Hundreds of residents protest against plans for a travellers' site on the former greyhound track in Fforestfach

“The problem I have is there seems to be no clarity on who`s at fault here with selecting the 5 sites not us say Labour, not us say Lib Dems, what? You all don`t know each other? You all don`t know what plans are being put in place, for example 5 unsuitable sites for Travellers? Who`s paying for this? Welsh Assembly I hear, not Swansea council, so were are paying for it? Yes we are.It will be interesting to see how many Councillors come out to help the residents to stop the 2nd site in Gorseinon Penplas and Fforestfach.I would really like to meet the Councillor at the Waunarlwydd meeting on Saturday who was informed that a small number of residents at the dog track protest were verbally abused by Travellers making racist comments.One policeman stepped in to calm them down, then the men marched over aggressive threatening then the officer called for help two police cars came down Ystrad Rd at full pelt.The Councillor said it was a police matter not a Council matter, beggars belief!!. So they 2nd site has been selected yet and we`ve already had our first disagreement with the Travellers.So no to all 5 sites.Full Stop look at it again!”

“by bennyhill4
You don't remember the battle for Garth Farm when they tried to set up a site there! Oh that was when the guess what the Labour party was trying it on! And when this the sly attempt to put them on the Park and Ride by a Seasoned Councilor John Hague who new full well about planning permission the so called independent! The Labour councilors kept their despicable mouths shut for 5 years! Oh sorry they did manage to mention it in their election pamphlet! Being a Morriston resident I know exactly their involvement ! If you had been manning the barriers at Garth Farm you might know something about this fiasco "Not the making of those who has to live with it"!! Okay you want to support your Labour Party good no you but my life's experience! They are about as useful to the city of Swansea as flatulence would be in a space suit! Remember we had to endure the liberals for 8 year because of their incompetence!!”

“JohnSW4, I agree with some of what you say but lets clear up some facts. There are 72 local councillors and only about 8 get extra for added responsibility. Now the councillor that was the member who gave a verbal agreement for them to stay was an independent who was part of the last lot who had control of the council, and the electors in his ward in their wisdom re-elected him in may(BIG MISTAKE) People criticise the council for events which happened years ago which had absolutely nothing to do with the councillors who are in now.”

“by bennyhill4
A quote from a councilor on earnings!
http://tinyurl.com/bxal27k
We get about £12900 a year for being a councillor. If you have extra responsibilities you get more, and I get around £10000 for being the cabinet member for education! You did not mention the extras that are involved!
Now what do you think a councilor that was in charge of the environment(Perk)extra!!! is worth when it took him nearly 2 years to remove traveler from in front of the Accountants and solicitors directly in front of the park and ride Llansamlet and the behind their offices turning up with the police to remove them and in his infinite wisdom turned around and give them verbal permission to park "Yes on the park and ride"!! that's why Swansea council lost the court case to remove them!!
Now try and work out the cost to us! Failed court case!! £90,000 cleaning up filth and I mean filth! Plus providing them with toilets and running water and the sums of revenue lost from the park and ride being made a no go area!!I think there is a case for the Swansea tax payer to ask for their money back after all in the "real" world they would be sacked immediately for incompetence ! And a fine for not providing a second sit would work out cheaper for us and if the good people of Swansea stuck together guess what!!”

“Enion, you quite rightly state that the 5 short listed sites are in labour wards, one of which is a ward i live in, but you fail to mention that these 5 sites were short listed by the previous lie/dem independent coalition months before labour took control of the council.
Eighties jack, no i am not a councillor, but i do know one quite well and i think you are missing the point i am trying to make which is of course nobody wants a 2nd site in swansea but the council has a legal responsibility to supply one and if they dont they will be heaily fined (taxpayers money) an an outside body will come in and do it anyway.
JohnSW4,
"councillors are earning more money than they could in the real world". The pay for a local councillor is £13000 per year, if you think that is more than they could earn in the real world, then i suggest you are not living in the real world”

“'Bennyhill4' You sound like a council sympathizer, your not a councillor with a fake user name by any chance are you? because you sound like your full of rubbish just like them. It is a LEGAL requirement for people to apply for planning permission so they can build extensions and loft conversions to the property they own to the council but that doesn't apply to travellers' on these so called LEGALLY required sites or illegal sites does it? They blight communities and people do NOT want them setting up next door so they can deface theirs. No second site needed or wanted! End of discussion!”

“Who the hell is Anne Richards??? The Valeo site in Gorseinon is right next to hundreds of homes, business and schools. There are also other plans for this site. I would never dream of suggesting another community for a travellers site! Think before you speak you ridiculous woman! What grounds do you have for saying Gorseinon is a better place than Fforestfach to house travellers? Surely the point of this protest is to say we don't want another travellers site anywhere?? Not just to save your ****** old dog track site!”

“I hope to see Ann Richards at the protest march in Gorseinon to explain why she thinks Gorseinon would be the right choice because she seems to have all the solutions for Melyn Mynach site! The People of Gorseinon are going to turn out in huge numbers on Sunday to let the council know there feelings, Gorseinon has had enough of being Swansea councils pimple on its backside.
Also the Evening post should be ashamed you are our newspaper and should not be taking sides and stirring it up between communities.”

“Anne Richards what a disgraceful comment! 'I do think the Valeo site in Gorseinon would be better' That area is used for people walking their dogs and the children play there and go on learning trips with the school. And when it snows there is lots of children over there going down the hill! People use that space for fitness too, always people running there! That area should be used to make a park for the hundreds of children in Gorseinon and surrounding areas! There isn't much for children to do around here , people are always complaining about children being kept indoors playing on computers, well lets build a park there and give them something more to do! I don't have a dog to walk over there but I do have children and we go over there and do rubbings of the bark and leaves etc and take along a picnic. I wouldn't have anywhere else like that to go if they give that area to the gypsy travellers. As a child they took away my local park for travellers and dont want the same for my children!”

“I've said this before and I'll say it again. People voted Labour last year and somewhere in Swansea Labour are going to sell their voters down the river, because it's going to go to ONE of these sites, all of which are in LABOUR wards.

And let's not forget either that the whole process is based on legislation which has been put together by the LABOUR Government in Cardiff Bay (You know, the one that told us all to "Send a message to Westminster...).”