MP backs campaign to ensure Stiwt can welcome back visitors

* From left: Simon Baynes MP, (back) Rhys Davies, (front) Brian Jones, Sue Jones (Head of Art and Design Technology at Ysgol y Grango), Theo Prime (Year 7 Pupil – Ysgol y Grango), Maria Handzhieva (Year 7 Pupil – Ysgol y Grango) outside the Stiwt Theatre in Rhos.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes is backing a fundraising campaign by the Stiwt Theatre in Rhos to ensure repairs are made and it is ready to welcome back visitors. 

To raise the funds necessary to repaint the auditorium and repair a leaking roof, the Stiwt has launched an initiative whereby supporters can receive a long-lasting memento – a 13.5 kilo counterweight stamped with ‘Rhos Theatre’ – when they make a minimum donation of £20 to the fundraising campaign. 

The counterweights have been previously been used in a system of ropes and pulleys backstage to hoist components such as curtains, lights, scenery, stage effects. The Stiwt has a surplus of counterweights which it is using in this fundraising campaign. 

During the visit, Mr Baynes met Stiwt Theatre Trustee, Brian Jones and General Manager, Rhys Davies, who updated him on the campaign and the latest developments at the theatre. 

They also showed him the counterweight mechanism in action on the stage at the theatre. Mr Baynes also met with representatives of Ysgol y Grango who were delivering their donation of £450 to the Stiwt’s fundraising campaign following a very successful ‘Own Clothes Day’ at the school. The school was represented by Sue Jones, Head of Art and Design Technology at Ysgol y Grango, and Year 7 pupils, Maria Handzhieva and Theo Prime. 

Brian Jones, Trustee of the Stiwt Theatre, said: “Once again the support of our community is one to be commended which is greatly appreciated by everyone involved with our Theatre. On this occasion we are very pleased to offer everyone a memento of the Theatre which they can treasure going forward and we look forward to welcoming everyone back in due course. We would also like to thank Simon for his kind contribution once again.”

Simon Baynes MP said: “It was a pleasure to visit the Stiwt again to back their novel fundraising campaign and make a personal contribution myself to receive one of their unique counterweights which now sits proudly in my office. I think this is an innovative and exemplary way of raising funds, and a wonderful opportunity for members of the local community with an interest in the theatre and the local area to claim a piece of Rhos history. And I want to wish everyone at the Stiwt the very best of luck.”

Businesses urged to apply for grant funding

Further covid-19 funding is now available for the hospitality, tourism and leisure sector.

Denbighshire County Council will help administer the Welsh Government funds for businesses impacted during Alert Level 2 restrictions.

Businesses with a turnover greater than £85,000 can apply through the Welsh Government’s Business Wales platform while those with a turnover less than £85,000 can apply through the Council.

Eligible businesses include:

• Nightclubs, late entertainment venues and ice skating rinks

• Events and conference venues

• Business unable to open indoors between May 1 and May 17 and who experienced a drop in turnover

• Hospitality trading under Alert Level 2 conditions from May 17 to June 30

• Supply chain and related business with material impact on turnover

Cllr Hugh Evans OBE, Leader of Denbighshire County Council, said: “We are again encouraging businesses to apply for the funding being made available by Welsh Government.

“It is vital businesses in the county apply for this funding to ensure they are getting all the support that is available to them which helps protect jobs and the economy in Denbighshire.”

To find out if you are eligible and to apply visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/coronavirus/erf-business-support.aspx

 

Further easing of Covid-19 regulations announced

Up to 30 people will be able to meet outdoors and large outdoor activities will be able to take place from Monday, as Wales moves to Alert Level 1, First Minister Mark Drakeford announced today (Friday).

The size of extended households can be increased to up to three households, and a further household with a single adult or single adult with caring responsibilities will also be able to join.

The move to alert level one will be phased, with outdoor events opening first. Ministers will review the public health situation again, ahead of June 21, to determine whether indoor events can restart.

The two-stage approach will enable more people to be vaccinated – and complete their two-dose course – amid growing concerns about the spread of the delta variant of the virus across the UK.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: "I want to thank everyone in Wales for everything they have done to control the spread of coronavirus and keep rates low. The emergence of the delta variant shows the pandemic is not over yet and we all need to continue to take steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

"The risk of infection is significantly less outdoors than it is indoors. This is why we are phasing in the changes in this three-week cycle. This will allow more people to enjoy events outdoors and take advantage of the Welsh summer, while we continue to roll out the vaccination programme to all adults.

"We will review the public health situation again in a couple of weeks to see whether we can continue to relax the restrictions and restart indoor events."

The seven-day coronavirus case rate remains very low in Wales and the positivity rate is less than 1%. Wales also has the best vaccination rates in the UK – more than 85% of the population has had one dose and 45% have completed the course.

But there is growing concern about the spread of the delta variant in many parts of the UK, especially in the North West of England.

There are currently 97 cases in Wales, including a cluster of cases in Conwy.

The first phase of the move to alert level one means that from Monday June 7:

• Up to 30 people can meet outdoors, including in private gardens, outdoor hospitality and public places. 
• Larger outdoor organised gatherings and events, such as concerts, football matches and sporting activities, like organised running groups can go ahead for up to 4,000 people standing and 10,000 people seated. All organisers planning events and activities must undertake a full risk assessment and put in place measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including social distancing.

The Welsh Government will consider further changes to the regulations on indoor activity later in the month, if public health conditions allow.

These include:

• Rule of six for meeting indoors in private homes and holiday accommodation. 
• Increased numbers for indoor organised gatherings and indoor events.
• Opening ice skating rinks.

Llangollen features in roll-out of full-fibre broadband

* Simon Baynes MP.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes has welcomed plans by Openreach to build full-fibre broadband to Wales’ hardest-to-serve communities, including Llangollen.

Openreach has announced that a total of 140 exchanges across Wales will be upgraded, with rural homes set to benefit the most. 

In Clwyd South, the exchanges in Llangollen, Corwen and Ruabon will be upgraded, enabling access to full fibre broadband many more homes and businesses. 

Openreach’s build plan forms part of the UK Government’s target of delivering ‘gigabit capable broadband’ to 85% of the United Kingdom by 2025. 

This is in conjunction with the UK Government’s commitment to reform the Electronic Communications Code, allowing providers access to rural land more easily to enable build to progress at pace.

Welcoming the announcement, Mr Baynes said: “I’m delighted to hear about Openreach’s plans to connect an extra 415,000 more home and businesses across rural Wales.

"It’s excellent to see that the UK Government is committed to boosting access to broadband for people and businesses across Wales, and projects like this are a huge step forward in achieving that goal.

“Fast, reliable broadband is more important than ever due to more people working at home, and this will be a great step forward for the communities of Corwen, Llangollen and Ruabon.

“Obviously there is still much work to carry out in enabling full fibre access for every property, and I continue to push for a faster rollout to the areas that are not yet included in Openreach’s plans, as well as eradicating the remaining not-spots across Clwyd South. 

"But this project will see very welcome investment pumped into North Wales, providing homes and businesses across rural Wales the connectivity they need to flourish.”

Three-week consultation on 2020 plans for town centre

Denbighshire County Council is set to hold a three-week consultation on major proposals for Llangollen town centre.

The Llangollen 2020 Castle Street Improvement scheme has been created with input from the community and looks to improve Castle Street and some adjacent streets in Llangollen town centre.

The proposals are intended to reduce traffic and parking congestion, to improve facilities for pedestrians and to improve the quality of the public realm.

Cllr Brian Jones, Denbighshire County Council’s Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “For the past three years the Council has been working alongside the Llangollen 2020 group to develop these proposals.

“The Llangollen 2020 group is a community-led group and has previously consulted with the local community during the development of the proposals, but the Council would now like to seek the community’s views on the latest version of the proposals.

“Funding is in place to deliver the scheme in the autumn and winter of 2021-22. However, no final decision has yet been taken by Denbighshire County Council on whether to proceed with the scheme as this will be dependent upon the outcome of the consultation.

“We are also aware of concerns raised regarding the acacia tree located near the Town Hall. The current situation is that the condition of the tree is still being assessed by tree experts and no decisions have yet been made about the future of the tree.”

A three-week consultation exercise is due to commence on Tuesday, June 15 and will close on July 6.

During the second week of the consultation, a public exhibition of the proposals will be undertaken in Llangollen Town Centre and the Council also intends to speak to Castle Street businesses to give them the opportunity to discuss the proposals with officers.

Full details of the consultation and public exhibition will be provided soon.

Aqueduct and Canal set for UK Government funding bid

Wrexham.com is reporting that the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site are set for a UK Government Levelling Up Fund bid.

* For the full story, see: http://www.wrexham.com/news/world-heritage-site-development-set-for-uk-government-levelling-up-fund-bid-205217.html

Seat gets serious with the new Cupra Formentor

Cupra Formentor road test by Steve Rogers

This is Seat getting serious. The Spanish car maker has always been the sporty sibling in the Volkswagen family and its new Cupra brand has taken it to another level.

Formentor, named after a bay on the Spanish island of Majorca, is Cupra's first exclusive model and is meant to make a big statement.

If this was a Seat it would be the Ateca SUV, yet it looks nothing like a Seat, and nothing like a bulky SUV, not that the neat Ateca falls into that class. 

The designers have been given the freedom to express and have come up with a futuristic coupe crossover that looks as if it has landed from another planet. All we need if for Martians to jump out to complete the fantasy.

It has that 'ready to pounce' look with a long dipping bonnet, sloping roof and body panels with so many slashes and creases it looks as if it has been in a scrap with a wild animal. Exaggeration aside it looks great and has got everyone talking. I lost count of the number who asked what it was and gave the thumbs up.

So this is a crossover or SUV, whatever's your naming preference, that sits lower than the majority, the only real clue to its status is the wide gap between tyres and wheel arches, you don't even sit particularly high which makes it even more appealing.

Formentor is a good drive too and has the engines to back up its aggressive looks yet I am going to make a bold statement: Look no further than the entry level 1.5 litre petrol!

I've been a fan of this VW family engine since it was launched a few years ago because it is an engine that keeps on giving, punchy, refined and good for 40 miles to the gallon. Two of its four cylinders shut down when coasting to reduce engine emissions and give a boost to economy. That's clever stuff.

Those seeking something more racey can look to the 1.4 litre turbo hybrid or the outrageous 304hp 2-litre turbo that will reach sixty in under five seconds but you will be looking to spend 40 grand plus for the pleasure.

Which bring us to another good reason to stick with the entry 1.5 called V1. This is the best equipped starter model I have come across with keyless entry, navigation, LED headlights, and adaptive cruise control highlights of a generous spec sheet.

As expected inside is digital dreamland with a treat for the driver who can choose from six excellent binnacle displays, easily selected from switches on the steering wheel. The display side bars are information overload but are easy to find and easy to close.

Then we have the 12in 'floating' central touchscreen. I am not so sure it needs to be this big and is a bit like putting a 56in flat screen tele in a box room. What's worse is I found the system over complicated and most of the time used voice control, and a very nice lady she is too ending commands with 'OK' or 'sure'.

She was a bit puzzled when I asked for more fan speed because she calls it the blower but we were all friends again after sorting that out.

There are touch sensitive switches for heating temperature but they have no feel or sound so you are never sure if anything has happened which means more time looking at the switch and not the road.

Not enough though to put me off Formentor which is a great driver's car with pedals perfectly positioned and plenty of adjustment to get the perfect seating position. Handling is solid even at V1 level but there is plenty more to come moving up the grades.

It is not all about performance either, the quality of trim is good with some neat touches while the seats are comfortable and supportive. Rear legroom is also generous although if feels claustrophobic sitting fairly low behind the big front seats.

So a good first effort for the Cupra brand, certainly offering something a bit different from the norm with its coupe looks and good value for money to boot.

Fast facts

Formentor V1 6sp manual

£27,3956

1.5 TSI petrol; 148bhp

0-62mph 8.9secs; 127mph

41.5mpg combined

143g/km. 1st VED £215

Insurance group 19

Boot 450 - 1475 litres

Entertainer Shea tells of his day filming for new Netflix drama

* Shea Ferron on stage.

* Shea's picture of members of the John's Boys Choir on the set of the new Netflix drama.

A young entertainer well known to Llangollen audiences has told of his day filming for a forthcoming Netflix TV show. 

Shea Ferron went over to St Helens on Merseyside with fellow members of the award-winning John’s Boys Male Voice Choir from Rhosllanerchrugog last Tuesday to record scenes for Stay Close, a crime drama based on the 2012 Harlan Coben novel of the same title. 

Shea, 18, who lives in Ruabon, said: “Ourselves, along with some friends from the Royal Northern College of Music, were cast in the roles after entering a national search for established male choirs and singers under the age of 25. 

“Aled Phillips, our musical director, was asked to submit a selection of previous pieces we have sung to show producers and directors in charge of casting the roles. 

“They were so impressed with the music they heard that we were asked to sing live on the day. 

“The music was arranged by Aled, who worked with the lead roles throughout to perfect their performances. 

“After arriving in St Helens, the lads were chauffeur-driven to a top secret location at 6am in the morning for costume fittings and makeup, before tucking into a well deserved breakfast  of sausage and bacon sandwiches. 

“We were very enthusiastic about our tight-fitting costumes, none more so than Aled who proudly grew his beard especially for his role. He was, however, told he had to shave it off! 

“The lads spent the previous few days rehearsing the piece, and recording live on set. 

“Audiences and crew were blown away with the quality of the singing, and we had a very enjoyable experience overall. 

Shea added: “There were 10 singers mixed between John’s Boys and the Royal Northern College of Music. It was a really fun day. 

“We had a very early start and a very long day but we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and were looked after well by the production team. 

“There’s not a huge lot we are allowed to give away but the experience that we all had was amazing. A huge thank you to Aled Phillips for giving us the opportunity. 

“Keep an eye out in the near future for our acting and musical abilities in Netflix’s Stay Close.”

Shea has been rapidly building up a useful portfolio of acting and singing appearances in the area for a number of years.

He has joined the cast of numerous shows, with Llangollen Operatic Society, its junior section the Young ‘Uns, and the Collen Players music hall group, winning a number of amateur stage awards into the bargain.

There have also been numerous solo performances in St Collen’s Church and his own church in Ruabon.

But Shea has really came into his own during the pandemic when by singing his way through a series of self-arranged open-air gigs to raise thousands of pounds for good causes.

Update on yesterday's mountain fire in Rhewl

* The gorse fire at its height yesterday afternoon. Picture: Philip Hatcher-Moore. 

One appliance and one wild fire unit are still in attendance at the mountain fire in Rhewl this morning. 

Firefighters are damping down hotspots on the mountain. 

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service received a call at 1.13pm yesterday (Tuesday 1^st June) reporting the fire.

Fire crews worked with colleagues from Natural Resources Wales, Denbighshire Wardens from Denbighshire County Council, North Wales Police and the 4 x 4 volunteer group to bring the incident under control. 

A helicopter attended and dropped water on the incident to help extinguish the fire. The fire was under control around 9pm last night.

Approximately 1km square of gorse, undergrowth and forestry was affected and the cause of the fire is believed to be accidental. 

Paul Jenkinson, Senior Operations Manager, said: “Please continue to avoid this area whilst crews are dealing with the incident. We will have a number of vehicles in the area again today and we are asking the public to assist us by staying away from this area until the incident is over. 

“This incident highlights the importance of partnership working with our colleagues from the other agencies to be able to bring it under control quickly and safely. Our crews worked extremely hard on the mountain yesterday in very hot conditions and I would like to thank everyone who assisted with this incident.”

Trading Standards Wales issues census text scam warning

Trading Standards Wales has been made aware of a text message scam in relation to the national Census. 

Recipients are told that there is information missing from their completed Census and asked to click on a link to complete their form or face prosecution. 

By clicking the link they are directed to a site which appears identical to the original online census form, on completing the form and submitting the recipient is asked to pay a £1.25 fee. 

Helen Picton, Chair of Trading Standards Wales, said: “Scam calls and texts to mobile phones are a serious problem, there is no mobile phone equivalent to a landline call blocker to stop them coming through. 

“Some of these messages are very convincing. Remember, that no government agency would send you a notification demanding money via text or via automated telephone message. 

“If a company sends you a link via text message to click on, ignore it. If you are unsure because you have an account with that company, contact them directly and don't use the link provided.” 

There are some things you can do to cut down the numbers of scam calls and texts: 

1. Most mobile phones have settings to block numbers. Search the internet for "blocking numbers on my (brand) mobile more advice on your phone" or there is usually advice on your mobile phone providers website
2. You can register with the Telephone preference service 
3. Report these texts to National cyber security centre – 7726
4. https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/suspicious-email-actions
5. Contact Census 2021 Contact Centre by Ringing 0800 141 2021 for England and 0800 169 2021 for Wales.

Wales' contract tracing to be extended into next year

Wales' Test, Trace, Protect service, introduced to help reduce the spread of coronavirus, will be extended to next year.

A further £32m will be invested to extend contact tracing to March 2022.

The latest figures show that almost a year after TTP was launched in Wales, contact tracers have reached 99.7% of the positive cases that were eligible for follow up.

They successfully contacted almost 95% of the close contacts that were eligible for follow up, and provided them with advice, or helped to resolve their cases.

And local authorities have also approved more than 12,500 self-isolation support payments to help people to stay at home and reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading in their local communities.

Health and Social Services Minister Eluned Morgan said: "Test, Trace, Protect has been extremely effective at supporting people who have tested positive and their contacts to isolate and providing advice, guidance and support. It is critical to stopping the virus spreading in our communities.

"It’s a year since we set up Test, Trace, Protect from scratch – at what the Auditor General for Wales described as an extraordinary scale and at pace. A great deal of hard work across NHS Wales, local authorities, the voluntary sector and partner organisations has created a highly-effective programme to help us keep Wales safe. Everyone involved can be extremely proud of their efforts.

"I want to thank everyone involved, including Public Health Wales and Digital Health Care Wales. In particular I want to thank the contact tracers and those providing Protect services who have provided much-needed support to people at an extremely difficult time in their lives.

"They have done much more than their title suggests – they have identified vulnerable people and got them extra support, whether that be someone to chat to, a food parcel, or linking in with vital mental health services.

"As we seek to stop the spread of new variants of concern, experienced contact tracers are key to doing this effectively and we are continuing to invest in this work."

Research has suggested that when coronavirus transmission was high before the firebreak last year, TTP reduced the R number from approximately 1.7 to 1.3. Using the more recent R number and improvements to monitoring, its impact may be to reduce R from 1.3 to 0.8.

Contact tracers and advisers working for the TTP service are now undertaking enhanced contact tracing to tackle variants of concern.

They also:

• manage and provide assurance to almost 18,000 travellers from amber list countries who must quarantine and take tests
• take vaccination programme calls from the public, arrange bookings and follow up on those who do not attend
• act as the contact centre for the Welsh Vaccination Certificate Service
• contact large businesses and local employers to encourage them to take up the Welsh Government offer of asymptomatic lateral flow tests, (LFTs)
• contact local business, including licenced premises, hospitality and care homes, to establish correct contact details and establish if any support is needed in relation to COVID-19 measures, regulatory requirements and other public health issues
• support community testing sites.

Firefighters tackle mountain blaze near Llangollen

UPDATED WITH MORE PICTURES ....

* A llanblogger reader has sent in these picture of the fire burning up the mountainside.

* This dramatic picture from another llanblogger reader, photographer 

Philip Hatcher-Moore, 

was taken from Moel y Gaer above Rhewl.

The fire has crossed the peak and was heading down towards the other side. 

* Smoke from the mountain fire is visible from the town.

Firefighters are currently in attendance at a mountain fire near Llangollen. 

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said crews from Ruthin, Denbigh and Corwen are currently tackling a blaze in Rhewl, near to Llangollen. 

* For the full story, see: https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/19342195.crews-battle-mountain-fire-near-llangollen/?fbclid=IwAR0e0plbhLCjRHO5_BE_0wm5Re6GueqmP1xCC9c_lL84hN7BBiE3gT8wyjI

In an update, North Wales Fire & Rescue Service say: "Machines from Ruthin, Denbigh, Corwen, Abergele, Johnstown and Wrexham are currently dealing with an event in Rhewl, Llangollen.

"Call received at 1.13 pm this afternoon (1st June)

"Firefighters are currently using curators and pipes at the event which is currently including gorse, undergrowth and forestry.

"Everyone is asked to avoid this area while the crews deal with the event - if you're out walking do not walk through the smoke.

"Fire crews are working with colleagues from Natural Resources Wales to bring the controlled event."

Latest update from the fire service ...

Gorse fire in Rhewl near Llangollen – update 6.00pm

Appliances from Ruthin, Johnstown, Wrexham, Rhyl, Bala and Buckley, narrow access vehicles from Llanrwst, Llangollen and Denbigh, two wild fire vehicles from Abergele and one from Corwen are in attendance at a fire in Rhewl, Llangollen.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service received a call at 1.13pm today (Tuesday 1st June) reporting the fire.

Firefighters are currently using beaters and hose reels at the incident which currently involves gorse, undergrowth and forestry.

Fire crews are working with colleagues from Natural Resources Wales, Denbighshire Wardens from Denbighshire County Council, North Wales Police and the 4 x 4 volunteer group to bring the incident under control.

A helicopter will be attending the incident shortly and will be carrying water from the Llandegla reservoir to help extinguish the fire.

Please avoid this area whilst crews are dealing with the incident – if you are out walking do not walk through the smoke.

If you can smell smoke please close your windows and doors.

Denbighshire volunteers thanked for helping others

To celebrate Volunteers Week, Denbighshire County Council is thanking residents who help others.

Volunteers’ Week takes place between June 1 and 7 and is a chance to thank the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering.

The council recently created a new virtual online one stop shop to improve support for volunteering opportunities in the county.

Cllr Richard Mainon, Lead Member for Corporate Services and Strategic Direction, said: “Volunteers play a vital role in our communities and that has been especially evident during the coronavirus pandemic. Our volunteers have provided a wide range of support such as befriending those most isolated and providing a friendly voice to chat with.

“I would like to thank all those who have taken the time to support and help other people, you have made a huge contribution to people’s lives.”

The council’s online portal helps promote volunteering opportunities for residents within the council, and offers clear guidance on how to manage, recruit and support volunteers.

Over the past year volunteers recruited through the council have helped in a wide variety of situations including, helping a resident practice speech and language sessions online, helping a citizen to unpack and settle into their new home and clearing the garden of a resident with health issues so they could enjoy watching their young children play safely.

Other support has included helping someone write a poem for their son’s wedding when they were unable to attend due to covid-19 restrictions and confidence building ahead of a first hairdressing appointment after a year.

Cllr Mainon added: “We want everyone in our communities to be able to volunteer if they wish to. We want to make this as easy as possible for everyone.

“Volunteering can bring a sense of purpose, achievement and motivation. It can help someone to develop skills and knowledge, and can give someone the opportunity to meet new people and have a fulfilling social life. It is such an important part in many people’s lives, and we want to support that and provide these opportunities.”

The council’s volunteering opportunities are now advertised online to provide a central point for interested parties and promotion of these opportunities will also be carried out through social media and external organisations including the DVSC.

* To access the new volunteer one stop shop visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/volunteering

Chainbridge owner calls for June 21 re-opening to go ahead as planned

* The Chainbridge Hotel on the River Dee.

The owner of a world-famous Llangollen hotel has made a heartfelt plea for the government to go ahead with lifting all Covid-19 restrictions later this month. 

There has been some doubt about whether this will happen due to a surge in cases due to the Indian variant of coronavirus. 

In a series tweets in the early hours of this morning Seamus O’Keeffe said: “It’s nine years today since we took on the Chainbridge Hotel and the last nine days have been the hardest of that whole period. Operationally, emotionally and physically. 

“Hospitality businesses across the country are operating at full capacity but with one hand tied behind their backs. 

“The restrictions we have to follow slow down service, reduce capacity, make systems more complex and make it all harder to be a success. 

“This impacts the guest, and their enjoyment, which is our most important consideration. They must remove the restrictions as planned on 21st!” 

Taken over by Mr O’Keeffe and his family in 2012, the Chainbridge is an independent, family-owned and run hotel on the River Dee in Llangollen. 

It has 33 rooms, character bars, riverside restaurant, wonderful staff, stunning views.

Police witness appeal after motorcyclist dies

Police have made an appeal for witnesses after a motorcyclist died following a road traffic collision yesterday (Monday) afternoon.

Emergency services attended a fatal road traffic accident collision on the A494 between Llanuwchllyn and Rhydymain, Dolgellau, at around 3.15pm. 

The collision happened on the Bala side of a property called Hywel Dda.

According to North Wales Police, a motorbike and a VW Golf collided and the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The front seat passenger of the Golf was airlifted to Aintree hospital with serious injuries and the driver of the Golf received minor injuries. 

Sergeant Jason Diamond of the Roads Policing Unit is appealing for any witnesses to come forward.

He said: “I am appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision, or who was travelling along the A494 in this area at around 15.15 who may have dashcam footage to please contact us.”

* Anyone with any information can contact police via webchat or by calling 101 quoting ref Z076329.

The road was closed whilst the vehicles were recovered.

Residents invited to help shape council’s future plans

Denbighshire County Council is beginning to work on developing a new Corporate Plan, and would like residents to get involved and have their say.

The council has to produce a new plan every five years to help all of its services to work together, to achieve specific goals that will help to make Denbighshire a better place to live, work and visit.

The current Corporate Plan started in 2017 following a consultation exercise called County Conversation and will finish in 2022.

From the consultation, residents and the council identified priorities for Housing, Young People, Connected Communities, Resilient Communities and the Environment.

The council is now keen to continue the County Conversation and ask residents what the priorities should be for the next five years.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets, said: “It is vitally important residents take this chance to have their say on shaping the Corporate Plan and the priorities during the next five years.

“We had fantastic feedback for our last Corporate Plan and we want to continue that success to find out what's most important to you and help us to make sure we focus on the right areas.

“This is a great chance to have your voice heard, engage with us and help us continue to make Denbighshire a better place to live, work and visit.”

To help with this, the council is launching a survey and running some online focus groups.

The Continuing the County Conversation survey will be live online from May 24 to July 31 2021, with paper copies being distributed to home library service users or available to collect and return from libraries from June 1 to July 31, 2021.

The online focus groups will be hosted on Microsoft Teams in June and July.

To take part and have your say, please visit https://countyconversation.denbighshire.gov.uk/project/596 to complete the online survey and/or sign up for the online focus groups.

Cllr Graham Timms gives update on 2020 project

County Councillor Graham Timms.

Llangollen county councillor Graham Timms gives his latest update to llanbogger readers on the 2020 plan which aims to transform the town centre. Cllr Timms chairs the 2020 Group which is in charge of the project:

"The plans for the new town centre are almost complete and a Denbighshire County Council consultation will take place over a three week period starting in June. 

"The consultation will give everyone the chance to see the proposals in detail and to submit their comments, both in person or online. 

"Denbighshire officers want to provide the opportunity for as many as possible to participate to share their views. 

"Initially Denbighshire intended to tarmac Castle Street at a cost of £500,000, but residents have consistently identified traffic and parking as their number one problem in Llangollen.

"Melvyn Mile [Llangollen's other county councillor] and I were both elected in 2017 having said that tackling these two issues were a priority to us. 

"The Llangollen 2020 group was set up in late 2017 and included both county councillors, two town councillors and two members of the Llangollen Chamber of Trade. Its task was to establish possible solutions and explore where any extra money needed would come from. 

 

"The most important consideration in making such big decisions has been to give everyone the opportunity to take part in discussions and offer their opinions and suggestions.

"This is why a professional consultation was carried out by urban planning consultants from Arcadis Consulting.  Denbighshire's plans will seem very familiar to those who have been following updates as they closely follow the proposals made by Arcadis in 2019.

 

"The new design for the town centre proposed by Arcadis had a price tag of between £1.5 - £2 million. However, since Denbighshire only had £0.5 million there was clearly a huge uphill struggle to find the money needed. 

"We have spent the last two years exploring every possible source of money to help to finance the final plan. This work has been driven forward by the Llangollen 2020 group, with much of the legwork engaging potential donors led by Robyn Lovelock [a town councillor] on a voluntary basis.

 

"As a result of this work, a complex financial package of £1.8million has been granted over the past two months that will enable the town centre regeneration to go ahead, with construction planned to start in the autumn. 

"This means the town has secured nearly four times the proposed initial investment in Llangollen and represents Denbighshire's biggest investment in our town for generations. 

 

"The plans will see the current brick pavements replaced not by concrete or tarmac, but by Yorkshire stone giving the town a long lasting quality feel. 

"The pavements will be edged with slate from our local Berwyn Slate Quarry on the Horseshoe Pass. Although these materials are much more expensive in the short term, they will last for a very long time and prove to be cheaper over their whole life. Importantly, local in line with Denbighshire's climate change policy

 

"Raised crossing points along Castle Street will make the town safer and much more pedestrian friendly, encouraging local residents who have been put off from visiting the town centre by its often hostile environment for the least mobile.

 

"Wider pavements will create more space for shoppers and visitors which will encourage people to stay longer and spend more in the town.

 

"We want more trees and plants in the centre of the town. Denbighshire are committed to planting huge numbers of trees in the next few years and their Tree Officer loves trees! 

"The controversy over the town hall tree is not in the hands of the Llangollen 2020 group, but the tree is certain to remain in its current place if it is healthy. 

"The tree is old, but it will stay unless the experts deem it to have come to an unhealthy or unsafe end to its natural life. Difficult decisions for a much loved tree! 

"If this is the case then an opportunity to plant one or two mature trees in that area could be taken, subject to Llangollen Town Council's decision as they own the land outside the town hall. 

"More widely, town and county councillors are looking at ways to improve biodiversity and green infrastructure across the town. Cittaslow has been looking at this and the AONB [Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty] is also on the case. 

"We hope that you will get involved in this final consultation so that together we can continue to influence the future of our town. 

"Consultations will be held online and in person in a way that respects Covid regulations. 

"As soon as final details are available we will be widely publicising how you can take part and we would appreciate your help letting people who are not online know that this opportunity is coming up."