A LOCAL resident pleads (Penarth Times, April 28) for a bus service from the seafront to the town centre, and also a service serving the barrage and cliff top.

Well, we do have these services, and what’s more, they have had them since last summer and even earlier in an excellent co-operative venture between the town council and the Vale council – continuing a similar venture initiated by the Conservatives back in 2011, when we agreed to work closely with the Vale in providing additional, improved, routes around Penarth.

Your correspondent talks about “fresh ideas” and “involving young people”. Well we councillors do all of these things, as reports from the town council clearly show, when we regularly talk to our young people in the council, as well as a lot of older and middle age folk as well.

It is all very well to slate councillors for supposed inaction and a lack of thinking, but as anyone who has ever worked in government will know, finances are limited, expansion may be restricted and everything we spend money on is under the ever-watchful eyes of the general public – and rightly so.

So perhaps we may also hear from satisfied users who really do appreciate the new bus services across Penarth that their councillors are promoting, which yet again are bringing improved transport links to the many people who help pay for them in the town.

Anthony Ernest

Councillor for the Plymouth Ward

Penarth