Bear with us over recycling scheme snags says council

Denbighshire County Council says it is continuing with its efforts in the south of the county, which includes Llangollen, to sort out problems associated with the expansion of the X2 service.

In a statement issued this afternoon (Friday) the council says the backlog of service requests is gradually being cleared, but has been affected by the recent flooding events.

The statement adds: "If you are experiencing problems and have not already contacted the Council, please telephone Denbighshire's Customer Contact Service Centre on 01824 706100 (Welsh language) or 01824 706101 (English language). Our customer service team will be able to give advice, and check whether you are missing any equipment. We can then arrange to get the equipment delivered.

"Residents who have already contacted the Council with a request, can be assured that the request will be dealt with as quickly as possible."

Watchdog seeks assurances over health changes

* Llangollen Cottage Hospital is earmarked for closure. 

While it “broadly supports” plans to close Llangollen Cottage Hospital and replace it with a new health centre, a watchdog body says it still needs assurances on a number of points.

 

North Wales Community Health Council, which safeguards the interests of NHS patients, has just submitted its official response plans for a major shake-up of services by the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. 

Of the part of the plan which affects Llangollen, it says: “The CHC broadly supports the proposals for Llangollen Community Hospital services.  

“But we will not be sure that the proposals will serve the interests of people in Llangollen and its surrounding areas without further assurances from the health board about:  

 The way it will plan and deliver services with other organisations in the public, voluntary and independent sectors, and tell people how they can get access to the service  

 It’s plans to provide clinical services in Llangollen and its surrounding area in the time between the closure of facilities at Llangollen Community Hospital and the completion of a new primary care centre  

 Confirmation that the GP services in Llangollen are committed to the plans to deliver the new service

 It’s response to the particular needs of rural communities, including those to the West of Llangollen  

 The way it will work with care home providers to make sure its proposals in this area will work.”  

The CHC’s submission adds that it has “some serious concerns” about other aspects of the proposals for community hospitals.  

It explains: “We have seen little financial information or information about staffing plans. This means we cannot be sure that the health board has a financial and workforce plan which provides a firm basis for developing community and primary care services, or the proposals for providing enhanced care within people’s homes.  

“We are also concerned about the relationship between the health board and general practitioners in some areas. People, quite rightly, rely completely on these two sets of health care professionals to work together. We have seen and heard evidence that this is not the case everywhere.  

“Finally, the CHC is concerned that the health board’s proposals for community hospitals may represent an erosion of community-based services. This runs against a national policy which says that community hospitals play an important part in making sure people have easy access to the care they need. If people do not have easy access to services they may not seek help at the right time and when they do, the treatment may be less successful and more expensive.” 

Llyr Gruffydd, the Party of Wales Assembly Member for North Wales, said: “The Community Health Council’s response makes clear that in many instances, especially regarding community health services, there isn’t sufficient information to make an informed decision.

“Its report makes clear that there is insufficient information given in the consultation about staffing, finances and the fact that many of the recommendations conflict with the views of local GPs, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing.

“Running down community hospitals is a key area of concern in this report and recent events, where roads were inaccessible and travelling hazardous, stress the need for local services to serve the community.

 “The pressure is mounting on Betsi Cadwaladr’s management to explain their proposals and how they will improve the health of the region.”

Classic motoring event heads for Llan

* Action from a previous Le Jog event.

A prestige classic motoring event will pass through Llangollen tomorrow (Saturday).

Le Jog 2012, the 18th Land's End to John O'Groats Reliability & Touring Trial, which takes place between December 1 and 4, has been described as the toughest event of its kind in Europe.

That is because of the severe weather drivers taking part often encounter along the route.

Organised by HERO – Historic Endurance Rallying Organisation – Le Jog is once again open to cars built before 1984 and attracts entries from across Europe.

The Touring Trial is a non-competitive but challenging event aimed at testing the stamina of the crew.

Calling at the reliability trial main controls and with 'code board' questions between controls, there are no time penalties, regularities or tests.

Entrants receive finisher’s awards and are eligible for the concourse and Spirit of the Rally awards.

2012 Le Jog will break new ground with the route using roads and parts of the country that have never been used before on the event.

Among two new stop-off points will be Llangollen.

After setting off from Land’s End early on Saturday morning, the route takes a direct line to the Severn Bridge before heading to South Wales and heading up through the country to Llangollen where the drivers will have an overnight halt.    

After bed and breakfast the route will travel through Cheshire and Lancashire.

The final 24 hours will begin with a run through the remoter areas of Northumbria and the Borders.

In the afternoon the crews will drive west then north-west to skirt Glasgow and head via the famous Rest-and-Be-Thankful hill climb for an evening supper halt at Fort William.

Leg five will see them driving through the Highlands to arrive at John O'Groats for the traditional piper's welcome and breakfast before turning back south for the short drive to Wick for a deep sleep in preparation for the celebrations of the black-tie prize-giving dinner.

County's appeal over flood donations

Following the devastating floods that affected hundreds of homes in Denbighshire, offers of help and donations of all kinds of goods have been pouring in from kind-hearted members of the public and businesses and Denbighshire County Council has thanked everyone for their kindness.

The counil says in a statement issued earlier today: "As a result of the tremendous amount of goods received, it is important now that they are distributed to the correct places. As a result, the council is asking people not to drop off any more goods, but to consider making a financial donation instead.

"People can do so by making a donation to the Ruthin Mayor's Appeal Fund or the St Asaph Mayor's Flood Relief Fund.

"To donate to the St Asaph Mayor's Flood Relief Fund, please make cheques payable to: 'The Mayor's Charity Account" and cheques can be dropped off at the Cathedral Diocesan Office, St Asaph.

"To donate to the Ruthin Mayor's Fund, please make cheques payable to 'Cyngor Tref Rhuthun' or 'Ruthin Town Council'. The account number is 20788929, sort code: 202576 and money can be deposited at Barclays Bank on St Peter's Square, Ruthin."

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said: "We have been overwhelmed by people's generosity and it's humbling to see communities pull together at a time when co-operation is needed the most.

"Receiving and distributing goods as a result of all this goodwill has become un-coordinated and we don't want to be in a position where goods don't get to people quickly. That is why we are now calling on people to donate financially instead.

"The council is extremely grateful for this co-operation."

The extent of the flooding in St Asaph can be seen at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39543169@N02/8226554595

Plan to move Post Office to Stan's



* The Post Office in Castle Street.



* The Post Office could move to nearby Stan's store. 

The Post Office is inviting customers and interested parties to give their comments on its proposal to move Llangollen Post Office from its current location at 41 Castle Street to the nearby Stan's store in Berwyn Road.

The service, subject to a successful public consultation, will open as a new-style main Post Office branch.

The move is part of major three-year modernisation programme across the Post Office network designed to make it easier for customers to do business, through longer opening hours and modern open plan environments.

The investment programme, the largest in the history of Post Office Ltd, will see around 6,000 branches (about half the Post Office network) converting to new-style branches.

The Post Office, now independent of Royal Mail, is the largest retail network in the UK, with over 11,500 branches. It is also one of the fastest growing financial services companies and is developing its online and telephony services.

Post Office Regional Network Manager for Wales, Tony Jones said: “I am delighted to announce news of an important investment in our service in Llangollen.

"We know how important the Post Office service is to the community and we feel sure that our customers old and new will welcome the longer opening hours and modern open plan format. This move will help secure Post Office services in the town for the future.”

Mr Jones added: “Post Office Main is a new concept for delivering Post Office services, operated from a combination of screened and open plan counters in an established shop, with key Post Office products and services available alongside retail transactions during extended opening hours.”

Post Office customers will benefit from extended opening hours provided by the new retailer with the introduction of late night and all-day Saturday and Sunday opening.

The opening hours will be 8am-9pm, Monday to Sunday, offering customers an extra 45 hours a week in which to access Post Office products and services.

During the public consultation Post Office Ltd says it welcomes feedback on any issues customers would like considered before a final decision is taken on this proposal. The consultation will close on January 18, 2013.

Submissions can be made during the consultation by post at Freepost YOUR COMMENTS to Post Office Ltd, National Consultation Team, Wealdstone Post Office, 1st Floor, Admin, 2 Headstone Drive, Harrow, HA3 5QL, via email to comments@postoffice.co.uk, via the Customer Helpline: 08457 22 33 44 or Textphone 08457 22 33 55.

If the public consultation is successful the move is proposed to take place in January 2013 and for the following 12 months Post Office and its agent will monitor the new service to ensure it meets the needs of customers.

Houses should not be built on flood plains says AM

John Griffiths, Wales' Environment Minister, is visiting flood-affected Ruthin today (Thursday).

Llyr Gruffydd, North Wales Assembly Member for the Party of Wales, said: “The priority at the moment is the safety and wellbeing of everybody affected by the flooding, which has had a devastating effect across the region.

 

"We must also ensure that those areas affected are not subject to some kind of insurance blight due to the flooding. It’s vital that a safety net is maintained by the government and that we see proper and ongoing investment in flood defence schemes..”
 

Mr Gruffydd , who is also Plaid Cymru’s shadow minister for the environmental, added: “There is a also wider issue here that must be addressed by the planning authorities and the Welsh Government. We cannot continue to build houses on flood plains and expect to get away with it. Councils must address this matter in making their future Local Development Plans (LDP) fit for purpose.
 

“Some of the houses that were flooded were built very recently and all kinds of assurances were made. Those householders have clearly been let down and we cannot have more of this kind of development, which will end up with even greater disasters if we’re not careful.
 

“With that in mind, I want to see every council in Wales re-assess their housing allocations in light of these latest floods so that future LDPs do not repeat the mistakes made by planners in the past. Denbighshire Council, the worst affected area, is meeting next Tuesday to discuss allocating land for a further 1,000 homes. Can they give an assurance that these sites are safe from flooding?
 

“John Griffiths and his government also have to do more than offer words of sympathy for those whose homes have been flooded. He must act decisively and ensure that he does all in his powers to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.”

County steps up dog fouling action plan

Denbighshire’s Cabinet members have approved an action plan and a raft of measures to stamp out dog fouling in the county.

At the Cabinet meeting, members gave their support for an anti fouling strategy which will involve three work strands - communication and marketing, suitable collection arrangements and enforcement, and will look to engage and educate residents in the first instance as well as ensuring there are adequate litter bins in public realm and robust enforcement.

In presenting the report to members, Cabinet Lead Member for Public Realm, Councillor David Smith, said: “Time and time again, residents have raised the issue of dog fouling. It is one of the issues they would most like to see tackled.

"We appreciate that there are many responsible dog owners who do pick up after their pets but there is still a significant minority that do not.

"In taking this strategy forward, we will be contributing to our Corporate Priority for ensuring ‘clean and tidy streets.

"We will be improving the environment, improving the quality of life for residents and our visitors as well as reducing the threat to health, particularly for our children.”

Cabinet members voted unanimously in favour of the strategy and added a recommendation that further studies will be carried out into the benefits, or otherwise, of dog control orders.