' I want to encourage other dog owner to not just bag it, but bin it.'

MS for Delyn

Over the weekend I was pleased to be able to play a part in supporting Team Wales – not just as a spectator as we took on England, with a tense victory leading to us claiming the Triple Crown – but in supporting our environment. Ahead of the Wales v England game, I put on my rugby shirt and spent a few hours enjoying the sunshine, litter-picking on a walk close to home.

Sadly in just a short space of time and distance, I managed to fill two bags with rubbish, much of which could’ve been easily recycled or at the very least put in a bin. There were also a number of disposable face coverings which had been discarded in the gutters and hedges. Please, if you can use a reusable face covering. If you do use disposable face coverings, please dispose of them correctly and safely.

Disappointingly there were also a number of dog poo bags lying about, which I added to our bag of rubbish. From my conversations with constituents I know this is an issue across our communities, from Ffynnongroyw and Greenfield Dock, to the streets of Mold and Sychdyn. I have written to Flintshire County Council to ask them to ensure that there are enough dog-poo bins, that are maintained and regularly emptied. As a responsible dog owner myself, I want to encourage other dog owner to not just bag it, but bin it.

On Saturday I also had a virtual catch up with the Mayors and Deputy Mayors of Holywell and Mold. As a group we discussed the great work being carried out by our Town Councils throughout the last year, as always, and what we can do to continue to work together over the coming weeks and months.

I will also be meeting with members of Flint Town Council in the future, to discuss local issues and challenges in Flint.

This week also saw major announcements to benefit the health and wellbeing of our future generations. From St David’s Day a number of public spaces, including children’s play areas and school and hospital grounds, must be smoke-free spaces by law. This step will help to protect children and non-smokers from the damages which second-hand smoke can cause.

I am sure that Leader readers will also join me in warmly welcoming the additional £50 million being given to local authorities to support them in making improvements to their school estate. This is in addition to almost £3.7 billion of investment from the Welsh Government into schools and colleges across Wales, to provide 21st century learning environments to our children and young people.

I will continue to work with schools across our communities and Flintshire County Council, to ensure those schools in need of support, receive as much support as possible.

As always if any constituent or business has any questions or queries they would like my support with, then please get in touch with me at Hannah.Blythyn@senedd.wales or on 01352762102.