People urged to attend tonight's Town Meeting

Campaigner and local resident Martin Crumpton has sent this message to llanblogger urging people to attend tonight's annual Town Meeting:

On Thursday, 27^th March, the Llangollen Annual Town Meeting takes place between 7pm and 9pm in the Town Hall, and I strongly recommend everyone to come along to what will be a very lively affair.

Mayor Lube has followed former-mayor Jon Haddy in devoting most of the meeting to questions and answers from residents, unlike the previous and highly contentious practice of filling most of the time with guest speakers.

Make no mistake, these meetings aren’t sleepy, quiet affairs for half-a-dozen residents raising concerns over trees and dog mess anymore – they’ve been standing-room only in recent years.

There’s much to be questioned in a year that’s seen the closure of the Cottage Hospital, HSBC, the disappointment of the Christmas lighting, jobs at Dobson & Crowther, the cost of reinstating the chain bridge, the development of Cilmedw, the ongoing cost of the CCTV, the purchase of the garden opposite the Royal Hotel, the state and cost of the Town Hall, the new Health Centre and integrating its parking space, and the Town Council’s view on Plas Madoc and other campaigns.

You may not know, but Llangollen is in a very exclusive club of UK towns accredited by Cittaslow, the organisation that began as the slow food movement in Europe.

It acknowledges that Llangollen is among the best for business and community. With this accreditation, doors are open to funding, and we can all give ourselves a pat on the back for this recognition that Llangollen is a great town, and great place to live and work.

Immediately following the Annual Town Meeting, the Cittaslow team will be holding its inaugural public meeting to elect a committee. How any funding obtained is spent is crucial, and ideas are needed to help draw people into buying local.