"Save our services" campaign gains momentum

Llangollen’s community campaign to save its local health services is gaining momentum with a call by Assembly Member Llyr Gruffydd for a guarantee about continuing care in the town

Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru’s North Wales AM, said: “Evidence is emerging that the plan by Betsi Cadwaladr to close Llangollen’s hospital and place patients in private nursing homes doesn’t really hold water. Even as an interim move this won’t work because the capacity isn’t there locally.

“The other part of the plan involves building a new health centre in the town without beds. But it is again becoming apparent that this will take years to achieve and, in the meantime, people needing localised care would be left high and dry.

“The capital needed to build a new health centre would come from the Welsh Government, which is facing drastic cuts in the block grant from central government.

 

"Does Betsi Cadwaladr have an assurance that the money it needs to build a new health centre is available? We need a guarantee that Llangollen will not be left in limbo with no hospital and no health centre.”

He added that the consultation by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board was revealing many unanswered questions on this and other proposed cuts and downgrading of local hospitals such as Ruthin and Chirk.

 

Mr Gruffydd said: “I fully support the Keep Llangollen Health Services campaign to improve local healthcare in the Vale of Llangollen. The loss of services in rural areas is already very keenly felt and this is yet another example of an area of south Denbighshire potentially losing a key service.”

Health chiefs accused of "selling assets"

* The house up for sale on Abbey Road.

 

Health chiefs have been accused of selling off their assets in Llangollen even before they have finished consulting about a major shake-up of services which will radically affect the town. 

The charge comes from a member of campaign group Keep Lllangollen Health Services, which has organised a public meeting tonight  (Monday) on the proposal by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to close the Cottage Hospital and replace it with a new health centre, possibly on the site of the derelict River Lodge just down the road. 

Group member Martin Crumpton has released a statement in which he says: “Even before the end of the consultation period, Betsi Cadwaladr have made a tactical move to begin selling off its assets in Llangollen.” 

And he gives an internet link to the property-for-sale website Rightmove which gives details of a three-storey Victorian house, known as Dol Afon Villas, on Abbey Road. 

This, says the description, has been put on the market “on the instructions of Betsi Cadwaladr University”. 

It has an asking price of £125,000.      

Mr Crumpton says in his statement: “ The property is on the Cottage Hospital site and within a car’s width of the hospital itself.

“The asking price is well below the asking price for such a property, so they’re hoping for a quick sale – a fait accompli.” 

He adds: “This proves what we already know – Betsi Cadwaladr cannot be trusted. 

“This will be raised at the public meeting by Keep Llangollen Health Services on Monday, October 15, 7pm, Hand Hotel, Llangollen. Please be there.”

Millions "better off" with new benefit, says AM

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood claims 2.8 million people will be better off under the UK Government’s Universal Credit.

Questioning the Minister for Finance in the Senedd over Welsh Government engagement with the UK Government in relation to Universal Credit, Mr Isherwood (pictured left) emphasised that Universal Credit will lift around 900,000 children and adults of poverty.

He also asked the Minister: “What engagement has the Welsh Government had with the UK Government on the design of the Universal Credit, with regard to which the UK Government has pledged that claimants who are not yet ready to budget for themselves on a monthly basis will be protected and assisted onto the new system?”

Speaking outside the Chamber, Mr Isherwood, who earlier this year welcomed news that Universal Credit, as well as being simpler for people to use, will leave the average household £25 better off a week, added: “These reforms are not about saving money. The UK Government are actually spending £2 billion more on Universal Credit than under the current system.

"They are also investing an additional £300 million into childcare support under Universal Credit, on top of £2 billion already spent under the current system. This will mean that around 80,000 more families with children will benefit from childcare support for the first time by removing the hours rule.

"Universal Credit is the most radical redesign of the benefits system this country has ever seen. It will replace the current costly, outdated process with a digital system that will be simpler to use and make work pay.”

Our special guide to police commissioner elections

llanblogger special report

 

Many people have only just cottoned on to

the fact that elections for police and crime

commissioners will be held in just a month’s time.

 

 

And as people seem a bit vague on what it's all about, we are bringing you this quick guide to the elections ...

 

 

 

 

 

On November 15  the public of North Wales and in 41 other police areas across England and Wales will go to the polls to elect the first Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs).

The Government’s intention in introducing these reforms to police governance is to give the public a direct say in policing in their area through the ballot box.

The Role

The PCC will hold police forces and Chief Constables to account.

PCCs will set local policing priorities and decide how your council tax is spent on crime and policing issues, including the level of council tax that is raised for policing (the policing precept). As well as planning policing budgets PCCs will also:

• drive community safety and overall security in the area
• work with local partnerships and national and regional criminal justice agencies and services
• build and foster relationships with the Chief Constable and community groups to achieve common goals
• contribute to national policing capabilities

Responsibilities

PCCs will be elected for four years and will be required to publish a police and crime plan. This will set out the police and crime objectives of the force area.

Chief constables will remain responsible for operational matters, however PPCs will have the authority to hire and, if necessary, dismiss the chief constable.

Scrutiny

PCCs will be scrutinised by Police and Crime Panels (PCPs), which will be formed of a minimum of 10 representatives from the local authorities in the force area. The duties of the panel include:

• requiring the PCC to respond to any concerns they have
• making recommendations on the crime plan and annual reports
• confirming or vetoing the PCC's appointment of chief constable and the level of local tax (the precept level)

Pay

In North Wales - £70,000 p.a.

Who can stand for election?

Candidates must:

• be a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen
• be 18 years of age or over
• be resident in the police force area

While the final list of candidates will be announced on October 19, those who have announced their candidacy so far are:

 

TAL MICHAEL - Labour

Former chief executive of North Wales Police Authority who resigned in order to run for the Labour nomination.

He is a Welsh speaker and believes the role of commissioner is to be a bridge between the community and the police.

He has pledged to focus on victims who most need help and to ensure that when people are let down that the police apologises and takes action to ensure it does not happen again.

Mr Michael, who lives in Colwyn Bay, also says he would fight for "fair resources" from the UK government.

 

RICHARD HIBBS - Independent

A businessman who has lived in Llandudno for 18 years, he is a Welsh learner and runs a national training programme for mental health professionals in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

He says he will be independent of party politics

He has pledged to be tough on bureaucracy and would bring in a Scandinavian-style zero tolerance on drugs and excessive drinking.

He also says he would provide police stations where members of the public actually want them.

COLM McCABE - Conservatives
 

Born in County Tipperary, Ireland, he runs a charity which teaches life skills to young people through sport, and a former chief officer for the Special Constabulary in North Wales.

He says his priorities will be to reduce crime and make North Wales' communities safer places to live through tackling anti-social behaviour, reckless and dangerous driving, and by taking a zero tolerance approach to drugs.

He said he looked forward to campaigning and meeting residents to discuss their views on policing in the area.

WARWICK NICHOLSON - UKIP
 

Born in Salford in Greater Manchester, is a retired police officer who served with Greater Manchester Police for 31 years.

He now lives on a farm in Cyffylliog, Denbighshire, and is a part-time caretaker at Ysgol Cyffylliog.

He says his priorities are re-engaging the police and the public and to ensure the chief constable is free from political interference.

He says he will also examine the role of chief constables.







* For more information, see the website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/police/police-crime-commissioners/

Railway exhibition attracted 500 visitors

* Llangollen Railway Trust chairman Jim Ritchie and Martin Christie from

Carrog station lift the Welsh flag to open the exhibition.

Llangollen Railway Trust says it is pleased with the public response to an exhibition showcasing its Corwen extension project. 

Plans for the scheme, which aims to be complete by 2014, were displayed  at the Oriel Gallery in Corwen for seven days until October 7. 

The exhibition was staged by the Edeyrnion Heritage and Cultural attracted over 500 visitors and featured a collection of archive photographs brought together from various sources, including personal contributions by local residents. 

The intention was to present a comprehensive review of the railway as it once existed in Corwen when it was a major junction for two lines serving North Wales.  

The screening of a sequence of digital images of the station, the town and the steam trains proved particularly attractive and caught the attention of visitors for considerable periods with its depth of detail. 

One particularly important historical item was photograph of a group of railway workers and visitors taken in August 1919. 

This was digitally repaired and enlarged from a crumpled copy retrieved from a scrap container.  

Several of the men in the photograph have since been identified. 

The photographic display was enhanced by items of traditional railway equipment and interest was such that visitors produced some of their own railway artefacts, as well as personal memories of the railway. 

The Corwen elements of the exhibition were supported by displays from Llangollen Railway’s Corwen extension project, the new build Patriot Locomotive Project and a review of the work undertaken to restore the station at Carrog as an example of what can be achieved to recreate a heritage facility.  

The exhibition raised money for the Edeyrnion Society, the Corwen extension project and the Patriot group. 

The attendance was far in excess of predictions with visitors from the town supported by those from a larger catchment area in North Wales and beyond.  

Paul Lawton, one of the organisers, said: “The visitors’ book is packed with favourable comments from many who came through the doors and enjoyed the exhibition. 

“We all hope that this is a step towards a permanent exhibition in Corwen and will eventually lead to a full-scale transport museum that shows Corwen’s importance as the crossroads of North Wales. 

Norman Jones, board member of Edeyrnion Heritage and Cultural Society, said: “We are delighted that over 500 visitors came to the exhibition.

 

“The society wishes to thank all concerned for their efforts and looks forward to the exhibition being repeated in the future at other venues in Edeyrnion. 

“The Oriel Gallery proved to be an ideal venue for the occasion and the society hopes to capitalise on this success with plans to celebrate Denbighshire’s importance as a farming centre.”

George Jones, for Llangollen Railway Trust, said: “The opportunity to engage with local residents, and other visitors, allowed for certain misapprehensions to be corrected and for the work in progress to be explained, along with the need for additional funds to complete the project. 

“The success of the exhibition demonstrated what can be achieved when like-minded organisations come together with a common purpose to promote a shared aim.” 

The exhibition was supported by Cadwyn Clwyd Rural Development Agency, Denbighshire Rural Development Plan Partnership, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

"Celtic Union" call to improve transport links

 

The Welsh Government should form a ‘Celtic Union’ to make the case for transport infrastructure improvements through North Wales.

 

That was the suggestion from Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates as he spoke in a debate in the Assembly.

 

The Labour AM said upgrades to the road, rail and ferry network across North Wales, which forms part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), needed strong backing from Cardiff, Stormont and Dublin.

He said the potential of North Wales to be a ‘bridge’ between mainland Europe and Ireland was enormous and that having a Celtic Union to lobby for infrastructure improvements such as electrification of the North Wales rail line and upgrade of the A55 was vital.

The AM has pledged to raise the issue with Irish parliamentary colleagues at a conference in Glasgow later this month.

Mr Skates said: “North Wales has huge potential to be a bridge between mainland Europe, UK and the island of Ireland. It forms a vital part of a strategic Trans-European transport route, the potential of which to lever in investment and new jobs has yet to be fully realised.

“The main North Wales rail line to Holyhead is a key part of a Trans-European rail route from Minsk to Galway. The A55 also forms part of the Trans European Road Network which links Ireland with the rest of the UK and Europe.

“The Welsh Government needs to engage with the Irish Governments to form a major lobbying force with which it can make a joint case for investment in renewing our transport infrastructure across North Wales.

“Infrastructure upgrades such as securing electrification of the North Wales mainline are amongst the most important strategic barriers to growth facing the region in the coming decades.

“Improvements to the road and rail network in North Wales are vital to ensuring the region is not left behind. The needs of North Wales when it comes to transport are slightly different to the rest of Wales and this needs to be recognised more effectively in government policy.

“A dynamic and joined-up lobbying operation with both the Welsh and Irish Governments making a focused business case for greater investment in the Trans European Transport Network would be a powerful tool. It could help bring jobs and hope back to North Wales and potentially lever in millions of pounds of private sector investment.”

“We’ve seen huge investment in South Wales through a commitment to electrify the Swansea to London and South wales valley lines as well as £500 million for a new western link into Heathrow. What we need to see now is a similarly ambitious and direct investment into the future of North Wales, too.”

Campaigners aim to solve Cottage Hospital problem

* Lllangollen Cottage Hospital is earmarked for closure.

Campaigners say they have come up with a solution which would allow the expansion of health services in Llangollen while still retaining them in the town.

And members of the new Keep Llangollen Health Services KLHS) action group say it will be unveiled at a public meeting on Monday night. 

The group was formed last month to fight a controversial proposal by the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board to close the local Cottage Hospital and replace it with a new health centre offering an expanded range of services, possibly on the site of the derelict River Lodge just further along the road.

But members fear the new facility will take years to complete and will not include the in-patient beds or minor injuries unit currently offered by the hospital on Abbey Road.

The community hospital, which the health board says is outdated and in need of replacement, also provides a range of vital health services, such blood testing, and campaigners are concerned about whether these will continue to be provided locally during an expected gap of two or three years between it closing and a new centre opening. 

KLHS has called a public meeting for 7pm on Monday (October 15) at The Hand Hotel when local people will be brought up to date on the campaign. 

There will also be speakers and the writing of letters of objection to the health board will be encouraged. 

Ahead of the meeting, one the group’s founder members, Martin Crumpton, said: “The status quo won’t help Llangollen provide the health services we depend upon.  

“The Regent Street Health Centre needs to expand in order to provide more consultation rooms, while we want to retain our beds and minor injuries unit.  

“We’ve already lost the Cottage Hospital’s maternity unit and the top floor has been closed. 

“Betsi Cadwaladr says the hospital isn’t fit for purpose, and many people agree. 

“On the face of it, we’re left with a simple choice of take it or leave it – accept their promise of a new facility or refuse it and keep the status quo. The first, a promise, is one few people here have any confidence in. The second is not satisfactory.” 

He added: “Although there’s much Betsi Cadwaladr hasn’t disclosed to us, we think we’ve worked out what they’re up to.  

“We think we can offer an alternative solution that would keep our services and allow expansion. 

“Indeed, allow new services for Llangollen too, while saving Betsi Cadwaladr money compared to their intended spending.

“Come along to our public meeting on Monday and hear all about it.”