Police advise on tighter security for this year's Eisteddfod parade

* Last year's parade makes its way through the town centre and past parked cars. 

For the first time ever this year no parking at all will be allowed along the route of the Eisteddfod's famous Parade of Nations or the side-streets joining on to it and police cars will travel at the front and rear of the procession.

These tough new security measures, suggested by North Wales Police, aim to safeguard against any possible terrorist threat to the traditional colourful gathering of international competitors and festival volunteers which always draws massive crowds of spectators.

Details of the tightened safety steps were revealed by Eisteddfod chair John Gambles at a public meeting held at the Pavilion yesterday evening (Tuesday) to brief local residents and businesses on arrangements such as traffic and parking for this year's two sets of evening concerts to be held there from later this month.

These include the eight of Live at Llangollen hosted by promoters Cuffe & Taylor, running from June 24 through to July 5 and featuring the likes of Billy Ocean and Super Furry Animals, and the Eisteddfod's own six from July 7-12 starring Emeli Sande and Michael Ball.

Making the surprise announcement about the extra security, John Gambles said that against a background of heightened international tension festival organisers had been given special advice by officers of the North Wales Police anti-terrorism group on how to keep people safe this year.

He explained that there would now be extra security on the parade, which takes place at 4.30pm on the Friday of Eisteddfod week, as usual starting out from the Pavilion to process slowly around the town centre before returning there.

"There is to be no parking on the parade route because parked cars could well be the host for an explosive device. We're seeing more and more cases of cars being used as weapons," he said.

* On the panel for the public meeting are, from left, the Eisteddfod's Keith Potts, Sarah Rhodes of Rhodes Media, Rebecca Woodhead of Cuffe & Taylor, Eisteddfod chair John Gambles and traffic management representative Ben Perkins.

"There will be no affect on businesses but there will be on vehicles which have permits for on-street parking. We have got to have the highest level of security possible."

He added that while in the past only major roads along the route had been closed for the parade, this time every road leading onto it would now also have closures. These would take place on a rolling basis from earlier in the afternoon and not all be shut down exactly at 4.30pm.

Also for the first time police cars would travel at the front and back of the parade. 

He stressed: "I'd hate to hear on the world news that something's happened in our town."

Earlier Rebecca Woodhead, event manager for Cuffe & Taylor, said that with 33,000 people expected for their own concerts and a further 10,000 during Eisteddfod week there would always be some local disruption but that they were looking to minimise this wherever possible.

Outlining the schedule for work teams to prepare the area, she said building the site layout would begin on Monday June 22 and take two days to complete, with things being returned to normal by July 15.

Traffic management, as in previous years with Cuffe & Taylor, would include a one-way traffic system around the edge of the site from the Abbey Road end via Tower Road, Dinbren Road and Wharf Hill back onto Mill Street. This will be in place from the day before the first of their concerts.

In questions from the floor of the meeting, which was attended by around 20 people, a number of issues were raised including congestion for vehicles gaining access to the campsite at Wern Road last year. Ms Woodhead agreed to look at clearer signing and the possibility at providing a person to give directions from the main arrival time of 1pm until later in the afternoon.

Another problem from last year mentioned was cars being parked in front of homes rather than in the large official car park near Dinbren Road. Here, Ms Woodhead suggested more car park signs.

An idea for residents' parking passes came from the floor and Ms Woodhead agreed to look into this, explaining that Cuffe & Taylor did issue them at some of their other venues.

There was some discussion about noise from equipment being moved after the Live at Llangollen concerts, a person suggesting this had gone on until 3am in one case.

Ms Woodhead said there was no record of this at the time but that every effort would be made to have things moved out as quickly and noiselessly as possible.

An information leaflet being distributed around the area includes a direct phone number and an email address people can use if they have any problems with activities in and around the venue.  But when some people in the audience claimed these hadn't been reachable last year, Ms Woodhead agreed to investigate.

* A map of the traffic system around the Eisteddfod site.