The Story So Far...
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26 January 2010
The people of Bangor Community Group was set up following the huge response we had from our ‘THE CITIZENS OF BANGOR, DESERVE BETTER’ Face book group. Over a thousand members agreed that the City was not getting fair play from the Gwynedd Council considering they were the highest tax payers in the County.
The members were also sick and tired of witnessing time and time again the diminishing of many Community assets only to be replaced by Students accommodation. They also felt that there was a lack of investment for our City’s youth of today !!.
This inspired the cities people to stage a protest March down the High St to the town Clock to show their anger at a City with no voice.
REASON TO PROTEST !
* As well as issues of what the Gwynedd Council aren’t doing, in some ways what we are complaining about are things that they are already doing. What we want is that Bangor is empowered to do these things for ourselves. How can we be proud of the City when we have no control over anything that happens here.
They decide what they are going to do and then tell us and call it consultation. They sit back and let the City decline and expect us to be grateful for what they do too little too late. They stand back while the big retailers move out of town and have no plan for how the centre isn't to decline to a ghost town .
When plans are put to Gwynedd they shouldn’t be passed without the input of the Bangor people. There’s no point having open meetings and consultations on development proposals for Bangor when no matter what we the Bangor public think, they are going through no matter what !!
The Council should start a proper consultation process. They need to put the people of Bangor in the driving seat so that we can feel as though we own the place.
This City should belong to us not Gwynedd Council, We should decide how we spend our monies.
* Because the City of Bangor deserve better.
* We the Bangor public want a Voice.
* And most importantly we the Bangor public want better Public Amenities.. . .
. . . SKATEPARK / BOWLING / PLAYGROUNDS / CINEMAS / FOOTBALL CLUB / THEATRE / SWIMMING POOL / SPORTS CENTRE / TENNIS CLUB - The list goes on and on and on !
AGAIN AND AGAIN WE HEAR OF PLANNING APPLICATIONS BEING THROWN OUT FOR BANGOR, BUT ALWAYS BEING PASSED FOR THE CAERNARFON AREA!! - Not unless the plans are for Accommodation that is not needed !. The City of Bangor Council should decide this not Caernarfon Councillors.
People Marching can decide whether to start from either TOP FARRAR ROAD NR LIDLS or BEACH ROAD. Both will meet at the Town Clock where any member of the public will be invited to speak.
Over 500 Bangorian’s took to the streets and listened to speakers expressing their disappointment in the Gwynedd Council and demanding change.
Following that massively successful day everyone in Bangor were talking about the protest, people stood up and wanted to be involved, feathers were ruffled and people in high places started to listen to the City people’s concerns !.
Not long after, the Citizens group held a public open meeting in the Menai, Upper Bangor.At this meeting we decided to set up a Community group rather than a Political party which many people wanted.
On the 20th of May at the City Council Chamber the Group was launched. A packed room voted the Committee in and the group was formally introduced as ‘THE PEOPLE OF BANGOR COMMUNITY GROUP!’
Since being set up the group has gone from strength to strength. We attend meeting after meeting with various agencies within the City, We speak to people and we have decided to do as much as we can to uplift the Community Spirit in Bangor.
We have done many fun kids discos, raised funds through Car Boot sales and our big project for 2010 is to re establish the famous Bangor Carnival. We have become members of the Bangor Pride and regularly hold meetings with the hierarchy of the University.
We strongly believe that for this City to prosper once again, that we all need to work and talk together to find a united Goal. The talking has begun, now it’s time for action. Apathy may be at an all time high, However, if we just sit back and let things get worse then I dread to fear what will become !.
We hope that by re establishing the Carnival all the City’s people will come and unite as one to light that Community spirits spark that the City needs.
If the Carnival (see link) is successful then we hope more volunteers will come on board and help us help them by staging other events and celebrations within the City
IT’S OUR CITY – LET’S LOOK AFTER IT !
images in our gallery !