New police boss wants more bobbies on the beat

New North Wales commissioner Winston Roddick says getting more officers on the streets is his priority, the BBC reports on its local news website.

And the story contrasts the different approaches to policing by taken by the comissioners who all started in their new positions today (Thursday) following last week's elections. 

The commissioners have the power to set policing priorities and force budgets, and also to hire and fire chief constables.

Speaking to BBC Wales before taking up his new office, Mr Roddick said he had pledged to get more officers on the beat and he would be sticking to that priority.

He said: "The important thing is to ensure there are enough police officers on the streets, so they are able to cope with the crimes taking place."

Mr Roddick stood as an independent candidate for the north Wales post, and was the Welsh government's former top legal officer, as well as being a senior judge.

The BBC story goes on to say he will be working with Mark Polin, the chief constable of North Wales Police, who warned the outgoing police authority this week that his force had already been stretched dealing with a series of major incidents.

Mr Roddick's (pictured right with Alun Michael, left) counterpart in south Wales, the former Labour MP and ex-Home Office minister Alun Michael, has also been setting out his priorities.

In an interview with BBC Radio Wales, he accepted that the south Wales force faced major funding challenges.

"There is a massive reduction in the finance from central government," he said.

"That's having a dramatic effect, though I think the South Wales Police and the previous police authority have responded pretty well in the way they have dealt with an unacceptable situation.

"We have to get the finances right."

He also rejected the comments from Mr Roddick about more police on the streets.

"It's too crude. People don't want people on the beat just for the sake of seeing them," he argued.

"The public are more sophisticated than just asking for bobbies on the beat."

Town councillors object to Sainsbury's plan changes

Members of Llangollen Town Council have recorded their objections to a list of changes proposed by the developer to conditions imposed on the planned new Sainsbury’s supermarket in the town.

At their meeting on Tuesday, they were asked to comment on the conditions before they are formally considered by the county council.

The list includes conditions covering:

·        An in-store café, which the developers wish to see deleted.

·        Permitted noise emissions, which they want to see varied.

·        Changes to the timing of a submission of a BREEAM certificate relating to the store’s compliance with design and assessment methods for sustainable buildings.

·        A revision in the wording relating to the provision of an additional pedestrian access into the site, referring to a revised or additional pedestrian access.

 

Cllr Phil Thane opposed all of the conditions, starting with the one relating to a an on-site café, which he said had been imposed at the request of Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies at the time planning permission was granted for the store as a way of safeguarding the café in the nearby Riverside Park.

Cllr Tony Baker said a café would provide extra permanent jobs for the town.

Councillors voted to object to all the conditions, but with some members voting against making objections.   

However, they voted unanimously against the final condition in the list relating to additional pedestrian access to the site.

The mayor, Cllr Jon Haddy, said access to the site was seen as essential and had been an important part of the original planning application.  

 

Twenty Club hoping for smash hit with Glass Menagerie

Fresh from their success with the iconic British comedy Fawlty Towers, Llangollen’s Twenty Club’s will next present the American classic, The Glass Menagerie.

This memory play is seen as the most touching, tender and painful of Tennessee Williams’ works and is the gripping portrayal of a post-depression family in crisis.

And the Twenty Club is now seeking people to take on a number of demanding roles, which are:

Tom, 21, the narrator and character of the play. He desires to become a writer and escape, but is tied down to his family because he has a sister with a physical defect and a mother whom is dependent on his income. The characters are trapped in a menagerie of Tom’s memories.

Laura, 23, is a painfully shy character of pure compassion. She has largely withdrawn herself from the outside world; her fragility resembles her glass menagerie which she so lovingly devotes herself to. A childhood illness has left her crippled, one leg slightly shorter than the other and kept in a brace.

Amanda, in her 40s and Laura and Tom’s mother, she is a woman who is frantically clinging on to memories of a vanished and genteel past. She is admirable, charming and laughable.

Jim, 23, an old acquaintance of Tom and who works with him at the warehouse selling shoes, he is the potential suitor for Laura and plays an important role in the climax of the play.

Open auditions for the play will be held on December 4, at 7.30pm in the Council Chamber, Llangollen. Readings will be done from material provided.

The Glass Menagerie is scheduled to be performed on March 7, 8 and 9 next year in the Town Hall, Llangollen.

For further details, contact Noreen Turner on 01978 810623, or Natalie Evans on 07970 924543, e-mail: nxe04rb124247@hotmail.com

llanblogger's recent review of the Twenty Club's production of Fawlty Towers can be seen at:  http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7125418539113091547#editor/target=post;postID=6398787778084259218

Cabinet discusses planning blueprint

Denbighshire's cabinet members were updated on progress on the Local Development Plan at their meeting yesterday (Tuesday).

The Denbighshire Local Development Plan Examination is still under
way and a public consultation has recently closed on additional housing sites to be included in the plan.
The closing date for comments on the additional housing sites was November 6 and responses have now been fed back to cabinet.

Planning inspectors running the LDP Examination published their initial findings on housing supply in June, stating that they supported the target of 7,500 new homes in the LDP but did not believe that enough land had been provided to deliver this number before 2021. 

The inspectors requested that further sites, to the equivalent of around 1,000 houses, be included in the plan. 

The council has carried out additional work and has identified 21 potential additional housing sites.

The 7,500 new homes will be provided on a mixture of greenfield and brownfield sites across Denbighshire, with 67% of all new homes already built since the start of the LDP period in 2006 being on brownfield land.

A report will now be taken to full council on December 4 for its recommendation on the 21 sites. 

The inspectors will then be provided with the outcome, and further hearing sessions have been pencilled in for January 2013 at Rhyl Town Hall.

Row over supermarket conditions rumbles on

A Llangollen anti-supermarket campaigner has accused members of Denbighshire’s planning committee of being “sidelined” by their own officers over the Sainsbury’s application for the Dobson & Crowther site in the town. 

As reported by llanblogger last week, Martin Crumpton says that at the county’s September planning committee when the new store at Berwyn Street was approved, a set of conditions were imposed which meant it could not have an in-store butchers or delicatessen in order to protect Llangollen’s high street businesses.  

But he claims these two conditions have since been “overturned” by planning officers.  

Mr Crumpton is also opposed to a fresh application by Sainsbury’s agents WYG to remove the condition prevent the store having its own café.  

Now, in an e-mail message to around 30 members of the committee he says he hopes the issue of conditions on the store will be discussed at their monthly meeting today (Wednesday). 

He says in the e-mail:  “My sincere hope is that your decision to impose conditions on Sainsbury’s will be considered an urgent matter, in view of the fact that two of your conditions – designed to offer some protection to Llangollen’s high street small traders - were subsequently effectively removed, without referral to you.  

“The conditions were the ‘no deli, no butcher’ which were effectively deleted when the Decision Notice was issued. 

“You should be aware that Sainsbury’s - or WYG on their behalf – now seeks to remove the last remaining condition designed to protect Llangollen’s high street – no cafe.”  

Mr Crumpton adds: “I strongly believe that elected councillors, not unelected officials, are the best and only means of safeguarding Denbighshire residents’ best interests, above those of the applicant’s.

“I regret to say that once again you have all been sidelined by your officials and your authority completely undermined.”

The county council said it had been agreed the item should not be considered at the meeting as an urgent matter and that it would be inappropriate to provide a statement to the press.

Full programme for Saturday's Christmas Festival

 

* Sion Corn will start Saturday's

Christmas Festival.

 

The arrival of Sion Corn – Santa Claus – at the town’s station will mark the start of this year’s spectacular Llangollen Christmas Festival on Saturday. 

Herladed by a town crier, the grand old man will then lead a grand parade, starting at 1pm, along Castle Street, Market Street, East Street and Parade Street to the Town Hall where he will take up residence in his grotto ready to welcome young visitors who will receive a small gift from him.  

To avoid long queues to see Sion Corn tickets will be sold in advance at quarter-hour time intervals. Thes will be available in advance from the Tourist Information Office in Llangollen and the Town Hall on Saturday.   

Oak Street will be closed from 10am-6pm where street entertainment, market stalls, music and dancing will take place. 

Also on the afternoon’s packed entertainments programme are facepainting, magicians, storytellers, morris dancing, circus acts, a samba band and Llangollen Silver Band. 

There will be lots of musical entertainment throughout the day, with a number of local choirs performing on the Chapel steps until the Christmas lights are switched on about 5.30pm. 

Youngsters from local schools Ysgol Bryn Collen and Ysgol Y Gwernant have entered competitions to see who will have the honour of lighting up the town at the big switch-on ceremony, which will be followed by fireworks display.

Donations towards the festival have been made by the town’s Chamber of Trade and Tourism, as well as other organisations and individuals. 

There have also been a number of fundraising events, including a bingo evening at the RAFA Club and a sponsored car wash with the help of the fire service.  

Collection boxes in various locations in the town and have raised over £100 so far. 

The festival fund was also boosted by Chamber of Trade and Tourism chair John Palmer who did a gruelling sponsored run from Corwen to Glyndwfrdwy and then swan six miles down the River Dee to the Horseshoe Falls. 

Pitches will be available at various locations across the town for those who bring their own stalls but tables will also be available in the Town Hall and the Band Hut in Parade Street at a cost of £20, and anyone interested should contact Ian Parry on 01978 753897 or Gareth Thomas on 01978 861345. 

The festival is a community event run and organised by volunteers, and net proceeds from the event will be donated to Hope House Children’s Hospice in Oswestry.  

If you would like to take part and help with the arrangements, particularly on the day, then contact Ian Parry on 01978 753897 or email: parry.ian@btinternet.com

 

Programme of Events

 

The Parade 

1.00pm from Railway Station

(Castle Street/Market Street/

East Street/Parade Street/Town Hall)

1.         Town Crier 

2.         Silver Band 

3.         Various Groups 

4.         Vintage Car  

   5. Horse & Carriage with Town Mayor                                                                                        

6. Morris Dancers

 

7. Circus Acts

 

8. Sion Corn  

 

9. Karamba Samba Band                                                             

10.            Fire Engine

Chapel  Steps – Castle Street

 

1.30pm       Ysgol Bryn Collen Choir

1.50pm       Ysgol Y Gwernant Choir

2.10pm       Llangollen Silver Band

2.45pm       Melodic Mondays Ladies Group

3.05pm       Llangollen Male Voice Choir

3.25pm       Karamba Samba Band

3.45pm       Operatic Society

4.05pm       Pantomime Group

4.25pm       Clerical Error Morris Dancers

4.45pm       Llangollen Silver Band

5.15pm             Announcements:-

                        Raffle Prize Draw

                        Best Dressed Window

                        Town Mayor’s Address

5.30pm             Switch on of Christmas Lights

                        Firework Display

                        Circus Acts

           Other Entertainment

 

Sion Corn’s Grotto in Town Hall

(Tickets, £4.00 each, are timed every quarter of an hour to avoid queuing and are available in advance from Tourist Information Centre and from 1.30pm on Saturday from the Town Hall Foyer).

 

     Town Hall Area       - Raffle Tickets

     - Hog Roast

     - Mulled Wine

 

Nativity Feature – Castle Street

 

Storytelling/Music/Magician/Balloon Man at Castle Courtyard

 

Face Painter – Band Room, Parade Street

 

Market Stalls in Town Hall/Band Room/Oak Street

(Open from 12 Noon to 5.30pm. Refreshments available in Town Hall and Band Room)

 

Oak Street          -  Children’s Rides

-      The Tower

-      Market Stalls

-      Musical Entertainment

-      Hog Roast

Also throughout the afternoon there will be Circus Acts, Morris Dancers, Magician, Storyteller, Balloon Man, Busker performing at various locations in the town

Health shake-up decision delayed

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has announced it will delay any decision on a major shake-up in North Wales health services until the New Year.

 

The proposals contain plans, which have sparked a barrage of protest locally, to close Llangollen Cottage Hospital and replace it with a new health centre somewhere in the town.

Llyr Gruffydd, North Wales Plaid Cymru AM, said: “The decision by BCUHB’s management to delay the decision until the New Year on its centralisation and downgrading proposals is, I believe, a direct result at the tidal wave of opposition to these plans.

“Whether it’s the criticism of plans to close community hospitals and downgrade others or the discredited notion of moving neonatal intensive care to England, it’s clear that the sustained campaign by so many different groups has taken them by surprise and forced a rethink.

“I hope this is not just a pause. I hope they will read, as I have, the many considered and thoughtful positive alternatives being proposed and think again. We want an improved local health service in the North not one that forces people to travel unreasonable distances to access services and tries to impose a metropolitan model on what is a very diverse region.

“The battle to ensure the best possible care for people in the area isn’t over, but a small victory has been won today. I think everyone who has marched, attended a meeting, lobbied their Assembly member or written to express their views can be proud that they have forced the Betsi Cadwaladr management to pause to consider their next move.”