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Monday, February 25, 2013

Burn safely, fire service urges farmers


With a dry spell of weather predicted and with the controlled burning season drawing to a close, firefighters are appealing to farmers to undertake their controlled burning in the safest and most effective way possible.

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

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

Staff from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service have been visiting livestock markets across the region in recent weeks to spread to word on safe controlled burning.

Gary Brandrick, Senior Fire Safety Manager, said: " 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.”

Farmers are asked to follow the guidelines below if they 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.


Sunday, February 24, 2013

No-go zone planned to stop cold callers

Police are aiming to join forces with county trading standards officers to set up a “no cold calling” zone in Llangollen.

The idea, which is aimed at helping to keep at bay nuisance doorstep traders, was outlined to members of the Town Council at their meeting on Tuesday evening.
Sergeant Paul Hughes, of the neighbourhood policing team, first explained how officers had been called about two weeks ago to deal with the occupants of a vehicle selling fresh fish in the Wern Road area of the town.
He said: “We had a call from a resident in that area who said these people were selling fish from the back of a van, which I understand was sub-standard for the prices they were charging.
“The people were from the north east of the country and were already known to trading standards.”
He added: “With trading standards we are looking at setting up a no cold calling zone in Llangollen.
“This means that notices will be placed on lampposts around the zone warning cold callers they are not welcome inside it.
“These schemes, which have been successful elsewhere, enhance the power of trading standards in that if complaints are received about callers inside the zone they can more easily shown to be in breach of restrictions.”
Sgt Hughes urged anyone having problems with cold callers to ring North Wales Police on the non-emergency line of 101, or even 999 if it is believed vulnerable people may be at risk.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Health service campaigners take to the streets

Th BBC North East Wales news website is reporting this evening (Saturday)  that hundreds of campaigners opposing a raft of changes to hospital care in north Wales - including the closure of Llangollen Cottage Hospital - have taken to the streets.

More than 300 people joined the demonstrations in Llandudno.

It follows a decision by the area community health council (CHC) not to refer Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board plans to the Welsh government.

See the full story and video at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-21553317

County stamps down on dog foulers

Denbighshire has launched an anti-dog fouling campaign.

It features a raft of measures aimed at engaging with communities, educating people about the impact of dog fouling and robust enforcement action as well as a dedicated freephone number for residents to report dog fouling culprits and hot spot areas.

The number is 0800 230 0234.

Cabinet member for Environment, Councillor David Smith, explained: "While we know that most dog owners are responsible and always clean up after their dogs, there seems to be a stubborn minority who continue to allow their animals to foul and do not clear up after them.


"We cannot let this continue as time and time again, dog fouling has come up in resident's surveys and regular communication between residents and our councillors backs this up - it s one of the most common complaints we receive."

Denbighshire has already contracted environmental enforcement firm, XFor to patrol areas across the county and issue Fixed Penalty Notices for littering and fouling and will also work closely with North Wales Police through the Community Safety Partnership.


The Council would also like to increase community involvement and support with clean-up campaigns and is also working closely with Keep Wales Tidy Officer for Denbighshire.

Councillor Smith said : "Working with the community is key to the success of this campaign and I would urge people - if you see it, report it! If you know who the culprit is, we need you to tell us.


"With the best will in the world, we can't be everywhere and we need the community to help be our eyes and ears and we need to know where the hot spots are so we can specifically target them with increased patrols."


"Denbighshire has installed 90 new bins in new locations last year with more planned for this year and we recently asked members to tell us about hot spots, and now have a list that we will be attending to. We have also been working with Town and Community Councils."

Get your council tax bill by e-mail

Denbighshire County Council is inviting people to sign up to the future and get their Council Tax bill by e-mail which is sent securely straight to tablet or PC mailboxes.

Having your bill e-mailed to you saves the Council money which it can then spend on vital services. It also saves on paper which helps the environment.

Anyone who is interested in the new scheme should contact revenues@denbighshire.gov.uk.

Please supply your name and address or even better your Council Tax reference number from what will be your last paper bill. If you want to talk to us then call: (01824) 706443, 706456, 706468, 706315, 706338, 706428

Friday, February 22, 2013

Watchdog member resigns over health shake-up decision

A story this afternoon on the ITV Wales news website says that a member of the local patient watchdog in North Wales has resigned, criticising its decision to support controversial changes to health services there.

These include the closure of Llangollen Hospital.

The ITV story says Huw Edwards, who is a Gwynedd councillor, described that decision as "despicable", and said he had "lost all faith" in the local watchdog.

According to the site, his statement reads: "I have lost all faith in the Health Council. Gwynedd’s Committee has opposed these recommendations in two meetings. There are no details at all about provision in the community that the Board refers to and that is totally unfair to the areas that will lose their local hospitals. The decision to move the specialist neonatal unit from Glan Clwyd is equally despicable. For parents in Gwynedd and Ynys Mon the cumbersome and impractical. I believe that the Health Council has behaved contrary to public opinion and also to their own plans."

* More on this story on the BBC North East Wales news website at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-21548425

Mold Gold Cape to be shown in Wrexham

History buffs in Llangollen will be delighted to learn that the world-famous Mold Gold Cape will go on loan by the British Museum for public display in Wrexham this summer.
 
In partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales and Wrexham County Borough Museum & Archives, this will be the third time the cape will have been displayed in Cardiff and will go on to be shown at Wrexham Museum, not far from where it was found.


* The Mold Gold Cape. 

The Cape will be on display for free at both venues as part of the Spotlight Tours organised through the British Museum’s Partnership UK Scheme.
 
The Mold Cape is a unique ceremonial gold cape and made around 3,700 years ago, during the Early Bronze Age.

A highlight exhibit at the British Museum, the cape will be shown at National Museum Cardiff from 2 July to 4 August and then Wrexham County Borough Museum from 7 August to 14 September 2013.

The cape is one of the finest examples of prehistoric sheet and embossed-gold working in Europe.

Skillfully and carefully fashioned from a single sheet of thin gold, it is unique in design.

The cape was discovered in Mold, Flintshire in 1833 when workmen discovered a skeleton in a grave at the centre of a circular burial monument.

The accompanying grave goods, hundreds of amber beads, gold and bronze fragments, were divided up between them and the land tenant. The British Museum, recognizing its importance and significance - and at a time before a National Museum existed in Wales - devoted efforts and care in acquiring the cape and accompanying fragments for its collections.

It was given prominence in the British Museum prehistory displays from early on and in the 1960s and 70s British Museum experts looked at how the fragments were joined.

The original shape of the object only became clear after painstaking work at the Museum, piecing together all the embossed fragments to reveal its original form as a cape. Recent research has suggested that the wearer of the cape, amber bead necklace and the bronze knife may have been a woman.

Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum said: “We are delighted that this exceptional object of national and international significance will be displayed in Cardiff and Wrexham this summer and are hugely grateful to our partners, the National Museum Wales and Wrexham County Borough Museum, for their collaboration as well as the Art Fund for their support.

"Through research on rare objects like the Mold Gold Cape, in recent years we have come to see British prehistoric societies very differently. These precious objects show us that societies in Britain must then have been extremely sophisticated, both in skill and in their social structure. They were not isolated but part of a larger European trade network, a web of trade and exchange from North Wales to Scandinavia.”

David Anderson, Director General, Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, said: “We’re delighted that this priceless Bronze Age masterpiece from north east Wales will soon be on display here again at the National Museum Cardiff.

"Having one of Britain’s most famous ancient artefacts and one of the most important European Bronze Age finds on display in Wales, where it was originally found, is a wonderful and unique opportunity for local people and visitors to enjoy and to find out more about their heritage and early past.

"Working in partnership with museums such as the British Museum and Wrexham County Borough Museum enables precious artefacts such as the Mold Cape to be accessible to all. The Mold Cape is of great importance, in both local and national contexts and is also of international significance to our understanding of cultural expression and power relations in Early Bronze Age Europe, reflected both in life and in death.”

Councillor Neil Rogers Leader of Wrexham County Borough Council said: “The last time the Mold Cape came to Wrexham Museum in 2005 it attracted 11,500 visitors in just 12 weeks. That fact more than any other illustrates the huge level of interest amongst the local public for both archaeology and our shared prehistoric heritage.

"So I am naturally excited at the prospect of the Cape’s return to the town. The exhibition at Wrexham Museum will tell the story of its discovery and by looking at the evidence for other similar sites in the area, attempt to set it in its contemporary archaeological context.

"The display of the Cape would clearly not be possible without the co-operation of both the British Museum and Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales and Wrexham County Borough Council is extremely grateful to both bodies for their on-going support in continuing to bring our shared National treasures to Wrexham.”

The Mold Gold Cape was featured as one of the top ten treasures in the 100 objects in “A History of the World” in partnership with the BBC. This project was awarded The Art Fund Prize in 2011 and the prize money awarded has formed the basis for The Spotlight Tours.