Use local shops for last minute gifts, says council

In this special seasonal article, the county council reminds us of the importance of shopping locally this Christmas ...

The previous two Christmases weren’t ‘normal’ to say the least, mainly because of the Covid-19 pandemic and our attempts to keep ourselves and each other safe. 

But Christmas 2022 is being affected by other, different circumstances beyond our control.

Postal strikes are having a considerable effect on delivery times, rail strikes are affecting our ability to travel further-afield to do our Christmas shopping, and the ‘cost of living crisis’ is affecting most of us in one way or another. 

But by having to shop differently this Christmas, it also offers us some excellent opportunities as well. And if you’ve still got some last minute shopping to do, remember that there are some wonderful businesses right on our doorstep.

Denbighshire County Council’s initiative to Support Denbighshire High Streets is particularly relevant this Christmas. 

Asking people to shop and support their local businesses is nothing new. The annual #lovelivelocal campaign provides an excellent opportunity to remind us of what we have nearby. 

Rather than taking the risk of ordering online and not receiving your items in time or filling up on over-priced diesel to drive to do our shopping miles away, we can save time and money and help our local traders by shopping closer to home.  

The campaign reminds us that we have wonderful shops, cafés, and restaurants on our own local high streets, and if we support them and use them, we can ensure that they continue to be there for us in the future. And a good Christmas can mean everything to a local trader.

There is so much more to the high street experience than just shopping, especially over the Christmas period. 

There was a time when we did much more of our Christmas shopping on our local high street. It was an opportunity to meet up with friends for a chat, a cuppa, and a mince pie, and there’s nowhere like your local high street when the Christmas lights are shining, there are carol singers singing and events such as artisan markets bring new life to town.

Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader of Denbighshire County Council, and Lead Member for Economic Growth and Tackling Deprivation, said: “The #lovelivelocal campaign is to remind people of the wonderful businesses we have in Denbighshire, to shop and use local services wherever possible to keep the Denbighshire economy thriving and lower our carbon footprint.

"It’s been going really well so far this year but it's important that we continue to remind our residents that they don’t need to travel very far to shops, and they don’t need to buy online, everything they need is here, in our towns and villages – give Denbighshire businesses a go and #lovelivelocal.”

After two Christmases of being apart, the high street can be a place for us to congregate and meet up once again. And if you’ve been out and about and feel that the service you’ve received from a local business is something you’d like to share with your friends, family, or even the business itself, don’t forget to use your social media presence to let everyone know!

And a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

Heli-help at Castell Dinas Brân!

* The helicopter swoops in to help with the work on Castell Dinas Brân. 

Helicopter help was on hand to assist Rangers from the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley AONB undertake important works on the picturesque slopes of Castell Dinas Brân.

Earlier in the autumn - and under the expert guidance of archaeologists from Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT) – Rangers, volunteers and contractors excavated close to 35 tonnes of material from the castle gatehouse as part of the exciting restoration works taking place at the castle.

All of the excavated material was bagged up, ready to be airlifted directly onto one of the key routes that meanders to the summit. 

This section of footpath has become heavily eroded and has widened considerably in recent years, threatening the population of nationally scarce plants such as upright chickweed and shepherd’s cress that are to be found here at Dinas Brân.

Skilled contractors will then use this material to repair damaged sections of the trail.

Rhun Jones, Senior Ranger in the Dee Valley, said “Working in partnership with Cadw and CPAT, this has been a really exciting project – and not just because we have a helicopter here to move all of the material!”

“When planning the project, we knew that in restoring the castle and clearing the gatehouse, we’d generate a lot of waste. But we saw this as an ideal opportunity to use the cleared material to improve access opportunities whilst also safeguarding the fragile grassland habitat too so that everyone can continue to enjoy Dinas Brân’s rich natural and historical heritage.”

The castle restoration work is being delivered through the Our Picturesque Landscape project, a landscape partnership scheme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with additional support and funding provided by Cadw.

Councillor Win Mullen James, Denbighshire Cabinet Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said: “This is a fantastic piece of collaborative work and I look forward to seeing the end results at such a prominent Llangollen landmark. “

MP finds out more about feline welfare

* Simon Baynes MP at the Cats Protection Parliamentary Reception.

* Billy, the Baynes family rescue cat from Welshpool.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes MP attended a reception hosted by the UK’s largest cat charity to find out more about feline welfare issues.   

The event, held at the House of Commons, was a chance to discuss ways to improve the lives of cats and their owners, from cat microchipping to enabling more people in rented housing to own pet cats.   

Cats Protection’s Head of Advocacy, Campaigns and Government Relations Madison Rogers said: “We were delighted to host our reception in the House of Commons to discuss cat welfare, which is an important issue for many people across the UK. We were able to discuss a wide range of issues, from the breeding of cats to compulsory microchipping of pet cats.   

“With 11 million pet cats in the UK, cats are undoubtedly one of the UK’s most popular pets, so it is great to see so many politicians taking an interest in feline welfare.”  

Mr Baynes said: “It was a pleasure to meet Cats Protection’s team in Parliament and to hear about the vital work they are doing for the welfare of cats. I also took the opportunity to find out more about the volunteering opportunities the charity has available across the UK.   

“Cats Protection is the UK’s largest cat protection charity and helps over 150,000 cats and kittens every year and is very close to my heart as we have a much-loved family cat Billy who was a rescue cat, found on the street of Welshpool as a small kitten.” 

Eisteddfod announces new-look dance competitions

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has announced its new line-up of dance competitions for 2023. 

The Eisteddfod has long been celebrated for its choral competitions, which culminate in the famous Choir of the World final, and has won a reputation for stunning global participation in its traditional / folk dance categories. 

For Llangollen’s first full-length Eisteddfod since the pandemic, an extra day of competitions has been added, for the first time ever featuring ballet, contemporary, commercial and even a dance-off.

Executive Producer Camilla King said: “If you've ever wanted to combine friendly competition with a festival experience then Llangollen 2023 is for you.

"I hope that dancers of all ages will be inspired to come and join us in beautiful North Wales, to perform in the 4,000 seat Royal Pavilion arena, take part in our activities around town, and to compete for the chance to take part in either the Dance Champions Final (with a prize of £1,000), or the Stars of Tomorrow final for our junior performers.”

·    Traditional / Folk Dance: for groups of 4-25 performers, aged 16+

·    Children’s Folk Dance: for groups of 4-25 performers, aged 16 or under

·    NEW: Ballet & Contemporary Group: 4-30 dancers with categories for juniors (9-13yrs), youth (14-18yrs), senior (19 and over)

·   NEW: Commercial & Open Group: 4-30 dancers with categories for juniors (9-13yrs), youth (14-18yrs), senior (19 and over)

·    Llangollen Dance Off: groups of 4+, no age limit, any style welcome, no selection process 

Applications are now open with the full syllabus and application information available on the dedicated participant website:https://eisteddfodcompetitions.co.uk/Applications close Friday January 6 2023 at 5pm.

The Eisteddfod offices will be closed from December 23 – January 8, and it says any competition, press or ticket enquiries will be responded to from January 9 onwards. 

* Downloadable syllabus book, application forms and other competitor information available on our dedicated website: https://eisteddfodcompetitions.co.uk/

Castle Street cashpoint wins a reprieve from NatWest

llanblogger exclusive

* The NatWest ATM is staying in Castle Street. 

Clwyd South Senedd Member Ken Skates has welcomed a U-turn on plans to close a cashpoint in Llangollen. 

NatWest was due to start decommissioning its ATM on Castle Street in mid-November, with the company previously saying it had failed to come to an agreement with the landlord for a renewal of its lease. 

Mr Skates took the matter up with NatWest on behalf of residents and said he was pleased the cashpoint will now stay put. 

He said: “A number of residents in Llangollen got in touch saying they had heard the ATM would be closing. I contacted NatWest, who confirmed that was the case. 

“However, after I raised the matter with the company again they told me they were back in negotiations and were hopeful of an agreement. That was several weeks ago, and while many residents have since noticed that the cashpoint has clearly not been removed we still didn't really know what was happening.

“NatWest have today (Wednesday) confirmed to me that they have now agreed terms.” 

In an email to Mr Skates, NatWest said: “The new lease agreement has been agreed and is with the landlord for signing. This will now mean the ATM is staying in place. I know you received a lot of queries from constituents, so we’re happy for you to update them.” 

Mr Skates added: “For a town of its size, Llangollen isn’t particularly well-served by cashpoints, especially with the volume of visitors from all over the world it sees all year round. I’m pleased this has been resolved.  

“Usually when a bank announces something that’s that, so this is a welcome result.” 

Methodist Church Christmas tree festival winners announced

* Winning trees have been announced.

At the close of the Christmas Tree Festival in Llangollen Methodist Church the votes cast for visitors' favourite trees were counted. 

The winning tree in the Traditional Category was entered by the Bright Quilting Group, and in the Royal Category the Tidy Town Team was pipped to the post by a single vote by the Woolies Knit and Natter Group. 

A spokesperson for the organisers said: "Congratulations and thank you to everyone who entered a tree and created an impressive display.

"Certificates can be collected with the trees on Wednesday January 4, between 12 noon and 4pm. The display can still be viewed at the 10.30am Service on Christmas Day and at the 11am Service on Sunday January 1. All welcome."

News from Pengwern Community Hub

 

Information on waste and recycling services over Christmas

* There will be no recycling service at the Pavilion car park this Saturday. 

Denbighshire County Council is informing residents of waste collection arrangements over the festive period.

Collections will take place on the usual day even if it is a public holiday.

There will be no Saturday morning services at Llangollen Pavilion on Christmas Eve, says the council.

During Christmas and New Year residents are asked that:

• Waste and recycling containers are put out on their usual day of collection by 7am.

• Non-recyclable waste is contained within their black bin or pink sacks, recycling as much as possible.

• Extra dry recycling, if the blue bin or sack becomes full, can be presented in a cardboard box, except for glass which should always be placed in the designated recycling container for safety reasons.

• Ribbons, bows, excessive adhesive tape and plastic windows are removed from cardboard packaging and wrapping paper before recycling. Unfortunately, wrapping paper and cards containing glitter or foil should be put in the black bin as they are not recyclable and can contaminate the paper stream.

• Food waste (cooked and uncooked) should always be recycled – even meat bones can go into the orange kerbside caddy for composting at a specialized facility within the county. 

Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “The council wishes all our residents a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

“We know during the festive period that households will have extra waste and recycling. Most of this waste can be disposed of and recycled through our kerbside collection services.

“By following the guidelines it will help our staff to collect waste and recycling as efficiently as possible during Christmas and the New Year.”

The council’s bulky waste collection service and bin deliveries are running as usual over Christmas.

Extra waste can be taken to one of three household waste recycling centres, at Denbigh, Rhyl and Ruthin which will be open to the public as normal every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

* Booking is essential and you can book at www.denbighshire.gov.uk/recycling

Ysgol Y Gwernant's big Christmas show is a sell-out

Ysgol Gymraeg Y Gwernant sent in these pictures of its smash-hit school play staged at the Town Hall last Tuesday. 

The colourful production entitled 'Shambyls Sion Corn', which involved a huge cast of pupils, was a sell-out as it was the first show by the school since Covid. 

Temporary road closure at Berwyn next month

Denbighshire County Council is making a traffic order prohibiting vehicles using part of the B5103 Chain Bridge Hotel at Berwyn for a period next month.

It says the closure is necessary to facilitate resurfacing by its works unit. Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the period of closure.

The order is effective from January 20 until the completion of the works which is expected to be January 31.

In the first phase of the work the section to be closed to traffic is a Class III road known as Bryntysilio to St Tysilio Church which extends westward from its junction with the B5103 for a distance of approximately 70m. 

Phase 2 will involve the length of the B5103, Berwyn, which extends eastward from its junction with Bryntysilio to St Tysilio Church to its junction with the A542 for a distance of approximately 680m.

The recommended alternative route is, for phase 1, St Tysilios Church to Abersilio Maes Uchain to A542 Britannia Inn A542 to B5103 and, for phase 2, A542 to A539 to A5.                                                                 

   

Car's useful safety system came to my rescue

Kia XCeed drive by Steve Rogers

Safety aids are part and parcel of modern cars and barely noticed.... until they save your bacon.

Here is one such tale. I was side parked in a quiet street in the French city of Reims preparing to reverse. I thought the street was one way and started my move once a car in the opposite lane had passed. At that point the car emergency braked coming to a dead stop. In my mirror I watched a car cruise by so without cross traffic alert I would have broadsided that car.

Of all the collision stoppers this is the most useful. Drivers should be able to react to what is going on in front, but behind can be a different story and here it came to my rescue.

Suffice to say XCeed is well off for collision warning features.

What of the car? It was launched three years ago as an extra to the Ceed range and is a half hearted nod to an SUV on the basis that the suspension has been raised so it sits a little higher and comes with body armour bumpers, wheel arches and roof rails. It is also more expensive than the standard Ceed.

Asked back in 2019 was the model really needed a Kia executive replied: “We don’t build cars people don’t want.” He got that right because XCeed, which had a mild update this year, now accounts for 50 per cent of Ceed sales, helping the range to third in the sales table behind Sportage and Niro.

Apart from the higher ride height and slightly longer body this is just a variation on the theme and shares everything that is good about the Ceed. Plug in hybrid has been introduced with a 1.6 litre engine but my test car was the tried and trusted 1.5 litre petrol turbo. It’s zippy, without the adrenalin rush of a hot hatch, but proved to be surprisingly economical returning 49.9mpg over the best part of a 1000 miles and was regularly in the low fifties cruising the long, quiet French roads.

I should say this is a user friendly car for driving in Europe because the headlights will not dazzle drivers so there is no need for those stick on deflectors, and the digital speed display in the driver’s binnacle can be quickly switched to kilometres.

You get a good feel for a car on a long drive and my impression was that someone with a clear vision has looked at the dashboard and said ‘how can I make this as user friendly as possible’ and has smashed it.

The driver display is crystal clear, steering wheel buttons easy to master, there is even a switch to knock off the lane departure warning. On most cars you have to scroll through menus on a touchscreen. Annoying.

The large central touchscreen is supplemented by clearly marked quick keys along with a perfectly laid out physical display for the heating controls. You could do worse than make this the perfect model for all cars.

XCeed is easy rather than exhilarating to drive, it handles well enough without too much body roll and is comfortable, coping with just about everything our roads throw at us. My only issue was with the clutch balance which neither my wife nor I could manage smoothly pulling away in first gear.

XCeed is a decent sized family car, a small increase in length adding a few more litres to the boot space while doing nothing for back seat legroom which is no better than average.

Kia cars are always generously equipped and if you go all out with the GT-Line S you are well catered for right down to heated outer rear seats and powered tailgate.

Is it worth spending the extra for an XCeed? Probably not because you can get everything, bar the bling, on a comparable Ceed, but 50 per cent of Ceed owners think differently.

Nothing much to dislike then but if I was to be picky I look at the stunning Sportage and EV models and ask isn’t it time the ageing Ceed family got some of that razor sharp styling?

Fast facts

XCeed GT-Line S

£30,395 starts £22,995

1.5 T-GDi 158bhp; 6sp manual

0-62mph 8.7secs; 129mph

44.8mpg combined

143g/km. 1st tax £230

Insurance group 17

Boot 426-1378 litres

Broken bus stop sign will be repaired says council

* The sign at the bus stop in Parade Street when it's working.

Only weeks after being installed an electronic sign at the bus stop in Parade Street has stopped working.

A llanblogger reader said: "At the beginning of December I was interested to see the improvement to the bus stop in Parade Street where a tall electronic timetable has been installed advising the schedule for all routes and another within the shelter specifically for the T3.

"However, as of last week the new indicators were both blank. Modernisation did not last long.

"Perhaps the weather defeated the system."

A spokesperson for Denbighshire County Council, which is responsible for the sign, said: “We are aware of an issue with the electronic signage at the bus stop on Parade Street and an electrician has been tasked with visiting the site on Wednesday.”

Health services issue alerts over high demand

Both the regional health board and the local health centre have today issued alerts about high demand for their services.

According to the BBC, an internal critical incident has been declared by the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board, which covers Llangollen.

The board described demand on its services over recent days as "unprecedented".

It said this was due to a combination of winter viruses, parents seeking help due to concerns about strep A and injuries related to the cold weather.

This has meant extremely long waits for patients to be seen - particularly at A&E departments.

"A lack of available beds in our hospitals is currently leading to unprecedented ambulance delays across the health board and we are working closely with local authority colleagues to support medically fit patients to be discharged from hospital," it said in a statement.

"Similar pressures are being experienced in other health boards and English trusts.

"This morning, we have declared an internal critical incident, which means we are struggling to cope with the prolonged, significant demand on the health system in north Wales."

"We are experiencing massive demand for our services this morning.

"We are doing our very best to deal with this demand but we are having to prioritise your calls based on clinical need to ensure that our poorliest patients can access our services when they need to."

"Many common winter illnesses can be managed at home. Please use the symptom checker at https://111.wales.nhs.uk/ to see whether you need to contact us or whether your symptoms can be managed at home."

Meanwhile, Llangollen Health Centre said this morning on social media:  "We are experiencing massive demand for our services this morning.

"We are doing our very best to deal with this demand but we are having to prioritise your calls based on clinical need to ensure that our poorliest patients can access our services when they need to.

"Many common winter illnesses can be managed at home.  Please use the symptom checker at https://111.wales.nhs.uk/ to see whether you need to contact us or whether your symptoms can be managed at home.

"NHS 111 Wales and Public Health Wales have a range of resources and advice to support parents and carers spot the signs of GAS infection including a new iGAS and Scarlet Fever symptoms checker tool. This tool can help parents decide when to treat their child at home and when it is appropriate to seek medical advice.  https://111.wales.nhs.uk/encyclopaedia/s/article/streptococcusa(strepa)

"Thank you for your cooperation."

Carols by Candlelight service lights up St Collen's

* Members of the congregation hold up their Christmas candles.

St Collen's gave a glowing introduction to Christmas when they staged their annual Carols by Candlelight service yesterday (Sunday) evening.

Joined by members of other churches in the town and accompanied by a powerful choir, they gloried in a selection of favourite pieces such as Once in Royal David's City, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night, We Three Kings of Orient Area, O Come All Ye Faithful and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.

These were interspersed with readings by people from the various churches involved.

The service was led by Father Lee Taylor, priest-in-charge of St Collen's.

Later mulled wine and mince pies were served, prepared by Fabiano Silva.      

* A reading from Gethin Davies.

* Dyfed Thomas gives a reading.

* Father Lee Taylor leads the service.

* Leigh Mason leads the choir.

County council chair launches schools art competition

County council chairman, Councillor Arwel Roberts, has announced he is launching a new Denbighshire Schools Art Competition, entitled WELLNESS - ‘What Makes You Happy?’.

This aims to raise awareness of the NSPCC’s vital Childline service, which is a free, confidential service available online or on the phone, anytime for children and young people up to 19 years old to seek support and advice, including about their mental health.

The creative challenge invites Denbighshire’s under 12-year-olds to send in their artwork of things that make them happy. For example, a trip to the park or the beach, visiting family, spending time with friends, playing sport.

The participants will be in with a chance for their art to go on display in libraries across the county during Children’s Mental Health Week, from the 6th to the 12th of February, with the overall winner being awarded a free workshop in school with a leading Welsh artist. The closing date for the competition will be the 27th of January.

Cllr Roberts said: “We are proud to support and be working with NSPCC North Wales Hub in Prestatyn on this competition. Their outstanding and vital work to protect children deserves the awareness this new competition will bring. The NSPCC are there when both children and adults need a helping hand and offer life changing services 24 hours of the day.

This competition is a chance for children and young people to be creative and truly express how they’re feeling through the medium of art. I am really looking forward to seeing all of the amazing entries.”

Jessica Finnegan, Community Fundraising and Partnerships Manager at NSPCC Wales/Cymru, said: “We are delighted this new art competition has been opened to raise awareness of our Childline service.

“Childline provides vital support for children and young people to be able to talk about their mental health, and in fact we know this was among the top three concerns counselled at our Childline base in Prestatyn last year.

“We can’t wait to see all of the fantastic entries which are submitted.”

* Children and young people can contact Childline about any worries by calling 0800 1111 or visiting the site.

Famous duo make seasonal charity appearance in town

Father Christmas and one of his reindeers have been outside Home Bargains in Llangollen this afternoon to raise money for Macmillan Cancer. 

While Santa (aka town crier Austin Cheminais) is consulting youngsters out shopping with their parents about what they want him to bring them on the big day, Rudolph (aka local entertainer Chris Burton) was belting out a selection of seasonal songs.

They started at 2pm and are there until 4pm today.   

Second stage of woodland work to start at Pontcysyllte

Work has started on the second phase of woodland management at Pontcysyllte.

As part of the Our Picturesque Landscape National Lottery Heritage Funded project in the Dee Valley, woodland management works within the woodlands around the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct are taking place this winter.

Some trees are being removed, following careful consideration, resulting in a more varied age structure benefitting the woodland, wildlife and people as discrete views will be opened across the World Heritage Site.

The work involves coppicing of mature shrub species, selective thinning of tree species and the felling of unstable stems close to pathways.

The second phase of work, which began on December 12, will involve the light thinning of the woodland along the riverside from the aqueduct towards Ty Mawr country park as far as the new antique camera installation and then up to the top path.

Signage will be placed around the area to inform the public that the work is taking place.

Councillor Win Mullen James, Cabinet Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said: “We thank the public for their patience while this work takes place over the winter. When finished visitors can look forward to more views to enjoy while discovering this picturesque area.”

Council advises caution as yellow warning issued

The Met Office is forecasting potential for very icy conditions early on Saturday morning as precipitation moves in over very cold roads. 

Crews will be working through the night and on into the morning to address these potential hazards as much as possible.

The Met Office is also issuing a yellow warning of Snow and Ice for Sunday, which will impact the county of Denbighshire also. The warning states that a period of snow could lead to some disruption to travel and other activities, before turning to rain later.

The main risk of snow is on Sunday morning from 8am onwards.

The Met Office also states that it could cause possible travel delays along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage. There is a chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

The Council is advising that people take caution during this period and make their safety their priority. Do not take any unnecessary journeys, especially if the roads do become icy and snow falls.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said: “After the impact of the recent harsh weather, it is more vital than ever that people stay safe during the yellow weather warning. We have guidance up on our website with information and advice about how to deal with extreme weather conditions, including how to stay safe.

“There is guidance on important topics such as driving in wintry conditions, clearing ice and snow and information on our gritting work during more extreme weather.”

Primary free school meals plans to be rolled out early

Universal Primary Free School Meals are to be rolled out early to all Year 1 pupils in Denbighshire from January 2023.

In December 2021 Welsh Government (WG) announced plans to offer free meals to all primary school pupils. The phased delivery approach would be implemented from 1st September 2022 to September 2024.

Following the initial receipt of £859,000 from Welsh Government to support the roll out of Universal Primary Free School Meals (UPFSM) across Denbighshire, works were undertaken throughout the summer, and completed in August 2022, at 13 sites across the county to increase the capacity of the Authority’s primary school kitchens.

Due to the successful completion of these works Denbighshire County Council rolled out Universal Primary Free School Meals to all Reception pupils from September 2022.

A second allocation of £1.2million of funding has now been received from Welsh Government and will be used to undertake further refurbishment works on both dining and kitchen facilities throughout 2023 in order to ensure that all primary pupils have access to Universal Primary Free School Meals by September 2024.

Despite rollout to Years 1 & 2 not being scheduled until Easter 2023, the Authority has now announced it is ready to expand the offer to Year 1 pupils as of January 2023.

From the start of the Spring term Reception and Year 1 pupils in Denbighshire schools will be asked on a daily basis whether or not they would like to access a school meal. They will be able to opt in or out without having to pre book and the meal will be provided free of charge.

Further information will be available on the Denbighshire website www.denbighshire.gov.uk/education. If pupils are already in receipt of free school meals and/or any other associated benefits, these will not be affected.

A further rollout of Universal Primary Free School Meals up to year 2 is still anticipated for Easter 2023.

Gill German, Lead member for Education Children and Families said, “It is fantastic news for Denbighshire pupils that the Authority will be able to rollout the Universal Primary Free School Meal offer up to Year 1 ahead of schedule. With mounting pressures around the cost of living the sooner we are able to offer this support to our communities the better.”

The next phase of refurbishment works will focus on ensuring that all Denbighshire Primary schools are able to deliver up to Year 2 by Easter 2023 followed by year 3 & 4 from September 2023.

Local roadworks alerts from county council

Latest local roadworks update from Denbighshire County Council is:

A539 Carriageway ABBEY ROAD 19/12/2022 21/12/2022 Gwaith Draenio / Drainage Works DCC WORKS UNIT (PETER PAR LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

A542 Chapel Street CHAPEL STREET 14/11/2022 23/12/2022 Gwaith Gwelliant/ Improvement Works DCC WORKS UNIT (PHILIP BI LLANGOLLEN Un Ffordd/ One Way

CASTLE STREET 05/01/2023 05/01/2023 Gwaith ar Gyrbau / Kerbing Works DCC STREETSCENE LLANGOLLEN Goleuadau Traffig Dros Dro/ Temp Traffic Lights

A539 O/S 3 HILL STREET 13/12/2022 20/12/2022 Gwaith Nwy / Gas Works WALES & WEST (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

Hall street Llangollen HALL STREET 14/11/2022 23/12/2022 Gwaith Gwelliant/ Improvement Works DCC WORKS UNIT (PHILIP BI LLANGOLLEN Atal Parcio / Parking Suspension Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure.

Letter from the NHS at Christmas

Letter from the NHS at Christmas:

Dear Sir/Madam,

More than 6,800 people in the UK are spending the festive season/start of 2023 waiting for an organ transplant – and over 220 of these patients are children*. There are 241 people waiting for an organ transplant in Wales**

These mums, dads, wives, husbands, partners, daughters, sons can only be saved by someone giving them the greatest gift, the gift of life.

At a time of giving/resolutions to do good, let people know you want to save lives.

Signing up to be an organ donor is quick and easy and makes it easier for families if they know what you want.

Give hope to the thousands of people and hundreds of children on the transplant waiting list.

Join the NHS Organ Donor Register at www.organdonation.nhs.uk.

Please tell your family about your decision so that they know what you want.

Yours sincerely

Anthony Clarkson

Director of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation

NHS Blood and Transplant 

Berwyn Street among sites for speed cameras next year

The A5/Berwyn Rd/Llangollen is one of the sites across North Wales where GoSafe will have its speed detector vans in 2023.

* The full list has been published in a story by the Daily Post, which can be seen here: https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/169-north-wales-mobile-speed-25676325 

Shadow Minister hits out at "unfair" rules affecting tourism industry

* Sam Rowlands, left, on a visit to Llangollen Railway.

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales,  has hit out at "unfair" rules which affect the tourism industry in his region.

Opening the Welsh Conservative debate: Business rates for self-catering accommodation, Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government, said the debate was about the confusion and unfairness of the implementation of the 182-day Order. 

He said: “From April 1 2023, evidence must be provided that a property has been made available to let for at least 252 days, and actually let for at least 182 days.  

"However, the Valuation Office Agency's assessment will be based on records for the 12 months prior to this date, meaning self-catering businesses will be and have been assessed on the new regulations coming into force in 2023, dating back to 2022.

 

“It is extremely unfair and unreasonable to assess and judge self-catering accommodation on the old rules when the new rules come into place next April. This could lead to detrimental impacts on the tourism sector and is causing confusion in the sector, a sector which is so important to our economy and to our local communities.

 

“The Government state they've consulted widely. However, I find it difficult to fully accept, as the self-catering accommodation sector and leading figures in the tourism sector, in my capacity as chairman of the Senedd cross-party group on tourism, have outlined their sheer confusion, anger and frustration regarding the implementation of this Order.

 

“I believe that Welsh Government should reflect on the serious concerns expressed by self-catering accommodation providers across Wales regarding the assessment period for determining this eligibility.”

 

“We know, the prime reason for these regulations being brought in was to differentiate between second homes and legitimate self-catering holiday accommodation However, with the criteria being assessed this year, before those rules are in place, before those regulations actually come into force, we will see a skewed set of results, as self-catering accommodation have not been given the proper time to plan, adjust their business plans and ensure their businesses are geared up for this change. So, it will not achieve what the Government are seeking to achieve.”

 

Cat Meade says a big thank for making Christmas Appeal a hit

* Some of the Christmas Appeal parcels donated to Food Share.

The area's ace fundraiser Cat Mead has said a huge thank you to everyone who donated to this year's Llangollen Christmas Appeal.

On the Llangollen Support Group Facebook page she posted: "To each and everyone of you that have donated to our Christmas appeal from myself and all at Llangollen Food Share we thank you for ensuring everyone has a gift to open this Christmas.

"Year three of our appeal and times are harder than ever for all. Wingetts have been a drop off hub for over four weeks. It's been lovely seeing you all and having a chat, with some beautiful gifts donated, hand made items, thoughtful donations, cash donations, along with choccy treats and sweets.

"We have ticked every name on the list, wrapped and gift bagged to ensure the recipient feels the care and love given in each gift.

"We also had £100 left which has gone to Food Share to assist with food parcels this Christmas.

"Once again our Llangollen community pulled together to make this possible. Thank you all.

"Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

"Cat and all at Team Food Share."