Council Meeting - Community Land Trust, Railway Line and Future Events

I got to the Council Chamber in time for a short film show!
Two ladies from the Bronllys Well Being Park Action Group were giving a talk to the councillors, and asking for support. The film was a short introduction to the work of Community Land Trusts. These are local, volunteer run, organisations to provide affordable homes. There are now 175 groups around the country, half of them having been set up in the last two years. There's more information about them at:
www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk
Talgarth and Bronllys local councils already have a representative on the committee, and the ladies were asking for a representative from Hay, as Hay residents also use the hospital. The plans for the future of the hospital and grounds have been going on for some time - they want to transform the 65 acres (or possibly 72 acres, depending on how you measure it) into an eco-village of affordable housing, with the hospital, a community transport hub, cycle paths and solar power. Ian Crawley, the advisor to the project, is giving his services free.
Sadly, bits of the hospital grounds have already been sold off by the Health Group, including the house at the front gate and the Mansion House and walled garden at the top of the site. But this still leaves a lot of hospital buildings and grounds to work with. The grounds are registered as a historic park, so the plans for the future have to be sympathetic to the present lay out. The stroke unit there is supposed to be one of the best in the UK.
The Action Group have been liasing with the hospital League of Friends, and they will be having their next meeting on 23rd March. They can be contacted on:
powelllydia@hotmail.com

The clear up of the railway line path was a great success at the weekend, and the Council wanted to say how very impressed they were with all the hard work of the volunteers who turned up on the day, and the Woodland Management Group which organised the day. Two and a half lorry loads of rubbish were moved!
Letters will shortly be sent to all the houses backing onto the railway line encouraging them to keep the area tidy.

And it's the Queen's 90th Birthday this year. When the Food Festival is on in June, the Council will be taking over the marquee one evening for a dance, and there will be a parade through the town. A commemorative medal was passed around for comment - the Tower Mint are producing them for £1.99 each for schools and councils, but there is a minimum order of 50 medals, so I don't think the Council are going to bother.