Former Llangollen mayor celebrates Brexit Day

Former Llangollen mayor and county councillor Stuart Davies (pictured) has sent in this picture of his boat, which he keeps in Portugal, "dressed for Brexit Day" with the national flags of Wales, England and Scotland.

Mr Davies has been a keen supporter of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.

Police boss: Don't prosecute people using medical cannabis

A police boss is calling for assurances that people using cannabis for medicinal purposes will not be prosecuted.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones (pictured) has written to the head of the Crown Prosecution Service in Wales asking for a guarantee that sick people will not be hauled before the courts for trying to alleviate their conditions.

Mr Jones, a former police inspector, is a long term advocate of drug reform.

He was deeply touched by the recent death of Phil James, a young father from North Wales who took cannabis oil to prolong his life after being diagnosed with a brain tumour at the aged of 33.

Mr James’ case made global headlines after he advocated for the use of CBD which contains banned Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

The father-of-one from Oakenholt, near Flint, said the oil shrunk his tumour and staved off seizures allowing him to spend longer with his wife Nicola and their 15-month-old daughter, Phoebe.

He was diagnosed with a grade three tumour at the end of 2015 and it dramatically reduced in size after taking the drug.  

But Mr James then suffered a minor stroke and a CAT scan revealed a secondary tumour, causing him to suffer a series of falls, in February 2018.   

He died at Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham on January 5. 

According to Mr Jones, the case of Phil James was a perfect example of why it was necessary to ensure that people who took medicinal cannabis should not have the additional worry of being threatened with the possibility of prosecution.

It was, he said, “cruel and inhumane” for people to be criminalised for being seriously ill.

In his letter to Chief Crown Prosecutor Barry Hughes, the police and crime commissioner wrote: “I am writing to you to request your support in preventing the prosecution of those using cannabis for medical purposes.

“On the 1st November 2018 the UK Government announced that cannabis products can be legally prescribed to individuals who could benefit from the medicine. “Cannabis based products have been proven to help those suffering with a number of issues including MS, Parkinson disease and epilepsy.

“Since the legalisation of medical cannabis there have only been two individuals that have received an NHS prescription for the drug.

“Unfortunately there are hundreds of individuals in the UK that need medical cannabis to continue to live without pain and enable them to lead a normal life.

“To those who don’t have an NHS prescription they are left with two options, the first is to pay for a private prescription and the second is to cultivate cannabis with a risk of receiving a criminal record. The cost of a private prescription for medical cannabis can be up to £3,000 a month. This is a cost which is impossible to sustain yet these individuals are increasing their debts and using their savings just to live a pain free life and prevent prosecution.

“In October 2019 MPs hosted a Cross Parliamentary meeting on Drug Reform called ‘forced to break the law: how should police respond to medical cannabis users’. 

“During this meeting we heard from individuals who use cannabis to relieve their symptoms yet spend their days worrying that they will be prosecuted for their cannabis use.

“During the meeting we heard about Lesley Gibson an MS patient who has spent the last year awaiting prosecution for the cultivation of cannabis.

“In January 2019 Lesley’s home in Carlisle was raided by Cumbria Police and her cannabis plants were removed. Lesley could not afford a private prescription and was left with no option but to medicate herself for her MS and grow her own cannabis plants. Her local Crown Prosecution Service decided to take the case to where she was acquitted. The Crown decided that it was not in the public interest to prosecute an individual who cultivated cannabis for medical purposes only.

“Is this now National CPS Policy that it is not in the public interest to prosecute users of medical cannabis? If so I welcome this progressive policy change and I agree that it is not in the public interest to prosecute users of medicinal cannabis.

“Individuals are forced to cultivate medicinal cannabis because the UK Government will not support widespread prescribing of pharmaceutical cannabis by the NHS.

I look forward to receiving clarification from the Director of Public Prosecutions.”

Choral concert for St David's Day

MP signs holocaust book of commitment

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes this week signed the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment in the Houses of Parliament, marking Holocaust Memorial Day 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

After signing he said: "May we never forget the persecution of the Jewish people. I know my constituents in Clwyd South will join me in pledging to honour those who died in the concentration camps of Europe during the Holocaust, paying tribute to the survivors and ensuring that anti-semitism is eradicated from our lives.”

Police appeal follows serious A5 collision

Two people sustained serious injuries following a road traffic collision on the A5 in Glyndyfrdwy near Corwen yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, January 29th).

North Wales Police were called shortly before 3:30pm to a report of a two vehicle collision involving a Honda Civic and a Ford Ka.

The driver of the Honda was initially taken to the Wrexham Maelor Hospital but he has since been transferred to hospital in Stoke.

The female driver of the Ford Ka was airlifted by the Air Ambulance to hospital in Stoke.

Both have sustained serious but not life threatening injuries.

PC Anja Macleod of the Roads Policing Unit is appealing for any potential witnesses to come forward. She said: “The black Honda was travelling towards Corwen from Llangollen with the Ford Ka travelling in the opposite direction and I am appealing to anybody who saw either vehicle prior to the collision, or anybody who may have been travelling in the area and who may have dash cam footage to contact us.”

Anybody with information that could assist with the investigation is asked to contact officers at the Roads Policing Unit on 101 or via the live web chat quoting incident number Y012719.

Snowdrop service planned at St Tysilio's Church

* The carpet of snowdrops beginning to emerge at St Tysilio's Church. 

The picturesque church of St Tysilio’s in Llantysilio will celebrate the vast array of snowdrops in its churchyard with a special service on Sunday February 9.

The Snowdrop Service is open to all and takes place overlooking the Horseshoe Falls, the start of Llangollen Canal, a World Heritage site.  

The carpet of snowdrops which is beginning to emerge between the gravestones at St Tysilio's Church.

A5 re-opens following serious collision

Emergency services were called to a crash just outside of Llangollen earlier this evening, according to Wrexham.com

The incident took place on the A5 at Glyndyfrdwy – with police asking people to avoid the area as the road was closed.

The air ambulance was also called to the area just before 4pm, and took off around 30 minutes later heading to Stoke hospital.

The incident involved two vehicles.

Traffic Wales said on Twitter around 7.40pm that the road had been re-opened in both directions.

Denbighshire supports day for young carers

Denbighshire County Council is backing an initiative to support young carers.

Young Carers Awareness Day, led by the Carers Trust charity, is taking place tomorrow (Thursday) to raise awareness of young people looking after someone in their family, or a friend, who is ill, disabled or misuses drugs or alcohol.

As part of its Corporate Plan, the council has committed to support carers by improving the services that exist and ensuring carers of all ages are aware of the services and support available.

Cllr Huw Hilditch-Roberts, lead member for Education, Children’s Services and Public Engagement, said: “Young carers play an important role in our society when they themselves are having to cope with growing up.

“They are to be congratulated for the support they provide and I want to let them know we are working hard to support them.  Young Carers Awareness Day aims to make carers aware of their rights, to inform them of where to get help and support and to raise awareness of the needs of carers.  I would encourage any young carers to get in touch so we can let them know about the help that is available.”

The Young Carers Service in Denbighshire is provided by WCD Young Carers through Credu Connecting Carers and is currently working with 462 known young carers in the county.

Denbighshire schools will be holding a number of events to mark Young Carers Awareness Day.

* For information and support for young carers contact Denbighshire’s Children and Families Gateway on 01824 712200 or cfsgateway@denbighshire.gov.uk.  Alternatively contact WCD Young Carers for access to information, training, groups, activities, days out, and support on 01597 823800, info@wcdyc.org.uk, or https://credu.cymru/for-you/meet-wcd/ycnw/about-wcd/

Welsh towns to get £90m boost from government

Wales’s towns are to receive £90m of additional investment as part of a new Welsh Government approach to transforming town centres across the country, Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, Hannah Blythyn has announced.

The Transforming Towns package includes measures to increase footfall by making sure the public sector locate services in town centre locations, tackle empty buildings and land to help bring them back into use, and greening our town centres.

Towns are vital to environmental, economic, social and cultural well-being in Wales – around 40% of our population live in small towns of less than 20,000 people but nearly everyone identifies emotionally with a town – or city – in some way.

Many towns are struggling in the wake of declining retail sales and the way we use town centres has changed.

To help breathe new life into town centres, the Welsh Government has unveiled a new ‘Town Centre First’ approach, which means locating services and buildings in town centres wherever possible. 

As part of this approach, all Welsh Government departments will put the health and vibrancy of town centres as the starting point for their location decision-making processes.

Utilising this approach, the public sector is also being encouraged to support towns by locating offices, facilities and services within them in order to drive footfall and create or sustain vibrancy.

To support this new approach, the Welsh Government is announcing a £90m investment to transform Wales’ town centres. Investments include:

• £36m for town centre regeneration projects, extending our current capital programme for a further year and bringing in an anticipated total investment of almost £58m;
• £13.6m to tackle empty and dilapidated buildings and land. This will enable local authorities to take enforcement action to bring empty buildings and land back into use;
• £2m for coastal towns to support projects to an anticipated value of £3m which will contribute to town centre / high street regeneration;
• £10m of additional funding for the Town Centre Loans scheme, taking the total to £41.6m, to bring vacant and underutilised buildings back into use in our town centres;
• £5m funding for Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity within town centres. This will support greening projects which will deliver environmental benefits and make town centres more attractive places to visit.

The £90m Transforming Towns package builds on the £800m investment in our towns as a result of significant Welsh Government investment since 2014.

The Deputy Minister made the announcement at the Queen’s Market building in Rhyl, which has received £5m of Welsh Government funding. This forms part of a total investment of £16.5m in the town centre as a result of regeneration schemes.

St Collen's bells toll for Holocaust remembrance

* The bell-ringing team get ready in the bell tower for the quarter peal.

To mark National Holocaust Memorial Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp bell ringers at St Collen's Church rang a quarter peal this afternoon  (Monday) starting from 4.30pm.

This meant about 45 minutes of continuous ringing with the bells half-muffled as they traditionally are for Remembrance Sunday.

Six ringers took part and the quarter peal was made up of 1,260 changes.

The bells at St Collen's, high up in the tower, were installed in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.

Niro isn't just fiddling with hybrid power

Kia Niro road test by Steve Rogers

Come the end of the year more people will be driving hybrid or electric cars than ever before.

That is what the number crunchers at the car companies predict and there is no reason to doubt them. 

Hybrid and electric sales have more than doubled over the last five years but the trickle of new models will become a flood in 2020 driven by the need for all manufacturers to lower average CO2 emissions to 95g/km or less by next year.

Kia got in relatively early with Niro, launching its first hybrid in 2017, and it hit the bullseye because the crossover/SUV styling was the car nearly everyone was starting to buy and so it continues with SUV sales like a runaway train.

So is Niro the must 'go to' model for punters switching to hybrid power? Must is stretching it; rather give it serious consideration because Niro has a lot going for it.

Kia has opted for a relatively small 1.6 litre direct injection petrol engine paired with a 32kW electric motor which together muster 139bhp. It's no flyer, a sprint to sixty takes just over 11 seconds, but with the help of the electric motor it is quick off the line and with 265Nm of torque overtakes can be made without breaking into a sweat.

Rather than a continually variable transmission often used in hybrid cars, Kia has opted for a conventional automatic six-speed box and on balance this would be my preference.

The Niro's hybrid system is self charging, extending electric only mode by using the electric motor to harvest wasted energy when braking and decelerating. Drivers can do their bit by using the steering wheel paddles for braking. This not only replenishes the battery but makes passengers think you are a really smooth driver.

What we really crave is good clean economy and Niro was definitely on the money spending most of its time in the high fifties and even topping 60mpg. But drivers must play to the hybrid strengths which is gentle driving. Hard acceleration and long stretches at high speed will ruin economy to a far greater degree than hammering a similar diesel.

Kia built its reputation on value for money and once it won over customers it set about raising the quality and refinement bar. Sales heading towards the 100,000 a year show they have got it right. 

There aren't many companies that can match them for giving us all we desire in creature comforts.

Most sales are in the middle of the range but stretch one level more and the list is mouthwatering. 

Setting aside a full suite of safety features how do you fancy heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear outer seats, auto dipping LED headlights, and that is a just a snapshot.

An upgrade in the middle of last year brought Niro into line with the most up to date technology Kia can offer and that included an electric parking brake instead of the antiquated foot pedal. Thank heavens for that.

More importantly the cabin has been give a decent makeover, with an upgrade in trim quality along with the signature SUV dashboard with an impressive 10.25in touchscreen display for all the major functions, but you can still use switches for heating selections. Thank heavens for that as well.

This is a roomy family car with plenty of space for leggy children in the back. The batteries are positioned under the rear seat rather than the boot floor but even though it has a wide opening and a flat loading floor it still loses out a bit on overall space compared to a non-hybrid crossover.

The choice of hybrid motoring is growing by the month and it is always best to cast the net as wide as possible before making the final choice. 

What Niro tells me is that we have nothing to fear from going hybrid and Niro is a good starting point. My guess is a lot of people will come back to that starting point for the final sale.

Key facts

Niro HEV '4'

£29,270 (starts £24,855)

1.6 GDI; 139bhp

0-60mph 11.1secs; 101mph

54.3mpg combined

99g/km. 1st year tax £120

Insurance group 29

Boot: 373 lires

Tree-mendous Scouts do their bit for the environment

* The Scouts get to work at the Mooring Basin.

A team of volunteers from Llangollen Scout group did their bit to help the environment by planting 60 native trees in the Mooring Basin at Llangollen.

The group have taken responsibility for keeping the area free from litter and have done several clean-up sessions in the past but they wanted to do something more. 

With the help of the Our Picturesque Landscape project, a National Lottery Heritage-funded project based at Plas Newydd, and trees acquired from the Woodland Trust, the young people were able to create a new woodland shaw.

The Woodland Trust’s free trees scheme supports communities in woodland planting projects across the UK. 

At the Mooring Basin there are also several fruit trees which needed some TLC, so the group mulched the trees with compost to boost them into the new growing season and put new guards around the trees to protect them from rabbit damage.

The Our Picturesque Landscape team and the rangers within the wider Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team hope that this will be the start of many more activities with young people in the area volunteering to support their local environment.

Richard Bellamy, Director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Wales said: “We are enthusiastic about giving young people the chance to learn about and protect the environment. Thanks to National Lottery players our funding helps them to work with others in their community bringing fresh ideas and energy to the task.  

"The tree planting that the scouts have done is an excellent example of how young people can get involved, develop new skills and interests, connect with their communities and have fun.”

Cohesion grants up for grabs

North West Wales Community Cohesion Fund is inviting local organisations to apply for funding of between £500 and £3,000 to ensure that cohesion is embedded in communities.

Applications are welcomed for events or activities in the counties of Denbighshire, Wrexham and Flintshire.

For further information, contact the North-East  Wales Community Cohesion Team by e-mail: emily.reddy@wrexham.gov.uk, or call 07990 647679.

Police boss asks for extra 25p to tackle sex and drugs crimes

* North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones.

A police boss has unveiled plans for a 25p a week increase in the cost of policing to help him ramp up the crackdown on online sexual predators and county lines drugs gangs.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones says the rise – equivalent to the cost of a one-minute landline phone call – would also enable him to set up a new Economic Crime Unit to combat the growing number of fraud causes.

The proposed 4.5 per cent increase, believed to be the lowest in Wales, would cost Band D householders just an extra £12.51 a year.

Under the proposals, the force’s Major Crime Team would be beefed up with an extra 10 officers while more than 20 new ancillary police staff would be recruited to support the Commissioner’s plans to protect vulnerable people.

The frontline would be bolstered with 16 additional response officers while there would also be five more community safety officers, including three new officers for the pioneering Rural Crime Team.

Mr Jones will be seeking the backing of the North Wales Police and Crime Panel for the proposed increase at a meeting on Friday (January 31).

An on-line poll conducted by the Commissioner’s Office has found that almost three-quarters of respondents support an increase of 4.5 per cent or more.

The poll has also given a ringing endorsement of the Commissioner’s policing priorities with 95 per cent backing his war on organised crime gangs and the drive for safer neighbourhoods.

His campaigns against domestic and sexual abuse and criminal exploitation also attract over 90 per cent support while four out of every five responders also support his crusade against modern slavery.

Mr Jones, a former police inspector, said: “I am pleased that we have again been able to deliver the lower percentage increase among the Welsh police forces while once again helping increase frontline policing.

“I am elected by the people of North Wales so it is also important that I listen to them and their concerns so it is also good to know that they approve of the policing priorities I have set out.

“I work with the Chief Constable and his senior team to ensure we are able to give him the tools to do the job and he has confirmed that this increase will provide the Force with the resources they need.

“I believe the proposed increase strikes a proper and prudent balance between affordability for council tax payers and making sure North Wales Police can continue to be an efficient and effective force making the region one of the safest places to live in the UK and protecting the vulnerable.”

The latest online survey also found that over 70 per cent had a positive view of North Wales Police’s performance and almost 80 per cent were in favour of the way the Commissioner has consulted with the public.

Mr Jones added: “The nature of policing has changed hugely and we are facing new and increasing challenges so the force must evolve and adapt accordingly.

“In spite of having to absorb the swingeing cuts we have faced over recent years, we are investing in our frontline, professionalising our frontline and making us fit for the future.”

Another successful chapter for library service

Denbighshire’s Library Service is one of the best performing in Wales, according to recent figures.

The service has been ranked the best in Wales for providing informal training for users, the number of Welsh books borrowed and for having the best reach for the summer reading challenge, according to figures published.  

A total of 2,918 children participated in the 2019 Summer Reading Challenge – a reach of 26.6% of the 4-12 year old population, the highest reach in Wales (Welsh average was 10.7%).

The figures also showed that Denbighshire was ranked fifth in Wales for the number of active borrowers, sixth for the number of virtual visits to libraries and attendances at events and eighth in Wales for physical visits. 

Each council is asked to provide information to the Welsh Government ‘s Museum and Libraries Division on their performance against set targets.   

The figures, being discussed by members of Denbighshire’s Performance Scrutiny on January 30, come hot on the heels of Denbighshire’s 2019-2022 Library Strategy, which sets out how the service is due to develop over the coming years.

A volunteering strategy was launched in the summer of 2019, and offers a range of specific volunteering opportunities for adults and young people in libraries, to enable them to develop their own skills, to gain work experience, or to give back to their local community. 

The roles include digital volunteer, events and activities volunteer, young volunteer, stock volunteer and local history volunteer. There are currently 19 volunteers active in our libraries.  The service works closely with Working Denbighshire to provide opportunities for their clients to gain work experience.

The service’s activity in the area of health and well-being continues to be a particular focus and has seen significant progress during the year. 

The Reading Well Books on Prescription: Mental Health scheme in Wales was launched in July 2019, and the service has maximised on the opportunity to reach in to health and social care services to raise awareness of both the Reading Well schemes and the contribution libraries make to health and wellbeing and community resilience. 

Working in close partnership with Public Health Wales, the service has given numerous presentations to key Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board services and teams. The outcome of this concerted effort is that libraries are now seen as key partners in the preventative agenda.

In partnership with Conwy Libraries and Age Connect, the service has recently been awarded funding from the Healthier Wales Transformation programme for mental health for a project to embed the Reading Well for mental health scheme into primary care practice, and to develop the skills of the Libraries workforce in providing services to people dealing with mental health issues, aligning with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s ICAN strategy of providing support within communities.

The service also secured funding from Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council’s Dementia Aware Denbighshire plan to create dementia memory packs for families and carers to borrow, working in partnership with TIDE and Denbighshire Arts Service. Denbigh Library hosted the North Wales launch of Boots pharmacies’ endorsement of the Reading Well Books on Prescription Dementia scheme.

The service continues to develop its range of engagement and social opportunities to encourage community cohesion and to tackle isolation and loneliness – these range from reading groups and creative craft sessions to family history clubs, rhyme times for families with young children and lego clubs for older children.

Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and Communities, with responsibility for libraries, said: “The library service in Denbighshire has experienced a very positive chapter in its history.

“Our libraries are at the heart of the community and Denbighshire is bucking a national trend by investing in its facilities to modernise them and to transform them into community focal points for other council services."

AM speaks out against smacking ban

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood (pictured) has slammed those behind introducing a smacking ban in  Wales.

And he accused them of “living in an unrepresentative Cardiff Bay bubble, where sitting in judgement on others and deciding what is good for them takes priority over listening to the people they are supposed to represent”.

Speaking in the Stage 3 Debate on the Children (Abolition of the Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill,  Mr Isherwood said a ban is not wanted by the majority, has proved ineffective in countries where smacking is already criminalised, and would criminalise “normal, decent, loving parents who use a smack from time to time”.

He said: “As I said when we debated this Bill in September, I am the Parent of six, all now responsible and caring adults, a God Parent, Grandparent, Uncle and Great Uncle.

“Three of my daughters are currently pregnant. Two of these now live a few miles away in England. They told me that they are grateful this Bill will not apply to them. However, our other pregnant daughter, who still lives in Wales, is worried about the ‘Snoopers Charter’ this Bill threatens to introduce.

“In a nationwide poll in New Zealand, where smacking is already criminalised, 70% said that they would not report a parent that they saw smacking a child, but 20% would become snoopers.

“The people behind this Bill appear to live in an unrepresentative Cardiff Bay bubble, where sitting in judgement on others and deciding what is good for them takes priority over listening to the people they are supposed to represent.

“They claim to be protecting children and state that those who disagree with them need positive parenting courses.

“However, the overwhelming majority of parents already know and apply the positive parenting interventions they advocate, whilst also retaining the option of light smacking in their positive parenting toolkit for rare use in times of danger or as a last resort."

He added: “A recent survey of Welsh local councillors found that seven in 10 are opposed to a smacking ban – including a majority from each of the main parties – and that nine in 10 say that councils do not have the resources to cope with one.

“Concern has been raised that the Welsh Government has not given an assessment of the costs to social services of this Bill in terms of an uplift in referrals and an increased burden on social workers.

“I stated here in September that I had received extensive correspondence from constituents regarding this Bill, all of which had asked me to oppose it.

“Four months later, I have not received a single request from any constituent to support this Bill, not one, but I have received numerous emails from constituents asking me to support Amendment 10 as moved today by Janet Finch-Saunders, which would delay the smacking ban coming into force until the UK Government, Police, and Crown Prosecution Service have established a pathway (as an alternative to prosecution) for those affected by the changes to the law.

“This follows a recommendation to this effect in ‘The Children, Young People and Education Committee’s Stage 1 Report on the Bill’, which recognises that Policing and Justice in Wales are a non-devolved responsibility.

“It is not having boundaries that contributes to damaged and disordered lives, disturbance and delinquency, but a lack of them. Instead of criminalising normal, decent, loving parents who use a smack from time to time, we must recognise the clear difference between smacking and child abuse, which the vast majority of parents are well able to recognise. This debate is a distraction, when our full focus should be on the growing reports of the sexual abuse, exploitation and forced labour of children."

Kronospan safety raised in Senedd by AM

Questions about community safety following the fire at the Kronospan plant have been raised in the Senedd by Plaid Cymru North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd.

Mr Gruffydd raised the matter and urged the Business Minister to ensure that the relevant government minister made a statement regarding the recent fire in Chirk, which he said had caused great concern in the local community.

He added: “There are health and safety concerns there after the third fire in three years. This time, the fire burned for a week causing pollution across the town and surrounding areas. It took 48 hrs before monitoring equipment was in place – missing the worst of the pollution. But this monitoring equipment has detected Formaldehyde, a carcinogen, in the air. In the wake of this, what is the Welsh Government doing to ensure this doesn’t happen again?”

Mr Gruffydd also questioned the response of the various agencies involved in dealing with the fire’s aftermath. While praising the work carried out by the fire service, he went on to call for “an independent inquiry with community representation to establish why the fire raged for so long and why the response from agencies was so sluggish.

“Will you also support my call for independent air-quality monitoring equipment to be based permanently there – the current temporary equipment had to be moved from Swansea?”

The Business Minister has pledged to respond to his request.

County to vote for business improvement scheme

* Llangollen county councillor Graham Timms, left, speaks on the BID at the cabinet meeting.  

The county council is to vote for Llangollen’s planned Business Improvement District (BID) on behalf of the properties it owns within the area the scheme covers.

On March 19th 200 local businesses will be balloted on whether they wish to be part of the BID which aims to raise cash to pay for projects aimed boosting their trading potential.

If the vote goes in favour of the scheme each business will be asked to pay a levy to help raise £88,000 a year, or a total of £440,000 over the five years it will last.

It is proposed that all eligible businesses will pay a banded levy towards running the BID.

Smaller businesses with a rateable value of less than £2,500 and businesses that fall into the industrial, manufacturing, storage, and workshop sectors will be exempt from paying the levy as will the two schools, according to a report on the BID which went before the county’s cabinet at its meeting yesterday (Tuesday).

Members were asked to consider voting “yes” to the scheme on behalf of the properties it owns in the BID area and to approve the payment of the levy contribution on each of them.

Officers have said there are 10 county-owned properties involved.

Introducing the report to cabinet its chair, Cllr Hugh Evans, said there had been “an awful lot of consultation and engagement” on the BID proposal in Llangollen.

And he made the point that what it could achieve for businesses was “over and above” what the county council could provide for them.

He added: “This is clearly about the business community investing it what they consider are the priorities they hope will move their businesses forward.

“Llangollen has always been an ambitious and busy town and if the BID does take off it will help to deal with some of the pressures from a business perspective.”

Cabinet member Cllr Tony Thomas said he had heard Llangollen businesses had been very supportive of the BID, the benefits of which he described as “excellent”.

Llangollen county councillor Graham Timms, who was allowed to speak on the matter as local member although he doesn’t sit on the cabinet, said he and fellow local member Melvyn Mile were “very keen supporters” of the BID.

He added: “I don’t have a business in the area so I shan’t be voting or anything but certainly it is something we think is very exciting.

“I have to declare an interest as chairman of the Llangollen 2020 Committee and some of the things they might be supporting are some of the things that are involved in that [the BID].”

Cabinet members went on to give the go-ahead for the council to vote in favour of the BID on behalf of its properties in the area and to pay the appropriate levy if the March 19 vote goes in its favour.    

The maximum possible levy cost to the council would be £9,980 a year and as schools are excluded then the cost would be £6,230 a year.

The council report says: “For the BID to be established, two conditions must be met. Firstly, a majority of those voting have to vote ‘yes’ and secondly those who vote ‘yes’ have to represent more than 50% of the total rateable value of all votes cast.

“If both majorities are met then the BID can be established and all businesses within the defined boundary are liable to pay the levy irrespective of whether they voted “yes” or “no” at ballot.

“If established, a BID runs for a maximum of five years. Beyond that if the BID wishes to continue then a new proposal must be developed and another ballot held.”

The report goes on: “In June 2018 the council’s Economic & Business Development (EBD) Team were invited by a group of businesses in Llangollen to discuss the idea of a BID and the potential for a Welsh Government grant for BID exploration.

“A grant application was lodged and was successful in securing grant aid.”

Consultants Mosaic Partnership were appointed to work with business in Llangollen to undertake a study into the feasibility of establishing a BID and to develop a proposal to take to ballot.

A task group to oversee the project was formed and, according to the report, has since been undertaking consultation with businesses, market research and project planning to develop the BID Business Plan. This has involved face to face discussions, an online survey, presentations and consultation in the town centre.

If the vote goes in its favour the BID will commence this summer and its initial term will run for five years.

An incorporated Company Limited by Guarantee will be established to deliver the business plan/proposals. It will be responsible for the delivery of the BID services and it will employ staff as appropriate to implement the BID board’s programme on a daily basis.

The council report adds: “Businesses could vote against the BID. To minimise this risk the Task Group are developing a robust business plan that has had engagement from businesses and demonstrates value for money to all potential levy payers.”

MP calls for independent monitoring of Kronospan

* Chirk residents at the MP's surgery last Saturday.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes has called for the independent monitoring of air quality and noise levels at the Kronospan factory in Chirk.

Mr Baynes held a walk-in surgery at the Parish Hall in Chirk last Saturday which was attended continuously by local residents from 9am – 5pm either in groups or individually. 

He says the main topic of discussion was the recent fire at Kronospan and people’s concerns about air quality and noise levels at the factory.

Mr Baynes said: “There is huge concern locally about the recent fire at Kronospan and how it started so it is vital that an open and transparent investigation is conducted into the causes of the fire and that the full findings of the report are made available to the public. 

"Residents of Chirk and the surrounding area also spoke on Saturday about their ongoing concerns about air quality and noise levels from the factory and these issues need to be addressed urgently by Kronospan by independent monitoring.

"I am working with Chirk Town Council and Wrexham Council and look forward to these matters being progressed with Kronospan.”