Ken Skates AM welcomes Sainsbury's go-ahead

Clwyd South Assembly member Ken Skates has welcomed a Denbighshire Council decision to approve a new supermarket in Llangollen.

Sainsbury's will now build a new store on Berwyn Street which will enable Llangollen's largest employer Dobson & Crowther to move its printing works to what Mr Skates says is an urgently needed new facility at the Cilmedw site in the town.

The AM said the move would not only help protect around 100 printing jobs in Llangollen but hopefully be the start of greater investment in the Dee Valley.

Mr Skates said: "The most important thing throughout this whole process has been to make sure we secured the good quality printing jobs we already have at Dobson & Crowther. 

 

"The company have badly needed a new, modern manufacturing site for many years and now they can plan their future around this move.

“The campaigners on both sides of the argument have argued passionately throughout and it was clear, from early on in this process, that there was never going to be an easy answer. However, everyone has had their say and I’m pleased at the decision that was taken and believe it is the right one for the town of Llangollen.

“A significant number of jobs will now be created at the Sainsbury's store and this will be a vital boost to the town during the toughest recession we have seen in a generation. This will hopefully be the start of brighter things to come.

“What I’ve been calling for during my time as an AM is for more investment, jobs and skills training so we can give young people living in the Dee Valley a chance of a decent future. An enormous pool of talent exists in the valley, from Cefn Mawr through to Corwen and the opening up of the Cilmedw site offers the potential to attract more highly skilled jobs into the region so young people aren’t forced to move away for work.

“I'm engaging constructively with the Welsh Government on how we can further grow the local economy in this area and I have invited the Minister for Business and Enterprise on a visit to see some of the important strategic employers we need to encourage in the Dee Valley.”

Welsh Government asked to review planning decisions

* County Hall in Ruthin where the decisions were taken.

The Welsh Government has been asked to “call in” Denbighshire planning committee’s controversial decisions of yesterday (Wednesday) to approve schemes to build a Sainsbury’s supermarket on land currently occupied by the Dobson & Crowther envelope factory in Berwyn Street and create a replacement factory on open land at nearby Cilmedw Farm.

The request has come from the Keep Llangollen Special (KLS) community group, which is strongly opposed to both schemes.

As revealed by llanblogger within hours of the meeting, committee members backed the supermarket plan by 21 votes to four with a list of conditions attached which were proposed by Llangollen county councillor Rhys Hughes.

The green light was given despite pleas for its refusal from Friends of the Earth, whose representative said it would ruin Llangollen’s vitality and viability, and from the Co-op whose agent claimed it would cut its trade by over 40%.  

The Cilmedw scheme won the unanimous (25-0) backing of the committee, again in the face of objections from local groups.

Backers of the twin schemes argued Llangollen would welcome a “prestigious” Sainsbury’s store and spoke of the importance of the jobs they would create and preserve.

But in a statement issued after the meeting, KLS says: 

“The Keep Llangollen Special community group, alongside the Llangollen Civic Society and the Llangollen Friends of the Earth, were present at this morning’s Planning Committee meeting  when two major planning applications were approved by the Planning Committee. All three groups spoke against these proposals, but to no avail.

“Keep Llangollen Special deplores this decision. We believe councillors never discussed nor appreciated the scale of the risk involved. There is no example anywhere of an edge-of-town supermarket of the proposed scale ever benefitting a town centre, and we face a bleak future – and with it, the focal point of tourism for the North East of Wales. We know a dead town centre will blight the AONB status we have and wreck the World Heritage site we are the source of.

“Denbighshire County Council, in its short-sightedness, faces costly regeneration as the local economy collapses. We therefore appeal to the Welsh Government to consider our request to call in these applications, and to heed warnings of legal challenges which Denbighshire has just received.”

KLS makes further comments on the issue on its own website at: www. en.keepllangollenspecial.org.uk

llanblogger is keen to carry as diverse a range of views on this story as possible. To comment, e-mail us at llanblogger@gmail.com

 

Public views sought on Chain Bridge facelift plan

MEMBERS of the public are being asked for their views on a planned £300,000 facelift of Llangollen’s historic Chain Bridge.

The bridge, which spans the River Dee at Berwyn was closed due to safety fears a number of years ago and has since fallen into a derelict state.

* The famous Chain Bridge over the River Dee.

But the structure was recently bought jointly by Llangollen and Llantisylio councils who plan to give it a new lease of life.

They are planning to apply for development grant aid from the Heritage Lottery Fund to pay for the bridge to be restored and reopened for public use.

Estimated cost of the facelift operation is £300,000.

It involves not just the bridge, but also the surrounding approaches which are of concern for those using Berwyn station  - run by Llangollen heritage railway - and people seeking safe passage across the river.

The railway is being given a big say in the direction of the project as its visitors continue to express their concern about its condition.

Berwyn station master Ben Jackson and railway press officer George Jones recently met with Lorna Jennings, the officer in charge of the development, to discuss the renovation scheme.

Mr Jones said: “Lorna is the author of several books about Welsh heritage and has been responsible for the tramway information board displayed on the canal towpath near Llangollen Motor Museum at Pentrefelin.

“She has a whole range of ideas about encouraging involvement in the project and for providing various types of interpretive information about the bridge and the surrounding area which is of importance to Llangollen Railway passengers using Berwyn station as a stopping-off point.

“To comply with Lottery rules for funding the application has to show educational, historical, interpretive interests and community involvement and Lorna has already done a lot of work in the local area to generate this support.

“She requires further input from those with an interest in the Chain Bridge and will welcome all comments in support of the funding application.”

A questionnaire has been prepared to record public interest in the project and is available from: lorna.jennings@btinternet.com

Mr Jones added: “Replies will help to establish interest in the project which is of national concern and not just local convenience.” 

An exhibition about the Chain Bridge is now on display in the function room at the nearby Chain Bridge Hotel.

Attendance at this exhibition will also be an indication of support and the questionnaire is available there for completion.  Copies should also be available from Berwyn station.

Supermarket and factory plans approved by planning committee

llanblogger exclusive

* The Dobson & Crowther site.

County councillors have approved a controversial plan for a new Sainsbury’s supermarket - which has split opinion in the town - to be built on land at Berwyn Street in Llangollen currently occupied by the Dobson & Crowther envelope factory.

At their meeting in County Hall this morning (Wednesday) members of the planning committee also gave the go-ahead to a related scheme to move the printworks to a new building on a site just across the road in open fields at Climedw Farm.

Both applications, which were recommended for approval in reports by council planning officers, won strong backing from the committee whose members voted 21-4 in favour of the supermarket plan and unanimously, 25-0, for the Cilmedw scheme.

Dcvelopers J Ross claim the new store, which would cover 18,58 square metres, would create 109 full-time equivalent jobs and the new printworks would safeguard 100 jobs at Dobson & Crowther – the town’s largest employer.

Two speakers for and two against the Sainsbury’s plan were allowed to address the committee.

Rhys Davies, representing the Co-op which has a foodstore just down the road from the Dobson & Crowther site in Regent Street, spoke against, saying the impact of the new Sainsbury’s on the trade of the Co-op and other shops in the town had been “significantly underrated” and claimed the Co-op alone would see its trade drop by over 40%.

Catherine Veasey, of Friends of Earth, warned the new store would mean the vitality and viability of Llan would be damaged.

Speaking in favour of the plan, John Palmer, chair of Llangollen Chamber of Trade and Tourism, said he was backing the new store on the grounds that “the retention and creation of employment is essential to the town”.

However, he urged conditions be placed on the scheme to protect local businesses, calling for the store plan not to include a café – which it currently does – and that only pre-packed meat and deli goods were sold.

He added that Sainsbury’s should be welcomed to the town as “a prestigious national retailer”.

Keith Nutter, speaking in favour of the plan on behalf of the agents for the developer J Ross, said many shoppers in Llan would use the new store, although he accepted there would be a number who would not.

He claimed that research had shown that 77% people from Llangollen and the surrounding area currently travelled outside the area for the main food shop because of a lack of choice locally.

Mr Nutter added: “Many of the concerns about this application are misplaced and ignore the significant benefits associated with the proposal.”

Cllr Stuart Davies, who represents Llangollen,  said the most important thing about the application would be the impact the new store would have on other businesses in the town.

He asked for – and received - assurances from officers that this would not be worse than stated in their report to the committee.

He said he took on board concerns about it locally but welcomed the additional 230 parking spaces the store would bring to the town.

Cllr Davies also said the store should not include a café in order to protect local businesses.

Cllr Rhys Hughes, who also represents Llangollen, described the scheme as “the most important application ever to come from the Vale of Llangollen to this committee”.

He then called for a long list of conditions to be attached to the scheme should permission be granted, including the use of the store car park by the public, that the printworks at Cilmedw would be completed ahead of the supermarket, a pedestrian access from the north east of the site, leylandia trees to be cut down so there was a clear view from the car park into the town, the provision of signage into the town, the recruitment of local people to the store and the exclusion of a café and butchery department from the store.

He also suggested that Sainsbury’s should make an annual cash contribution towards the future well-being of the town.

Planning officers said most of these conditions could be the subject of further discussions with the developer, apart from the cash contribution idea about which a legal opinion would have to be obtained.

The committee were then asked to vote on whether they wished to approve the scheme with these various conditions attached.

Of the 25 members present 21 voted in favour of this proposition and four against.

Asked earlier during the debate  by Cllr Hughes if the Welsh Government might want to “call in” the application for its own consideration should it be approved, a planning officer said: “We have had phone calls from Welsh Government officers who have asked to be kept informed of what happens.”       

The committee then went on to consider the related application to build a new printworks at Climedw Farm.

Speaking against the application were Mel Lawrence, on behalf of Llangollen Civic Society, and Phil Thane, representing the group Keep Llangollen Special.

Keith Nutter, representing the developer, and Paul Holden, representing Dobson & Crowther, spoke in favour.

Moving approval of the scheme, Cllr Stuart Davies said: “This company provides 100 jobs – proper paid jobs – and we want to safeguard these jobs not just for the present but also for our children.”

The committee voted unanimously – 25-0 – to approve the application.

 

·         Llanblogger would like to hear your views on this story. Email us at llanblogger@gmail.com

 

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