement and bears no reference number or any other information. Cllr Keith Evans, the former leader of the council, has been complaining about this for a year.

I was advised by a local councillor to refer a matter concerning CCC to Clic in July 2020. Taking the pandemic into consideration, I waited until November before asking fora response. I put a hard copy of my letter into the Canolfan Rheidol letterbox in March this year. I only received a reply after my local councillor complained directly to the appropriate CCC department. I still have no reference number or the name of the officer involved. The matter cannot be resolved until they have access to their archives, which currently they only do in an emergency.

Recently a sewer overflowed on public access land owned by CCC adjacent to my house. I telephoned D?r Cymru who told me it was a CCC responsibility as it was not a public sewer. I telephoned CCC who persuaded Dwr Cymru to remove the blockage.

I am involved with a group who remove litter from the small stream running through Plascrug. We have not cleaned it for several months. At the last inspection we found a bicycle, a supermarket trolley and a litter bin from the play area in the ditch. CCC normally removes these larger items. They were still there 11 working days after the acknowledgement of our request. CCC print the ‘Caru Ceredigion’ slogan on their litter bins and many of their notices.

An Aberaeron town councillor resigned recently after 13 years of service quoting CCC abdicating responsibility for keeping her town clean as one of the reasons.

We were rather surprised to be told three weeks ago that CCC officers did not currently meet members of the public face-to face even outdoors.

The “safe-zone” road changes to traffic flow have caused considerable controversy in the Ceredigion towns where they have been introduced. Presumably CCC has become hostage to any café, restaurant or hotel owner wishing to have some tables in the road outside their establishment. Arrangements for deliveries and collections from the safe zone may have been compromised. Some of the roadworks look surprisingly permanent. Were there to be a hidden agenda to pedestrianise these towns then surely different criteria should be used for any permanent arrangements.

Does this council, which has closed its offices on a long-term basis, won’t let staff meet you and often don’t reply when contacted, wonder why it is unpopular?

David Kirby, Hafodwen, Cae Melyn, Aberystwyth.

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