
Preparations underway for Rogerstone community festival
The festival is set to be held at the Welfare Grounds on August 31 with further details still to be confirmed.
The council said it is keen to ensure the festival is a safe and enjoyable event for all attendees.
It is one of several initiatives that the community council is focusing on for 2025.
The council has also announced the appointment of a new chairperson and deputy chairperson for the year.
Councillor C. Larcombe will serve as the new chairperson for 2025/2026, and Councillor S. Bowen will take on the role of deputy chairperson.
The council has confirmed a range of key appointments, including members to the interim planning committee and representatives to public bodies such as the Rogerstone and Bassaleg Burial Board and the 14 Locks Committee.
Several community initiatives were also discussed at the annual general meeting at Tydu Community Hall on May 7.
A working group has been tasked with revising tenancy agreements for allotments and exploring a tenant-led self-management model.
A meeting with tenants is expected once internal proposals are finalised.
The council also announced a scaled-back Remembrance Sunday event for 2025.
Due to logistical challenges, including the unavailability of a marching band and road closures, the event will feature a wreath-laying ceremony at the library followed by a service at St John's Church.
Rogerstone Community Council expressed concern over several ongoing issues, including the lack of police presence at meetings and antisocial behaviour in local parks.
The council has requested senior officers to attend the next session and address these issues.
In response to complaints about off-lead dogs and waste in Welfare Grounds, the council is seeking assistance from Newport City Council to explore possible enforcement and education measures.
The council also discussed limited access to local GP services and reminded residents that issues should be raised with the Aneurin Bevan Health Board.
A potential site for a nurses' station remains in reserve at Jubilee Park.
In response to community interest, one of the existing tennis courts will be adapted for pickleball use.
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The Guardian
6 days ago
- The Guardian
Cenotaph wreath rules were changed to placate unionists, Blair-era files show
Tony Blair's government altered the rules on party leaders laying wreaths at the Cenotaph to keep unionists onboard with Northern Ireland's peace process, newly released files show. The decision was taken in the run-up to the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in 2004 to change rules drawn up in 1984 that meant leaders of parties who won at least six seats at the previous general election could lay a wreath. The old rules meant that David Trimble, whose Ulster Unionist party (UUP) had won six seats in 2001, could take part, while his rival Ian Paisley could not, after his Democratic Unionist party (DUP) won five seats. However, when Jeffrey Donaldson defected from the UUP to the DUP in 2003, the balance was reversed, and the Democratic Unionists complained they were being treated unfairly. Papers released by the National Archives show that the then Northern Ireland secretary, Paul Murphy, wrote to colleagues in government: 'We will undoubtedly face renewed pressure from the the DUP this year given that they are now not only the largest NI party but also have six Westminster MPs (and had done resoundingly well in the assembly and Euro elections).' 'But we are now involved in intensive dialogue over the political future in Northern Ireland in which the DUP, and the UUP, are the key players,' he added in a memo to which Blair was copied in. 'I fear, therefore, there are now pressing political reasons for amending the 1984 formulation.' Charlie Falconer, then the constitutional affairs secretary, expressed concern, saying there could be an 'adverse reaction' from Scottish and Welsh nationalist parties to the prospect of two wreaths being laid by Northern Irish parties while they were limited to laying a joint wreath. Paisley went on to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph for the first time, a reflection of the DUP's status as the largest party in Northern Ireland at that point, with Trimble also taking part. Other files reveal how Blair's chief of staff had urged him privately to convince 'securocrats' in the British state of the need to be brave and swiftly tear down watchtowers and armoured bases as part of a move to get the IRA onboard as the peace process hung in the balance. 'As always we have no plan B,' Jonathan Powell wrote to Blair in December 2002 at a time when he judged the situation to be 'pretty grim' after the first collapse of Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive, loyalist paramilitary violence and attempts to get the IRA to demobilise. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion But the files also illustrate the high-stakes balancing act the Blair administration was engaged in amid negotiations with Irish republicans and handling pushback from Britain's security services. 'The only way to get the IRA onboard is to go for full normalisation in one go. It is probably also the safest way to do it – we need to make republicans responsible for the safety of police in places like south Armagh with a warning we will reverse the steps if they are harmed. And that can only be done if we go the whole way,' wrote Powell. 'The securocrats will tell you that all we can do is take a few minor steps, that the threat from dissidents remains etc. You will need to convince them when you see them in the first week back that they have to draw up a plan to go straight to pulling down all towers, pulling down armoured police stations etc. This will require real bravery on their part.'


The Guardian
6 days ago
- The Guardian
Cenotaph wreath rules were changed to placate unionists, Blair-era files show
Tony Blair's government altered the rules on party leaders laying wreaths at the Cenotaph to keep unionists onboard with Northern Ireland's peace process, newly released files show. The decision was taken in the run-up to the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in 2004 to change rules drawn up in 1984 that meant leaders of parties who won at least six seats at the previous general election could lay a wreath. The old rules meant that David Trimble, whose Ulster Unionist party (UUP) had won six seats in 2001, could take part, while his rival Ian Paisley could not, after his Democratic Unionist party (DUP) won five seats. However, when Jeffrey Donaldson defected from the UUP to the DUP in 2003, the balance was reversed, and the Democratic Unionists complained they were being treated unfairly. Papers released by the National Archives show that the then Northern Ireland secretary, Paul Murphy, wrote to colleagues in government: 'We will undoubtedly face renewed pressure from the the DUP this year given that they are now not only the largest NI party but also have six Westminster MPs (and had done resoundingly well in the assembly and Euro elections).' 'But we are now involved in intensive dialogue over the political future in Northern Ireland in which the DUP, and the UUP, are the key players,' he added in a memo to which Blair was copied in. 'I fear, therefore, there are now pressing political reasons for amending the 1984 formulation.' Charlie Falconer, then the constitutional affairs secretary, expressed concern, saying there could be an 'adverse reaction' from Scottish and Welsh nationalist parties to the prospect of two wreaths being laid by Northern Irish parties while they were limited to laying a joint wreath. Paisley went on to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph for the first time, a reflection of the DUP's status as the largest party in Northern Ireland at that point, with Trimble also taking part. Other files reveal how Blair's chief of staff had urged him privately to convince 'securocrats' in the British state of the need to be brave and swiftly tear down watchtowers and armoured bases as part of a move to get the IRA onboard as the peace process hung in the balance. 'As always we have no plan B,' Jonathan Powell wrote to Blair in December 2002 at a time when he judged the situation to be 'pretty grim' after the first collapse of Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive, loyalist paramilitary violence and attempts to get the IRA to demobilise. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion But the files also illustrate the high-stakes balancing act the Blair administration was engaged in amid negotiations with Irish republicans and handling pushback from Britain's security services. 'The only way to get the IRA onboard is to go for full normalisation in one go. It is probably also the safest way to do it – we need to make republicans responsible for the safety of police in places like south Armagh with a warning we will reverse the steps if they are harmed. And that can only be done if we go the whole way,' wrote Powell. 'The securocrats will tell you that all we can do is take a few minor steps, that the threat from dissidents remains etc. You will need to convince them when you see them in the first week back that they have to draw up a plan to go straight to pulling down all towers, pulling down armoured police stations etc. This will require real bravery on their part.'


Powys County Times
6 days ago
- Powys County Times
Remembrance Sunday rules changed to protect NI peace process
Tony Blair's government changed the rules on party leaders laying wreaths at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday to protect the Northern Ireland peace process, according to newly-released official files. Papers released by the National Archives show Northern Ireland secretary Paul Murphy said there were 'pressing political reasons' why the leaders of both the main unionist parties, David Trimble and the Rev Ian Paisley, should be able to take part in the ceremony. However other ministers warned of an 'adverse reaction' from the SNP and Plaid Cymru, who were restricted to laying a single joint wreath. Under rules drawn up in 1984, the leader of any party which secured six seats at the previous general election was entitled to lay a wreath during the ceremony led by the monarch. After the 2001 general election that meant Mr Trimble, whose Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) secured six seats, could take part, but Mr Paisley, the leader of the Democratic Unionists (DUP) with five, could not. But after Jeffrey Donaldson defected from the UUP to the DUP in 2003, the balance was reversed, and the DUP complained they were being treated unfairly compared with the UUP. In the run up to the 2004 ceremony, Mr Murphy told the constitutional affairs secretary, Lord Falconer, there would be 'real difficulties' if the 1984 formulation continued to apply to the Northern Ireland parties. 'We will undoubtedly face renewed pressure from the the DUP this year given that they are now not only the largest NI party but also have six Westminster MPs (and had done resoundingly well in the assembly and Euro elections),' he wrote. 'But we are now involved in intensive dialogue over the political future in Northern Ireland in which the DUP, and the UUP, are the key players. I fear, therefore, there are now pressing political reasons for amending the 1984 formulation.' He suggested it could be tweaked so both parties which had six MPs at the last election, and those with subsequently passed that threshold through by-elections or defections, could take part. Lord Falconer expressed concern that there was 'a certain awkwardness' in the proposal, which involved overturning a clearly established formula. 'There is a further difficulty in the Scottish Nationalists, like the Official Unionists currently have five seats at Westminster. If Mr Trimble continues to lay a wreath, they might argue that they should be allowed to do so also,' he wrote. 'However, it is in fact Plaid Cymru's turn to lay the wreath in 2004 on behalf of the joint parliamentary group. The result will be, apparently, that Northern Ireland lays two wreaths while Scotland lays none.'