Buses make return in spring timetable

Reinstated services in South Denbighshire will feature in this Spring’s bus timetable changes, following an autumn public consultation and recent tendering.

On March 11 the County Council is restoring some services lost in July 2016.

Reinstated are more evening services on the X51 between Denbigh, Ruthin & Wrexham, between Llangollen & Wrexham as service 5, and as 51/X51 between Ruthin, Denbigh & Rhyl.

Also reinstated are Sunday services south of Denbigh to Ruthin & Wrexham. This area has been without Sunday buses for 18 months.

Weekday daytime services between Rhyl, Denbigh, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Ruthin, Ysbyty Maelor and Wrexham continue broadly unchanged. These buses usually offer free Wi-Fi for passengers.

Retained at broadly the same level are services between Ruthin and Mold as 1, X1 and 2. The popular return journeys to and from Chester continue and this proved to be a significant feature of the recent public consultation. The operator will become M & H Coaches.

The County Council has guaranteed day tickets will remain at Stagecoach’s lower-then-average levels for at least the remainder of 2018. Later this year, M & H will be investing in brand new buses for the 1/X1/2.

These new vehicles will feature free on-board Wi-Fi for passengers. They will be the first brand new buses in Ruthin since 2009 and they will help to displace an otherwise ageing fleet, offering new standards for passengers, lower emissions and better reliability.

There will be an improvement to the afternoon service between Denbigh and Henllan on the 66. A suit of changes for Bodfari, Tremeirchion, Rhuallt and Cwm sees some journeys on some days operate via Henllan for Prestatyn & Rhyl.

M & H continues with the 76, although there will be some changes to the timetable, especially at the Graigfechan end, where consultees wished for a more appropriate time in Ruthin.

The 55 and X5 between Ruthin, Corwen, Llangollen and Wrexham sees timetable changes to improve connections at Corwen and already a new operator, Coastline of Rhyl.

There are minor changes to services for villages between Ruthin and Corwen such as Betws Gwerfil Goch, Cyffylliog and Clawddnewydd. The new operator for these is Llew Jones Coaches. These services will restore low floor easy access buses rather than the step entrance minibuses in use for the last 18 months.

Brian Jones, Lead Member for Highways, Planning & Sustainable Transport, said: “The changes we have made are as a result of the bus service consultation that highlighted a number of areas where the Council could improve bus services for passengers and communities. I would urge passengers to support these changes so that they become as sustainable as possible."

Printed public timetables will be available from March 5th, 2018 at libraries and County Council offices. They are currently available online at www.denbighshire.gov.uk/travel.

All three schools closed today

According to the county council's website, all three Llangollen schools - Ysgol Dinas Bran, Ysgol Bryn Collen and Ysgol Gymraeg y Gwernant - will remain closed until Monday due to the weather. 

Weather latest from the county council

Here’s the latest position with the snow in Denbighshire issued by the county council.

Roads

Gritting teams have been out and about overnight and continue to be out this morning treating the county’s roads.  The majority of the major road network is open, but the A542 Horseshoe Pass between Llandegla and Llangollen is closed.

Schools

The following schools are closed for the day.

·         Carrog

·         Caer Drewyn (Corwen)

·         Bro Elwern (Gwyddelwern)

·         Betws GG

·         Llanfair DC

·         Dyffryn Ial (Llandegla)

·         Bryn Collen (Llangollen)

·         Y Gwernant (Llangollen)

·         Dinas Bran (Llangollen)

·         Brynhyfryd (Ruthin)

·         Carreg Emlyn

·         Ysgol Bro Dyfrdwy

Public Transport

It seems there are no issues general regarding public transport at this moment in time.  The only change is to the number 91 Uwch y Dre to Llangollen service. The service is running but will not operate through Melin y Wig and Betws GG.

Refuse and recycling collections

Waste collections are continuing in Llangollen, Eryrys, Llandegla and Llanarmon-yn-Iâl . It is expected around three quarters of the 4,000 properties due for collection will have their waste collected today. Collections are proving difficult in isolated and higher lying areas due to icy conditions. Residents are advised that catch-up collections are due to take place on Monday and Tuesday. Householders can leave their bins out until then or put them back out for Monday. 

Be a good neighbour in severe weather, says county

With another spell of severe weather on the way, Denbighshire Social Services is urging people to be a good neighbour and keep an eye on the elderly and vulnerable.

The current freezing spell continues, with heavy snow forecast for Thursday night into Friday and an amber alert issued by the Met Office.

The council is now asking people to help protect the vulnerable.

Councillor Bobby Feeley, Cabinet Lead Member for Well-being and Independence, said: “We are asking people to take care of our most vulnerable by keeping an eye on them and making sure they are safe and well.

“If people have neighbours, friends or relatives that are unwell, they are encouraged to visit,  making sure they have everything they need and to offer with any daily tasks such as shopping. It is also important to check they are eating properly and keeping their property warm.

“You may be the only visitor they will have so it is a question of being kind and considerate. The severe weather is getting closer and is likely to last for another two to three days, so we want to make sure people do not feel vulnerable or isolated.

“Showing care and compassion towards the elderly or vulnerable will really make a difference to their quality of life."

* If you have any concerns about a vulnerable person, please call the Single Point of Access, on  0300 456 1000, or for out of hours, the Emergency Duty Team, on 0345 0533116. 

Ysgol Dinas Bran closed due to weather

According to the county council website, Ysgol Dinas Bran is closed today (Thursday) due to the weather.

Ysgol Bryn Collen is also now closed because of the weather, says the council's website.

New film highlights best of North Wales

A new film showcasing the North East Wales region has been released today (1 March) as part of Visit Wales’ Year of the Sea campaign.

Denbighshire, Wrexham and Flintshire have joined forces to produce the film to inspire new visitors to experience North East Wales’ Routes to the Sea.

Funded by Visit Wales’ Regional Tourism Engagement Fund, the film explores the region’s visitor offer from inland to the coast; highlighting the cycle routes, coastal path, heritage, and beaches as well as activities including paragliding and horse riding in Talacre.

The variety of outdoor water based experiences available in the area are also featured including sailing, fishing, sea swimming, stand up paddle boarding and water skiing.

Tourism plays a vital part in the regions’ economy, with a total economic impact in 2016 of £848m and over 11 million visits made.

Tourism Minister, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “In 2018 we’re celebrating Wales’ outstanding coastline, and inviting visitors to discover new epic experiences all around our shores, with special events and attractions throughout the year. I’m delighted that Visit Wales funding has enabled the North East to work together in order to strengthen awareness and showcase some of the area’s inspiring journeys to the coast this year.”

Ian Lebbon, Chair of Denbighshire Destination Partnership said: “Thank you to everyone who contributed to the making of the film, we hope it will inspire visitors to experience some of our water based and coastal activities. Key investments in our coastal resorts, such as the developments in Rhyl, will help increase awareness and visitor footfall to the region and create jobs that will boost the local economy.”

This film is the start of a series of new mini films which will be released throughout the year, featuring different themes including walking, cycling, wildlife, heritage, food & drink, beaches, as well as outdoor water activities.

A series of blogs and Year of the Sea professional images will also be released to help draw new and repeat visits to the region.

Follow Films Co-Founder Graham Cooper, who produced the films, said: “This has been a fantastic project to work on over the past few months, I’ve lived in North East Wales all my life, but working on projects like this reminds me how lucky we are to live in this area. I find so many new, amazing activities whilst producing films like this, and the passion businesses have for North East Wales is great to see.”

* To view the film and for further information on the places and activities featured in the film, please visit www.northeastwales.wales

Operatic seeks sponsorship for My Fair Lady

Llangollen Operatic Society is seeking sponsorship for their forthcoming production of the Lerner and Loewe classic My Fair Lady which will be staged at Llangollen Town Hall from April 17-21.

Producer Helen Belton said: “As a registered charity, fundraising efforts and the support of our sponsors is invaluable in enabling our junior and senior sections to continue producing high quality productions for the enjoyment of the local community.

“We have been very fortunate to secure sponsorship from a number of local businesses and individuals in previous years and we’ve always received wonderful feedback from them as to their experience. Following the overwhelming success of 9 to 5 in 2017, we are hoping to attract a similar level of support again this year”. 

For £125.00, sponsors are offered four reserved balcony seats with a prime view of the stage, 4 drinks of their choice from the bar, four complimentary programmes and the opportunity to display marketing material in the Town Hall on the evening of their sponsorship.

To add to the experience, they will also have the services of a dedicated Sponsor Host, who will welcome them on arrival and be on hand to ensure their experience is enjoyable!

Helen added: “We believe this package represents excellent value and in return for our sponsors’ generosity, we will guarantee an unforgettable evening of entertainment and hospitality."

* If you would like to support our production or would like to have more information, please contact Louisa Jones on 07989 985644/e-mail louisa.jones@live.com

Tickets for My Fair Lady are now available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/llangollenoperaticsociety

Snow falls on Llangollen

Update:

Dinas Bran closes because of weather.
The following note has been posted on the school website ...
The difficult decision has been made to close the school on the grounds of health & safety and worsening school site conditions. All contracted buses/taxis have been called to collect the students for 1pm. Apologies for the inconvenience this may cause.





UPDATE: County council reports at 9.30am that the Horseshoe Pass is open.

Llangollen awoke to a light covering of snow this morning (Tuesday) as the "Beast from East" arrived in town.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning covering Denbighshire for the period between 00.05 and 23.55 today.

This says that snow showers or longer periods of snow are expected accompanied by very low temperatures.

The warning adds that there is the potential for travel delays on roads, with some stranded vehicles and passengers, as well as delays or cancellations to rail and air travel.

Some rural communities could become cut off. Power cuts may also occur and other services, such as mobile phones, may be affected, says the warning.

As at 8.49am there have been no notifications of any school or other closures in the area.

Across the county a total of 27 primary schools and seven secondary schools are closed for the day due to the weather.

Santa hands over £1,000 to Air Ambulance

Santa made a special visit to M’Eating Place in Llangollen to meet Alison Wynn from Wales Air Ambulance where he presented her with a cheque for £1,000. 

The money was raised through a series of seasonal quizzes, auctions and a sleigh ride.

Santa organised December’s fundraising activities with the help of  Chem, Llangollen’s Town Crier. 

Santa would like to thank The Ponsonby Arms Llangollen; The Continuous Cruising Narrow Boaters who overwinter in and around Llangollen; The Navigation, Maesbury Marsh; Cefyn Mawr Historical Society; Llangollen Rotary and their Santa Sleigh plus the many individuals whose generosity helped Santa with his fund raising. 

Invitation to join FoE's spring clean day

Llangollen Friends of the Earth is looking for people to take part in Spring Clean Cymru 2018
in the town on Sunday March 4, from 10am-11.30am.

The litter-pick is part of a nationwide campaign encouraging people across Wales to get together to help clean up the country on the week of St David's Day.

All equipment will be provided and those interested are asked to meet outside Bryn Collen /Y Gwernant school gate at 10am.

Museum to host medieval flute concert

Dinas Bran gets full marks for Les Miserables

Ysgol Dinas Bran brought a touch of West End magic to Llangollen with its breathtaking production of Les Miserables over four evenings this week.

Lining up behind the barricades for the school edition of the world’s longest running musical was a bevy of revolutionary young talent whose stage mastery brought a packed closing night audience to its feet in salute (Friday).

The lead performers and enormous chorus line wrung every ounce of emotion from this stage classic which tells the heart-rending tale of former convict Jean Valjean’s gritty progress through a deeply troubled post-Waterloo France.

Along the way he meets and changes the lives of a host of people from the adorable to the wicked.

Joe Bell played the hero with sympathy and great feeling, bringing into play a commanding stage presence augmented by a wonderful singing voice.

His arch-rival the former prison guard turned policeman Javert was portrayed with great style by Barra Liddy. You could feel the malevolence whenever he strode into view – and where did he get the Terfel-like bass baritone at such a tender age?

Fantine, the young factory worker Valjean takes under his wing but who eventually meets a tragic end, is such a meaty role that it was shared to perfection by Millie and Celyn Orton Jones.

Also role-sharing beautifully when it came to portraying Fantine’s secret daughter Cosette were Lauren Macfarlane and Maia Molloy.

Lewis Gibbins made a fantastic Marius, the student who gets caught up in the political upheaval of the 1832 Paris Rebellion, falls in love with Cosette and whose life is saved by Valjean. He looked and sounded every inch the hero.

There aren’t too many lighter moments in this Victor Hugo novel-based weepy but those that are come courtesy of the aptly-named Michael Talent as shifty innkeeper Thernardier and Mae Morgan as his gruesome missus. Both brought a large measure of comedy feeling to their roles.

Beth Rowley was nothing short of brilliant as their daughter Eponine whose painful but unreturned love for Marius is brought to an abrupt end by a bullet at the barricades.

Costumes and stage settings that are as powerfully interpretive and colourful as the large cast were created by a small behind-the-scenes army and the 17-strong orchestra provided the driving force and momentum for the production.

That Friday standing ovation by an awe-struck audience said it all about Dinas Bran’s Les Mis. 

Bikers urged to sign up for riding course

Bikers across North Wales are being asked to consider improving their skills to ensure they are safe on the region’s roads by signing up for a *free workshop.

BikeSafe – a police-led motorcycle project; offers practical advice about road safety and educates riders by passing on knowledge and skills to try and encourages motorcyclists to take post-test Advanced Training which can realise their best potential and become safer riders. The BikeSafe day includes an ‘assessment ride’ where participants get vital feedback.

Supported by the six local authorities, the workshops are held at various locations in Deeside, Rhyl, St Asaph, Colwyn Bay, Llanrwst, Porthmadog and Llangefni.

This year for the first time ever, workshops will be delivered to the general public on the Isle of Anglesey thanks to assistance from the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The first of the 2018 workshops will be held at Llangefni Fire Station on March 10^th and bookings are now being taken. Others will be held there in July and September.

North Wales Police BikeSafe Co-ordinator Paul Cheshire said: “Centrally placed on the island this new location will open up the possibility for new routes to carry out the assessments.

“Anglesey is not necessarily known for many motorcycle collisions but they do happen and the island has a very up to date track circuit at Ty Croes that provides many biker events throughout the year.

“The workshops are not exclusive to residents and this new location will also allow employees who don’t necessarily reside for long in the area, such as RAF Valley, to take advantage.

He added: “During 2017 a total of 224 people attended a BikeSafe workshop across the region. The feedback we get is extremely positive – they like the informal element of the classroom-based workshop and enjoy meeting a mixture of people. Some of our previous students have even returned to become BikeSafe volunteers.”

With the main aim of reducing the number of bikers being hurt on the roads, the workshops explore the main riding hazards that motorcyclists face. By delivering theory presentations and observed rides a BikeSafe workshop helps bikers discover their strengths and weaknesses.

Paul Cheshire added: “Motorcycles are a vulnerable class of vehicle. They don’t offer the same protection that a car can offer, but that doesn’t mean to say you can’t stay safe. As spring is just around the corner why not enrol on one of our workshops so you have the skills for the rest of the biking season and beyond.”

Spaces on the BikeSafe workshops are limited so riders are urged to book quickly to avoid missing out. A full list of the dates and locations can be found via the BikeSafe website.
*free workshops are subject to a booking fee.

MP attacks Prime Minister over farmers' Brexit concerns

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones has accused Prime Minister Theresa May of not addressing the concerns of farmers in the run up to leaving the EU.

Ms Jones (pictured) quoted the words of National Farmers Union Deputy President Minette Batters who said that losing full access to the European Single Market could be “absolutely disastrous” for British agriculture.

Theresa May responded by saying: "We are going to negotiate a new economic partnership with the European Union and I can assure the Honourable Lady that the interests of agriculture will be one of the considerations we take into account when we make sure we have a good trade arrangement with the EU as well as improved trade arrangements with the rest of the world."

Speaking after the fiery House of Commons exchange, Ms Jones said: “Spinning vague phrases like ‘economic partnership’ may help the Prime Minister within the Tory Party, but it means absolutely nothing for farmers and rural communities across the UK.

"Her Government still won’t agree to respect Wales properly by giving the powers due to the Welsh Government nor will they make commitments that would protect trading markets.

"Theresa May’s words will ring very hollow indeed in Corwen, the Ceiriog Valley, Horsemans Green and all of the other farming communities in the Clwyd South constituency.”

* To see House of Commons exchange at Prime Minister's Questions between Susan Elan Jones MP and the Prime Minister go to:

http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/b547b658-73f8-4b60-95f1-acb03ac7a7dd?in=12:44:53

County backs care and support package

Councillors in Denbighshire have given their backing to a five year regional plan responding to care and support needs across North Wales.

Local councils and the regional health board are expected to produce a long-term Population Assessment Regional Plan, in response to a population assessment that has been carried out.

The plan clearly sets out  the range and levels of information, advice and support services to be provided by partners; how regional partnership boards will work together; how funding will be used and how services will be delivered through the medium of Welsh.

Councillor Bobby Feeley, Cabinet Lead Member for Well-being and Independence, said: “The aim of this plan is to show how we will meet people’s care and support needs and the support needs of carers across North Wales.

“The information collected through this whole process will allow all partners to plan and commission services more effectively, to meet the needs of specific groups.  There are also close links with reducing poverty through improving the way social care and health needs are met, as well as links to health and well-being through working to reduce crime.

“If the Plan is successful, then we expect to see people’s health and well-being improve, it will help reduce inequalities and will help develop communities that work more closely together”

Councillor Huw Hilditch- Roberts, Cabinet Lead Member for Education, Children’s Services and the Welsh Language, said: “The regional plan supports the corporate priorities already agreed in Denbighshire, in particular around housing, building resilient communities and providing the best possible support for our young people.

“By working together as one region, we can pool resources, experiences and expertise that can then be shared, for the benefit of every community across North Wales.”

Subject to approval from all of the partners, it is expected that the Plan will be published on April 1, 2018.

Police thanked for targeting illegal off-roaders

North Wales Police have been thanked for taking steps to tackle illegal and irresponsible off-road drivers by a county councillor who has been urging action for many years.

Cllr Mabon ap Gwynfor (pictured), who represents the Llandrillo/Cynwyd ward, also thanked the police for heeding his advice to use drones to tackle the problem.

He said: "Illegal and irresponsible off roaders have been a scourge in this area for many years. 

"We regularly hear complaints of how grazing land and wildlife are damaged on the Berwyn Mountains by irresponsible off-roaders. In turn these give the majority of those who enjoy the past time responsibly a bad name.

"What these irresponsible drivers don't understand, or don't care for, is that their actions damage the countryside and people's livelihoods.

"These mountains and hills are difficult enough to scrape out a living, let alone having to spend more on fixing fences, posts, gates, walls and other things because of the actions of a few selfish people. They're also home to rare flaura, fauna and ground nesting birds. It's a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which should be respected."

Last year Cllr ap Gwynfor called on the police to use drones to help tackle the problem.

He said: "It's very difficult to police the activity given its nature. The irresponsible drivers can speed off in almost any direction especially in such a remote area like the Berwyns.

"This is why I called for the police to consider using drones. I'm glad to see that they are using this technology to assist them and that they had a successful operation over the weekend. 

"The police are called on to do a lot of work, and are under serious financial pressures, so they must be thanked for listening to our concerns and working with our communities to help tackle them.

"I'm also grateful to Arfon Jones, the Police and Crime Commissioner, for listening to us when he put the police budget together."

The Dee Valley Policing team updated their Facebook page saying:

@Northwalespolice conducted a joint operation on Saturday 17/02/18 targetting the ongoing off road related problems in Llangollen, Corwen, Llandrillo, Nantyr and also across to Llanarmon DC, Glyn Ceiriog and Chirk areas.

We had a number of resources dedicated to the operation including 14 officers, 2 4x4 patrol vehicles, 2 4x4 Roads Policing vehicles, 2 unmarked scrambler bikes, and 2 marked police vehicles. For this operation we also had use of the NWP Drone.

The operation was a massive success with 58 vehicles stopped, 16 Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme Tickets, 2 Traffic Offence Report Tickets and 1 vehicle seized for no insurance.

Dee Valley SNT (Safer Neighbourhood Team) would like to thank all of the officers and units involved in Saturdays operation!!! 

#deevalleysnt #llangollen #glyndyfrdwy #cynwyd #llandrillo #yousaidwedid#NWPRPU

MP looks into "disturbing" online abuse of disabled

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones joined three other members of the House of Commons Petitions Committee to meet with disabled people to discuss their experience of online abuse.

The hearing is based on a well-supported public petition and will form part of an inquiry by the committee into the online abuse that disabled people have been subjected to.

People with a range of disabilities and experiences of abuse were invited to Parliament to talk about what it’s like to be disabled online, the challenges that disabled people face when reporting abuse, and what social media companies and the Government should be doing to tackle abuse. 

Ms Jones (pictured) said: "Some of the accounts given by disabled people were very disturbing.

"We really do need social media companies and the Government to do more to protect disabled people online. 

"I welcome the fact that the House of Commons Petitions Committee, disability charities and advocacy groups, and individual disabled people are bringing this very concerning form of online abuse to light."

Petitions Committee chair Helen Jones MP said: “We heard from disabled people themselves about the shocking abuse that they face when they go online.

"We know that it’s not always easy to talk about such difficult experiences, and we’re very grateful indeed to everyone who came to Parliament today to help us with our work.

"The petitions system was set up to help people to have their voices heard in Parliament, so it’s very important to us that the views of disabled people are at the heart of our inquiry."

Railway's half term train rides continue

* Boarding the train for Corwen.

In the second week of half term, 19-23 February, Llangollen Railway is operating the off-peak service with the diesel railcard.

Trains depart Llangollen at 1040,1300 & 1510 for the full ten mile run to Corwen.

The heritage Wickham railcar offers best all round views of the journey through the Dee Valley.

For those sitting at the front, the view from behind the driver shows how the line climbs and twists and turns all the way. If sitting at the back you get the "where we have been" view of the track.

The ideal way to see the countryside in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Special offer fares for child travelling with an adult. See details at: www.llangollen-waay.co.uk

* The view from the cab ...

Plas Newydd's water tower gets facelift

* llanblogger reader Mike Edwards took this picture of the old Water Tower at Plas Newydd which has been refurbished by the county council to help preserve the history of the beautiful Grade 2 Listed house and gardens originally the home of the Ladies of Llangollen.

Gales serves up victory in top food competition

* Gales chef Jack Hatley, second from right, receives the overall winner's prize. 

Three of the top eateries in North East Wales went head to head in the grand final of the Year of the Sea Food challenge – with Gales of Llangollen being crowned the overall winner.

Over the past month 12 eateries across Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire have put their best fin forward to showcase the best of local produce and hit the rather tricky ‘Year of the Sea’ brief.



The challenge took inspiration from the 2018 Welsh ‘Year of the Sea’, with the North East Wales Tourism and Marketing team inviting local eateries to create a dish that would celebrate the region’s amazing coastline, epic inland waterways and great local produce.

Each restaurant has been visited by a mystery diner, including food bloggers from South Wales, local press (such as Wrexham.com) and food writers, who had the very difficult task of tasting and scoring the dishes.

While Year of the Sea may seem a difficult challenge for a semi landlocked North East Wales, all the participating rose the challenge and offered their interpretations of the classic fish and chips with a twist or their surf and turf dishes.

Friday saw the three finalists – The Fat Boar Wrexham, Gales of Llangollen and the Royal Oak in Bangor on Dee – compete against each other in a live cook off at Hafod in Coleg Cambria.

Each restaurant faced tough critique from a panel of experts and top chefs, including Kevin Lynn – Machine House, Kerry Thatcher – Food Division Visit Wales, Chris Nelson – Artisan Street Food Chef, Alex Jones – Bank Wine Bar Wrexham, Caroline Dawson – Welsh Seafood Cluster Manager and Tracey Hughes – Porters Delicatessen Llangollen.

Speaking yesterday Joe Bickerton, Destination Manager at Wrexham Council, said the standard of competition this year had been excellent – with all three finalists scoring a whopping 59/60 in the mystery diner feedback.

First up was The Royal Oak, with their ‘Surf & Slurp’ – a dish billed as a ‘winter hearty dish that will warm you up from the inside’.

Providing a background on the dish, Lee Williams, general manager of the restaurant, explained it was made of locally sourced pork from Lewis’ farm shop and Menai Mussels which were freshly delivered.

The competition entry was also described as being a hit with customers, with between 60-70 dishes being served over the past month, all of which receiving positive. feedback.

Next up was Gales of Llangollen, who also offered their unique twist on surf and turf with sous vide Pen y Lan pork belly, saffron mash, American sauce, a smiling langoustine and a couple of lovely quails eggs.

Finally was another interpretation of the classic surf and turf, with the Fat Boar serving up an massive 18oz bone-in Celtic pride ribeye, giant crab claws, Perl las sauce. Crispy ‘spiralised’ Covent Garden potato, Anglesey salted roast tomato and Wrexham Lager battered onion rings.

After a lot of deliberation from the Judges, Gales of Llangollen was crowned the winner of the Year of the Sea Food Challenge – with judges describing their dish as having a ‘good use of local produce’ and the ‘visual wow factor’ – a vote that matched the verdict in room.

In what was a tough competition, the Fat Boar came in second and The Royal Oak third.

* The full list of entrants this year was:  Gales of Llangollen , Old Wives Tales, Corwen , Fat Boar, Mold , Druid Inn , Fat Boar, Wrexham , Lot 11, Wrexham , Croes Howell , Royal Oak Bangor on Dee , Lemon Tree, Wrexham , Holt Lodge , Hafod Restaurant, Coleg Cambria and The Alyn, Rossett 

County gets £1.2m to fill in potholes

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates has welcomed Welsh Government investment of almost £4m to improve the state of roads across North East Wales. 

Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services, Alun Davies, recently committed the cash to fixing potholes throughout the region.

The windfall includes £1.4m for Wrexham, which according to Welsh Government statistics has the worst roads in North Wales. 

In total an extra £7.9m will be spent in North Wales, which includes £1,427,33 for Wrexham; £1,204,380 for Denbighshire and £1,427,133 for Flintshire. 

Mr Skates, whose constituency includes Wrexham and Denbighshire, said: “Budgets remain extremely stretched because of the cruel and relentless Tory austerity agenda which has seen more than £1.4bn snatched from Wales by Westminster since 2010. 

“Within that context, I’m delighted that the Welsh Labour Government has secured this significant investment in North East Wales to help fix our roads. The winter has been very damaging for our road network and it’s important that it’s rectified quickly.” 

Mr Skates also welcomed ‘rapidly progressing’ plans to tackle congestion on the A483 and at Halton Roundabout near Chirk. Both will be addressed within three years. 

The latest tranche of Welsh Government funding for roads will be administered by local councils. Figures released in February 2017 showed Wrexham council’s roads were rated as the worst in North Wales – while neighbouring Flintshire’s were the best. 

Mr Davies said: “In my discussions with local government, they have been clear about the pressures on the road network and how in some parts of Wales the state of local roads is simply not up to a safe standard. I am really pleased to be able to make this funding available to support a comprehensive refurbishment programme and improve future resilience of the roads network.” 

Welsh Local Government Spokesman for Transport, Andrew Morgan, said: “We are grateful to Welsh Government for listening to our calls for further funding to maintain the highway network. Residents, businesses and tourists across Wales rely on our roads on a daily basis and so it is vital to ensure that they are in a good condition.” 

AM calls for new plan to tackle fuel poverty

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood, who chairs the Assembly Cross Party Group on Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency, has made fresh calls for a revised Fuel Poverty Strategy for Wales, emphasising that the existing Welsh Government strategy has not worked.    

A household in Wales is in fuel poverty if they spend 10% or more of their income on energy costs.

Speaking in the Assembly Mr Isherwood (pictured) expressed concern that in 2010 the Welsh Government set out its strategy to eradicate fuel poverty in Wales in all households by 2018, but less than 10 months away from the target date, the most recent statistics show that almost 300,000 households in Wales are living in fuel poverty, 23% of the total, unable to afford to adequately heat their home, or in crippling debt with their energy supplier. 

He said: “It is clear therefore that the Welsh Government Strategy has not worked.

“The objectives of the 2010 Fuel Poverty Strategy are still relevant – it is still vital that we reduce the impact of fuel poverty on households and work to eradicate fuel poverty, it is still vital that we create green jobs and business opportunities, and it is still vital that we reduce energy inefficiency in the domestic sector. 

“However, many of the mechanisms and measures contained within the 2010 Fuel Poverty Strategy are out of date or no longer applicable.

“Although the Nest and Arbed schemes are helping, these alone are not sufficient to tackle the problem. 

“The Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs’ announcement of £104 million investment over the next four years in increasing the energy efficiency of up to 25,000 low income households in Wales is welcomed. However, this will not eradicate fuel poverty by 2018.  This equates to an average of 6,250 homes a year - and if the schemes were to continue to assist similar numbers each year, it would take 48 years to eradicate fuel poverty in Wales.”

Mr Isherwood stated that the annual cost to the Welsh NHS for treating people who are made ill by living in a cold damp home is approximately £67 million.

He added: “With current demand on the Welsh NHS higher than ever before, more needs to be done to tackle cold homes.

“Eradicating fuel poverty will not only lead to a healthier population, but will also contribute to our decarbonisation targets. 

“What is needed now is a revised Fuel Poverty Strategy with ambitious targets and investment in order to eradicate fuel poverty in Wales as a social justice issue once and for all. As the Bevan and Joseph Rowntree Foundations told the Assembly’s Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee three  years ago “fuel poverty should have a higher profile in the Welsh Government’s tackling poverty action plan, because it is a fundamental human need to have a warm home. And as Age Cymru have said ‘the time is right for the Welsh Government to refresh its Fuel Poverty Strategy.”