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Monday, October 12, 2020

Your views sought on reducing pressure on planet

Llangollen Town Council is seeking the views of local people on how to reduce pressure on our planet.

Through its Cittaslow Committee it has teamed up with Ruthin and Mold Town Councils and a number of local community groups to develop a survey to explore ideas which could help reduce household costs, increase well-being and provide learning opportunities.

Cllr Robyn Lovelock of Llangollen said: "We need to actively try to encourage people from a wide range of perspectives to complete the form, so please send the link to the form out as many groups with differing interests as possible. 

"If you are involved in a group that is able to meet in person, please feel free to print copies or let me know if you need help with printing. We need answers by October 24 please."

The survey form can be found by going to: https://forms.gle/yfRtkdVRuEFHevBe9

* Cllr Lovelock can be contacted at: cllrlovelock@llangollentowncouncil.gov.uk

See letter below:

This story has prompted a letter in response from local resident Mike Edwards, in which he says:

Whilst I could applaud some of these ideas borrowed from initiatives already operated elsewhere in the UK, I am astounded by the title of this survey “Beyond Recycling”!!! 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8mI0I6RQhFxoo13zxAIhNpyoydOxPkZW-cg15bKZNxRiJRw/viewform 

Denbighshire County Council closed our Recycling Centre at Wenffryd thirteen, yes 13 years ago and whilst they initially offered Llangollen a sticking plaster solution of providing a refuse lorry at the Pavilion once a week on a Saturday for two hours that service was withdrawn when National Lockdown occurred in March. To add insult to injury for the Dee Valley they also stood by whilst Wrexham BC barred Denbighshire residents from using the facility at Plas Madoc only six miles away. They have subsequently floundered to negotiate a simple deal with Wrexham to make this facility available to us on a Service Level Agreement. 

During those thirteen years Denbighshire have also closed the facility in Corwen, Llangollen’s sister Dee Valley town, but also in this period constructed and provided a new Recycling Facility in Rhyl and plan another in Denbigh. Of course Ruthin already has such a facility because Denbighshire CC has told residents that they can travel to Ruthin up the dangerous Horseshoe Pass and through the Nant-y-Garth provided they make an appointment and use what they deem an approved vehicle and ban trailers, vans etc. 

You have to ask what have Denbighshire Council got against Llangollen? Numerous issues are left unattended to -  Listed Buildings are not properly protected, we are left with eyesore properties dotted around the town(eg the old Job Centre, Rehoboth Chapel and the derelict building overlooking the Riverside Gardens) despite Llangollen being set set in the UNESCO World Heritage Site and Dee Valley AONB. The “Gateway” approaches to town are in a dreadful state projecting an awful appearance to visitors hardly encouraging them to stop, dwell and shop in our lovely town. Llangollen as we all know has much appealing to us as residents and the visitors who do come, but again Denbighshire Council failed to put in and monitor adequate Social Distancing measures as applied in other neighbouring towns to properly protect Llangollen residents and contributing to the Local Lockdown we now find ourselves in. 

So Denbighshire CC will be delighted that the Town Council through the Cittaslow Initiative are proposing measures which see the Community take matters into their own hands and take on responsibilities which they as the Principal Local Authority for the area should be leading on. They are happy enough to bank receipts from our town centre car parks, Market Street CP being the highest revenue from a Denbighshire car park. But then they give nothing back to Llangollen and the Dee Valley and give priority to expenditure in the North of the County along with Denbigh and Ruthin where their administrative headquarters are centred. They shortly plan to remove parking on Castle Street under the guise of Pandemic measures, which of course which will drive more revenue to their car parks to spend elsewhere in the County. 

Perhaps they should rename our town Llangotten because that’s what it is as far Denbighshire Council are concerned. A former Town Councillor once said to me “Llangollen is the pimple on the backside of Denbighshire”, many a true word spoken in jest, but it's a reality to Llangollen residents. 

Yours Sincerely, 

Michael Edwards

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