Llangollen councillor brands toilets cuts plan 'act of self-harm'

* Llangollen's public toilets in Market Street.

Denbighshire councillors have agreed to look again at a plan to dispose of all its public toilets in a bid to save around £200,000 a year in running costs. 

But at the council’s community scrutiny committee yesterday (Thursday) a package of measures aimed at examining the proposal in more depth put forward by Llangollen councillor Karen Edwards was rejected.  

Officers’ say the council needs to make savings as it faces an “unprecedented” financial challenge and the closure proposal is part of a corporate process to pinpoint cuts in the 2024/25 budget.

The provision of public conveniences (PCs) is a non-statutory duty. Many local authorities ceased providing this service many years ago.

Denbighshire currently has 20 toilet sites across the county, including Llangollen, none of which break even financially. 

The council aims to transfer as many of them as possible to other groups or organisations, such as city, town and community councils, so that they continue to operate but at no cost to DCC. 

At yesterday’s scrutiny committee Cllr Edwards made an impassioned plea for a closer examination of the proposal before it is allowed to go ahead.

She said: “We are all aware of the financial challenges facing this council and the tough decisions now being taken by the cabinet in its drive to balance the books in an era of diminishing financial settlements, increasing demand on services and inflation.

“In our previous meeting we made recommendations regarding mitigating the cuts to our library services. Our recommendations were not accepted by cabinet  but further work would be undertaken to identify alternative sources of funding.

“Perhaps the most important issue before us today is the proposal to close our public toilets or transfer responsibility for their operation to third parties. 

“This particular proposal has to be considered in the context of the council’s core policy objectives, one of which is the promotion of tourism to grow the regional economy. As we all know, tourism plays a vital part in Denbighshire’s economy with 6.03 million visitors in 2022. 

“In the case of the Llangollen ward that I represent along with Councillor Keddie, our town centre car park has a public convenience which is used in part by coach parties. Without this facility Llangollen will no longer be able to offer a convenient ‘relief stop ‘ for coaches and they may well cease to stop there. 

“Businesses in the town will suffer and the closure would therefore be an illogical act of self-harm. The car park in Market Street generated an income of £171,396.61 in 2022/23, this equates to 43% of DCC’s total income from car parks with public conveniences.   

“It is my understanding having spoken with the Llangollen Town Council clerk that it would be impossible for them to agree to take over the unsolicited financial liability of this property asset as  they have yet to be officially consulted and their precept for this forthcoming year was submitted to DCC last January. If the public conveniences were to close, there are no suitable alternatives.”  

She added: “There is mention within the report of the Community Toilet Scheme [by which businesses are paid a grant to allow the public to use their toilets] which has apparently been in existence for a number of years with very limited uptake - one I believe. You may argue the point that it hasn’t been widely publicised, but realistically unless this is proven to be an absolutely viable alternative, your sanguine approach is at best premature. 

“We have a tourism economy which is growing year on year, and the car parks of Llangollen are frequently filled to capacity by visitors during the whole year, not just the summer months. The toilets are an essential part of our public infrastructure to accommodate the needs of visitors to the town. 

“From a policy viewpoint there is no logic in closing such vital facilities if we continue to spend money marketing Denbighshire, as a means of generating more visitors - approximately £718,000. We should consider achieving savings by reducing marketing budgets as opposed to closing facilities. Public conveniences may well be a non-statutory obligation but neither is the marketing of this authority to promote tourism. 

“It is therefore unrealistic to propose the removal of the budget for public conveniences  in total as there will be on-going costs associated with de-commissioning these facilities, updating others, and retaining those considered to be essential in tourist hot spots.” 

Cllr Edwards proposed the committee make a recommendation for further consideration by the officers responsible for the proposal and that a further report be produced recognising that the budget for public conveniences  cannot be removed in its entirety and will identify: 

* The take-up of third-party management of toilets. 

* All costs of accommodation work prior to transfer, or decommissioning, and redundancies, if any 

* The on-going budget required to operate those toilets to be retained as essential tourist infrastructure.

* Revenue costs for retained toilets to be supported by savings made in the tourism marketing budget and a review of the charges made for the use of public conveniences.

Even though the decision to bring the plan back to the scrutiny committee was supported her proposal was rejected.

Popular sightseeing bus service returns to Dee Valley

The popular Dee Valley Picturesque bus service will be running again this year, providing access to some of the key destinations in this beautiful and historic landscape. 

The Dee Valley Picturesque Bus service is a circular route which links Llangollen and the surrounding villages to popular local attractions including Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Wenffrwd Nature Reserve, Horseshoe Falls, Valle Crucis Abbey, Plas Newydd Historic House and the Horseshoe Pass. 

The hop on/hop off service will enable passengers to visit these key locations without the need of a car, making it easier for those without their own vehicle to access these places and helping to reduce congestion at some of the busiest sites in the Dee Valley. 

The service has been made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales, and delivered in partnership by Denbighshire County Council and the Our Picturesque Landscape project, a landscape partnership scheme which is working to conserve and improve access to the inspiring landscapes of the Dee Valley and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site. 

The all day 1Bws ticket provides great value for those wanting to take a sightseeing tour of the area, and this year the service will also offer tap on/tap off payments for shorter single trips, making it the ideal option for discovering some the area’s linear walks.

The Dee Valley Picturesque Bus Service 199 will operate Saturdays only from Saturday 30^th March – Saturday 30^th August 2024. For the full timetable and ticket prices please visit the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB website, Denbighshire bus timetable webpage, or pick up a leaflet from Llangollen Tourist Information Centre.

https://www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk/projects/the-picturesque-bus/

https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/parking-roads-and-travel/public-transport/bus-timetables/bus-timetables.aspx

Hannah Marubbi, Partnership Officer for the Our Picturesque Landscape project, said: “We are delighted to bring back the Dee Valley Picturesque Bus Service for a fourth year.  The service saw record numbers of users last year and we hope that this season it will provide even more visitors and local residents with the opportunity to explore the wider area.”

Cllr Win-Mullen James, Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said: “The Dee Valley Picturesque Bus offers the perfect chance to explore the Dee Valley in comfort without the stress of having to plan to park at these fantastic locations around Llangollen.”

Latest events at Pengwern Community Hub

Half-term events happening at Pengwern Hub in Llangollen are:

... and the Hub's March timetable is:

 

Denbighshire cabinet to discuss £1.1m boost for care home fees

Denbighshire County Council’s Cabinet will discuss the 2024/25 Care Home Fee increase at the next Cabinet Meeting, which will take place on March 19. 

The recommendation will be an increase of 8.8% for 2024/25.

Councillor Elen Heaton, Lead Member for Health and Social Care said: “The provision of care is at the heart of the Council’s priorities, and this is evidenced in our approved budget allocations for 2024/25, which prioritises protection for social care and education, despite the acute nationwide local government funding crisis.

"It’s within this context we’ve approached the issue of care fees with due diligence and prudence, recognising the need to balance challenging financial constraints with our commitment to prioritising care provision.

"We currently spend around £13 million on approximately 364 placements in 82 care homes. This constitutes a huge part of our Adult Social Care & Homelessness budget and totals 6% of the Council’s overall total net revenue budget.

"At our upcoming Cabinet meeting, I will be proposing an 8.8% increase in our care fees, following careful consideration of inflation and the Real Living Wage increase.

"If approved by Cabinet, our expenditure on care home fees will increase by around £1.1 million. Given that the proposed increase is substantially more than the modest 3.8% increase we’ve received in our settlement, this increase will significantly impact our budget at a time where savings targets loom large across various council services.

"However, whilst this decision comes with financial implications, it reflects our priorities as a council, and upholds our commitment to prioritising care provision in our community.

"We value our care providers in Denbighshire and remain committed to fostering an open and fair relationship with them. To this end, we consistently offer the opportunity for an ‘open book exercise’, where providers can openly share their financial information with us. This allows for a transparent discussion about the costs involved in delivering care services and helps ensure that public funds are being used efficiently.

"As Lead Member, I stand firmly behind this proposal, confident that it reflects our commitment to maintaining a sustainable future for the care sector in Denbighshire.”

Cavern's resident Beatles band to play at Town Hall

* Beatles Complete on stage.

* An audience in the Netherlands goes wild for the band.

A Beatles tribute band which has a residency at Liverpool's famous Cavern Club is heading for Llangollen in a couple of months time. 

Beatles Complete, who play at the iconic venue on Thursdays and Saturdays, have just started to venture out into theatres and will take to the stage at the Town Hall on Friday May 10.

They are known as the only tribute band that are similar in age to The Beatles when they first had their big break and the show is receiving wide acclaim throughout the UK. 

They began in 2020 with Max as George and Joe as Paul after Joe spotted an ad to start the band while purchasing a Hofner violin bass at his local music store. A year later, George, who is ex-LIPA, and Tom joined as John and Ringo.

The foursome were aged just 14 to 18 when they took to the stage at 2021’s International Beatle Week to make their debut both at the festival and as a band.  

Beatles Complete have performed at International Beatle Week for the last three years and are playing at the Pier Head in Liverpool in front of an estimated 10,000 people. 

All are big Beatles fans who grew up with parents who were also Beatles fanatics. 

They say that a combination of songwriting, musicianship and performance, live and in the studio, are the reasons for their love of Fab Four.

Some sample comments from their audiences are:

"These young boys are amazzzing. Must be seen"

"Absolutely Amazing fantastic show"

"Very talented musicians and vocalists. Brought back lots of memories from when I saw The Beatles on 7th December 1964 at the Apollo!' 

* Tickets are available from www.beatlescomplete.com Look for Tour Dates to find Llangollen.

Funeral details for well-known former postman

A man from Llangollen who was a well-known postman in the area for over 45 years has passed away. 

Doug Price – affectionately known as “Doug the Post” – used to live in West Street. 

He had two sons and four grandchildren. 

One of his sons, also called Doug, said of him: “He was very keen on shooting with a shotgun and beating. He was also the proud captain of the Ponsonby Arms darts team, who won quite a few trophies in the Llangollen darts league, and on watching Llangollen Football Club.” 

The funeral will be at noon on Thursday March 21 at Wrexham Crematorium. 

Friday's Merseybeats fundraiser for Eisteddfod cancelled due to illness

* The Merseybeats playing at their spiritual home of The Cavern in Liverpool.

A gig by chart-topping Merseyside band The Merseybeats due to be staged at Llangollen Town Hall this Friday evening has been cancelled because of illness.

The band, who performed regularly at The Cavern in Liverpool and appeared there with the Beatles, were due to play in the latest fundraiser for the Llangollen Eisteddfod's own charity which helps to bring in overseas competitors.

But this afternoon (Tuesday) organisers said: "Unfortunately, due to illness, the Merseybeats event has now been cancelled.

"Full refunds will be issued to ticket holders. The Eisteddfod will automatically refund the ticket purchasers."      

County council looks at plan to shed all its public toilets

* Llangollen's public toilets in Mark Street.

Denbighshire County Council is considering a plan to dispose of all its public toilets in a bid to save around £200,000 a year in running costs. 

A report on the issue is due to be discussed by the council’s communities scrutiny committee this Thursday. 

A officers’ report says the council needs to make savings as it faces an “unprecedented” financial challenge and the closure proposal is part of a corporate process to pinpoint savings in the 2024/25 budget. It has already been discussed by councillors in budget workshops. 

The report says: “The provision of public conveniences (PCs) is a non-statutory duty. Many local authorities ceased providing this service many years ago. Some neighbouring authorities still provide this service in certain areas but have reduced it in recent years and/or are currently looking to reduce this provision.” 

Denbighshire currently has 20 PC sites across the county, including Llangollen. Some are free to use, and some have a facility to charge users. The report reveals that none of these sites break even financially. 

Because the council believes that the provision of PCs in local communities is important, it says it will be looking to transfer as many of them as possible to other groups or organisations, such as city, town and community councils, so that they continue to operate but at no cost to DCC. 

The council is currently in the process of transferring PCs in Corwen to the local town council, which it believes could become a model for other areas. Any PCs that it is unable to transfer to another owner could be closed. 

Another way of reducing the impact of the plan, says the report, is to expand the Community Toilet Grant scheme, under which the council pays local businesses £500 a year for allowing the public to use their toilet facilities free of charge. 

It is believed that some businesses would be receptive to this offer because it would increase their footfall and some people would probably feel obliged to buy something at the same time as using the loos, explains the report. 

The annual budget for providing PCs is £270,000 but costs such as decommissioning could reduce the saving to about £200,000. 

The report adds that a redundancy process for people working in the toilets would also need to be pursued.

MS urges people to have their say on Brook Street transport plan

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, is urging people to have their say on plans for walking, wheeling, and cycling in and around Brook Street in Llangollen.

Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government, said: “I am delighted to see that residents are being given the opportunity to share their views on what they think about the suggested ways of making every day journeys in and around Brook Street safer and easier. 

“Llangollen is an extremely popular tourist destination and as chair of the Senedd’s Cross-Party Group on Tourism, I think it is really important that any work carried out enhances the town. 

“The active travel consultation is now open and I would urge people who live work or travel in this area to make sure they have their say.”

Denbighshire County Council is working with Sustrans to make walking, wheeling, and cycling for everyday journeys easier and safer in and around Brook Steet.

In March 2023, Denbighshire County Council alongside Sustrans asked the people who live, work, and travel on Brook Street to tell them which parts of Brook Street work well and which don’t.

The community response was that people were worried about vehicles travelling too fast, there were too many cars at school drop-off and pick-up times, roads were difficult to cross, and the footpaths were too narrow. As a result, Sustrans, working together with the local community, have found some ways to fix to these problems.

Sustrans, on behalf of the council, is now seeking feedback from the people that live, work, and travel on the selected streets who could benefit from the proposals, what they think about the plan for Brook Street that has been developed collaboratively.

Residents can find out more about the project and share their thoughts and feedback by going to Brook Street Active Travel Design.

An online survey is available until March 28 or you can attend an in-person workshop at: Workshop 1 at Ysgol Bryn Collen / Ysgol Gymraeg y Gwernant, on March 14 from 2.30-4pm or Workshop 2 at Llangollen Town Hall on March 14 from 6-8pm.

A paper version of the consultation can also be requested by contacting Sustrans Cymru via email: llangollen@sustrans.org.uk or by writing to Sustrans at Sustrans Cymru, One Canal Parade, Dumballs Road, CF10 5BF Cardiff.

Original Merseybeats to play at the town hall this Friday

* Tony Crane MBE and the original Merseybeats playing at their spiritual home of The Cavern in Liverpool where they performed with The Beatles.

Chart-topping Merseyside band The Merseybeats, who had a string of hits in the 1960s including I Love You, Yes I Do, Wishin’ and Hopin’ and Sorrow, will be performing at Llangollen Town Hall this Friday (March 15).   

The Merseybeats emerged from the Liverpool Mersey Beat scene in the early 1960s, performing at The Cavern Club along with the Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers and a host of other great Mersey Beat bands. 

In their heyday, The Merseybeats performed regularly at the Cavern and appeared there with the Beatles on more occasions than any other band.  

They will be supported at the Town Hall by popular local artist Luke Gallagher,  who has backed up 60s legends The Animals, amongst others. 

This is the latest Live at Llangollen Town Hall gig organised by the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for their charity.  

The charity helps pay for their international competitors, over 2,000 of whom are expected to head for Llangollen this summer to join the core Eisteddfod programme.

Barrie Roberts, from the festival. said: "With less than 100 days until we start welcoming the likes of Bryan Adams, Simple Minds and Nile Rodgers & Chic to Llangollen - it's great to be bringing another legendary band to town this Friday.  

"This is the latest event as we bring Llangollen together for another unforgettable night.  

"The Merseybeats had fans from The Beatles, Burt Bacharach to David Bowie, who charted with one of their songs.  

"People have been in touch to ask if we've really booked the original Merseybeats. The answer is yes.  

"Llangollen regularly welcomes tourists from across Merseyside and that's why we are so pleased to welcome the likes of Tony Crane MBE and the lads, for an evening of 60s nostalgia at its original and best."

* Tickets priced £10 are available from Llangollen Tourist Information Centre on Regent Street, Llangollen or from https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/events/live-march/ Please use promo code LIVE24 to remove the booking fee. Limited tickets will be available on the door.

Nightingale House Hospice receives tractor run funds

Members of Llangollen Rotary Club and Llangollen Young Farmers Club got together to present Nightingale House Hospice with a cheque for £2,100. 

This is the first of three donations to be made following last December’s successful tractor run. 

Hospice fundraising manager Sue Williams received the cheque from Llangollen Rotary President Lee Todd, Vice President John Clifford, Llangollen Young Farmers Chairman John Jones and members of Young Farmers and Rotary. 

Both clubs say they would like to thank all the tractor drivers, volunteers and local public for the amazing support the event received despite awful weather and for the generous donations enabling these charity presentations.

The event will be back this year on Sunday, December 1 so put the date on your calendar now.

Latest local roadworks alerts from one.network

Latest local roadworks alerts from one.network are:

Hill Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 11 March - 13 March   Delays likely - Road closure   Name: Hill Street, Llangollen   Location: Hill Street   Description: Streetworks / License - Streetworks   Responsibility for event: Denbighshire County Council   Current status: Planned       Vicarage Road, Llangollen, Denbighshire 11 March - 13 March   Delays likely - Diversion route   Name: Diversion   Location: Vicarage Road   Description: Streetworks / License - Streetworks   Responsibility for event: Denbighshire County Council   Current status: Planned       Vicarage Road, Llangollen, Denbighshire 11 March - 13 March   Delays likely - Road closure   Name: Vicarage Road, Llangollen   Location: Vicarage Road   Description: Streetworks / License - Streetworks   Responsibility for event: Denbighshire County Council   Current status: Planned

Hall Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 11 March - 13 March   Roadworks, Delays likely   Traffic management: Road closure   Description: Large Sluice Valve Re-pack 10" Job in Carriageway (Other )   Works location: HALL STREET   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 Hafren Dyfrdwy.   Responsibility for works: Hafren Dyfrdwy   Current status: Advanced planning   Works reference: ZU0028102/000060557348B       Vicarage Road, Llangollen, Denbighshire 11 March - 13 March   Roadworks, Delays likely   Traffic management: Road closure   Description: MAINS CONNECTION   Works location: JUNCTION OF HILL STREET   Public facing description: Wales & West Utilities Ltd has not assigned a specific description to this Works. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Wales & West Utilities Ltd.   Responsibility for works: Wales & West Utilities   Current status: Advanced planning   Works reference: XY254003001625594/01

Sun Trevor honoured for its fundraising at awards ceremony

* Quizzers from the Sun Trevor handed over a cheque to Nightingale House Hospice last July. From left: Alana Williams, Joel Whitaker, Maggie Smith, Simon Baynes MP, Katy Jones, Paul Jones and Jess Coaley-Postle.

A pub in Llangollen has been recognised for its fundraising efforts at an awards ceremony, according to a story in the Denbighshire Free Press.

The Sun Trevor won the community fundraising hero prize for Wales at the PubAid Community Pub Hero awards 2024.

* For the full story, see: Llangollen pub named community fundraising hero of the year | Denbighshire Free Press

Young people could have £2,000 waiting for them, says council

Many young adults in Denbighshire could have an average of £2,000 waiting for them in their unclaimed Child Trust Fund account.

Child Trust Funds are long-term, tax-free savings accounts which were set up for every child born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, with the government contributing an initial deposit of at least £250. Funds can be withdrawn once the account matures when the child turns 18.

According to government data, nearly a million young people in the UK have yet to claim their Child Trust Funds. More than 800,000 accounts belong to people from low-income backgrounds - prompting concern that those who need the money the most are not accessing it.

Every 16-year-old is sent information about finding their Child Trust Fund from HMRC with their National Insurance letter. Anyone unsure about their situation should check with their bank or building society. Alternatively, young adults and parents can also search on www.gov.uk/child-trust-funds to find out where their Child Trust Fund account is held.

Councillor Gwyneth Ellis, Denbighshire's Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets, said: “I would encourage all young people in Denbighshire to investigate if they have money which is unclaimed in a Child Trust Fund and to use it wisely. The investment could be placed into an adult ISA or put towards their education or driving lessons.

"I would urge young people to use the online tool to track it down or, for parents of teenagers, to speak to them to ensure they’re aware of their Child Trust Fund. It could make a real difference to their future plans.

"The money in a Child Trust Fund has the potential to be life changing and the lack of knowledge about them shows the importance of financial education and planning from a young age.”

There are currently 5.3 million open Child Trust Fund accounts. Young people aged 16 or over can take control of their own Child Trust Fund, although the funds can only be withdrawn once they turn 18. Families can continue to pay up to £9,000 a year tax-free into a Child Trust Fund until the account matures. The money stays in the account until the child withdraws or reinvests it into another account.

If a parent or guardian was not able to set up an account for their child, the government opened a savings account on the child’s behalf. The Child Trust Fund scheme closed in January 2011 and was replaced with Junior Individual Savings Accounts (ISA).

* For more information on cost of living support in Denbighshire, please visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/costofliving or contact Citizens Advice Denbighshire www.cadenbighshire.co.uk