On the plus side we have at long last established the Builth sub-group which has started promisingly and has a programme of local issues to campaign on.

As regards our main focus over the year – planning and building control – there have been some small successes

-       working with Tony Crowhurst from Torfaen DAP we have put together a power-point presentation outlining the main issues of concern to disabled people; this has already been shown to Powys County Council [PCC] and the Beacons National Park [BBNP] planners and building control, Monmouth, Blaenau Gwent & Torfaen officers, Powys Planning Agents and BBNP members. In March it will be shown to officers and councillors in Carmarthen, Pembroke and Ceredigion, and further invitations are in the pipeline:

-       initial discussions have been held with PCC over the licensing function and it is possible that all on-line and paper licence applications will include a warning that premises and public events are liable to legal action from disabled people if reasonable steps are not taken to make them accessible:

-       we have won a small, but possibly significant, victory with PCC planners who intended to grant permission for a restaurant where the applicant proposed to install a stair-lift to take disabled customers up to the first floor: after our threat to make a formal complaint to the CEHR a condition has now been imposed requiring the installation of a chair-lift capable of carrying a powered chair plus occupant: until now our requests to both PCC and BBNP to impose conditions relating to disability and access have been refused:

-       our relationship with Brecknock building control continues to be helpful and, with their assistance, we are pursuing a formal complaint to the Construction Industry Council against a private building control company in Swansea over breaches of the b/c regulations at various developments validated by them.

Areas where we have been less successful are

-       in meetings with the WAG minister and her Planning Division officers [we met them jointly with DAP, Arvon and Wrexham access groups + the Pembroke Access Officer] our aim of achieving a re-issue of the guidance notes on the access statement requirement was met with no acknowledgement by them that the notes were inadequate or any interest in what was actually happening on this issue throughout Wales

-       the PCC Disability Equality Scheme continues to be a black hole [absorbs energy and emits no light], and we dare not mention the police or the health authority in this connexion. There is clearly no one on the PCC Board who is taking this forward, and the Chief Executive – despite his fine words after being taken around Brecon in a wheelchair and limited-vision goggles – also ignores the problem. It is now just over two years since the Council adopted the Scheme and there has been no meeting with us since February 2007, and not one of the many ‘targets’ set have been met. In contrast the BBNP are willing to discuss our concerns (although not always willing to adopt our suggestions) and, as far as access statements are concerned, are now properly assessing the content of statements prior to validation and starting to reject those not considered sufficiently informative:

-       in relation to the above, the demise of the Disability Rights Commission and the creation of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights has clearly had an adverse effect on the disability movement. PCC, and indeed all other public bodies, can effectively ignore their Disability Equality Schemes with the excuse that they now have to have an ‘equality’ agenda. This already has, and will continue to dilute what little effectiveness disability organisations possessed:

-       all members will be aware that the PCC clear pavement policy remains in limbo: again, two years after its adoption there is still uncertainty as to how, and when it might be implemented – it is obviously not a very high priority for the officers or the Board:

-       regrettably, due to lack of resources and engagement, the Brecon sub-group has cut back meetings to bi-monthly, and the Hay sub-group has been temporarily suspended: fortunately the Ystradgynlais sub-group is very active and well rooted in the local community: and – see Builth above. The reasons for these reversals need to heeded.

One important matter which will have to be resolved fairly soon is the matter of financial resources and the employment of a Co-ordinator. Currently Kathryn is employed on a short-term contract for 6 hours per week. This expires on 31 July next. Since last August the source of the funding for this expenditure has been the Yapp Foundation, topped up by £800 per annum from our own reserves. The Yapp Foundation grant lasts for a further two years, but is sufficient only to pay for approx 4  hours a week.

On a different level the Group may wish to re-assess the wider situation to see how best we can serve the needs of disabled people in Brecknock. We have already noted that, following the first flush of interest in 2004, virtually no service providers are making any effort to upgrade their service or premises to be accessible for all. While we have been concentrating on working with statutory bodies to make their policies more effective we should perhaps now consider confronting the service providers head on, which will mean individuals [with support] taking legal action. This issue should, at least, be discussed.

Finally, on a personal note – and also on behalf of Dave Summers – I would hope that our decision to stand down as Chair and Vice-Chair respectively will give the new officers and committee the opportunity to take a fresh look at the various options for realistic activity over the coming period that can be sustained with the resources available.

John Phillips – March 2 2009

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