Altaf wrote an article on Thursday for the Gazette. He wrote about the successful campaign to save the village field in Penyfai, and what more needs to be done.
"I WAS pleased to attend a handing-over ceremony last week in Penyfai where I am a resident and also a borough and community councillor. After years of campaigning, Newcastle Higher Community Council has been given a 35-year lease by BCBC on the Pheasant Playing Field which adjoins the pub. This land, originally owned by the Court Colman Estate, was handed over to the village many years ago and ended up in the ownership of Bridgend council.
"There was an attempt recently to designate the field for new houses under the draft revised LDP but this provoked a huge opposition campaign from villagers which I fully supported and the proposals were withdrawn. This field is an important open space for villagers and the community council now intends to install more bins, upgrade the path and improve the lighting.
"This is a victory for villagers and for the community council but there are other issues in Penyfai that we should now focus on. One is the need for a pedestrian phase in the traffic lights on Tondu Road so that people wishing to walk into Bridgend from the village can cross the dual carriageway in safety in order to access the pavement which lies on the opposite side of the road to the village. I have long campaigned for this especially as Bridgend council is very keen to promote active travel routes. Well, this is a route which more people would be inclined to take if it was safer.
"It seems a no-brainer to me that if we want more people to walk that we make the route as safe as possible."