Town council briefed on county issues affecting Llangollen

Councillor Stuart Davies, one of Llangollen’s representatives on Denbighshire County Council, gave a run-down on recent matters affecting the local area last night’s Town Council meeting.

Invited to speak by the new Mayor, Cllr Bob Lube, he began with an update on the plan to create a day nursery for local youngsters in a new building at Ysgol Bryn Collen.

This, he said, would be somewhere safe where mums could drop off their children in a morning and pick them up in the afternoon.

Cllr Davies explained that, with his support, a community interest company had been formed to run the new facility whose members were now working on the details of funding for it.

He said that Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates had also been asked for his support.

On the issue of the future use of the former county council refuse tip on the A539, Cllr Davies said a study was being made of this and a number of possible uses had already been suggested.

These included one proposal by Friends of the Earth to turn it into some form of tourist attraction using the nearby railway and others to use it for football or rugby pitches.

Cllr Davies was questioned by Cllr Mike Pugh on what the county was doing about the “dangerous” state of the old brewery opposite Dobson & Crowther on the A5.

Cllr Pugh said that in March a large quantity of snow had fallen from the roof of the building badly damaging a vehicle being driven along the A5.

He asked Cllr Davies if he could pursue the issue with the county council.

Cllr Davies agreed to do this and explained that about six months ago the county had held a meeting about the number of derelict buildings in the town, including the old brewery.

At that meeting, he said, it had been suggested that the owners of these buildings should be ordered to do something about the properties.

Cllr Lube said another building that was giving cause for concern was the former Jobcentre in Castle Street.

Cllr Davies said this had been another of the buildings discussed at the meeting and added: “The owner won’t engage with us but  is on our radar, it is on our system.”

Questioned by Cllr Jane Palombella about the addition to the county’s Local Development Plan as a possible site for housing of an area in front of Fron Bache in Llangollen, Cllr Davies said he was opposed to this and that he would try to get it turned down and referred to the appropriate Welsh Government Minister.