County council outlines winter roads priorities

Denbighshire County Council says that during the winter period its highways team will be out gritting, ensuring that roads are safe to use in adverse conditions. 

The spreading of salt is to prevent ice from forming on the roads when icy or frosty conditions are forecast. However, for this to be effective the salt must be crushed by traffic.

 

Denbighshire’s network covers several roads ranging from little-used rural roads and narrow tracks leading to isolated properties, to regional strategic routes such as the A55.

 

These gritted networks are currently split into nine routes. Four of those cover the north of the county running from the Kinmel depot, with the remaining five covering the middle and south of the county running from the Lon Parcwr depot in Ruthin. 

 

These nine routes cover approximately 950km, with 605km of it being treated - which is further than driving from the Ruthin depot to Penzance, Cornwall.

 

The aim is to grit priority gritting routes four hours before a minimum temperature of zero degrees.

Priority gritting routes include:

• Main classified routes (A and B roads).
• Principal bus routes.
• Access routes to hospitals, schools and cemeteries.
• Access to police, fire, ambulance and rescue services.
• Primary routes serving substantial villages/communities.
• Main industrial routes that are important to the local economy.
• Main access routes to shopping areas.
• Areas where known problems exist, such as exposed areas, steep gradients and other roads liable to icing.

 

Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “I would like to thank the highways team for their tireless efforts during this particularly busy period, who are often on-call throughout the night to ensure that the roads are safe to use. The work they do means that residents can continue with minimal disruptions to their day and essential amenities are accessible despite the adverse weather.”  

Snow continues to fall in town this morning

After starting yesterday evening, snow continued to fall on Llangollen this morning (Tuesday), leaving a covering over the town.

Reports overnight show the snowfall was particularly heavy in the Wrexham area where the main A483 was impassable for a short time, according to North Wales Police.

In Llangollen much of the snow has now melted underfoot but remains on upper surfaces such as rooves and vehicles.

The Met Office's yellow weather warning, in force from 7pm last night remains in place until 11am today.

llanblogger has pictured some of the local snow scenes. 

County council issues advice after snow warning

Denbighshire County Council (DCC) has sent out a briefing about the Yellow Weather Warning issued for the area for later today and early tomorrow.

The warning, from the Met Office, says that between 7pm tonight (Monday) and 10am tomorrow (Tuesday) an area of snow may bring disruption to a central swathe of the UK during Monday night and Tuesday morning.

It adds that the most likely scenario is for most of the snow to accumulate on hills, with 5 to 10 cm possible above 200 metres and perhaps as much as 15 to 20 cm above 300 metres. 

There is a small chance of snow settling at lower levels, where 5 to 10 cm would prove much more disruptive, but this remains very uncertain. As rain, sleet and snow clear on Tuesday morning, ice may form on untreated surfaces.

 

DCC says it has resources on standby throughout the warning period to respond to any weather-related incidents should they arise.

 

The council advises:

Please report any issues to our Customer Service Team between 8:30am – 5pm Monday to Friday, by:

1) email to customerservice@denbighshire.gov.uk

2) telephone 01824 706000

3) visit in person a One Stop Shop.

4) use an online web form, available on Denbighshire’s website:

www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/online-forms/online-forms.aspx

In the event of any emergency situation requiring an immediate response, contact should be made directly via the out of hours contact centre between 5pm – 8:30am including weekends on 0300 123 3068.

 

Subaru that could trounce rivals in a mud fight

Subaru Crosstrek drive by Steve Rogers

And now for something completely different. A family runaround that just loves playing in the mud.

What else could it be but a Subaru? The Japanese company has built its reputation on all wheel drive cars, whether it is winning world rally championships with the Impreza, or tackling the most difficult terrain in a Forester.

And it is ditto for the Crosstrek, a compact SUV that would trounce its many rivals in a mud fight.

Subarus are a bit thin on the ground in the UK, the company has just celebrated 250,000 sales and that milestone has taken 48 years, but that does not tell the whole story.

The cars sell well in colder countries like Sweden and Finland where four wheel drive is top of a driver's priority list, but it is across the Atlantic where Subaru is a household name. I travelled down the east coast of Canada into Massachusetts and was stunned by the number of Crosstreks and Foresters. They filled the roads and seemed as popular as Ford.

Crosstrek was launched in January as a replacement for the XV and has the same rugged credentials Subaru owners love. The symmetrical all wheel drive system has gained legendary status and can almost match off roaders costing 20 grand or more than Crosstrek.

Ironically that can dent its appeal. The cost of a permanent all wheel drive system makes Crosstrek a pricey car and buyers have to consider whether they need such an elaborate system. Apart from that all the mechanicals take up space, you have only got to look in the boot to see how small it is compared to the opposition.

For the record the Crosstrek’s off road capabilities are immense, even with the entry Limited model, which has hill descent control in its armoury to control the wheels on icy surfaces. That is certainly worth having. Move up to Touring and the X-Mode system provides more safety features.

Crosstrek also has 220mm of ground clearance should you find yourself on a rocky forest track and the plastic moulding around the wheel arches are there for a purpose, not just decoration.

It can do normal as well with a decent amount of room for five adults and, in spite of its high riding stance and firm off road suspension, is comfortable easily blocking out pothole thuds.

A look around the cabin gives out the message that it is hard wearing with lots of wipeable surfaces so do not expect any carpet lining the boot walls. The 11.6in vertical screen is a bold statement and suggests a high tech makeover but the driver display is analogue which looks dated when everyone is switching to digital, yet for us old ‘uns there is a certain charm to a good old speedo and rev counter.

The infotainment is easy enough to work out and linking a smartphone via wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto takes no time at all. Adjusting the heating is a mixture of physical buttons or tapping into the touchscreen so no real stress.

You will be happy with the level of equipment with the entry Limited, heated seats, LED headlights, rear view camera etc, while Touring’s extras include leather seats and trim, navigation, powered driver seat, and steering wheel paddle shifters. Both models get the excellent Eyesight safety system which has been upgraded to include rear automatic braking, cross traffic alert and front seat centre airbags.

Performance and economy are a bit of a mixed bag. One engine: the tried and trusted 2-litre Boxer which, surprisingly, musters a paltry 134bhp. Acceleration from standstill is behind the best of the rest, yet stab the throttle for a quick overtake and it responds through the CVT gearbox with its eight preset ratios.

By today’s standards the economy is some way behind the opposition although I managed to beat the official average clocking 42mpg on a 200 mile round trip. On a positive note the handling is sharp and drama free.

In the UK Crosstrek is something of an enigma. It does not hit the heights we expect on performance, economy and carrying space, yet exceeds them on safety, customer satisfaction and reliability. The challenge isn’t keeping existing customers, it is tempting new blood into the Subaru fold.

Fast facts

Crosstrek Touring CVT

£36,290 (starts £34,290)

2-litre petrol; 134bhp.

0-62mph 10.8secs; 123mph

39mpg combined

174g/km. 1st VED £1,085

Boot: 315-922 litres

Insurance group 20

Eisteddfod features in TV’s Bargain Hunt

* The Bargain Hunt team filmed at the Eisteddfod in June.

* Chris Adams speaks to presenter Roo Irvine outside the Pavilion.

The Eisteddfod was featured on BBC One’s Bargain Hunt this lunchtime (Monday). 

Presenter Roo Irvine lookedg into the history of the festival, with assistance from Eisteddfod volunteer Professor Chris Adams. 

Following broadcast the programme will be available on BBC iPlayer.

The team from the popular BBC afternoon television programme visited the Eisteddfod in June, just a few days before Canadian legend Bryan Adams performed in the Pavilion. 

Fronted by Roo Irvine, they were recording a programme at the Oswestry Antiques Fair and chose to include a feature on the Eisteddfod and its history.

The guest in Llangollen was Professor Chris Adams, a long-time student of Eisteddfod history, and the Chair of the Eisteddfod at the time of filming. 

Also featured were a number of autograph books loaned by Eisteddfod supporters, including that of archives committee member Issy Richards dating from 1964.

* The 1964 autograph book owned by Issy Richards shown on the programme. 

Professor Adams said: “The crew were fascinated by the story of our festival, and the artefacts we have around the offices. They loved the large sheets of embroidery which are displayed on the walls of the Boardroom, with visitor signatures from the 1950s onwards, including Harold and Mary Wilson, and Princess Diana. 

"We discussed the way in the early days how collecting autographs filled the niche now occupied by taking selfies, as a way of getting to meet people. We showed our autograph books and also photographs of autograph hunter in action.

“But what really captured them was the trophy, complete with our shield and motto, how the art and poetry encapsulate our Welsh spirit, and the aims of the Eisteddfod to seek to build better international relations, by bringing ordinary people together through the common love of music and dance. Chris talked about the motto, its bardic origins and its poetry. 

"We showed Bargain Hunt how the trophy, and its message, has travelled the world, even to the garden of the White House in Washington during the Vietnam war. The trophy was Roo’s favourite object.

“It was important to them, too, that the Eisteddfod was so clearly a community initiative, and the Cardiff-based visitors left amazed, not least by the idea that they hadn’t really heard about the Llangollen Eisteddfod or appreciated it before. It’s great to once again share our amazing Eisteddfod story with the wider world.”

People urged to join consultation on new National Park

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is urging people to respond to the public consultation on a proposed new National Park in Wales, which could include Llangollen.

One of a series of special consultation events is planned for Llangollen Town Hall on December 10, from 3-7pm.

People can also respond by viewing materials and submitting questionnaire feedback on an updated draft boundary map, referred to as the Candidate Area. 

The map has changed since the initial study area map was shared in 2023 and so, sharing feedback again this year is crucial, says NRW.

Welsh Government has commissioned NRW to gather evidence and assess the case for a new National Park. 

An initial study area map - referred to as the Area of Search - was identified and shared during a public engagement period in 2023. Following this, and a period of evidence gathering, NRW is now running a public consultation giving people a second opportunity to respond to the emerging proposal.

The public consultation period has been running since October and will end on December 16.

A questionnaire is live on the project website and a series of drop-in and public online events have been arranged in and around the area under assessment. 

The events are an opportunity to learn more about the project and evidence gathered to date, ask questions of the team and share feedback on the Candidate Area Map. 

People are encouraged to attend a drop-in event or sign up to an online event, and submit a questionnaire with their feedback.

Ash Pearce, Programme Manager in NRW’s Designated Landscapes Programme team said: "I strongly urge everyone who cares about these issues to respond to the consultation which closes on December 16. We will carefully consider all  feedback, and this will help inform our next steps.”

There will also be a public online event: 

Date	Time	Location
Thursday 12 December	6pm – 7:30pm	Microsoft Teams

To sign up to an online event email your interest to the project team at designated.landscapes.programme@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

The questionnaire is live on the project website and can be accessed at:
https://ymgynghori.cyfoethnaturiol.cymru/north-east-gogledd-ddwyrain/waless-national-park-proposal-public-consultation

Paper copies are also available at all drop-in events.

* To find out more about the project visit the website: https://ymgynghori.cyfoethnaturiol.cymru/north-east-gogledd-ddwyrain/new-national-park-proposal-information-page-wales

Llangollen people encouraged to enter biodiversity awards

Llangollen people are being encouraged to enter awards which celebrate those who support biodiversity.

Bionet is the Local Nature Partnership for North East Wales, covering the Counties of Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham. 

The Bionet Awards were put in place to celebrate the work being undertaken by local people, communities, organisations and businesses in North East Wales to conserve, protect and enhance biodiversity. 

Organisers say: "We believe it is important to celebrate successes achieved for biodiversity. In the face of the ecological emergency, a lot of the news we hear has a negative narrative but there are lots of people making a positive impact through local actions. 

"The awards are split into eight categories to demonstrate how various actions can achieve a positive biodiversity impact within multiple different sectors."

Categories are:

1. Young Person’s Award

2. Community Group Award

3. Primary School Award

4. High School Award

5. Business Award

6. Biodiversity Friendly Development Award

7. Town or Community Council Award

8. Volunteer Award

 

Individuals can nominate themselves or be nominated by someone on their behalf, as long as you have their permission to share their contact details. 

 

* To enter, follow this link to our online application form: https://arcg.is/5uum1

To read about last year’s winners, you can find out more at:

https://www.bionetwales.co.uk/project/bionet-award-winners-2023/

 

The award ceremony will take place on February 1 2025 at Venue Cymru, Llandudno where each winner will be presented and have the opportunity to showcase their work. Applications must be submitted by the deadline of midday on December 1.