I WOULD like to respond to Mr Gwyn John’s comments in the B&D on November 20. He says he “thinks” the merger with Bridgend is the most “common sense” move, but in the B&D article he quotes no facts or figures to support this statement.

He refers to people airing views in the local press in favour of the Cardiff option and I can take an educated guess who this might be and if I am correct then I can say that at least this person supported his arguments with facts and figures. Why did he not challenge these if he thinks he is correct?

Mr John says we would have a lower slice of the cake for VOG with a merger with Cardiff but would this be a larger cake? He refers to Cardiff’s misdemeanours but as I understand it some 20 years ago! Cardiff today is a thriving city, one to be proud of, and a place where my family and friends go to be entertained, to shop and to work. We very seldom go to Bridgend.

He says that if the VOG merges with Cardiff that he will leave the VOG. Well, either way he may have to if the result is fewer councillors. I would urge the council to be open and honest with the council tax payers in this debate and to focus on the services they provide residents rather than be swayed by their own self-interest, also to base their decision on facts and figures rather than Mr John’s “common sense” view point.

Also stated in the article was a sentence indicating best practices, I would reply by saying that the coastline, housing, transport and retail needs go in both directions? Probably more so in Cardiff’s direction if you live in the eastern part of the Vale.

Frank Cleland

Barry