Back in January, in a post about potholes and budget cuts to highway maintenance of £3.3m over the next three years, I included a reference to council plans to 'enhance' four roundabouts in Llanelli as 'gateway displays' with walls, flowers and signs.
The planning applications went through, I imagine, with very little fuss and publicity, and the works started a few weeks ago. At which point questions were raised about the cost. The council responded to the Llanelli Star and said the entire amount - £190,000 - was from EU grants and the Welsh Government.
It appears the council were a little economical with the truth and later admitted that in fact it had coughed up £45,000 itself towards the project.
Local people questioned exactly how beneficial these expensive 'enhancements' were to Llanelli and for the council to justify such expenditure, wherever it came from, and which doesn't include, of course, the long term maintenance and upkeep of the displays.
Meryl Gravell was wheeled out to deliver a typical council response claiming that;
"Research has shown that improving the environment in and around town centres makes shoppers and traders feel better and encourages inward investment."
The planning applications went through, I imagine, with very little fuss and publicity, and the works started a few weeks ago. At which point questions were raised about the cost. The council responded to the Llanelli Star and said the entire amount - £190,000 - was from EU grants and the Welsh Government.
It appears the council were a little economical with the truth and later admitted that in fact it had coughed up £45,000 itself towards the project.
Local people questioned exactly how beneficial these expensive 'enhancements' were to Llanelli and for the council to justify such expenditure, wherever it came from, and which doesn't include, of course, the long term maintenance and upkeep of the displays.
Meryl Gravell was wheeled out to deliver a typical council response claiming that;
"Research has shown that improving the environment in and around town centres makes shoppers and traders feel better and encourages inward investment."
Meryl is vague as to what this 'research' (always a useful word to drop in) might have actually been, presumably it found that as we negotiate our cars around worsening potholes our simple minds are easily distracted by floral displays and dry stone walls. Who knew...?