Private firm will combat dog mess and litter

Denbighshire County Council has appointed a private company to tackle the blight of dog fouling and littering.

XFOR aims to clean up the streets with a crack team of enforcement staff, kitted out with video cameras to patrol hotspot areas.

* A poster, designed by a local youngster, asking people to
clear up after their dogs.

Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, Councillor David Smith, said: “Dog fouling and littering are two of the most common complaints we receive here in Denbighshire. It was highlighted in our latest residents survey as one of the most pressing issues in communities

“Not only is dog fouling a health hazard, it blights the environment in communities across the authority and now is the time to tackle the issue robustly.

“We will be looking to engage with communities, educate people on the need to clear up after their dogs and make it much easier for people to report through a freephone number and social media as well as the more traditional methods of making a complaint.”

XFOR are already having enormous success in Blaenau Gwent and Conwy is also considering using the firm to combat the problem.

Using XFOR for this purpose will not cost Denbighshire anything but the firm will take a percentage of what they receive from issuing fixed penalty notices.

In the coming weeks, the council will be producing flyers, guides, posters and postcards to be distributed through all council reception areas, libraries, schools, veterinary surgeries, supermarkets, town and community councils, tenants associations, leisure centres and tourist information centres.

Councillor Smith added: “We hope residents will get fully behind this campaign and help reduce this anti-social behaviour once and for all, ensuring Denbighshire is one of the cleanest greenest counties in Wales.”

To report problems with dog fouling, telephone the council’s Customer Contact Centre, on 01824 706100 (Welsh language) or 01824 706101.

Did you know?

Dog faeces can contain a parasitic worm which causes an illness called Toxocariasis in humans, which can lead to blindness.

Research shows through random soil sampling that the majority of the parks in the UK are contaminated with toxocara eggs and that a single dog mess contains approximately one million microscopic eggs. If every owner treated their dog for worms and cleared up after their dog, toxocariasis would be virtually eradicated.

Failing to pick up immediately after a dog is an offence under the Dogs Fouling of Land Act 1990 and Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.

Offenders can be issued with a £75 Fixed Penalty Notice and non-payment may be referred to the council's Legal Team for consideration of a prosecution. If prosecuted and found guilty the maximum fine is £1,000. Those that bag the mess but don’t bin it (i.e. they dispose of bagged faeces in a hedge or tree) can face a fine of up to £2,500 in court for the offence of littering.

 

Church members turn harvest gifts into cash

* Auctioneer John Newbrook offers for sale a large bunch of leeks.

A large and colourful collection of vegetables, produce and flowers were turned into a crop of cash for a good cause during a harvest auction enjoyed by members of Llangollen’s English Methodist Church on Monday night.

Harvest gifts donated during their Sunday service were taken over to the nearby Memorial Hall in Market Street where, following a traditional harvest supper, members bid to buy them in the auction presided over by the man with the gavel, John Newbrook.

He knocked down item after item, ranging from jars of homemade preserves to enormous locally-grown marrows.

One of the biggest bidders walked away with at least £17-worth of bargains, including leeks, carrots and courgettes.

Church officials are now totting up how much was raised for the charity Action for Children.

Call for change in planning law following Llan case

Following a recent case in Llangollen, Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates has called for a reform in planning laws in Wales.

The Labour AM has asked the Welsh Government to re-examine the system after planning inspectors ruled that a property development firm did not have to pay £334,683 to Denbighshire Council for a development of flats on land at Plas Derwen in Abbey Road.

Under Section 106 Agreements developers are bound in contract to deliver a portion of the project in affordable housing or other community benefits such as playgrounds or new roads.

However the economic slowdown is leading to more of these agreements being torn up.

The AM said this pattern could be repeated across Wales leading to a huge loss of funds for local communities.

Mr Skates said: “As a result of the economic slowdown we need to see a change to the way planning law operates in Wales, particularly in relation to the obligations that are enforced on private sector developers to develop affordable housing.

“Up until now planning gain or Section 106 agreements have placed conditions on developers to ensure a certain portion of the build is affordable housing or other facilities such as a new park or playground that would benefit the community.

“However, as we have seen from the Llangollen case, the economic slowdown is leading to more and more developers being released from their contractual obligations.

“If the Llangollen case is being repeated across Wales this is millions of pounds potentially being lost by our communities.

“It’s a difficult situation because whilst we want to get the economy moving again through more housing construction, there is the risk that communities in Wales could lose more of this very valuable funding stream.”

The Welsh Government said earlier this year it will work with councils to revise the Section 106 guidance because "inconsistencies in approach" can act as a barrier to housebuilding.

An investigation back In February by the BBC showed that more than half of Welsh councils were owed nearly £2.3m from private developers under section 106 agreements.

Mr Skates added: “We need to see reform thought through carefully. Whilst there must be room for negotiation of section 106 agreements as economic times get tough, developers must not be released from their obligations lightly and it must always be with the consent of the council, not forced upon them as happened in Llangollen.

“Maybe we could look to more innovative solutions such as having the Section 106 agreement transferred into a long-term loan that the developer could pay back over the longer term? We also need to look at the powers councils have to enforce current agreements.

“Whichever way we go, we must ensure communities don’t lose out and that we maintain confidence in contracts that have been signed in good faith and we don’t undermine transparency in the planning process.

As llanblogger revealed last week, at an appeal hearing in Llangollen Town Hall on September 4, Belgrave Homes (Llangollen) claimed that because the original development of 20 apartments in Abbey Road is set to make a financial loss, an agreement – or obligation - it signed with Denbighshire County Council in 2006 to make cash contributions towards affordable housing and public open space in the town no longer serves a useful purpose.

But the council argued that the sums covered by the Section 106 Agreement - £226,432 for affordable housing and £47, 526 for open space making a total of £273,958, indexed to £334,683 up until last April - should still be payable. 

In his official ruling, the inspector, Emyr Jones, said: “The appellants are not in a position to pay these sums and the bank, which has to bear the bulk of the above loss, is not going to make any additional payments on its own volition.”

Allowing Belgrave Homes’ appeal, he said: “In the above circumstances, I am of the view that there is no real prospect of the council recovering the commuted sums and its principal solicitor accepted that the chances of so doing were slim. 

“As a result, adopting a pragmatic approach, it can be concluded that the obligation no longer serves a useful purpose.”

·        See llanblogger’s full story at: http://llanblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/inspector-allows-appeal-over-plas.html

 

Police warn over thefts from vehicles

Llangollen residents have been warned to be on their guard following a number of thefts from vehicles over the weekend in Denbighshire and Conwy.

Locally, tools were stolen from the rear of an unlocked works van.

Community safety inspector Julie Sheard of North Wales Police said vehicles were also broken into in Kinmel Bay, Prestatyn, Colwyn Bay and Llandudno Junction with sat navs, a handbag and items of clothing being taken.

In Moel Fammau, a holdall was stolen from the boot of insecure vehicle and in Loggerheads car park, a window was smashed and a handbag and rucksack stolen.

Inpector Sheard said: “We are working tirelessly in our efforts to make vehicle owners understand the importance of removing valuable items from their car or as a minimum, removing them from view.

“The majority of these crimes are completely avoidable. A significant number of reported crimes to the police involve either unlocked vehicles, items on display inside the car or a combination of both.”

Inspector Sheard said that five catalytic convertors and one exhaust were also stolen from vehicles in the Denbighshire area.

She said that if you run a petrol car you need to be aware of the risk of catalytic converter theft, particularly if your car has large ground clearance.

Thieves are targeting catalysts – located in the exhaust system under the vehicle – because of the high value of the precious metals they contain. In these harder times and with precious metal prices rising steadily, the demand for parts that contain them is rising. As a result, the risk of theft of catalytic converters is on the increase again.

Police advise that to reduce the risk:

* Garage your car whenever possible
* Park in well-lit busy areas.
* Look out for people working under cars
* If the car's high risk consider marking the metal shell of the converter with a unique mark, so that if it is removed by thieves it will be easier to trace back to your vehicle.

Inspector Sheard added: “We are urging vehicle owners to simply be alive to the risk. Never leave items of value on display, even while leaving the vehicle for a short time. Any item could tempt a thief. If there’s nothing on show, it removes any temptation for the opportunist passer by to break in to your vehicle to steal items.”

“North Wales Police takes vehicle crime very seriously and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.

"A video produced by North Wales Police featuring a former thief is being used to warn vehicle owners of the dangers of leaving valuables on display.

“I would encourage people to watch this video. It is hard hitting and would make anyone think twice”.

If you know of someone who is committing car crime, or involved with the selling of stolen goods, contact North Wales Police on the non-emergency number 101, or 0300 330 0101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers Wales anonymously on 0800 555 111.

River Dee clean-up planned

As part  of  Big Dee Day, communities are getting involved with activities and events along the course of the River Dee as it meanders towards the estuary.

In Llangollen on Friday morning (September 21), there will be a major clean-up and litter pick along the  river and canal.

Meet at Llantysilio Green car park at 10am.

Free light refreshments available will be to all volunteers at the Chainbridge Hotel afterwards.

This Wednesday (September 19) there will be a similar event along the river bank by Gro Isa  in Corwen.

Meet at the Sports Pavilion car park at 10am.

For more information on both events, contact the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley AONB team on 01978 869618.

Opponents' last-minute plea over store plan

* County Hall, Ruthin, where Wednesday's planning committee will be held.

A campaign group has pledged to fight on against plans for a new Sainsbury’s supermarket in Llangollen despite county planners backing the scheme.

Related applications for a new foodstore on the site of Dobson and Crowther’s envelope factory off Berwyn Street and the re-location of the plant to nearby Cilmedw Farm are due to be considered by Denbighshire’s planning committee on Wednesday morning.

Chief planner Graham Boase has already recommended that both schemes are approved by councillors.

Pressure group Keep Llangollen Special (KLS), which was set up to fight the superstore bid, has been denied permission to speak against the plans at Wednesday’s meeting as it is council policy to allow only two speakers for and two against any application  and all places had already been allocated.

However, the group has sent in a last-minute plea for the plans to be rejected, which the council has assured will be tabled for councillors to see before the meeting.

KLS has also issued this statement to llanblogger re-stating its case, which reads: 

“This Battleground Llangollen:  It seems everything happens at once. Not only are we set to lose our police station and cottage hospital, but the Case Officer for Denbighshire Planning has recommended granting approval to Sainsbury’s and the development of Cilmedw.

“We’re not giving up, not under any circumstances.

“We’re actively lobbying members of the Planning Committee, and we still have a few irons in the fire as a Plan B, just in case.

“The Planning Meeting itself is open to the public, and we would encourage anyone who opposes the supermarket to attend.

“It’s at the County Offices, Wynnstay Road, Ruthin, and you need to arrive by 9.15am.

“We need to show the councillors just how strong this issue is with us. Regrettably, only those who have already booked slots to speak will be allowed to, but your presence will be felt.

“It’s not too late to lobby your county councillors – Rhys Hughes and Stuart Davies - so please do.

“They’re there to represent your views, not their own, after all. rhys.hughes@denbighshire.gov.uk and stuart.a.davies@denbighshire.gov.uk. “

Llan Youth Band's triplet coincidence

The likelihood of giving birth to triplets is in the region of 1-10,000,  or 1-8000 if you include assisted conception.

So in a small town like Llangollen with a population of around 5,000, you might reasonably expect not to see triplets at all.

But Lynda Kay of Llangollen Silver Band says she was totally astonished to discover that in the Llangollen Youth Band there are members of not one, but two sets of triplets.

Pictured here are Bethan and William Morris, who both play cornet and have recently been promoted to the Senior Band (brother Alex plays guitar), and Wilf Wort who plays euphonium and saxophone.

Wilf has recently quit band to concentrate on his A levels – good luck Wilf!

Brother George plays piano and brother Finn plays guitar, drums and flute.

* Bethan and William Morris with Wilf Wort.