Flintshire Disability Forum

A Forum for people with physical disabilities and sensory impairments.

Report of a Meeting held at Pavilion Leisure Centre, Flint  on Tuesday 26th October 1999.

Brian Harrison (Chairman) welcomed everyone to the meeting. He told the meeting that the buffet lunch was no longer being provided at Forum meetings, but that lunch could be got from the cafe area of the Leisure Centre. He was pleased to report that the phone line had now been installed in the Forum’s Office at Ty’r Binwydden. The Chairman reported on his attendance at the Disability Wales Conference and announced that he had been elected onto the Disability Wales Executive Committee.

SPEAKER;

KIERAN DUFF - FLINTSHIRE LOCAL VOLUNTARY COUNCIL

The Chairman introduced Kieran Duff from F.L.V.C. Kieran had been invited to give a short talk on Compact.

Kieran outlined the principles of Compact as being a partnership between voluntary bodies and Local Authorities. There had been a long history of mistrust between voluntary groups and Councils on both sides, but it was now hoped that through Compacts Authorities and voluntary groups would work closely together to provide a better service and that some services now carried out by Local Authorities would gradually pass to the voluntary sector.

Questions were asked about the financial implications to which the speaker replied that no funding was available at the moment. A member raised the concern that the Local Authorities had a hidden agenda and would be off-loading their duties to voluntary groups. The speaker agreed there was some danger of this happening and there was a need to monitor the process. Kieran Duff promised to keep the Forum informed of developments.

SPEAKER:

Ian Stokes Highways Department

Ian Stokes from the Highways and Transportation Department gave a talk on the County Council’s new transport plan which was currently undergoing a consultation process. As a result of this consultation a draft plan would be drawn up for further consultation in the spring. The final plan would be ready for submission by August of next year.

Several members raised their great concerns that the consultation was not reaching a wide enough section of people, and members strongly expressed dissatisfaction with public transport in Flintshire generally, especially in the light of the Disability Discrimination Act.

The Chairman thanked both speakers for the talks and after extending a welcome to anyone who wished to drop in at the Forum’s offices, he closed the meeting.

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