Electric vehicle charging points planned for Llan, says story

The Denbighshire Free Press says an email sent to councillors has revealed Denbighshire County Council is trialling a network of electric vehicle charging points.

The story adds that the first trial tranche of those will see charging points installed at eight locations across the county by April 2022, including two in Llangollen – at the Market Street and Pavilion car parks, both able to charge up to four vehicles.

* For the full story, see: https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/19468533.denbighshire-council-agrees-trial-network-electric-vehicle-charging-points/

llanblogger reviews new novel by Wrexham author

Book review by llanblogger

British journalist Jack Telford was involved in the Spanish Civil War right up to his neck.

But even greater adventures awaited him when he went on to immerse himself in World War Two.

His support for the losing Republican side made him a marked man when the sad Spanish conflict ended and it was only by the skin of his teeth that he managed to escape the turmoil which followed Franco’s victory.

Telford’s fictional odyssey through a battle-scarred Africa and Europe are told by Wrexham author David Ebsworth in his epic new novel, A Betrayal of Heroes.

We first meet Telford in Ebsworth’s opening novel featuring him, Until the Curtain Falls, which is set in a Spain torn apart by civil conflict in the late 1930s – a subject which the author has taken to his heart and become an acknowledged authority on.

In this new offering, the third in the series which runs to a mammoth 750 pages, we catch up with Telford as he becomes caught up with Nazi spies in Casablanca and then fights alongside former Spanish Republicans recruited into the army of Free France all the way from the Libyan desert to the liberation of Paris.

His credentials as a correspondent for the old Reynolds News - which actually existed - give Telford access to some of the Second World War’s hottest spots and a cavalcade of real famous people whose stories Ebsworth skilfully weaves into the narrative.

In his spying guise, for instance, he links up with the film star Leslie Howard, whose death in plane crash en route from Spain to the UK in 1943 remains a tantalising mystery to this day and, as a war reporter, he crosses paths with the likes of Charles De Gaulle, US general George Patton and even Ernest Hemingway.

Apart from its fast-paced action and absorbing plot, what impresses most about this book is Ebsworth’s minute attention to detail.

If he writes about a character lighting up a cigar, he has to describe in detail its brand and the colour of the tin it came from. And if someone boards a plane it must be identified right down to the type and the sound its engines make as they get ready for take-off.

Telford’s incredible wartime journey affords him a number of near-death experiences but will our hero survive to find himself at the centre of some fresh adventure? We shall have to see.

A Betrayal of Heroes is available on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/David-Ebsworth/e/B007C7I0XS

Firefighters called out to Berwyn, says Leader

Leaderlive is reporting this morning that firefighters have been called out to a Llangollen home following reports of a blaze.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed just before 8am on Monday that crews were on their way to a property opposite the Chainbridge Hotel in Berwyn following reports of a house fire.

* For the story, see: https://www.facebook.com/477565668939623/posts/4751345214894959/

Plan for local people to use Plas Madoc tip to be raised again with Welsh government

* The household waste recycling site at Plas Madoc.

Llangollen's lack of a permanent local waste recycling facility is to be taken up again with the Welsh Government, according to a local campaigner.

Phil Jones has been promoting the idea of Denbighshire striking a deal with neighbouring Wrexham for Dee Valley residents to be able to use its household waste recycling centre at Plas Madoc.

This, he says, would overcome the problem of local people having to use a pop-up facility at the Pavilion or travel over to Ruthin to use the tip there.

Mr Jones organised a petition in favour of striking a deal with Wrexham which has attracted around 900 signatures.

He has provided regular updates on his campaign to llanblogger and in the latest of these he says: "I started a campaign to establish access to the Plas Madoc recycling site for residents of the Dee Valley when I was told by County Councillor Mel Mile that there was ‘no appetite’ to do a deal with Wrexham CBC for a service level agreement between the two authorities. 

"Hearing this I wrote to Hannah Blythyn, the Welsh Minister responsible for waste. She in turn contacted the Chief Executive of Denbighshire CC and was assured that cross border co-operation in the efficient use of property assets (like modern recycling facilities) in line with Welsh Government policy on asset management, was underway.

"Of course we are in a pandemic, so negotiations take more time. Well, roughly one year later I have now received an email from Tony Ward, the DCC officer responsible for the waste service. 

"He tells me that the cost of paying for a service at Plas Madoc is not affordable. You might find this somewhat surprising, in that the quantity of waste is the same for both authorities and therefore one might assume that the savings made by a reduction in volumes for Denbighshire would roughly correspond to the costs incurred in asking our neighbouring authority to process the waste. 

"Apparently not; Mr. Ward tells me that the costs of processing waste deposited at the Pavilion pop-up is £7.26 per booking whereas, the equivalent charge per booking required by Wrexham CBC equates to £41.67. Why such a difference I wonder?

"I will now be seeking clarification on how these costings have been calculated. Local authorities are expected to collaborate in the utilisation of expertise and resources so that efficiency savings can be made in the delivery of services. So, over-charging for services or under accounting for costs is not compatible with this ethos."

He added: "The Welsh Government wants us to be a world leader in recycling and we are bombarded with press releases telling us how well we are doing. Yet, if you live in the Dee Valley be ready to drive 30 miles if you can’t make it to the pavilion pop-up. 

"Instead of solving a problem Denbighshire CC has created another layer of bureaucratic costs discouraging recycling with a booking system and limiting access to a few days a month. 

"We know that DCC spends far more per head of population on waste services in the north of the county but 13 years after closing our recycling site without consultation we still have a second class service. 

"Mr Ward tells me “there is therefore no plan to continue discussions about this with WCBC”. Well, for the 900 people who signed our petition, yet another fob-off is not acceptable.

"Thank-you for your continued support. We now know that our elected county councillors have never supported our campaign for access to Plas Madoc despite over 900 people signing our petition.

"If you feel unhappy about this you could write to them to say so, at: melvyn.mile@denbighshire.gov.uk graham.timms@denbighshire.gov.uk

"We will now take up this issue again with the Welsh Government and be asking if their policies regarding recycling and asset management are being applied effectively in North Wales. 

"Are our public servants just ‘talking the talk’ and not really ‘walking the walk’ when it comes to recycling?"

'Tell me if you've been hit by pension injustice', says Skates

Member of the Senedd Ken Skates wants women in his constituency who have been affected by state pension age increases to be awarded compensation by the UK Government. 

The Clwyd South MS said the Women Against State Pension Injustice (Waspi) campaign have been vindicated after a watchdog’s investigation found there were failings in the UK Government’s communication of the changes.  

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman found that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should have told the women – who maintain they did not know the retirement age was rising until it was too late to prepare – more than two years earlier than it did. 

Mr Skates said: “This has been a long-running campaign which my colleague Susan Elan Jones worked extremely hard on during her time as MP, and this is a big finding. Nearly four million women have been affected by the state pension age changes, including many in Clwyd South and across North Wales.” 

Women born in the 1950s have long said the lack of information around the decision to increase their retirement age from 60 to 65 resulted in financial and emotional distress, with research in 2005 finding that only 43% knew their pension age was changing. The state pension age for both men and women has now increased to 66. 

Mr Skates added: “The Ombudsman has now said what the campaigners have said all along. Maladministration has been established and these women should be compensated. I would expect all MPs across North Wales to make the same case to the UK Government so they can finally get justice for what they’ve been put through.” 

Former Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones presented a petition to Parliament on behalf of Waspi campaigners in her consistency. Although no longer a Member of Parliament, she remains a strong supporter of the campaign. 

She said: “This is a major breakthrough. There is still a long road ahead for these women to get the justice they deserve, but this backs up everything the campaigners have said and finally acknowledges that the DWP were in the wrong. 

“This has had a huge impact on so many women who were given no time to make proper plans for their retirement. I hope this is the beginning of the end of their tireless campaign.” 

The next stage of the Ombudsman’s investigation will consider the impact of the DWP’s failings, and could recommend affected women receive compensation from the Government. 

 

Roadworks alert for Regent Street

 

One.network has sent out the following local roadworks alert:

Regent Street 25 July — 25 July   Delays likely - Traffic control (two-way signals)   Works description: DESILT OF SEWER LINE FOLLOWING REPORTS OF CUSTOMER FACILITIES AFFECTED BY BLOCKAGES. LINE SURVEY CON...   Works location: REGENT STREET OUTSIDE NO 28...   Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Welsh Water.   Responsibility for works: Welsh Water   Current status: Planned work about to start   Works reference: PE12595625434/02

Volunteer's first riverside litter collection is a success

* Dwysan with the donated litter collection bag.

The conscientious Facebook user who called for something to be done about the “huge” amount of litter in Llangollen had her first successful outing yesterday afternoon.

llanblogger revealed how Dwysan had asked earlier in the day if anyone was interested in doing something constructive about the litter explaining: “Tourism is really important to Llangollen and I don't want to bring negative attention to it. However, there is a huge litter problem here and in all other tourist spots.” 

The post then went on to suggest people should write to the county council asking them to provide more litter bins for the town, particularly by the riverside and put some signage up asking people to use the bins and/or take their rubbish home. 

Dwysan also suggested people could go to the river area yesterday afternoon armed with waste bags to collect litter from tourists after handing out notes asking for co-operation.

“I am looking to do this in a gentle and proactive way - simply handing out bin bags with a smile - no blaming, no arguing just asking,” Dwysan said.  

Later yesterday Dwysan told llanblogger: “I've been out. I was donated some bags from Keep Wales Tidy. A volunteer up the road dropped them off. I was very polite. 

“Most said they had their own bags but the ones that took them said they were really grateful and what a good idea it is. 

“I was by the river opposite the park - the rocks. It was mostly families and they seemed a bit more set up. Also lots were swimming so it was hard to talk to them. Maybe it's best to go later on in the day. I will have to think of some initiatives. 

“Someone has commented that paddlers clean the river twice a week so there's a few things going on. Just need to add to it.”

New Chief Executive for Denbighshire County Council

Denbighshire County Council has announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive.

Graham Boase (pictured), currently Corporate Director of Economy & Public Realm, has been appointed to the role.

Leader of Denbighshire, Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, said: “This is a fantastic appointment for Denbighshire and, on behalf of our staff and residents in the county, the elected members and I would like to congratulate Graham and welcome him to the new role.

“There was an extremely a rigorous selection process with a number of strong contenders in the running who all performed to an extremely high standard.

“Denbighshire County Council is one of the best performing councils in Wales and we are now looking forward to working with our new chief executive to continue that success into the future.”

Mr Boase said: “I am very excited about becoming Chief Executive of this fantastic council, having started working for Denbighshire as far back as 1996.

 I’m so grateful to the elected members for showing their trust and faith in me, it gives me a lot of confidence to know that they have backed my progress from Head of Service, to Corporate Director and now to Chief Executive.

“I think I know the council well and I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into the job, talking to our excellent leadership team, dedicated elected members and our residents about our future Vision for the Council.”

Mr Boase starting working for Denbighshire at its inception in 1996, initially as a Senior Planning Officer, in 2003 he became Head of Planning & Public Protection and in 2017 was promoted to Corporate Director: Economy and Public Realm. He will begin as Chief Executive on 1st August.

Action planned to deal with town's litter

* A typical scene, taken a few years ago, of litter left behind in Riverside Park.

A conscientious Facebook user is calling for something to be done about the “huge” amount of litter in Llangollen.

In a post this morning which is picking up support from other social media users, Dwysan says: “I wondered if anyone is interested in doing something constructive about all the litter. 

“Tourism is really important to Llangollen and I don't want to bring negative attention to it. However, there is a huge litter problem here (and in all other tourist spots). 

“I thanked the guy working for Denbighshire CC who was picking up litter this morning and he told me he spent two hours on the rocks alone picking up litter and filled up bags of rubbish.

“Yesterday I met a woman who was picking it up herself, all the bins were full and this morning I met Jim who was kindly picking up litter in his own time. 

“I really value people spending their free time picking up litter but personally I'm already working 40 hours a week in very busy NHS practice and I feel it's more important that we need to help people take responsibility for themselves.” 

Dwysan goes on to suggest: “There's a couple of things we could do. Firstly, can you write to Denbighshire County Council, their email is customerservices@denbighshire.gov.uk 

“Please can you ask them to provide Llangollen with more bins (particularly by the riverside) and put some signage up asking people to use the bins and/or take their rubbish home. 

“Secondly, I wondered if anyone would volunteer to go to the river (starting point we could perhaps go to other areas depending on volunteers) at midday (ish) and take some bin bags with a note and hand them out. 

“I'm going to write some notes that say, ‘Thank you for visiting Llangollen, we like to see our town busy and that everyone has such a lovely time here. Please could we ask you to use this bin bag and put any rubbish in it before you leave. You can take the bin bag home or you can leave the bin bag next to the bins in the park. We really appreciate you helping to keep our beautiful town of Llangollen tidy! Thank you/Diolch.’ 

“We'd only need, initially, two volunteers daily to go down for twenty minutes or so about midday at the busiest time. 

“I am looking to do this in a gentle and proactive way - simply handing out bin bags with a smile - no blaming, no arguing just asking! 

“It might make a difference, it might not but if you are interested in helping and trying to make a difference, I'm happy to provide the bin bags and the note attached to them, just need some help in distributing them!” 

In the Facebook post, Dwysan says the campaign would be hopefully be starting this Saturday but told llanblogger later: “I'm not arranging litter picking, I'm simply going to hand out some bin bags but thinking about it I'm not sure it'll be sunny on Saturday so might go down there this afternoon at 1pm outside Home Bargains. Strike while the iron is hot!

“I'm trying to create something that will generate some positive action rather than bashing people or name calling. It feels like something simple that we could try that doesn't cost too much and shouldn't cause offence to anyone.”

Welsh NHS staff to get 3% pay rise

Health Minister Eluned Morgan, pictured left, has agreed a 3% pay rise for all NHS staff in Wales, as she accepted the recommendations of the pay review bodies in full.

The recommendations from the NHS Pay Review Body and the Doctors and Dentist Review Body apply to staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions, which includes employed nurses, cleaners, porters and health support workers. It also applies to consultants, doctors in training, pre-2021 speciality and associate specialist (SAS) doctor contracts, salaried GPs and dentists.

The pay rise will apply retrospectively from April 2021.

Eluned Morgan said: “Once again, I want to thank our Welsh NHS staff for their extraordinary efforts over the course of this pandemic. Many staff have worked extremely long hours under enormous pressure.

“This pay rise recognises the dedication and commitment of hardworking NHS staff and the enormous contribution they have made. It is also a recognition of how valued they are by Welsh communities.

“For our lowest paid staff, this means we have gone above the Living Wage recommendation of £9.50 an hour, demonstrating our commitment to NHS Wales being a Living Wage employer.”

The Welsh Government says the UK Treasury has not yet provided any information about whether any additional funding will be provided to cover the cost of the recommended uplift above the 1% cap previously announced but the Health Minister said current budgets will be prioritised to enable this the deal to be implemented.

The pay increase will be made in addition to the NHS and social care bonus payment which was announced by the previous Minister for Health and Social Services in March 2021. 

The one off payment of £735 acknowledged the compassionate care provided by our NHS workforce to the people of Wales when we have been at our most vulnerable.

Government plan to help food and drink firms

A new plan to help food and drink companies across Wales get their products on the shelves of major retailers is being launched by the Welsh Government.

The Food and Drink Wales Retail Plan has been developed alongside an industry expert group and aims to see the turnover value for the food and drink industry in Wales grow proportionally more than the UK as a whole.

It has eight key objectives including creating a stream of new entrepreneurial food and drink businesses and accelerate the growth of companies with a turnover of more than £10m in the retail sector.

Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, Lesley Griffiths launched the Retail Plan during a visit to Samosaco in Pontyclun.

Samosaco are currently listed in Morrisons stores in Wales and Costco across the whole of the UK. The company recently relaunched both their brand and packaging as well as a range of retail focussed products.

The plan will support Welsh companies to aspire to a UK level of distribution and help build closer working relationships across supply-chains and retailers.

It will also be key in nurturing the next generation of companies to access new market routes and help them respond to new demands from consumers.

Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd, Lesley Griffiths said: “We have fantastic food and drink producers here in Wales and I am committed to helping them see their products enjoyed by more people, not only here in Wales, but across the UK.

“The new retail plan will be key to this by helping develop greater strength and resilience within the industry and put in place the building blocks to support companies in their next phase of growth and development.

“I would like to thank the Retail Expert Group for their work in helping create this plan. The group has been specifically established to assess Wales’ position within the UK retail sector and respond to the demands of evolving food markets.

“We have a real opportunity, through this new plan, to help Welsh food and drink businesses reach new and potentially game changing markets.”

Co-founder of Samosaco, Tee Sandhu said: “We are delighted to welcome the Minister here today to launch such an important initiative for Welsh Food and Drink.

“We have recently refreshed our brand and have developed a number of new Vegan and Vegetarian ready meal and snack lines and have had excellent support from the Government’s Trade Development Programme and the Fine Food Cluster.

“Our products including our famous ‘Onion Bhaji Scotch Egg’ are already widely distributed across Wales and will soon be available across most of GB through a significant online retailer. We look forward to building closer ties with the major retailers and expanding our position in the market.”

Chair of Food and Drink Wales Industry Board (FDWIB), Andy Richardson said: “Welsh Food & Drink has a tremendous opportunity to develop sales across retailers both in Wales and the UK. I genuinely believe consumers value the quality, sustainability and provenance of Welsh Food & Drink which, when combined with some excellent point of sale branding, should lead to good growth in this sector in the coming years”.

* The Food & Drink Wales Retail Plan can be found at: Retail Plan Summary_0.pdf (gov.wales)

New Honda e is packed with tech but still pricey

Honda e drive by Steve Rogers

So now we know. Come 2035 and production of petrol and diesel cars will end for good.

Joe Public won't be able to buy a new conventional engined car after 2030 and the only exception to electric will be hybrid or plug-in hybrid models which will have a five year grace period until the shutters finally come down.

Honda will have all its models electrified by next year, having decided to chop three years off its original 2025 deadline a move that will have big consequences for its biggest star, the Civic Type R.

Production of the current super quick bad boy is about to end but there will be a hybrid version next year which might not be a bad thing as electric motors boost horse power. You can just imagine the clamour to snap up a Type R the closer we get to E Day.

For now the Japanese company's only electric offering is the pint sized Honda e, a five door city car with a modest range of 125 miles. A larger electric model will arrive next year and although Honda is keeping schtum it is likely to be a Civic or HR-V sized car. The new hybrid HR-V hits our showrooms in November, ahead of mainland Europe which will have to wait until next year.

As for Honda e it is ahead of its time when it comes to styling. At first sight it is a car that looks unfinished, there are no visible door handles, and then you think 'there is something odd here'. It has no door mirrors and the answer to that conundrum is an even bigger surprise. Get inside and take in a new take on dashboard design. Everything is minimalist with clean surfaces, and then there is this strange full width black box stretching the full width of the dash. Futuristic or what?

All becomes clear with a press of the starter button when two 12 inch screens light up with a wing camera screen at each end taking the place of a door mirror. It is a world first and works perfectly well, in fact it gives a wider field of vision than a conventional door mirror. There is also the option of a remote camera view from the driver's mirror but I found that a bit weird and flicked to a normal view.

The main screens provide information and plenty of connectivity options and, of course, personal devices can be synced so you can plug your whole life into the car. It's all a bit mind boggling at first but pretty straight forward once you get the hang of it.

At 3895mm long Honda e sits between a city car and supermini, or to give a bit of context a Ford Ka and Ford Fiesta, but with rear wheel drive and the wheels plonked in each corner it is surprisingly roomy with space for four although I would not be planning any big holidays given the size of the boot. Shall we just say it is good for a few shopping bags.

Like all electric cars acceleration is brisk, even very brisk, and with 315Nm of torque on tap there are never any worries about quick overtaking. It is not the sharpest tool in the box when it comes to driving dynamics, wallowing slightly through sweeping bends and roundabouts but the car is about convenience and clean motoring, not rally driving!

My test drive was mainly around busy Surrey commuter roads and it was a case of e for easy, relaxing and, in the main, with silent running.

For now the stumbling block with Honda e, and every other electric car, is the price. No matter how much kit you pack into these cars, and the Honda has a more than generous spec, they are just too expensive and that is because volumes are still low and they are costly to build. All we can hope is that the price gap reduces the closer we get to 2030.

Fast facts

Honda e Advance

£31,265

Range 125 miles

Battery: 35.5kWh

Charge time 3h 30mins

0-62mph 9secs; 100mph

VED: Zero

Insurance group 29

 

2020 plan is recommended for approval - with amendments

 

* An artist's impression of the finished 2020 scheme.

Members of Denbighshire County Council's powerful cabinet have been advised to approve the £1.7 million plan to re-shape Llangollen town centre's road system.

The 2020 scheme is due to be considered by the cabinet next Tuesday and agenda papers for the meeting show that officers have recommended it goes ahead with some amendments to the original proposals.   

The scheme is intended to improve the public realm along Castle Street by replacing the existing kerbs and footway paving with high-quality materials.

Also proposed was the removal of on-street parking from Castle Street and from the Abbey Road/Castle Street junction to enable the adjacent pavements to be widened and reduce parking-related congestion on Castle Street. 

Other proposals included introducing a number of pedestrian dropped kerbs along Castle Street and to reduce traffic speeds by raising the road surface at some side road junctions as well as providing two loading bays for businesses on Castle Street, together with two disabled parking spaces near to Castle Street. 

It was also proposed to make Market Street one-way in a westerly direction between Castle Street and East Street and introduce a loading bay on the south side of Market Street where the temporary loading bay is currently located. 

The Castle Street improvement is part of a phased-approach to improve parking and to improve walking and cycling routes in the town. 

In his report to next week's cabinet Councillor Brian Jones, Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, recommends members approve 2020, including a list of amendments which result from the recent three-week public consultation exercise. 

The report reveals that a total of 507 questionnaire responses were received in response to the recent engagement. 

These were comprised of 322 online questionnaires and 185 paper questionnaires.

Of the 507 responses, 95 were from business owners, 358 were from residents, 32 from visitors, and 16 from people who work in the town but live elsewhere.

The questionnaire asked respondents whether they agreed or disagreed with the main proposals contained within the project.

Of the responses received, the number of people who agreed with the various proposals generally ranged from between 60% and 68%, except for 48% of respondents who agreed that the project would make them more likely to walk or cycle.

The number of people who disagreed with the various proposals generally varied from between 25% and 36%, except for the 22% of respondents who disagreed that the 20 mph speed limit and speed reduction features would make Castle Street safer.

A total of 64% respondents said the project is generally a good idea, with some of those saying the project could be improved further.

A total of 36% of respondents said that the project isn’t generally a good idea.

The report adds that the main issues of concern raised were the proposed width of Castle Street is too narrow; the loss of on-street parking; the proposed loading bays being goods-only; the proposed closure of Short Street; the proposed width of the Bridge Street junction and the proposed Bridge Street loading bay.

It goes on: "The public engagement feedback has been carefully considered and discussed with the Lead Member and local elected members. This has led to some design changes proposed for the project."

The report details the proposed amendments, followed by the council's comments on each one. They are: 

1. Change the two proposed loading bays for Castle Street to general loading bays. This is proposed in response to concerns raised by business owners about them not being able to use their own vehicles to unload goods.  

The council says: "It will also allow customers to move heavier items. Main negative impact of this is that the loading bays will be occupied more frequently which will reduce their availability and result in more interruptions to the flow of traffic. Will also increase need for regular enforcement."

2. Consider placing time limit on Castle Street loading bay from 0930 until 6pm.

The council says: "This would make the bay an unrestricted length of road outside of these hours. This would allow anyone to park prior to 0930 in the morning subject to the availability of a space.

"Negative is that bays could be taken up by overnight resident parking i.e no guarantee that they’d be available."

3. Change the proposed loading bay for Market Street to a general loading bay.

The council says: "This is proposed in response to concerns raised by business owners about them not being able to use their own vehicles to unload goods. It will also allow customers to move heavier items. Main negative impact of this is that the loading bay will be occupied more frequently which will reduce its availability. Will also increase need for regular enforcement."

4. Inset proposed Castle Street loading bays (This means that the existing pavements won’t be widened where they are adjacent to the proposed loading bays).

The council says: "This will mean that the loading bays won’t extend out as far into the road as would have been the case. Only negative impact of this is that the pavements won’t be widened where adjacent to the loading bays."

5. Withdraw proposal to close Short Street.

The council says: "Reconsider options for Short Street as part of Phase 2 including potential for one-way with left turn only restriction In light of opposition to closure of Short Street it is recommended that it is reopened and a traffic camera survey is undertaken to monitor the use of Short Street and any road safety or congestion-related issues."

6. Consider amendments to East Street/Parade Street 90 degree bend Consider scope to improve the existing “pinch-point” issues that have been reported.

7. Consider and, if possible, provide additional short stay parking on Market Street one way section One-way restriction may provide sufficient width to provide 2 no. on-street parking spaces.

The council says: "This needs to be checked to ensure it won’t interfere with the swept-path of large vehicles turning into Market Street off Castle Street." 

8. Undertake traffic assessment and consider options for re-routing of HGV through traffic 

The council says: "Evaluate and quantify HGV through traffic, is it same local hauliers using the route for example."

The cabinet reports can be viewed at: https://moderngov.denbighshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=281&MId=6272&LLL=0

Next Tuesdays' meeting, to be held online, can be viewed on the same web link. 

County seeks more Digital Buddies

An initiative that has helped communities stay digitally connected during the pandemic is looking for more volunteers to support Denbighshire residents. 

In the summer of 2020, Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council, Digital Communities Wales and Denbighshire County Council, in collaboration, launched Denbighshire Digital Buddies. 

The scheme helps anyone needing assistance with digital technology and has helped families, friends and loved ones stay connected through the difficult lockdowns of the pandemic. 

Buddies have provided technical support over the phone, helping people become more independent and improving their mental health and wellbeing. 

Gareth Jones of Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council, said: “Communities in Denbighshire have come together during this pandemic, and our Digital Buddies scheme has tapped into that positive energy to provide valuable support.

"My role has been to recruit volunteers, ensure they are trained and to match them with people in the community who need digital assistance. We would like to recruit more volunteer Digital Buddies."

Debbie Hughes, a Digital Buddy volunteer from Prestatyn said: “I have recently helped a lady who had no IT skills at all. She was able to access a tablet through some of the work I do and was then able, with my support, to download WhatsApp. The lady now video calls her daughter in New Zealand. 

“I think it’s opened her eyes a lot to other things that technology can do, and she will hopefully sign up to an IT class at her local library in September. 

Debbie added: “Going through the training was very positive and I learned the wide variety of things technology can help with. Being a Digital Buddy volunteer is very rewarding as it is great to support people and see their IT confidence increase.”

Cllr Bobby Feeley, Denbighshire County Council’s Lead for Wellbeing and Independence, said: “This is a great volunteer scheme which has made a big and positive difference to people’s lives during the pandemic. Being connected to your friends and loved ones has never been so important and I am grateful to see how much the Denbighshire Digital Buddies have helped communities in the county. 

“It is a very rewarding scheme for volunteers to join, as keeping everyone connected to each other is vital for mental health and wellbeing.

"If you know anyone that has a tablet or smartphone and needs help using it, for example, we would like to hear from you, and the person can be paired with a Digital Buddy." 

* Contact Gareth Jones on 01824 702441 or e-mail office@dvsc.co.uk for further information or if you would like to be a Digital Buddy.

Welsh Ambulance Service under 'extreme' pressure

Extreme pressures on the Welsh Ambulance Service yesterday meant it had to declare a ‘business continuity incident’.

The Trust has been receiving in the region of 2,000 calls per day via 999 for the last three days.

Incidents yesterday were nine per cent higher than predicted, up 11 per cent from last Monday (12 July, 2021) and up 29 per cent from the same Monday last year (20 July, 2020).

Immediately life-threatening ‘RED’ calls were also up by almost 30 per cent compared to last Monday.

Call volume, coupled with lengthy delays at hospitals across Wales, meant that demand on the service exceeded its capacity to respond.

As a result, some patients waited many hours for an ambulance.

The Trust put special arrangements in place to manage demand, including asking some patients to make an alternative arrangement, such as making their own way to hospital.

More than a fifth (21 per cent) of 999 calls yesterday were categorised as low acuity ‘GREEN’ calls and were subsequently assessed by NHS 111 Wales.

Among them was a person with a fish hook in their foot, a person who had caught their finger in a juicer and a person with diarrhoea.

Here are the some of the other headlines from yesterday –

1. Immediately life-threatening ‘RED’ calls were up by 29 per cent from last Monday, and up 175 per cent from the same Monday last year
2. The number one reason people called 999 yesterday was for breathing problems (13.4 per cent) followed by falls (13.3 per cent)
3. Around nine per cent of callers were also experiencing chest pain and seven per cent reported feeling faint
4. Calls to patients with breathing problems were up by 37 per cent when compared to last Monday
5. 516 hours were spent by ambulance crews at hospitals across Wales yesterday waiting to hand over patients

Director of Operations Lee Brooks said: “It’s very rare that we declare a business continuity incident and it’s not a decision that we take lightly – it’s a sign of a serious situation.

“Yesterday’s heat coupled with the delays at hospitals meant we reached a point in the early evening where demand actually overtook our capacity to respond in a safe and timely way.

“For anyone who had an excessive wait for an ambulance yesterday, we are very sorry for your experience and this is not the service we want to provide.

“While we’re in a more stable position today, we’re still experiencing extreme pressures right across Wales, and we need the public’s help.

“Please only call 999 if a life is on the line – that’s a cardiac arrest, chest pain or breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness, choking or catastrophic bleeding.

“If it’s not a life-threatening emergency, then it’s important that you use of the many alternatives to 999, starting with the symptom checkers on our NHS 111 Wales website as well as your GP, pharmacist and Minor Injuries Unit.”

Lee added his thanks to staff and volunteers across the service.

He added: “Our staff and volunteers in every corner of Wales and in every part of our service are working flat out to deliver the best service we can to people in Wales in very difficult conditions.

“I’d like to extend a huge thank you to colleagues for the immense collective effort.”

Click here to read the ambulance service’s top tips for summer safety.

Minister impressed by railway's re-birth during visit today

llanblogger exclusive

* The Deputy Minister with railway board members and volunteers at Llangollen station.

* Board members and volunteers with the Deputy Minister on Berwyn station.

* Ms Bowden chats to railway volunteers on Llangollen station.

* The Deputy Minister is shown pictures of recent developments on the line by railway publicity officer George Jones.

The country cannot afford to lose heritage attractions such as Llangollen Railway, which is an organisation the Welsh Government wants to support, maintain and to see thrive.

That was the message from Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden MS, when she paid a whistle-stop visit to the line this afternoon (Tuesday).

Earlier this month the railway was awarded a grant of £143,290 from the Wales Cultural Recovery Fund, which is controlled by the Welsh Government, to aid its recovery from recent financial problems brought on first by closure due to the pandemic and then when the company which ran it plunged into receivership with debts of £350,000.

But thanks to massive efforts by the separate and solvent Llangollen Railway Trust the railway is now back up and running. 

As the first stage of its salvage operation it is currently running a diesel train between Llangollen and the next station along the line at Berwyn but has firm plans to bring back highly popular steam-hauled services early next month.

During her visit today the Deputy Minister was invited to take a trip aboard the Class 108 heritage diesel railcar and see for herself the progress that has been made since the railway's re-opening on July 9.

She was given a full update by members of the trust board and volunteers along the way.

The Deputy Minister said: "One of our commitments as the Welsh Government is to make sure that our tourism industry is in a position to be able to thrive after the pandemic.

"We want to support our tourist organisations. We have supported them in Llangollen because we recognise the importance that tourism has to this part of north Wales.

"Without the Llangollen Railway we'd be losing a huge asset, to the economy, to tourism and to jobs.

"So the importance of it is literally buying into our strategy for tourism in north Wales."

Asked if it was likely the railway would be getting any further Welsh Government support, the Deputy Minister said: "Where there is a need and where we believe that there is value for money we will continue to support organisations like this.

"We cannot afford to lose this kind of heritage scheme. Llangollen Railway says so much about the area, our railway heritage and it's absolutely something we want to support and maintain and to see thrive.

"That's what our contribution has been, It's been about making sure that the railway can survive and hopefully be a thriving, going concern for the future of the tourism industry and for Llangollen."

Ms Bowden said she had been "very impressed" by what she had been shown, adding: "It wasn't that long ago that the organisation went into administration and the trust has had to turn it around and build a business case.

"They've also had to get a business plan together and they've had to make all this work. It's to their true credit that they've been able to do all that.

"We've been able to help with this but it's these people on the ground that have turned it around."

One of those who greeted the Deputy Minister was trust vice-chairman Phil Coles.

He said: "It was a very successful visit. She was impressed by what she saw and heard and my parting comment to her was, 'don't be surprised if we come back and ask for more support in future,' and she said, 'by all means'.

"She said she was really impressed by what we have been doing but we've still got a long way to go.

"We've got to get the engineering going to get the trains further along the line and the icing on the cake will obviously be next March when we open all the way to Corwen.

"We've also got steam coming in early August, we hope."