Former government officials will give evidence over River Lodge affair

* The derelict River Lodge which will be at the centre of Monday's committee session.

 

The agenda has now been published for the meeting at Llangollen Pavilion on Monday afternoon when the Welsh Assembly's powerful public accounts committee will consider the acquisition and attempts to dispose of the former River Lodge in the town.

Through the now defunct Welsh Development Agency, the government bought the building on the banks of the River Dee at the gateway to the town in 2007.

Sole purpose of the deal was to facilitate a community project by Powys Fadog.

But the development never went ahead and following a series of vandal attacks the hotel now lies empty and derelict after costing the taxpayer a considerable amount of money.

The saga has sparked major criticisms of the part played by the government and led earlier this year to the publication of a critical report by the independent Welsh Audit Office.

That report said the government’s decision to purchase River Lodge as“flawed” and “represented poor value for money”.

The committee session, which begins at 1pm and is open to the public, will take evidence from two former government officials and Pol Wong, chairman of Powys Fadog.

llanblogger brings you the agenda below:

Public Accounts Committee

Meeting Venue: Llangollen Pavilion, Llangollen
Meeting date: 8 October 2012
Meeting time: 13:00
For further information please contact:
Policy: Tom Jackson Committee Clerk 029 2089 8597 / 029 2089 8032 Publicaccounts.comm@Wales.gov.uk

Agenda

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1. Introductions, apologies and substitutions (13:00 - 13:05)

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2. The Welsh Government's acquisition and action to dispose of the former River Lodge Hotel, Llangollen - Evidence from Powys Fadog (13:05 - 13:50) (Pages 1 - 15) PAC(4) 20-12 – Paper 1 Pol Wong, Chairman, Powys Fadog

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3. The Welsh Government's acquisition and action to dispose of the former River Lodge Hotel, Llangollen - Evidence from Amanda Brewer (13:50 - 14:40) (Pages 16 - 48) PAC(4) 20-12 – Paper 2 Amanda Brewer, Former Welsh Government Official

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4. The Welsh Government's acquisition and action to dispose of the former River Lodge Hotel, Llangollen - Evidence from former Accounting Officer(14:40 - 15:30) Gareth Hall, Former Director for Economy and Transport

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5. Papers to note (Pages 49 - 50)

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6. Motion under Standing Order 17.42 to resolve to exclude the public from the meeting for the following business: Item 7.

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7. Consideration of evidence on the Welsh Government's acquisition and action to dispose of the former River Lodge Hotel, Llangollen (15:30 - 16:00)

Landowners advised on controlled burning

Gorse fires can often be seen on the hillsides surrounding Llangollen.

And North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is visiting livestock markets across the region to ensure landowners take on board some basic safety procedures and notify them when conducting their burn.

This follows on from the successful controlled burning campaign which has been running for the last two years,

The Heather and Grass Burning Code states that burning is allowed only between the 1^st of October and the 31^st of March in upland areas and the 1^st of November and the 15^th of March elsewhere.

Many farmers will now be taking the opportunity to undertake controlled burning of heather, grass bracken and gorse on their land.

Staff visited Bryncir and Ruthin markets this week to launch 2012's campaign which will see them visiting markets in Mold, Gaerwen, Dolgellau and Llanrwst over the next few weeks giving away specially designed calendars and air fresheners branded with the controlled burning number and leaflets reminding landowners how to conduct a safe controlled burn.

Building on last year's partnership working, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is also teaming up with officers from the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Heather and Hillforts project at some of the markets to help encourage farmers in the AONB to undertake their controlled heather burning safely whilst still improving the habitat for agriculture, wildlife and the landscape.

Gareth Griffiths, Senior Fire Safety Manager, said: "Every year during controlled burning season we are called to countless false alarms and controlled burns which have spread - so we decided to take this campaign to the livestock markets and make face to face contact with landowners to get our messages across.

"We are urging all landowners undertaking controlled burning to notify us by calling our control room on 01745 535805. This will help avoid false alarms and crews being sent out unnecessarily as well as ensuring we are ready to respond in the event of a burn getting out of control.

"We are also asking these landowners to be responsible when it comes to controlled burning. The fires are set in areas where access is extremely difficult and water supply is limited - should the fire get out of control, this can place tremendous pressure on resources, with firefighters tied up for a considerable length of time trying to bring them under control. These fires can put homes, livestock and the lives of crews and residents at risk as firefighters are kept from attending genuine emergencies.

"Please follow the guidelines below if you are planning a controlled burn:

- Ensure they have sufficient people and equipment to control the fire
- Check wind direction and ensure there is no risk to property, roads and wildlife
- If a fire gets out of control contact the fire service immediately giving details of location and access
- It is illegal to leave a fire unattended or to have too few people to control it. - Always ensure a fire is completely out before you leave it and check next day to ensure it has not reignited."

Murder arrest over missing April

 

* Missing - April Jones.

As there is great interest in this case in Llangollen, we are bringing you the latest update:  

The man held by police for the last three days in connection with the diappearance of five-year-old April Jones has this morning (Friday) been arrested on suspicion of her murder.

In a statement he gave at a press conference Detective Superintendent Reg Bevan, of Dyfed Powys Police, said: “Mark Bridger has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of April Jones.

“He remains in custody at Aberystwyth Police Station where he continues to be questioned.

“The arrest does not detract from our efforts to find April and we remain committed to finding her.

“Her family has been informed of this development and as you would expect they continue to be supported by a family liaison officer.

“While this is a significant development in the investigation, I once again appeal to the public for information which may help us find April.

“We are looking to trace the movements of Mark Bridger between 6.30pm on Monday and 3.30pm on Tuesday and any sightings of him between these times.

“We also need information regarding the movements of the blue Land Rover Discovery registration L503 MEP between these times.”

At the same press conference, Superintendent Ian John said: “You have heard about a significant development in this investigation which has an impact on our search for April.

“We want to acknowledge and are extremely grateful for the efforts of the community volunteers who have supported the professional searchers in trying to locate her.

“They have been a vital part of our team throughout this search operation. Quite frankly, their commitment has been an inspiration to us all.

“The dynamics of the search have now changed and due to the passage of time and the developments within the investigation it is no longer appropriate for us to expect untrained members of the public to continue the search.

“So now we only require professional searchers to be involved in the ongoing search which continues in and around Machynlleth.”

Railway on track for great autumn/winter

* Santa Specials begin on December 1. 

Llangollen Railway is on track to stage a number of special events between now and Christmas. 

First to pull into the station on Saturday and Sunday, October 20 and 21, Thursday, October 25, Friday, October 26, Saturday, October 27 and Sunday, October 28 will be Days Out With Thomas.

Gates open at 10am and  Thomas will arrive at Llangollen Station between 10am and 10.30am.

Ticket Prices: Adults £15, seniors £13, children £10, Family 1 (one adult and one child) £22, Family 2 (two adults and two Children) £40, under-threes free.On Friday, November 2, is the Ride the Rocket fireworks party. 

Departing from the station at 6pm aboard a steam train, revellers will head for Carrog and on the way back stop off at Glyndyfrdwy Station for a fireworks display. 

Refreshments, including alcohol, soft drinks, tea and coffee, will be on sale aboard the train, with soup and hotdogs available to buy at Glyndyfrdwy. 

Tickets: £14 adults, £9 children and under-threes free.   

Saturday, November 3 will see a murder mystery entitled “Guy Fawkes and the Fireworks Plot”. 

The year is 1605 and Sir Percival du Frane, pampered favourite of King James I, has got wind of a stinking plot to murder the king and his entire parliament in just two days’ time.  

From the Royal Court to the stews of London and the depths of Jacobean Wales, this is a tale of love, intrigue, betrayal, skulduggery and murder, bloody murder. 

Can you uncover the truth about the Gunpowder plot, unveil the traitors in the plotters’ midst and guess … whodunnit?  

The plot starts at 7.15 pm, with food served on the train. 

Themed dress is optional and there’s a bottle of wine to be won for the best outfit. 

Seating is reserved and tickets cost £29.50 per person. 

On Saturday and Sunday, November 3 and 4, to mark Remembrance Day, the Poppy Train will run out of Llangollen Station proudly wearing its own poppy. 

The service will depart at 11am, 1pm and 3pm on both days for a period of quiet reflection. 

Visitors can also find out about the LMS Patriot Group’s new steam engine, The Unknown Warrior, currently built in Llangollen Station’s own engineering works. 

Adopted by The Royal British Legion, the aim is to have it ready to steam into London on November 11, 2018 to mark the 100^th anniversary of the end of the First World War.  

There will be free entry to the workshops at specific times on both days with a valid train ticket. 

Tickets: Adults £12, seniors £10, children £6, family £30. 

Next of the railway’s successful Rail and Ale excursions takes place on Saturday, December 1 and gives the chance to sample locally-brewed ales while travelling 30 miles on the train through the Dee Valley.

Departing Platform 1 at 6.30pm, it costs £13.50 per person. 

Ever-popular Santa Specials begin on Saturday, December 1. 

They give you a chance to join the Grand Old Man and his elves aboard the train as it travels to Carrog Station, which will be transformed into Lapland especially for the occasion. 

On the station there will be an opportunity to be photographed with Santa and his elves on his sleigh.   

Each boy and girl will receive a special gift from Santa and accompanying adults will get a mince pie and mulled wine served by his helpers. 

For all events, book online at www.llangollen-railway, or call 01978 860979.

Cut-price entry to Plas Newydd announced

* Plas Newydd - Llangollen's stately home.

Plas Newydd in Llangollen is celebrating a bumper 2012 season by offering tourists and residents a reduction in October.

The house will be open 10am-4pm, Wednesday-Sunday until 4th November, with the tea rooms open 10am-4pm, Thursday-Sunday.

Admissions to the house and food and drink in the tea rooms will have 10% off until the end of the season.

Samantha Williams, Heritage Manager, said: “It’s been a busy summer at Plas Newydd – we’ve seen an increase in visitor numbers compared to previous years despite the economic climate.

"The new menu in the tea rooms and covered outdoor seating has proved really popular this year, our first ever dog show was great fun and we trialled a shuttle bus from the town which we hope to repeat next summer.

"We’ve lots more ideas in the pipeline but our main aim is to continually develop the visitor experience at this remarkable house and give people more reasons to return.

"As October is traditionally our quietest month, we’ve decided to encourage people in with 10% off all house admissions and purchases in the tea rooms.”

For further information on visiting Plas Newydd please ring 01978 862834.
For upcoming events and group or party bookings please ring 01824 708274 or email heritage@denbighshire.gov.uk

Welsh Government announces changes to GCSE

The Welsh Government has today (Thursday) sent a letter to schools in Wales notifying them of changes to GCSE English Language.

 

Over the summer the Welsh Government, as regulator of examinations in Wales, issued a direction to WJEC to re-grade this year’s GCSE English Language results after a thorough and detailed review found there were significant problems with the methodology that WJEC were required to use to award grades.

Ministers said the result of the re-grade was the "resolution of an injustice served to well over 2,000 Welsh candidates".

At Ysgol Dinas Bran in Llangollen (pictured right) eight students saw their results improve - five from D to C and three from C to B.

The government is now putting in place measures to ensure that such an "injustice" does not happen in the future.

The Welsh Government has raised significant concerns about the overall validity and reliability of the current assessment model.

As a result, proposals are being put in place to implement immediate changes to the regulatory criteria which relate to this qualification in Wales.

Candidates currently in Year 10 and who will reach their final GCSE English Language assessments in the summer of 2014 will benefit from these improvements, claims the government.

The main differences between the new and current criteria are that:

• The weighting of the controlled assessment elements will be reduced from 60% to 40%.
• The weighting of the external assessment elements will be increased from 40% to 60%.
• The requirement to Study Spoken Language (which is not part of the KS4 Programme of Study for Wales) will be withdrawn.

Education Minister Leighton Andrews said: “The decision we made to order a re-grade was about fairness and ensuring that Welsh students got the grades they deserved for the work they put into their examination.

“The result of the re-grade was the only acceptable outcome for learners affected by a questionable grading methodology.

"The decision to change the regulatory criteria for GCSE English Language in Wales is an important step towards ensuring that the injustice suffered by our learners won’t happen again in the future.”

The Welsh Government has also made it clear that, in the summer of 2013, the grades for candidates in Wales should be determined in the context of comparable outcomes for learners in Wales rather than on the basis of predictions of performance for candidates in England.

Welsh Ministers say they remain committed to avoiding significant changes to GCSEs until after the outcomes of the Review are known at the end of November.

However, they add that given the exceptional circumstances surrounding English Language in the summer, this change to one subject specification is vital to ensure that Welsh students can receive fair and just treatment when they sit their exams in 2014.

Police statement following Savile documentary

NORTH Wales Police today issued a statement in the wake of Wednesday night's ITV documentary on allegations of historic sexual abuse by the late broadcaster Sir Jimmy Savile.

The claims aired in the Exposure programme have also been widely covered in the media.

North Wales Police says: "Anyone affected by the issues raised in the programme, or the related media coverage, can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 for support or their local police force to make a report."