Police boss blasts Boris over refusal to ban people from Covid hotspots

 

* North Wales PCC Arfon Jones.

A police boss has blasted “irresponsible and reckless” Boris Johnson for refusing to ban people from Covid hotspots travelling into Wales and potentially bringing the virus with them.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones is furious that the UK Prime Minster had dismissed the request to ban people from travelling from areas of England with high infection rates

Mr Jones spoke out after Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford threatened a travel ban if Mr Johnson does not impose his own.

He said he was giving UK ministers "one final opportunity" before he makes changes in Welsh law.

The UK government announced on Monday that it will advise against non-essential travel from Merseyside.

But it stopped short of making it illegal, angering Welsh ministers and the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner.

Mr Jones said: “The Prime Minister is once again behaving irresponsibly and recklessly in allowing people from Covid hotspots to potentially import and spread the virus here in North Wales.

“He displayed his trademark arrogance in dismissing a perfectly reasonable question from Liz Saville Roberts, the MP for Meirionnydd Dwyfor, when she raised the issue during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons.

Speaking on the Jason Mohammed show on Radio Wales, Mr Jones added: “The First Minister seems to be extremely frustrated with the Boris Johnson. I think what is being asked for is perfectly reasonable.

“People who live in Conwy cannot leave the county, but people from hotspots like Liverpool, Manchester and Nottingham can travel into Conwy and spend time there.

“The only thing the Prime Minster has said is that they’re advised not to, but there is nothing to stop them from going. So, I do share the First Minister’s frustration on this.

“Policing is between a rock and a hard place on this issue. It is right in principle to do what Mr Drakeford and Mr Gething are suggesting, but it is very difficult for police to enforce it, even though we’ve had more money to enforce Covid regulations.

“But if the Welsh Government do ban people from crossing the border into Wales from England, we will do our best, along with our partners in local authorities and health to enforce the regulations.  

“We’d need to look at how we would enforce these rules and have a conversation with our four chief constables here in Wales.

“I can’t see us lining the border with patrol cars because none of the police forces in Wales have the resources to do that.

“The demand now is as high as it was before the first Covid lockdown. We will try to encourage and educate but if that doesn’t work, we will enforce.

“I think there will be a lower tolerance level because people do know what the rules and regulations are by now. So, there will be much less leeway for people who deliberately break the rules.

“I think there is an ideological difference between the devolved government and Westminster. It’s the health vs wealth argument.

“Obviously, Westminster is concerned about the economy as we all are, but I think the devolved nations want to put public health ahead.”

Author's new spy thriller is set in Llangollen

A WREXHAM-born author has set his second book in the landscape of Llangollen.

Murder in the Welsh Hills by Vic Evans is set in the majestic mountains of North Wales where retired MI5 agent Huw Cecil is reluctantly drawn back into a world of espionage and murder.

While visiting his childhood home of Llangollen, Cecil becomes embroiled in a dangerous mission to obtain top-secret information that could lead to the total collapse of the NATO Alliance. But when his Russian contact is brutally killed, Huw knows that he is the next target.

In a deadly game of cat and mouse, with no one left to trust, Cecil enlists the help of Lottie Williams-Parry, a local woman who is struggling to overcome her own dark secrets, and together they take on dark forces and evil assassins in a bid to outwit their enemies and expose the shocking truth.

Vic Evans was born in Wrexham and grew up in the town and on his aunt’s hill farm.

Having worked in the aircraft industry and in engineering for twenty-nine years and taught in secondary schools for a further twenty years, Vic turned his hand to writing fiction.

His first novel, Miriam, was inspired by his own family history as well as by the recollections of Wrexham men who fought in the Spanish Civil War.

Murder in the Welsh Hills, his second novel, is a tense and gripping political thriller set in the rugged landscape of Llangollen.

Vic now lives on the Kent coast and he has three children and four grandchildren.

* Publisher: Headline Publishing Group 
ISBN: 9781786156907 
Number of pages: 192 

Coronavirus latest for Wales and England

People from England's high risk Covid-19 areas should not visit Wales, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Earlier this afternoon he briefed the House of Commons on new measures to halt the spread of the infection in England.

These include a new three-tiered system of COVID Alert Levels - medium, high and very high - being put place depending on local infection rates.

Merseyside will be designated "very high" from Wednesday.  

Asked by an MP about the situation with people from high risk areas of England visiting Wales, he replied: "It's very clear that people from high areas such as Merseyside should not be making those journeys."

* A second national Welsh lockdown is being considered as Covid-19 cases rise, the health minister has said.

Vaughan Gething said there was "growing concern" local restrictions may not be enough to stop a rise in cases, which he said was close to its spring peak.

Seventeen areas of Wales are currently under local lockdown restrictions, including Denbighshire.

There were more than 100 cases per 100,000 people in Wales over the past week and Mr Gething said there were more than 330 people in hospital.

He warned Covid cases in Wales could be back to peak levels seen in the spring within two weeks.

According to Public Health Wales figures the highest number of new cases recorded in a day in April was 391. The total on Sunday was 467.

* After attending a COBR(M) meeting this morning chaired by the Prime Minister to discuss the proposed introduction of the new tiered system of local restrictions in England, Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford  issued a statement in which he expressed "deep disappointment at the inadequate proposals" for travel restrictions in high infection areas in England, and said these would be met with "great dismay" in many parts of Wales where infection rates are lower. 

He also requested greater clarity on the metrics for placing areas into each tier, and agreed with other devolved leaders that the Treasury’s proposals for financial support, while welcome, did not go far enough in protecting the lowest paid workers.

* A summary of the latest measures for England: 

• Three Local COVID Alert Levels - medium, high and very high - will be in place throughout England depending on local infection rates
• The medium level will cover a significant part of England and includes the current national restrictions such as the rule of six and the 10pm curfew for pubs, bars and restaurants
• The high level will see people prevented from socialising with other households indoors. Most of those areas already living under local restrictions - such as Greater Manchester and Birmingham - will move into this category
• The very high alert level will see people banned from socialising with other households both indoors and in private gardens, while bars and pubs will be closed unless they can operate as restaurants
• Residents will also be advised against travelling in and out of these areas, while it will be up local politicians as to whether other leisure venues such as gyms and casinos should also close. However, non-essential shops, schools and universities will remain open
• Merseyside is among the areas to be put into the highest tier

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

llanblogger reviews the Old Vicarage's Lockdown Legends book

 * At the launch of the book are Old Vicarage owner Bethan Mascarenhas, Town Crier Austin 'Chem' Cheminais and storyteller Fiona Collins. 

Front: Joan Fell, 96, Jill Lidgit, 85, Ena Strange, 99, and Iola Roberts, 87.

Lockdown Legends Review

by llanblogger

When you visit a care home for the elderly and see the residents sitting comfortably in their armchairs it’s easy to get the impression, simply because they’re now getting on a bit, that they are just normal people who have lived pretty unexciting lives.

But if you take the trouble to stop and chat with them you’ll quickly discover that quite a few of them have led lives and had experiences that are far from mundane.

This is exactly the case with The Old Vicarage in Llangollen.

And the talks professional storyteller Fiona Collins had with a group of residents were so downright fascinating that they just had to be brought together in a book.

Fiona was commissioned by home owner Bethan Mascarenhas and took the opportunity of lockdown, which meant visitors weren’t allowed in, to don her PPE and speak at length to them, recording their recollections for the 132-page Lockdown Legends.

Apart from their stories it is lavishly illustrated by Peter Stevenson and contains a host of their family photos.

One of the contributions comes from Amy Lawton, who was a fiery red-headed Post Office telephonist at the time of the Second World War.

Poignantly, she recalls putting through calls to houses that sometimes weren’t there anymore because they’d been destroyed by bombing.

After the war she and her husband of eventually 65 years quite fancied starting a new life in Canada but their dream was dashed when his dad refused to allow him to go.

However, the couple made up for it later in life when they went globe-trotting on frequent foreign holidays. They also lived in many place during their life together but eventually made their home in Llangollen.

Sad to record that Amy died peacefully at the Old Vic in August at the grand old age of 99.

Then there’s Bill Gosson who remembers his early years growing up on Merseyside – and being bombed by the Luftwaffe almost every night for six or seven months during the war.

His family home was eventually destroyed by a bomb which fell nearby and killed a number of his neighbours. Bill had to be dug out of rubble by a rescue party and was evacuated to Llangollen.

Sadly, there was more tragedy in store for him when a fellow young evacuee drowned on his first day in the area after falling into the river.

Later in life Bill lived in Scotland where he did up his own house and, along with his wife, became part of a Scottish country dancing team.

Ena Strange was born in Liverpool and brought up in Manchester. She recalled being a sickly child whose family doctor advised her mother to take her to north Wales to “run with the sheep”.

They took a cottage on Sun Bank, just outside Llangollen, which she reckons saved her life.

It’s a good thing she became strong because as a teenager during the war she served as an officer in the National Fire Service dealing with the dreadful aftermath of bombing raids on Salford Docks.

In December Ena is due to celebrate her 100^th birthday.

In the book we also learn the story of 87-year-old Iola Roberts, who was born in Acrefair and became a well-known mainstay of many local organisations including the eisteddfod and the Twenty Club dramatic group.

One of her outstanding early memories is how she began driving at the tender age of nine.

“My grandfather had the undertaker and building business. The men in the business taught me to drive in the yard – in the hearse.”

Jill Lidgit, 85, was born in London and, unusually for those days just, she and a friend hitch-hiked across a Europe that was still recovering from the war.

They ended up in Italy where she recalls seeing Leonardo’s The Last Supper at a gallery in Milan, being lucky enough to get tickets to enjoy a concert by the great soprano Maria Callas, climbing Vesuvius  and joining the crowds in St Peter’s Square to hear the Pope deliver his Easter message.

Many other tales featured in this delightful book are equally enthralling.

* Lockdown Legends, priced at £9.99, is available from Courtyard Books who are currently taking pre-orders for a print run with all proceeds going to the residents’ fund at the Old Vic..

Orders and payments must be made before 2pm on Monday October 19.

The shop will be open from 10am-2pm, or you can contact them on the Courtyard Books Llangollen Facebook page, or on courtyardbooksllangollen@gmail.com 

They are able to post worldwide for an extra postage fee.

Ysgol Dinas Bran to stage virtual open day

Ysgol Dinas Bran is to stage a virtual open day on Monday October 19.

For further details go to the school's website at: www.dinasbran.co.uk

Tribute to the Rev Charles Stallard who died recently

* This drawing of Charles Stallard is by his granddaughter Carys.

* Charles meets Terry Waite at a Llangollen Eisteddfod gathering. Picture by Mike Connolly. 

The Rev John Charles Stallard, who was well known in Llangollen where he lived for 10 years, died recently at the age of 85 in Llandudno.

The father of the Venerable Mary Stallard and her husband the Rev Andrew Sully, he had moved with his wife Daphne to the seaside town to be near them when they went there two years ago.

While Andrew became the vicar and ministry area leader of Llandudno, Mary, then the new Archdeacon of Bangor, became an associate vicar in Llandudno.  

Charles attended Whitgift School in Croydon and after National Service he read English and Theology at Selwyn College Cambridge. 

It was during his time at University that his vocation to the priesthood was nurtured, and there he also met his future wife Daphne.

After finishing his degree, Charles trained as a teacher before ordination training at Ripon College, Cuddesdon. 

He and Daphne moved to the Diocese of Birmingham where he served curacies in Sutton Coldfield and Hall Green before taking on his first parish at St Bede’s in Brandwood. 

Charles drew on his drama skills as a priest and became known for his plays, sacred and secular, and for the pantomimes which drew all kinds of people into the life of the church. 

He was always keenly involved with ministry to youngsters, he was a scout-leader and wherever he served he made sure there were youth clubs and Sunday schools. 

In the various dioceses in which he worked -  Birmingham, Newcastle and Worcester - in the parishes of St James and St Basil Fenham, St Hilda’s Warley Woods, Droitwich Spa and Pensnett, he used his gifts of liturgy, drama and education to enrich the life of  communities and to draw fellow clerics together at diocesan events.

In Newcastle, Charles had a school ministry as a chaplain and teacher. He served at Dame Allan’s school.

In retirement Charles continued to offer an active ministry, serving in St David’s, St Asaph, the Diocese of Truro (on the Scilly Isles) and latterly in Bangor Diocese. 

He was a lover of words and always read widely, keeping up a keen interest in theology, history, literature and politics throughout his life. 

He wrote throughout his ministry and had a book published of his reflections from the viewpoint of the rectory dachshund.

Bishop John Stewart Davies, former Bishop of St Asaph, wrote of him: “He seemed to me to possess all the best virtues of an old school parish priest - prayerfulness, intelligence, kindness, dedication. accessibility, that rare quality of 'stabilitas', and much much more. 

"I considered it a privilege to have him in the diocese and was always glad to see him. He came across as ever cheerful and attentive."

Charles had three children, Mary, Andrew and John, and four grandchildren - Mary's daughters Jo and Carys, and also Harry and George.

Mary said: "Dad loved the time that he and Mum spent in Llangollen. 

"They were so happy in the town and Dad loved being an active part of the community. 

"He had many friends in the town and enjoyed continuing to serve in the Church, taking part in Rotary Club meetings, visiting some of the residential homes, being part of various drama societies and volunteering at the Eisteddfod. 

"The family are all so grateful for the many messages of sympathy and shared memories of him that we have received.

"He and Mum both moved to Llandudno two years ago when Andrew and I moved. They came to be near us." 

Old Vicarage finds local distributor for its book

* Bill Gosson, 90, with the book Lockdown Legends. 

Courtyard Books in Llangollen has come to the aid of residents at The Old Vicarage care home after an overwhelming response to their book Lockdown Legends.

Sian from Courtyard books has said that they will be taking pre-orders for a print run, the book will be £9.99 and any proceeds will go to the residents' fund. Orders and payments must be made before 2pm on Monday October 19.

The shop will be open from 10am-2pm, or you can contact them on the Courtyard Books Llangollen Facebook page, or on courtyardbooksllangollen@gmail.com

They are able to post worldwide for an extra postage fee.

Major changes take place on Llangollen Railway board

Major changes have taken place on the board of Llangollen Railway, which is currently closed for the second time due to government coronavirus restrictions.

A press release issued by Llangollen Railway Trust Ltd in the name of director Bob Gordon says: "The Llangollen Railway regrets to announce the resignation of the chairman Liz McGuinness from the board of LRT (Llangollen Railway Trust) and LR (Llangollen Railway) plc.

"Her fellow elected directors Hugh Shipton and Quentin McGuinness and two co-opted members, Robin Matthews and Rhys Williams, have also resigned.

"The sole remaining elected director is Bob Gordon who is presently endeavouring to co-opt new directors for both boards to be in place within the next few days pending the forthcoming AGM.

"The resignations arise from major differences of opinion with the Board’s heritage policy as being applied to the Corwen project.

"Bob Gordon immediately set about reassuring the Corwen project team regarding support for completing the new station as planned with work to start on the building of the platform, waiting room and toilets.

"He said, 'The need is to get the station finished and ready to receive passengers during 2021 with appropriate shelter to hand on the platform. This aim is dependent on this winter’s weather and, of course, any continuing impact of Covid 19 on the volunteer workforce.'

"Supporting these comments, the Railway’s President, Bill Shakespeare MBE, said, 'I am full of admiration for the way in which the Corwen Project team have tackled the creation of the new station and feel they should be allowed to continue the completion of the project with the building of the waiting room.

"We need to overcome this current difficulty and continue the progress towards an opening through to Corwen as soon as resources allow.

"I have always thought that Llangollen Railway is a broad church and can accommodate all shades of opinion.”

Llangollen Railway spokesman George Jones said: "Co-opted members have now formed a new board which has had its first meeting. 

"The board members have experience and long-term commitment to Llangollen Railway."

Abbey Dingle Care Home to hold coffee morning for Macmillan

* Abbey Dingle residents Wynn Hughes and Esther Whittall with some of the raffle prizes.

Abbey Dingle Care Home in Llangollen is holding a coffee morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support tomorrow (Friday) at 3pm.

Due to Covid restrictions they cannot invite anyone from outside the home to join them but you can take part by making a donation and staff will purchase a raffle ticket on your behalf.

Home owner Carol Mascarenhas said: "We have a lovely Christmas pamper hamper with prosecco, two Christmas wine glasses, pomegranate and fig toiletries, a Christmas box of Toffifee, a stag cushion and a red fleece throw, all in a decorated Christmas box.

"Families have donated prizes and we say a big thank you for this. We are very sorry they are unable to join us. Thank you for your support.

"All our residents are looking forward to having a lovely afternoon and supporting such a good cause. There will be home made cakes , a bric a brac stall and the raffle. Teas and coffees of course.

Traffic plan is "waste of money" claims opponents' spokesperson

Castle Street traders continue to be angry that plans to ban all "pop-and-shop" parking and deliveries unloading are to go ahead later this month.

That's the claim of former Chamber of  Tourism and Trade chairman David Davies acting as a spokesperson for those opposed the moves.

The plans approved by Denbighshire County Council (DCC) are part of a package of changes designed to allow for more active travel  - walking and cycling - and Covid-19 social distancing of two metres between people.

They will be applied using temporary traffic orders within weeks.

Mr Davies said: "The plans were put out to public consultation for only two weeks in July and attracted just 91 respondents.   

"According to DCC, this included 25 businesses in Castle Street who objected to the plan and 66 other responses from local residents and visitors of whom 59 were in favour of the plans.

"Census figures suggest around 4,000 people are in the Llangollen, Llantysilio and Berwyn area who could be described as local, out of which 91 responded to the survey - that's  2.3%. Of those 91 some 65% (59 persons) voted in favour.

"Continuing the maths -  those in favour of the plans were 65% of 2.3% which is only 1.5% of the total local population.     

"Thus 98.5% did not respond or objected, yet DCC still plans to go ahead with their scheme. How such a decision can therefore be promoted as a 'huge thumbs up' to the plan remains an unanswered question."

He added: "It seems unbelievable that DCC is misusing and wasting taxpayers' money closing Castle Street to pop-and-shoppers when they and government are trying to encourage buy local shopping.

"Traders are concerned that the plans, 'by coincidence,' are the same as one of the main objectives of the 2020 Group to permanently ban all parking in Castle Street.

"With a number of questions to DCC still outstanding and their refusal to respond, an objection has been lodged with DCC for the scrutiny panel to review the decision.

"This must take full account of the traders; objections, trading conditions, current footfall and the true level of response from the local population.   

"I am also calling on DCC to publish details of the planned footpath, cycle-way and road widths to meet social distancing and road traffic requirements."

New name board is a sign of the good times for Corwen station project

Llangollen Railway's Corwen station project has received a new name board (pictured) on the eastern end of the platform.

The substantial piece of joinery was lifted into position by volunteers after it was delivered to the site.

Sponsored by rilway enthusiasts' group the Foxcote Manor Society the double-sided name board was constructed by Llangollen Railway member Graham Hoyland[

As a traditional form of station running-on board, it will announce to train passengers their arrival at Corwen and can now be seen as a prominent fixture on the platform, adding to the heritage features already in place.

It can be readily appreciated by walkers across Corwen Common and its erection was a big boost for the project volunteers.

Running-in boards are no longer a feature of stations on the national rail network having been superseded these days by on-train announcements. 

A similar board was unveiled in the Corwen town car park back in December 2011 as a statement of the railway’s intention to return to the adjacent embankment.

It has taken rather longer than originally envisaged, but that board remains in-situ as a local feature announcing to road users where they have arrived.

Traffic changes in town centre to start this month, says council

* Social distancing work on the town centre will goa head in 

mid-October, according to the county council.

The county council says it will implement its plans to allow better social distancing in Llangollen town centre by the middle of this month.

The Active Travel schemes approved for this town and other in Denbighshire were given the go-head by county councillors at the end of August.

But there had been speculation about a hold-up as work has not yet started in Llangollen.

However, in answer to a question from llanblogger about this, a spokesperson for Denbighshire County Council said: “The proposed scheme is scheduled to go ahead as planned with works commencing on site in mid-October.”

Locally, the work 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.

*  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.   

*  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

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

Detailing the plan in August, Lllangollen county councillor Graham 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 (the other local county councillor) 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.

“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: “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."

But there was opposition to the plan from the former chair of Llangollen Chamber of Trade and Tourism, David Davies, who claimed banning parking in Castle Street is a waste of money and will have a “negative, deadening effect” on the town centre.

He said: “Castle Street businesses are angered to see that the county council is proceed with the traffic order banning all parking and deliveries in the street on the pretence of Covid-19 social distancing and active travel reasons.

“Twenty-eight businesses - 80% of all operating businesses in the street - individually signed letters of objection to DCC."  

Sportage is fast but at the cost of fuel economy

* Above and below: the Kia Sportage. 

Kia Sportage road test

For months I have been praising the economy of small petrol engines. Well, I hit a brick wall with the Kia Sportage.

Kia has been developing new engines to meet the latest emission demands and, like many other manufacturers, has built a small engine with a lot of power but in this case not much in the way of economy.

To be fair this is the more powerful 174bhp version of the 1.6 litre which, with the help of a twin scroll turbocharger, shoots Sportage to sixty in well under nine seconds yet it only averaged 30mpg. 

To add a little context to the debate the big Skoda Superb featured a few weeks ago averaged way over 50mpg with a 1.5 litre engine and is less than half a second behind the Kia in a sprint.

Okay, a saloon is going to be better on fuel than an SUV but by that much? Even if you drop down to the turbo-free 1.6 the official average is only 35mpg.

Interestingly a motoring writer friend who switched from diesel to the turbo 1.6 said he would never trade the loss of economy for the sparkling performance of his new Sportage and I know what he means because this is one quick motor with plenty of punch at low revs, able to pull away in top at just over 1000rpm. Impressive.

That said I came down to earth with an even bigger bump when I towed my caravan to Devon and averaged 19.4mpg. Not a problem if you have deep pockets may be but having to top up after just 200 miles is still a pain. Imagine a drive to the south of France.

The 1.6 litre diesel is a better option for economy but its towing capacity is limited unlike the all wheel drive petrol turbo which can pull just about any size van with its 1900kg limit while the towball can take a useful 100kg.

Economy aside I found Sportage pretty much the ideal tow car. As an SUV it sits high so there are no worries about jockey wheels smashing against speed humps which can happen with low riding saloons or hatchbacks, and with the back seats down there is ample room for everything you do not want to store in the weight restricted caravan, it easily swallowed two adult bikes and a lot more.

It towed my four berth caravan with ease and the trailer stability assist which counters snaking in high winds is reassuring. It also reduces sway when overtaking long artics on the motorway, a far more regular occurrence.

I would certainly go for the seven speed auto over the six speed manual which is a notchy change and too easy to stall because of its sharp clutch and throttle, all very embarrassing for someone who has had enough experience of balancing clutch and accelerator on countless cars!

Sportage took off with the third generation in 2010 and has been like a wild fire ever since outselling some big rivals and topping Kia's sales charts until last year when it lost out to the growing Ceed family.

The seven year warranty is a big draw but there is a lot more to Sportage. Build quality is as good as any in its class and scores well on spec right from entry level. Level 3, tested here, is really well off with panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel, leather seats, power adjusted for driver and passenger, and heated not just in the front but the two outer back seats as well.

The 8in touchscreen controls navigation, radio, Bluetooth, smartphone connectivity and other lesser functions and, unusually, there are four decks of switches. The quick keys on the top row are a great benefit while the heating and other aids are clearly marked and easy to reach.

I found a few relatively insignificant additions particularly useful like the extending front sunvisors, two 12-volt sockets and USB port in the front and more for back seat passengers while front wiper de-icer will be welcome on frosty mornings.

Sportage gained a few centimetres in length in its last upgrade so there is no shortage of legroom particularly in the back. And while we are at the back of the car the designers would do well to include sidewall levers should the back seats need to be dropped while loading the boot.

Need to know

Sportage 3 AWD

£28,555 (starts £21,010)

1.6 T-GDI 174bhp

0-62mph 9.2secs; 126mph

32.1mpg combined

201g/km. 1st road tax £1,305 then £150pa

Insurance group 20

Boot 491-1480 litres

New app helps locate waste-beating businesses

Shoppers in Llangollen, Ruthin and Mold are being encouraged to say goodbye to pointless packaging as award-winning campaign Refill expands.

The Refill campaign has already saved 100 million pieces of plastic from our oceans to become the world’s first dedicated app to help people find locations to reuse and refill.

The app is now available to help people in Llangollen, Ruthin and Mold to live with less plastic by making it easier to eat, drink and shop packaging-free.

Morrisons, LUSH, Costa and some local businesses are amongst the brands signed up to the campaign.

Since October 1 people in the three areas are able to use the free app to find out where to refill their coffee cup, water bottle or lunchbox, shop for groceries and top up their cleaning products and toiletries packaging-free.

The app will also highlight where discounts might be available to reward customers for reducing their single-use packaging. 

This means that businesses in Wales who offer reuse or packaging-free options can use the app as a free marketing platform to drive footfall and increase sales.

In Wales, thanks to Welsh Government funding. there are already more than 1,600 Refill Stations offering drinking water. 

The Welsh Government has a long-standing aim for a zerowaste Wales by 2050, and is consulting on restricting the sale of some single-use plasticsfrom 2021. 

It is hoped that the Refill app could make a big contribution to driving the necessary behaviour change to deliver this, making re-use and refilling the new social norm.

* Consumers looking for businesses who offer refills, reduce packaging and support zero waste initiatives, should download the app at https://refill.org.uk/get-the-refill-app/.

New faces join revived Llangollen Coronavirus Help Group

* The Facebook logo of the coronavirus help group.

As a new local lockdown begins the highly successful Llangollen Coronavirus Help Group has swung back into action.

The group was set up by Cat Meade, from Wingetts estate agents in Castle Street, just days after the Covid-19 crisis began back in March.

With a help of a large network of volunteers it ran a host of vital community services  ranging from the sourcing and supply of PPE for the those in the front line to the regular delivery of prescription meds and daily newspapers to vulnerable people shielding across town.

Cat even found time to run a series of popular raffles for the benefit of local businesses and good causes in the area.

Cat is still involved but now there are two new co-ordinators with the group, town councillors Austin “Chem” Cheminais, who is also Llangollen’s town crier, and his colleague John Palmer.

Cat said on Facebook of the changes: “As we are now in local lockdown for two weeks just a quick update to advise plans are in place to assist. Councillors Austin Cheminais and John Palmer are on board assisting our community going forward.

“I am unable to pick up the main control role due to work and personal life, however I will be on here for updates and always in the background.

“Hopefully, this will be two weeks, however let’s follow the guidelines and keep our town safe.

“Please support local businesses during this time #shoplocal #helpout #eatlocal.

“Dee Valley Produce are continuing to offer local delivery to your door. The Three Eagles, Riverbanc and Fouzis Cafe all have plans in place to keep you safe, they need us locals now more than ever.

“Most shops, cafes, pubs, hairdressers, barbers continue to operate. Just follow the #social distance #facemask #handwash and keep safe.

“Unfortunately, major businesses in town have had to stop services. We all need to follow the guidelines to ensure all businesses in our Town can survive the long haul.”

Cllr Cheminas said: “As we move into another, hopefully temporary, lockdown and in preparation for what could be some difficult months ahead the Llangollen Coronavirus Help Group plans to resume its work and set up a new network of support in Llangollen for those who need help, are isolated, or are vulnerable during these difficult times.

“We hope to provide regular contact and support with shopping.

“If you need support or know of anyone who you think we could help please contact: Austin Cheminais (Chem) on 07813 761766 chemshouts@gmail.com and John Palmer on 07515  051696 palmerjc28@gmail.com 

"If you need help collecting prescriptions contact Sheena Grindley on 07592 018533."