County gives details of its financial position

Denbighshire County Council says it continues to invest in major projects, with over £200 million either spent or planned for projects county-wide.

 

The authority says it is also protecting key services during difficult financial times.

 

Councillors meeting in County Hall, Ruthin yesterday were updated on the current budget position.

 

The council needs to save £15.7 million over two years. 

 

£7.8 million has been identified for 2015/16, with a further £5.2 million in 2016/17.  Further work is going on to identify how the council can bridge the gap.

 

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance and Assets, said: “The vast majority (82%) of the savings made so far have been efficiency or other measures which have not negatively had an impact on services to the public and that has been down to careful planning and making savings through working more efficiently.

 

“We also kept our Council Tax increase low, with the increase of 2.75% being one of the lowest in Wales and this level of increase is the working assumption for 2016/17. Residents have asked us to keep any increases to a minimum and councillors agreed this was the right thing to do."

 

At the same time as dealing with a funding cut, the council set priorities to

protect and invest in important service areas such as schools, social care and the roads and has continued to achieve this throughout the budget process.

 

Some of the headline investments:

·         £96.8 m for schools

·         £18.4 m for roads

·         £21.5 m for social care

·         £16.1 m for floods and coastal defence

·         £26.8 for  economic development and regeneration

·         £6.7 m for leisure and libraries

·         £9.3 m on other key projects.

Leader of Denbighshire, Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, said: “We are on schedule to deliver all of the savings identified for this financial year and are proposing a further set of cuts for the following 12 months.

 

“However, our approach is to trim down on services through being more efficient, identifying budgets that are historically underspent and cutting our cloth accordingly. 

 

“We are committed to protecting key services as much as possibly can and identifying savings through looking at all aspects of our services. This way of working provides confidence that the Council is working to protect public money through investing in those areas needed and saving costs through careful planning and monitoring.”

Llan councillor hits out over government funding

Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies has voiced his “irritation” at the relationship between the Welsh Government and local authorities like Denbighshire.

Cllr Davies (pictured) said: “The results of the UK Government Spending Review have confirmed that the funding coming to Wales is going to increase in cash terms over the next four years.

“The revenue position will increase from £12.9bn this year to £13.3bn in 2019/20 and capital from £1.5bn to £1.6bn. The capital allocation is to increase further by 2020 to £1.7bn.

"As a local councillor I am being forced by the Labour-led Welsh Government to take part in cuts across the board in our services because they have cut our funding year on year.

"We had to find cuts of £8million last year and this year with more again next year.”

He added: “The Welsh Government continually says that its central funding has been cut, but in fact, as can be seen in the document below *, the cash funding has been increased!"

"It irritates me immensely when simple things that are the responsibility of the Welsh Government, like the yellow lines on the A5 opposite Stan’s supermarket and the extending of the speed limit on the A5 past the new print works, are promised but haven’t taken place due to so-called funding constraints.

"They seem to be able to spend money on failing airports down south, to spend millions in Cardiff and yet can’t find a few thousands to do the simple things here in Llangollen and Clwyd South.

“I would remind the local Assembly Members that it is election time next year and the public are taking note of their actions or lack of.”

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates said: “After a period of unprecedented cuts to the Welsh budget and our public services, this continues to be the slowest economic recovery in living memory. Sadly, Wales is still suffering from the UK Government’s ongoing failure to meet its own targets.

 

“Tory policies mean our spending power can’t even keep track with inflation. Overall, between now and 2019-20, there will be a real terms reduction of 3.6% on a Welsh budget which has already been cut by £1.3bn since the Tories came to power in 2010-2011.

 

"While some have clearly been misled by the smoke and mirrors offered by Chancellor George Osborne, the vast majority of Welsh people won’t be.

 

“I share the anger of our communities at the UK Government’s approach to public finance and its relentless austerity campaign, but the Welsh Labour Government continues to spend more per head in key areas such as health and education. Cuts this side of the border are forced, not a choice.

 

“It is also worth pointing out – again – that more money is spent per head in areas on things like health, roads and tourism in North Wales than Cardiff and the South East. Locally, the Welsh Government has just spent more than £4.5m on brand new state-of-the-art health centres in Llangollen and Chirk.

 

“With regard to the double yellow lines opposite Stan’s, I am continuing to push for them and the Welsh Government’s Transport Minister Edwina Hart has said several times that the work will be put forward for funding consideration in the next financial year. As always, I will pass on any news to Cllr Davies and Llanblogger.”

 

* The document Cllr Davies refers to is a letter sent by the leader of Denbighshire County Council to Welsh Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews earlier this week, a copy of which he has supplied to llanblogger. It reads:

 
Dear Minister,
 
Local Government Settlement 2016/17

The results of the UK Government Spending Review have confirmed that the funding coming to Wales is going to increase in cash terms over the next four years. 

The revenue position will increase from £12.9bn this year to £13.3bn in 2019/20 and capital from £1.5bn to £1.6bn.  

The capital allocation is to increase further by 2020 to £1.7bn.

These cash increases do not allow for inflation of course and assumptions about the 'real terms' impact are suggesting a reduction in the revenue position of 4.5% but importantly, this is over the next four years.

Given the relatively flat cash settlement from Westminster, I would urge you to support a fair settlement to local government in Wales.

Applying the same principles to the local government settlement as have been provided to Wales as a whole would seem fair. 

The justification for such a settlement would be clearly understood and important services would have time to adjust in a well organised way over the period to meet the challenge.

I would appreciate your support on this very important issue.

Yours sincerely,
Cllr Hugh H Evans OBE
Leader of Denbighshire County Council

Traffic halted to allow wide load to pass through town

Traffic along Regent Street was halted briefly by police earlier this afternoon to allow the passage of a wide load on its way towards Corwen.

 

* The escorted load makes its way through the centre of Llangollen.

* A police motorcyclist controls traffic at the lights.

Plaid candidate speaks out over Syria bombing vote

In advance of tomorrow's vote on whether or not the UK should bomb Syria, Mabon ap Gwynfor, Plaid Cymru spokesperson for Clwyd South (pictured), said: “The Government are itching for a war, and David Cameron wants to be seen as a war leader.

 

"I sincerely hope that our local MPs won’t fall into the trap of massaging his ego at the expense of the lives of children, mothers and fathers.

 

"Two years ago this Government wanted to bomb Syrian leader Bashar al Assad and in the process help his enemies, including Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/IS).

 

"Since then the Coalition Forces have supplied weapons to Daesh and allowed arms to be sold to other despotic regimes which in turn sell them onto Daesh. Now they want to deal with Daesh and support the despotic Al Assad.

 

“Whatever the bombast, the sad truth is that airstrikes have dire consequences. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Syrian Network for Human Rights calculate that Coalition bombing has killed over 500 civilians, at least 97 of them children, in the last two months. Bombing kills, and kills innocent civilians far more than military targets.

 

“Daesh have an extreme and evil ideology. As evil as it is, you can’t bomb an ideology. Any military actions will have inevitable consequences, and bombing will only create fertile ground for that ideology to flourish. I urge our elected representatives to think logically about these proposals; to vote against escalating this conflict further; and do everything they can to secure peace in the Middle East and stop this ideology from spreading further.”

Llan Calender Girls become magazine cover girls

* The magazine's front cover featuring the Calendar Girls.

LLANGOLLEN’S Calendar Girls have become cover girls after being featured in a magazine spread.

The December edition of Border Life includes an article on the Valley Girls WI who have produced a 2016 calendar copies of which they are selling to raise £1,000 to be divided between Nightingale House and Hope House hospices.

The story is also showcased on the magazine’s front cover.

Instead of posing nude like their counterparts in Yorkshire a few years ago, members of the area’s newest branch of the Women’s Institute donned a range of colourful period costumes to appear alongside some famous local landmarks in their calendar.

Llangollen-based professional photographer Kim Price Evans, who took the dozen atmospheric images for the calendar, revealed that although her fellow members kept fully clothed for her shoots, the project did stem from a saucy burlesque workshop she and friend Julie Thomas, who are both accomplished dancers, did for the Valley Girls earlier this year.   * The article inside the magazine.

She said: “We went along to a meeting to do the workshop and the idea of doing a calendar came from that.

“We wanted to create something a bit different, so we decided on a calendar showing famous spots in Llangollen including the heritage railway, the Motor Museum, the Chain Bridge, Plas Newydd, Valle Crucis Abbey, the canal and wharf and the International Pavilion.

“We had members posing in each scene and we reckon we have them wearing costumes depicting most of the decades of the 20^th century, which is appropriate as the WI is celebrating its centenary this year.

“The whole thing began in the spring and has taken quite a few months to complete but it was a lot of fun to do.”         

Valley Girls WI was founded in 2013 by a small group of local thirty-somethings who shared a passion for baking, crafting and socialising.

Its president, Gail Ellson, said: “We have a target of raising at least £1,000 from sales of the calendar which will be split equally between our two local hospices.

“But, apart from supporting these great charities, we also want the calendar to be used as a tool to help market Llangollen.

“We’d like to see businesses buying a stock to distribute to their customers and people using them as Christmas or birthday presents for their friends and family.”

* Copies of the calendar are available at various outlets in town, via Valley Girls’ website at www.valleygirlswi.co.uk, or by emailing: valleygirlswi@outlook.com  

Skates backs Welsh football petition

An Assembly Member has backed a campaign started by one of his constituents to give Welsh football ‘the recognition it deserves’.

Asa Bailey, from Corwen, has launched an online petition to get Welsh Premier League teams featured in the next instalment of the popular FIFA computer game series.

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates, who is also the Welsh Government’s sports minister, was made aware of the bid this week and quickly threw his support behind it.

“It’s great that Asa has started this petition and I signed it gladly,” said Mr Skates (pictured).

“While the Welsh Premier League can’t boast the riches of the English Premier League or Spain’s La Liga, our teams compete in Europe every season and this year TNS, Bala and Newtown all won games and progressed beyond the first round.

“Our national team has entered a golden era, qualifying for next summer’s European Championships and reaching an all-time high in the world rankings, and we also have one of the best players on the planet in Gareth Bale. It’s definitely time for the game’s makers to give us the recognition we deserve.”

Mr Skates said he would be happy to send a letter of support for Asa’s campaign to the game’s makers EA Sports. To sign the petition, visit putwalesinthegame.com.

Rain fails to dampen festival's seasonal spirit

* Sion Corn arrives in town aboard a float.

HEAVY rain which fell throughout today (Saturday) failed to dampen the seasonal spirit of Llangollen’s annual Christmas Festival.

Hundreds of people joined in the festive fun as they watched events ranging across Castle Street, Oak Street and in the Town Hall.

The day began with the traditional parade which heralded the arrival of Sion Corn, the Welsh Santa, and included vintage cars, a magnificently bedecked heavy horse, a helicopter for the children’s rides and a fire engine from the local station.

Entertainment was provided by performers including a saxophone player, Llangollen Silver Band and Llangollen Male Voice Choir.

There were seasonal stalls along Oak Street while a Christmas fair was staged in the Town Hall.

Scores of youngsters lined up for the chance for a pre-Christmas meeting with Sion Corn in his grotto, which was also in the Town Hall along with children’s games.    

The switching on of the town’s more extensive Christmas lights was the prelude to a firework display which ended the day with a bang.

Proceeds from the event will once again be donated to Air Ambulance Wales. 

 

* Town crier, "Chem", leads the parade

over the bridge.

* Hoop, hoop hurray!

* A vintage car motors in.

* A magnificent heavy horse hauls a cart into town.

 

* Waves for the crowd from a princess. 

* People in Castle Street watch the parade go by.

* A seasonal stall in Oak Street.

* Mulled wine was amongst the festival fare on sale.

* A saxophone player entertains on the library steps.

* Llan Silver Band plays a seasonal selection.

* Santa's little helpers assist with his grotto in the Town Hall.

From left, Graham Platt, Carys Stallard and Phil Meyers. 

* People select a seasonal bargain at the Christmas fair inside the Town Hall.

 

 

 

* The Mayor of Llangollen, Cllr Mike Adams, hands over a gift to local schoolchildren

Daisy Jones-Neish and Dyfan Hughes who won a competition to switch on the town's Christmas lights.

 

 

* A firework display brought the day to an end.

Warning over telephone scam

Trading Standards officers in Denbighshire are warning residents to be on their guard against scam phone calls purporting to be from Denbighshire or Flintshire council.


The warning comes after reports were received that residents are being telephoned by people claiming to be from the council and are wanting to discuss a road traffic accident.

 

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Public Protection, said: “We have been advised that there have been a number of reports nationally involving this kind of scam.

 

"Denbighshire council would never make unsolicited phone calls of this nature and we want to reassure people about this.

 

"Our advice is to put the phone down on these scammers and then report the call.

 

"If people think they've been scammed, or know someone who has fallen victim to a scam, they can get advice and report it to trading standards through the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06, for the Welsh language service call 03454 04 05 05, or alternatively report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, to help stop it happening to others."

 

Folk rock band plays with orchestra at Pavilion

A FOLK-ROCK band will play alongside an orchestra at Llangollen Pavilion tomorrow (Saturday) night.

The band, named The Innocent, will perform with the North East Wales Sinfonia as part of a new cross-genre music concept funded by the Welsh Arts Council.   

A member of the band, Adam Howes, said: “In a nutshell, the idea is that artists of different genres will be collaborating to create innovative new projects with the aim of getting different musical communities from across North Wales performing together.

“On Saturday night my band will be accompanied by the North East Wales Sinfonia, having collaborated with them to orchestrate a number of our tracks.

“A Welsh composer has also written a new piece for the Sinfonia to perform on the night.

“Hopefully, it should be a great night and something a bit different.”

* The night starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost just £5 (£3 concessions).

 

Health bosses explain pharmacy decison process

* The new Llangollen Health Centre where a pharmacy will eventually be based.

HEALTH officials are still in the process of deciding on an application to move the existing pharmacy in Regent Street to Llangollen’s new health centre.

A number of people have been asking why a pharmacy has not yet opened in the £5 million new facility in Mill Street on the site of the old River Lodge.

Llanblogger asked for a statement from the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which runs the health centre, and has received the following reply:

“Following the confirmation that the new primary care centre in Llangollen would be built, the health board received three applications to open a new pharmacy on the site, in addition to the existing pharmacy in the town. 

“The board considered the applications for an additional pharmacy and concluded that this was not necessary to ensure that an adequate pharmaceutical service was available to the local population. 

“As provided for in the national regulations which govern the application and decision making procedures, this decision was subject to appeal by the applicants and was referred to Welsh Government.

“Welsh Government dismissed the appeals and an application to relocate the existing pharmacy from Regent Street to the new primary care centre has now been received.

“The board is in the process of consulting prior to making a decision on this application as is required by the regulations.

“Comments on the application will be received up until December 4^th 2015, after which a decision will be made.”

Travel back in time on Llan Railway

Llangollen Railway's Winter Warmer gala weekend will be held over two days January 2^nd and 3^rd and will see a mixture of steam and diesel hauled passenger and goods trains.

During the weekend, a journey along the 10 mile heritage railway between Llangollen and Corwen will also be a journey back through the decades.

Stations along the line will be transformed to resemble different decades:

 

1930s at Berwyn: Visit the station in the gorge and experience the golden age of the Great Western Railway. Why not break your journey and walk over the oldest chain link bridge in the world?

1940s at Glyndyfrdwy: Learn about the role of railways during wartime. Don't forget to pick up your ration book!

 

1950s at Carrog (pictured left) : The railway has been nationalised! See how the railway's appearance changed under public ownership and take a ride on the station's miniature railway (weather permitting).


1960s at Corwen East: Modernisation is in the air and Dr Beeching is planning to close the line. See some historic publicity and learn about how we are building our own new railway station. Children will be able to stamp their 'Travel through the Decades' passport at each station.

 

An intensive timetable will be in operation over the weekend, allowing plenty of time to explore the stations along the line.

 

Visitors can experience how rural branch line journeys would have been on-board our steam-powered Great Western Railway 'auto train', or see how post-war commuter travel would have been like in our Suburban carriages. 

 

They can also travel on the demonstration parcels train and look out for newspapers and parcels being loaded and unloaded along the line.

 

* Full details and a downloadable events guide will be made available over the coming weeks from our website: http://www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/event/winter-warmer-2nd-january-2016/

No more police cuts a victory for common sense says crime chief

 

* Julian Sandham, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales.

 

The Chancellor’s decision to rule out further cuts to the police budget in his Autumn Statement has been welcomed as a victory for common sense by Julian Sandham, the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales.

 

George Osbourne defied expectations when he told the House of Commons that there would be no further cutbacks in the police budget and promised real terms protection for police funding.

 

A relieved Julian Sandham said: “We welcome the Chancellor’s decision to rule out further cuts to the police budget, especially in the light of recent events in Paris.

 

“This is a victory for common sense because the Chancellor has done the right thing and without this our approach to security wouldn’t have been coherent.

 

“We now need to look at the fine detail of what the Chancellor has said before we receive the grant settlement in December.

 

North Wales is a special case for a number of reasons. We have a major port in Holyhead which handles over two million passengers a year and over 300,000 lorries and the prospect of a new nuclear power station.

 

“Clearly, we still need to consider aspects of the terror attacks in Paris – specifically the need to consider carefully the implications in respect of neighbourhood policing.

 

“The flow of intelligence is important and neighbourhood policing teams gather this intelligence and are best able to do so because they are closer to their communities.”

 

The Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales is about to embark on a series of consultation meetings across the region and Julian Sandham added: “North Wales Police have coped with £24 million in cuts over the past four years and is now a leaner machine in consequence but it isn’t a less effective or less efficient machine.

 

"The force has an excellent track record in fighting crime and is the only force in Wales where crime has been reduced.”

 

"Our focus now moves to a series of meetings where the Commissioner and I will seek the views of local people in communities across north Wales  to inform the priorities to be included in the Police and Crime Plan which will be the blueprint for policing the region.

 

"Their views will also be important and I would encourage people to take part in this process.

 

"For those who are unable to attend any of the meetings, we have an online survey so they can make sure their opinions are heard. People can also request a hard copy survey from the office or phone the office and give us their views."

Welsh Ambulance Service exceeds eight-minute target

Almost 70% of people with life-threatening illnesses and injuries received an emergency response within eight minutes during the first month of a year-long pilot to test changes to the Welsh Ambulance Service, new figures published today show.

 

Mid Wales North Wales South East Wales South West WalesA third of people (34.7%) received a response within just four minutes, the figures reveal.

 

The figures for October – the first month of the new clinical response model – show the Welsh Ambulance Service has met and exceeded the target that 65% of responses to the most life-threatening emergencies should arrive within eight minutes.

A total of 68.7% red calls were responded to within eight minutes. The average response time to this type of call was five minutes and 44 seconds.

The figures show:

• * The Welsh Ambulance service received 38,155 emergency calls in October 2015, an average of 1,231 a day;
• * Of these, 1,877 (5%) were immediately life-threatening – red –  emergency calls. 68.7% (1,267) responses arrived within eight minutes, above the target of 65%;
• 74% of red calls were responded to in nine minutes; 78.9% within 10 minutes.

Deputy Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: “The figures published today show the new system is working, with nearly 70% of the most immediately life-threatening calls to the Welsh Ambulance Service receiving a response within eight minutes.

“I want to pay tribute to the ambulance service’s hard-working frontline clinicians, volunteer first responders and clinical contact centre staff for their dedication and commitment. Their work embracing the new clinical response model is crucial to delivering better outcomes for patients.

“We know that change can be difficult in the health service – for staff and the public. However, the initial figures from this pilot suggest that the new clinical response model is ensuring that patients are getting the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

“I expect the service to build on these early results; learn lessons and continue to improve to ensure people who need the life-saving skills of ambulance clinicians do so in the quickest time possible and get the best possible outcomes.”

Tracey Myhill, chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service said: “We’ve made a really solid start on this ground-breaking new pilot, and today’s figures are testament of that.

“We owe thanks not just to the new model – which means patients are now receiving the right care, at the right time, by the right clinician – but to the staff who have been working harder than ever to deliver timely and high quality care.

“We’re grateful to staff for embracing this new way of working, and to the people of Wales for their patience and understanding while we continue to improve.

“We’re committed to building on these early results and providing an ambulance service that our patients can be proud of.”

Isherwood hits out over housing target

Shadow Housing Minister Mark Isherwood AM has criticised the Welsh Government's affordable housing target for having no connection to the number in housing need.

 

Speaking in this yesterday’s Assembly debate on Affordable Housing, Mr Isherwood (pictured) called on Ministers to end Wales' housing crisis and described the Welsh Government’s affordable housing target as arbitrary.

 

He said: “The October 2014 Homes for All Cymru manifesto starts ‘there is a housing crisis with more than 90,000 households on waiting lists’. This is the same figure that applied five years ago. Figures in England fell by 300,000 during that period.

“In June this year Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru stated ‘Wales needs to build 15,000 homes per year if we’re to stand a chance of ending the housing crisis within a generation. We’re calling on Welsh Government to continue to demonstrate their understanding that housing is critical infrastructure.’

 

“Although this Labour Government has a habit of missing its targets, normally at least they have the merit of being based on real populations, such as numbers of patients or pupils.

 

“However, this affordable homes target is arbitrary and cynical, bearing no relation to the actual numbers in housing need.

 

“We also lack clarity over what Labour includes in its affordable homes target - where previous figures largely comprised social housing units, but the current Welsh Government figures appear to be inflated with other housing types.”

 

He added: “Two 2015 reports completed by NLP Planning for the house-building industry in Wales state that their updated household projections for new dwellings up to 2031 indicate that the current level of housing delivery is only just over half of the identified housing need across Wales.  And September’s Bevan Foundation report, The Shape of Wales to Come, states `that in order to meet anticipated housing need there needs to be 14,200 new homes created each year, including 5,100 non-market homes'.

 

"They add that `less than half the requirement is being met, with the biggest shortfall in social housing'.

 

“We need a whole market solution to the Welsh housing supply crisis in social rent, low cost home ownership and open market purchase and we need to be asking Housing Associations how we can better link housing supply to sustainable community regeneration.”

Railway officials meet MP in Parliament

Yesterday in Parliament, Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones met with Elizabeth Harland and Gordon Heddon of Llangollen Railway during a meeting of the Heritage Rail Association. 

 Ms Harland said: "It has been wonderful to have been invited today and we are so grateful to Susan to come along and support us. As the biggest employer in the Valley now and with a flying apprentice scheme, support for what we do is more important now than ever.”

Susan Elan Jones MP said: "Llangollen Railway is a very important enterprise in our area. It is always excellent to meet with representatives of Llangollen Railway and I was delighted that both they and a representative of the New Glyn Valley Tramway Trust of Glyn Ceiriog were able to come along to today's meeting of the Heritage Rail Association in Parliament."


* Susan Elan Jones MP (right) with Elizabeth Harland and Gordon Heddon of Llangollen Railway
 

Police boss urges rethink over cuts

A police boss has made a final plea to the Government to abandon further cuts to policing in North Wales in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris.

 

Julian Sandham, the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, was speaking ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review that's being announced tomorrow (Wednesday, December 25) by Chancellor George Osborne.

 

Over the past four years North Wales Police has had to make £24 million in savings to meet Government spending targets.

 

At the same time crime in the area, excluding fraud, has been cut by three per cent.

North Wales Police is the only force in Wales where crime has been reduced - all the rest have experienced increases.

 

But, according to Mr Sandham, (pictured) the terrorist atrocities in Paris changed everything.

 

He said: "The terror attacks in Paris have certainly changed things and I would urge the Government to pause and reflect before imposing any more policing cuts.

 

"It is important to consider the implications for neighbourhood policing which is the first step in any intelligence gathering operation.

 

"The new level of terrorist threat can affect forces similar to North Wales as well.

For example, if you had a major incident in London which required lots and lots of extra policing, as it inevitably would, then the Metropolitan Police could not supply all those police.  The other police forces would have to assist.

 

"So no matter where the major incidents of the Paris kind were to occur, the neighbourhood policing of all the forces of England and Wales would be affected in the sense that the number available within their own forces would be reduced on account of deployment to London.

 

"Also, so far as North Wales is concerned, the Holyhead port is a gateway in and out of Britain and the ease with which you can get flights in and out of Dublin, makes Holyhead a very attractive port from that point of view and coupled with that is the A55 for easy access from North Wales the to the densely populated areas of the north west of England or a train to London of course.

 

"So the need for vigilance around the port and effective scrutiny of the legitimacy of those who are coming in through Holyhead is very much a matter for North Wales Police, very much so.

 

"Anglesey is a very special case in my opinion because it’s about to experience considerable change in its socio-economic pattern from the building of the second Wylfa nuclear power station, from the large scale residential development that’s just been granted.

 

"The influx of the labour force to build Wylfa Newydd will of itself create a policing demand. 

 

"The fact that you’ve got a nuclear power station on your patch also influences the risk factors and will have to be taken into account in the kind of policing pattern you employ within that area.

 

"There is an opportunity now not to implement further significant cuts and I am hoping this is recognised and acted upon."

Council reforms would save £650m says government

Reforms to local government in Wales will deliver net savings of up to £650m over ten years, the Welsh Government has announced.

 

North Wales South East Wales South West WalesThe Draft Local Government (Wales) Bill, published today, sets out how "significant savings" can be made in order to protect frontline services at a time of unprecedented demand.

 

Under the Bill, the current 22 councils will be merged into 8 or 9, cutting overheads, and acting as a catalyst for reforming the way services are delivered to citizens.

 

Under the eight-council option Denbighshire would be merged with Flintshire and Wrexham, while under the option for nine councils the county would be merged with Conwy.

It’s anticipated by the government that the mergers would pay for themselves within two to three years, and the £650m savings figure takes into account all these initial costs. Additional savings could also be achieved by the sale of surplus assets, it is claimed.

Today’s Draft Bill is the start of a formal consultation process on the proposals for local authority mergers announced in June.

Views are sought on the proposed structure, including whether there should be two or three councils serving North Wales. The consultation closes on 15th February 2016.

Public Services Minister, Leighton Andrews said: “Our vision for Local Government is for activist Councils, engaged in delivering modern, accessible, high quality public services with their local communities.

“This Draft Bill sets out a programme of reform to secure the future of Local Government in Wales. We want to see Councils which are vibrant, strong, flexible, open and transparent - Councils with vision, great leadership and passion, working effectively with the public service workforce and their communities to improve services, improve lives and improve places.

“There is a real opportunity here for Local Government to make significant savings for taxpayers and if Councils work together, plan well and involve their staff there is the opportunity for savings even greater than the £650 million we have identified. This means more money for front line public services, more money to invest in communities and more money to support local economic prosperity.”

The Bill is scheduled to be introduced to the Assembly in autumn 2016, and is being published in draft form in order to seek a wide range of views on the proposals between now and February next year.

Health and wellbeing events for town

A pilot project in Denbighshire to improve the health and well-being of residents through working directly with people in their own communities is hosting more events across the county, including one in Llangollen.

 

* Llangollen Health Centre. 

The Community Led Conversations project is all about having meaningful conversations with residents to help them take control of their own lives, working with them to find solutions for their individual needs and connecting with people on issues that matter to them.

 

As part of this project, sessions called Talking Points are being piloted in various areas where residents can drop in and speak to a range of people on issues that matter to them. 

 

Sessions include:

 

Thursday, November 26^th – Llangollen Health Centre – 10am-3pm

Thursday, December 10^th – Canolfan Ni, Corwen – 10am-3pm

Thursday, December 17^th – Llangollen Health Centre – 10am-3pm

 

Councillor Bobby Feeley, Denbighshire’s Cabinet Lead Member for Health and Well-being, said: “This project is very different as we are changing the kind of conversation we are having with our residents. Rather than ask what the problem is, we will be asking residents what matters to them. Then we will work with them to provide advice and support on local support that is available to them that will meet their needs.

 

"We want to empower communities through directing people to solutions right on their doorstep rather than needing to be referred to a professional service. It’s about listening and understanding people’s needs and promoting ways that people can remain independent."

 

Quiz in aid of children's charity planned