MP welcomes government cash aid to local businesses

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes has welcomed the announcement that the UK Government-owned British Business Bank has issued its 75,000^th loan through its Start Up Loans programme, marking more than £623 million invested in small businesses across the UK since its launch in 2012.

Across Wales, 3,443 loans have been made so far to small businesses and entrepreneurs, totalling £32,226,155 with the average loan being £9,360. 

Self-employed people in Clwyd South have accessed £7,500,000 worth of Government grants, which do not need to be paid back, to cover lost earnings. 

And £20,514,589 has been paid out to local businesses in the form of Bounce Back Loans, which provides loans of up to £50,000 within days of an application.

Mr Baynes said: “Small businesses in Clwyd South are the backbone of our local economy, and this Conservative UK Government has long been committed to giving them all the support they need to flourish and thrive.

“Our Start Up Loans scheme has now provided £32,226,155 worth of investment and support to thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs across Wales, including for those who may otherwise have struggled to access it, helping to drive investment here and boost our local economy.

“As we build Clwyd South, Wales and Britain back in the months ahead, I will continue to work to give our local entrepreneurs and innovators all the support they need to keep them in business so they can create and protect jobs.”

Local roadworks alert

Latest roadworks alert from one.network is:

Church Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 31 August — 04 September Delays likely - Road closure Works location: 7 Works description: EXCAVATE IN FOOTWAY FOR REMOVAL OF FAULTY LINK BOX AND REPLACEMENT WITH NEW.... Responsibility for works: MANWEB Current status: Advanced planning Works reference: GY03011181356

St Collen's welcomes its congregation for the first time in 22 weeks

* Father Lee gives the blessing to parishioners outside the church.

* The socially-distanced congregation.

* Father Lee leads worship inside the church for the first time in 22 weeks. 

After 22 weeks in lockdown St Collen's Church finally opened for worship with a congregation this morning (Sunday).

Vicar, Father Lee Taylor, began with a blessing ceremony outside the building before over 50 worshippers, who were requested to wear masks, filed inside the church which had been specially prepared with extra space between the pews to allow proper distancing and hand sanitization.    

Before going inside people had their temperature taken. 

No hymns were allowed but there was a full service including the celebration of Holy Communion.

Later everyone was invited to a barbecue in the car park  prepared by Fabiano Silva. 

In his address, Father Lee spoke of how challenging lockdown had been including the cancellation of 21 weddings due to have been held in church.

It was revealed that during the period from June when only private worship had been allowed 773 people had visited St Collen's.  

Operators to increase bus services from today

Denbighshire County Council has been working with bus companies and the Welsh Government to ensure capacity is increased on services while maintaining social distancing guidelines.

From today (Sunday) services will run at between 70 and 100 per cent of their pre-covid-19 timetable with the addition of extra buses on services across the county, with funding secured from Welsh Government.

Cllr Brian Jones, the council’s Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “The council has been working closely with bus companies to ensure extra buses will be provided in Denbighshire to increase capacity while maintaining social distancing, allowing more passengers to travel safely.

“I would like to thank the team at Denbighshire and bus companies for the hard work during this long process.

“The extra capacity will ensure pupils returning to school in September who travel on public transport and customers will be able to use services safely and with as little disruption as possible.”

Customers and those travelling to school via public transport are being reminded that face coverings must be worn at all times while using public transport.

The council has previously introduced the Fflecsi pilot in Denbigh and Prestatyn, which allows people to request a demand-responsive bus to pick them up near home, work or shops for essential travel, rather than following a set timetable at fixed bus stops.

Cllr Jones added: “While up-to-date time tables are available online, we are in the process of replacing time tables at bus stops with the latest service information and would like to thank residents for their understanding and patience during this time.”

* For more information or to see the latest bus timetables for services in the county visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/travel

Life returns to normal along the railway line

* Foxcote Manor steaming through Berwyn station. 

Llangollen Railway photographer George Jones was out and about along the line yesterday to capture a couple of stunning images of life gradually returning to normal following lockdown.

First he shot the railway's flagship engine Foxcote Manor - complete with its "Thunderbirds are Go" slogan on its headboard - passing Berwyn hauling the first passenger train of the day.  

Near the Chain Bridge later he snapped people watching the progress of a group of whitewater rafters through the River Dee gorge.

 * Rafters testing their skill near the Chain Bridge.

Steve completes his high-wire challenge and raises over £200

* Steve flies like a bird on the zipwire over Bethesda.

A long-standing volunteer with Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has successfully completed a hair-raising challenge in aid of overseas competitors – despite being as old as the festival itself.

Steve Price, who lives in Johnstown, has been helping out at the eisteddfod for the past quarter of a century.

And after identifying a growing problem with attracting competitors from overseas he decided to take the heart-stopping high ride at Zipworld in Bethesda on Thursday afternoon.

He accomplished his high speed challenge and raised over £200 into the bargain.

Steve, who is manager at Sharps Bedrooms at Island Green in Wrexham, said: “I am the same age as the eisteddfod, 73 this year.

“I have been a volunteer with them for the past 25 years.

* Steve said he was "absolutely terrified" of heights.

“Over that time it has become increasingly difficult for overseas and UK competitors to take part in this fantastic event due to the ever-increasing costs of travel, accommodation and visa applications.

“The money I raised from my Zipworld challenge will go to support all competitors and the continued success of the eisteddfod.”

Before taking to the high wire, he explained that he was “absolutely terrified” of heights.

Afterwards he said: “I am not a thrill-seeker and the thought of jumping off a mountaintop some 500ft in the air and travelling at speeds approaching 100mph above a quarry and a lake was not something that I would under normal circumstances consider. But this was my challenge.”

Apart from the eisteddfod, Steve was also doing the challenge in aid of Hope House Hospice.

* He says donations to the eisteddfod are still welcome on his JustGiving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/steve-price24?fbclid=IwAR1i4rRJR9Vvlo7m_Ba3uEUUM9xZBD3jYEWb8gH9rEvnKpwuDTKyP3EnFQU&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_content=Steve-Price24&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_source=Facebook&utm_term=w5XeEajZJ

If anyone wishes to donate to Hope House they should go direct to the hospice’s website and follow the links there.

Free school meal information in Denbighshire

Parents and guardians in receipt of direct payments for free school meals will continue to receive the payment for the first two weeks of term, says the county council.

Those receiving the payment will be required to use the funds to pay for their child’s meal while at school up until Friday, September 11.

The last direct payments are being made on Monday, September 14 (for the week of September 7th – 11th) after which children eligible for free school meals will receive them in school free of charge.

During school closures the Council has been providing direct payments to those eligible for free school meals with money provided to parents or guardians instead of a school meal.

More than 3,500 children (1,900 families) were eligible for this scheme.

Railway thrown a £161,000 lottery lifeline

Breaking news ...

Llangollen Railway has received £161,000 of National Lottery support to help address the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The cash, from the Heritage Fund, will support the attraction through the coming difficult winter months and help with the implementation of its recent governance review.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown began the railway has been working hard to raise funds to ensure its survival. 

It has also been implementing many changes to help safeguard its future.

Railway general manager Liz McGuinness said: “Thanks to the National Lottery and its players we can now look forward to a secure future for our heritage railway and we can continue to support our local economy. 

"We’re grateful that the National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting us at this crucial time – it’s a lifeline to us and others who are passionate about sustaining heritage for the benefit of all.”

The funding, made possible by National Lottery players, was awarded through The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Emergency Fund. 

This is a £50m pot aimed at providing emergency funding for those most in need across the heritage sector.

The UK-wide fund aimed to address both immediate emergency actions and help organisations to start thinking about recovery.

Ros Kerslake, chief executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “Heritage has an essential role to play in making communities better places to live, supporting economic regeneration and benefiting our personal wellbeing. All of these things are going to be even more important as we emerge from this current crisis.

“Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we are pleased to be able to lend our support to organisations such as Llangollen Railway during this uncertain time.”

Historic columns take pride of place at new Corwen rail station

* Putting the canopy columns in place are, from left, Peter Robson, Tony Cook and John Mason. Picture: George Jones.

Volunteers at the Corwen Railway Development Project are celebrating the successful completion of work to install a series of historic canopy columns at the site of the new station.

The large metal structures have been brought 200 miles to north Wales from London where they were originally part of Blackfriars station.

The installation of the final pair of columns was completed last weekend after the work was delayed by the advent of Covid-19.

A substantial foundation was required to secure their installation against the prospect of high winds on the exposed site and the work to excavate a trench on the platform ready for delivery of a load of ready-mix was restarted after lockdown was lifted.

With the slab of concrete in place, the two columns were lifted onto their anchor points and bolted down with the cross piece.

Their acquisition, renovation, re-engineering and installation has been an epic tale of volunteer time and effort over the past four years, coupled with the financing of the task.

Eight are now in-situ on the platform, with six around the stairwell and the final pair forming the eastern end of the canopy support, in-between which a station building will provide the integral roofing link.

Seen from the town's car park, they make an impressive sight on the elevated platform as a further statement the project is nearing completion.

Project Manager Richard Dixon-Gough said. “The project team members are delighted to see the columns in place after many hours of site preparation, a process interrupted by the pandemic. 

"The canopy will be subjected to significant wind forces at this elevated, exposed station location and called for a substantial foundation to secure the columns.

"As now erected, the columns are another notable achievement by the volunteers engaged in working towards completion of the station.”

Change of engine

* The tank engine Jennifer passes Berwyn yesterday. Picture: George Jones.

There was a change of engine on the Llangollen line yesterday (Thursday).

A tank engine named 'Jennifer' was hauling the passenger trains.

It is a 0-6-0 built in 1942 for industrial use and was restored at Llangollen in 2008.

The engine normally works on other shorter heritage railways when out on hire. 

Oak Street Gallery hosts new exhibition

Llangollen's Oak Street Gallery is hosting an exhibition by artist Jon Young until September 13.

He is showing some striking new paintings - beautiful colours in acrylic of People and Places, including some iconic North Wales views.

The gallery will be open every day during the exhibition's run from 12-5pm.

Prints and cards of Jon’s work will also be available alongside the paintings and if anyone sees a painting on his website they’d like to see which isn’t in the exhibition, he says he can arrange for it to be brought to the gallery for viewing. 

* Jon's website is at: www.jonyoungart.co.uk

Council reassures parents and guardians ahead of new term

* Ysgol Dinas Bran.

Denbighshire County Council has moved to reassure parents and guardians that "everything possible" is being done to protect the safety of pupils and school staff when the new term begins next week.

It says all schools have carried rigorous risk assessments and have introduced measures to try and protect the health and well-being of pupils.

This may include staggered school days, safety signage, re-organisation of classrooms and reduced contacts with other year groups. 

The council adds that all schools continue to follow stringent hygiene guidelines issued by Welsh Government.

Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts, Cabinet Lead Member for Education, Children’s Services and Public Engagement, says: “First of all, I’d like to thank parents and guardians across the county for their continued support during these unprecedented times. 

“Over recent months, many parents/guardians have been supporting schools to ensure that children and young people can continue learning at home – a great example of partnership working. We also recognise that many parents/ guardians will have changed working patterns to accommodate children and young people being at home.

“The Minister has made it clear that she expects all schools to be open by September 14 and our schools have worked tirelessly to put plans in place to welcome pupils as safely as possible.   

"I must thank schools and various council teams for their work to date. This has been a significant logistical and practical challenge, taking into account issues around catering, buildings, curriculum and transport.

“Stringent hygiene measures are in place and each school has come up with arrangements for conducting classes and activities, whilst reducing contact with other pupils as much as possible.

“Now the priority is on getting on with the task of educating our children and young people in a safe environment.”

Use 999 responsibly over bank holiday, says ambulance service

The Welsh Ambulance Service is appealing to people to use 999 responsibly this Bank Holiday weekend.

Traditionally, the service will see an increase in demand on Bank Holidays as people take advantage of the long weekend – and this weekend is expected to be no different.

Lee Brooks, the Trust’s Director of Operations, said: “More people are out and about socialising with family and friends on the Bank Holiday weekends, and this can lead to more people becoming ill or suffering injuries and requiring medical attention.

“While there are plans in place to deal with the increase in demand, we only have a limited number of crews and vehicles available which means that we need to prioritise those sickest patients first.

“It also means that people not facing a serious or life-threatening emergency could wait longer for a response or be asked to seek alternatives to an ambulance response.

“We certainly don’t want to discourage people from calling 999 in a genuine emergency, but are asking people to consider whether an emergency ambulance is the most appropriate service for their needs.”

Examples of when to call 999 include choking, chest pain, stroke, serious blood loss and unconsciousness.

Using 999 correctly helps crews to reach those patients most in need of clinical attention.

“Our clinical staff often find themselves responding to patients who have reported a serious condition only to find they have a minor illness or injury which could have been treated by an alternative service,” said Lee.

August has been an exceptionally busy month for the Welsh Ambulance Service already.

Wednesday 12 August, which was the hottest day of the year in Wales, was its busiest day of the year so far second only to New Year’s Day.

The service is reminding the public of the alternatives to 999.

Lee said: “If you’re ill and unsure what to do, please visit 111.wales.nhs.uk for advice and information or to take a symptom checker quiz.

“Alternatively, visit a pharmacy, your GP or a Minor Injury Unit.

“You can also call 111 to speak to a Nurse Advisor, or 0845 46 47 if it’s not available in your area.

“Keep yourselves and others safe so that emergency ambulances are available for those who need them most.

“We also continue to live with the presence of Covid-19 and so we need to continue to follow the guidance from Public Health Wales and Welsh Government.”

Anyone visiting Wales this weekend should remember to bring any essential medicines and stock up on repeat prescriptions before they travel.

Kiosk to be taken over by Denbighshire Leisure, says councillor

* The kiosk in Riverside Park.

Following social media speculation about what its future might be, one of the area's county councillors has outlined what is due to happen to the kiosk in Riverside Park.

The cafe facility has been closed since the start of lockdown and there were fears it might not open again.

But Llangollen county councillor Melvyn Mile has told llanblogger: "I’ve been informed that Denbighshire Leisure will be refurbishing the kiosk and will be operating it themselves."

Denbighshire Leisure is the private firm which oversees leisure centres, community facilities, theatres and attractions on behalf of the county counil. 

MP congratulates Sun Trevor on its lockdown renovations

* Sun Trevor owners Paul and Katy Jones, their daughters Seren and Darcey, dog Poppy and Simon Baynes MP.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes made a socially- distanced visit to The Sun Trevor near Llangollen to learn more about how the team has used the time during lockdown to upgrade facilities.

Mr Baynes met owners Paul and Katy Jones as well as their daughters Seren and Darcey, and dog Poppy. 

He was also joined on the visit by Chirk town councillor Gareth Baines.

Paul and Katy used lockdown to refurbish areas including the kitchen and toilets, which now have full disabled facilities. And they have been working on converting the nearby stables into holiday lets.

The team received the Travellers’ Choice Award on Tripadvisor for consistently earning great reviews from travellers and for being ranked within the top 10% of hospitality businesses on the site.

Paul Jones said: “I want to thank my wife Katy and our family and friends for their support and for their hard work at the pub. 

"I’m also extremely grateful to our staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure we could re-open safely and on time. It’s great to finally be able to welcome customers back and we’re so appreciative of everyone’s support.”

Simon Baynes said: "The whole team at The Sun Trevor have done an incredible job earning the Travellers’ Choice Award. 

"Their Quiz evenings on Zoom during lockdown have been a hit with the local community and have really added to The Sun Trevor’s reputation as friendly, community-spirited pub. 

"It’s great to see a local business doing so well and I wish them every success for the future.”

Advice on using public transport to travel to school

Denbighshire County Council is advising parents and guardians of children travelling on public buses that owing to social distancing and reduced capacity on public transport, those using public bus services may be adversely impacted.

Parents and guardians of children and young people using public transport to travel to school or college are being advised to make alternative arrangements during the first weeks of term.

The council says it is currently working with bus companies to ensure that extra buses are provided to increase capacity where possible.

Cllr Brian Jones the Council’s Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “Owing to reduced capacity on public transport to ensure social distancing, wherever possible we are putting on extra services for school and college learners, and we are working to ensure they can travel to school safely, which is of paramount importance.

“We understand this is a very difficult time for parents and we want to assure them that we are working to make sure the return to school runs as smoothly as possible.

“However, owing to a number of pressures associated with Covid-19, we are asking parents who are able to transport their children to school or college to do so for the first two weeks of term or, where possible, to encourage the use of active travel.

“Those parents who can transport their children to school or college are asked to walk where possible or to park further away from school to avoid congestion.

“Parents of all pupils aged over 11 using school buses or public transport to get to school are also reminded they need to wear a face covering while using buses, coaches and where appropriate taxis.”

Some schools are also using staggered times which will impact transport to and from school and parents are being advised to check with their school.

Timetables for public bus services have also been impacted by Covid-19 and parents should check their local provider for the most up to date information.

Councillor gives more details on Active Travel plans approved yesterday

* The county council's plan for changes to be made in the town centre.

Local county councillor Graham Timms has given more details about the Active Travel plans approved yesterday by Denbighshire to allow social distancing in Llangollen town centre.

The council had successfully bid for Welsh Government funds to introduce local sustainable transport measures in response to covid-19. 

The funding will be used to promote walking and cycling, to facilitate social distancing measures, to encourage businesses to expand their offer outside their premises and to support residents and visitors to feel safe in four of the county's town centres.

Following consultation, the proposals for Llangollen have now been given the go-ahead, as revealed yesterday evening by llanblogger.

Giving further details of what will happen, Cllr Timms said this will mean:

The creation of more space for social distancing by widening the pavements along Castle Street and on Abbey Road at the junction with Castle Street by the removal of parking and the use of ‘lane defenders’ to create safe areas for pedestrians and cyclists.

Additional proposals include:

*          Creating a ‘one-way’ street on the first section of Market Street as it leaves Market Street. The one-way section would only allow traffic to enter Market Street from Castle Street.Vehicles wishing to enter Castle Street from Market Street will follow the route via East Street and Parade Street. 

       This, said Cllr Timms, change will relieve congestion on Castle Street and the ‘one way’ section of Market Street will also allow the creation of a loading bay to serve nearby businesses on Castle Street. 

•          The closure of the link road between Hall Street and Berwyn Street (A5)

•          Reversing the direction of flow of vehicles on Church Street

•          Support cafes, pubs and restaurants to introduce outside seating will make the town centre more welcoming

       

       The changes will be made by a temporary traffic order for up to 18 months and the effect of the changes will be closely monitored by the council as they are introduced.

Cllr Timms said: "The results of the formal consultation showed huge support for the introduction of these measures. 

"It has been clear to residents over the last few weeks that social distancing in the town has been almost impossible to achieve. 

"The narrow pavements and the huge increase in the number of visitors since the lockdown ended has created a very difficult situation. Many residents have avoided the town centre because they do not feel safe on crowded streets in the middle of the day.

“Both Cllr Melvyn Mile and I were strongly in favour of the introduction of these measures. We believe that they are essential to enable residents and visitors to feel safe in the town centre.

“It is encouraging to see that visitors are keen to return to Llangollen, But it is also vital that we do everything we can to make the town as safe as possible for everyone; residents and visitors alike.

“Denbighshire’s formal consultation through the County Conversation website gave a huge ‘thumbs-up’ for the proposals with nearly 83% of those that responded‘strongly agreeing’ and a further 12% ‘somewhat agreeing’ with the proposals. Only 5% of the replies were negative."

He added: “Over the last few weeks queueing outside small shops has been a problem, leaving no space for those walking down the street to keep their distance. It will be much easier to maintain social distancing in the town when wider pavements are created.

“The reversal of the one-way traffic flow on Church Street should result in a significant change in the number of vehicles using this route as a 'short cut', particularly at the times just before and just after the school day. This will lead to a much safer route to school for children and their parents who walk and cycle to and from school along this very narrow road.

“The closure of the road between Berwyn Street and Hall Street that passes between Stan’s garage and the M’eating Place will help to make this area safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

“Some businesses expressed their concerns over the loss of ‘pop and shop’ parking and the lack of loading bays by signing a ‘template’ letter which was sent to the council separately. I believe that it is important to address these important concerns.

"The ‘loading bay’ issue has been addressed by providing a bay on the Market Street and Castle Street junction. On the provision of short stay parking, Mel Mile and I have been pressing the council to give free parking in all car parks for 30 minutes to allow ‘pop and shop’ visits for those on the outskirts of the town. 

"The county responded with two hours free parking in East Street Car Park. Other towns in Denbighshire will also get a similar concessions. 

"We don’t think that this meets the needs of Llangollen and so we will continue to press the case for a ‘free half-hour’ in all our car parks to encourage local shopping in the town centre.

“It is vitally important that local residents and businesses pull together to create a town centre that is vibrant and safe for everyone in these very difficult times."

Active travel plans for Llangollen approved by county council

Denbighshire County Council has announced its decision on proposed active travel plans for Llangollen, Ruthin, Denbigh and Rhyl.

The council had successfully bid for Welsh Government funds to introduce local sustainable transport measures in response to covid-19 in the four town centres. 

The funding would be used to promote walking and cycling, to facilitate social distancing measures, to encourage businesses to expand their offer outside their premises and to support residents and visitors to feel safe.

Following consultation, the proposals for Llangollen and Ruthin have been approved. 

The plans for Llangollen involve widening pavements for shared pedestrian/cyclist use along designated streets.

The Rhyl proposal has been approved in principle, but there will be alterations to certain aspects of the scheme.  

These alterations will be circulated to all relevant stakeholders before proceeding with the final project implementation. 

The original proposals for Denbigh have been withdrawn after extensive feedback was received from the public.  

The council will go back to the drawing board and consider whether there are alternative options for Denbigh to help facilitate social distancing whilst encouraging walking and cycling.

The plans for Ruthin included the introduction of one-way roads for traffic on Market Street and Well Street.

The proposals for Rhyl involve improving shared space for pedestrians and cyclists in key areas of Rhyl between the railway station and the National Cycling Route along the promenade.  

This also reflects the commitment in the Rhyl Masterplan to enhance sustainable active travel in the town.

The original proposals for Denbigh included a one-way system on Vale Street, High Street and Bridge Street; improved areas for pedestrians and cyclists; the closure to vehicles of the northern side of High Street.and a temporary 20mph speed limits would have been introduced on some town roads. 

The plans were refused due to concerns raised by business owners and residents about the scale of the proposals.

The council will draw up new proposals for Denbigh and will be engaging with the local community in due course.

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Highways, Transport and the Environment, said: “We would like to thank members of the public for getting involved in the consultations. Representations were received via an online survey, emails, written letters, telephone calls, e-petitions and through social media.

“Active travel has become a more prominent issue in recent times, with covid-19 allowing people the opportunity to walk more or to get on bikes as a means of getting out and about. The funding made available was to be used to promote active travel and allowing councils to introduce measures that would help protect people’s safety through social distancing, we well as  encouraging more people to visit our town centre businesses.

“We fully recognise the quick turnaround but we were only given a short amount of notice to apply for the Welsh Government funding and we needed to get our plans drawn up and submitted very quickly, to make sure our communities did not miss out on the funding.

“We had community engagement plans planned and agreed to carry out a consultation on the proposals. 

"There was generally strong support for the plans for Llangollen, Ruthin and Rhyl and we were happy to support these proposals going forward and will now plan to implement the measures.   Further details will be announced in due course and the work will be monitored on a regular basis.

“However, in Denbigh there were significant number of people objecting to the original proposals put forward. We have considered people’s responses at great length and we have listened to their views. Clearly there was no appetite from the local community to move forward with the plans, so the Denbigh plans will not go ahead as they stand." 

Have your say on proposed changes to busy A483 junctions

* Changes are proposed to junctions on the busy A483.

Transport and North Wales Minister Ken Skates is encouraging people to look at the preferred options for changes along the A483 in Wrexham and to have their say on these important proposals. 

The A483 is one of the key connecting routes between North and South Wales, and between North Wales and the Midlands. It is an important route for tourists travelling to the region, and for freight travelling from Europe, UK and Ireland.

It is acknowledhed changes need to be introduced to address congestion at the junctions along the A483 and the impact this is having on the economy of Wrexham and wider North Wales region.

These proposals are part of a programme of pinch point schemes included in the Welsh Government – National Transport Finance Plan and the Moving North Wales Forward document which aims to create a reliable and efficient transport network across the region and across the Wales-England border.

The A483 proposals are key measures within this vision and will play an important role in supporting the success of North Wales in the future.

Options developed for this exhibition have been through the Welsh Government’s Transport Appraisal Guidance (WelTAG) process which has been produced in compliance with the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act. They have included detailed considerations of transport modes, the environment, road safety, air quality, and traffic modelling.

Public exhibitions, complying with covid-19 regulations, will be held at the Ramada Hotel, Wrexham on September 23-24 September.  

Full details on the preferred options and the consultation are available online https://gov.wales/a483-junctions-3-6-improvements

The preferred option for each junction is:

* Junction 3 (Wrexham Road): Minor changes to the existing junction incorporating active travel improvements

* Ruthin Road: Major changes to the existing junction, including a new gyratory retaining the existing A525 overbridge, incorporating active travel improvements along the A525 across the A483.

* Junction 5 (Plas Coch Roundabout / Mold Road): Introducing active travel improvements

* Junction 6 (A5156 / Gresford Interchange): Minor changes to the existing junction incorporating active travel improvements

Transport and North Wales Minister Ken Skates said: “Action needs to be taken on this stretch of the A483. Left as it is the situation will hinder the growth of Wrexham and the North Wales region as a whole.

“Following a thorough assessment process I’m pleased that we are now able to publish the preferred options for the four junctions.  As a result of this scheme we plan to achieve more opportunities for active travel, better public transport links, improved traffic flow leading to improved air quality. 

“I would urge everyone who uses the A483 in the Wrexham area to have their say on these plans which are vital to the region.”

Cllr David A Bithell, Wrexham's Lead Member for the Environment and Transport, said: “The A483 is a vital part of the road network in Wrexham and the wider North Wales area. It’s important that improvements take place to ease congestion and benefit the area. They will also improve Active Travel routes in the area. Please take the time to take part and let the Welsh Government have your views."

The consultation will run until 22 November with an announcement on the preferred options expected in Spring 2021.  

Subject to the statutory processes draft orders could be published later in 2021 with detailed design work taking place in 2022.