New crime commissioner seeks deputy

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick has launched a search for a Deputy to support his role.
           
The Deputy Commissioner will work alongside Mr Roddick to deliver the vision set out in the Police and Crime Plan.

They will also share some of the Commissioner’s core functions, including scrutinising the performance of the police force, seeking the views of the public on police and crime issues, and engaging with partners and stakeholders.
           
Mr Roddick said: “Over the past six months I have come to fully understand the scope of the functions that I, as Commissioner, must carry out. I have come to the conclusion that the role of the Deputy is essential in assisting me to undertake what is a massive workload.
            
“I am confident that a Deputy Commissioner will add value by increasing engagement with the communities I serve, supporting my work in holding the Police to account, and ultimately assisting in tackling crime and making North Wales a safer place.
            
“I am looking for an individual who has experience of strategic planning who can also assist to oversee a multi-million pound budget, but who is also a good listener and communicator. Most importantly, I am looking to appoint someone in whose reliability, integrity and good judgement I can have the utmost confidence, and who shares my vision for the policing and criminal justice of the area. Given the prominence of the Welsh language in many parts of North Wales, the Deputy must also be bilingual."
            
Mr Roddick added: “Police and Crime Commissioners are not legally required to follow a formal recruitment process when appointing a Deputy. I believe, however, that it is of utmost importance that every appointment made by me, is made based on an open, transparent and inclusive decision-making process.
           
“That is why I am inviting applications from all suitable candidates from across North Wales. These applications will be assessed upon merit, and not upon any political or personal affiliations.” 
           
Applications are requested by email to OPCC@nthwales.pnn.police.uk by 12.00noon on 30 May 2013 or posted to OPCC, Glan y Don, Colwyn Bay LL29 8AW. The application process is by CV and covering letter. Full details can be found below.
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More traveller sites needed in North Wales, says council chief

The BBC North East Wales news website is reporting today (Sunday) that a leading councillor has said more official sites for Gypsies and travellers are needed in North Wales.

Bernie Attridge, deputy leader of Flintshire council, said 95% of legal sites are in his county and Wrexham.

And he claimed a lack of facilities elsewhere was leading to problems with illegal settlements and accused the local authorities of "burying their heads".

Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd and Anglesey are said to be looking into the issue.

See the full story at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-22397277

AM raises questions on A55/A483 junction improvements

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has questioned the Economy Minister over improvement works to the A55/A483  junction serving Wrexham.

 

The plans involve reducing congestion and journey times by widening the A55 eastbound exit slip road and parts of the circulatory carriageway as well as installing traffic signals to the A483 southbound approach.

 

The programme of works is set to cost £8,000,000 and is due to start – and finish – in 2014.

 

Mr Isherwood welcomes the works, but is concerned the 2006 evaluation report that recommended the improvements made no reference to floods or flooding within it.

 

Questioning the Economy Minister on the matter in the Assembly this week he said:  “Last October, the UK Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, announced the plans for the scheme focused on the junction with the A483.

 

"That junction serves Wrexham, therefore, clearly, you as Minister are very entitled to have a view on this.

 

"However, the 2006 evaluation report that recommended those improvements to reduce congestion and journey times has no reference to floods or flooding within it.

 

"Therefore, I would be grateful if you could ensure that the UK Minister is made aware of that and perhaps give advice on what further information on flooding, if any, they might have received.”

The Minister agreed to take up the matter “via my officials.”

Website urges more to tuck into school meals

A new website encouraging a greater take-up of school meals in Denbighshire has gone live.

The website: www.denbighshireschoolmeals.co.uk includes menus for individual schools, details of special promotions, details on the cashless payment systems in high schools, policy on buying ingredients, free school meals, frequently asked questions and a regular newsletter.

There is also an educational game section where children can play whilst learning about nutrition and making healthy choices.
 
Ian Kemp, Denbighshire's Catering Manager, said: "This is a great opportunity to raise the profile of school meals in Denbighshire and provide Pupils, parents and guardians with a one stop shop where their questions can be answered at the touch of a button.

"In Denbighshire, we provide plenty of options for healthy school meals and we know that eating a proper lunch has positive benefits for children's concentration in the classroom. We hope the website gives parents and guardians some food for thought and encourages them to look at the tasty options available on our menus."

There will also be a link on the site to the County Council's job vacancy page. 

Llangollen Railway steams into a busy May

* Loco no 80072, British Railways Standard class 4 tank engine, which has recently returned to Lllangollen after a spell out on hireat other railways. It will be a main player on trains at Llangollen this summer season.

 

May will be another busy month at Llangollen Railway.

This weekend, train services will run at hourly intervals from the station, starting at 10.15, and continue until 4pm. 

Saturday will feature steam and diesel locomotives and Sunday and Monday will see two steam locos running - the British Railways Standard Tank 80072 and Great Western freight 3802. 

Next special event on the heritage railway is the Teddy Bears Picnic on Sunday, May 19. 

Saturday, May 11 sees the latest in the railway’s popular series of murder mysteries.

Car rally passes through town this weekend

* Cars from the 1970s and 1980s such as these will take part in the rally.

MORE than 70 drivers in a prestigious motoring event will make a brief stop in Llangollen early on Sunday morning.

Competitors in the famous Border 100 Road Rally – some from as far away as Jersey and the Isle of Man - will have a re-fuelling halt in the town at around 1.30am.

The two-day event, which was voted the best road rally in the UK in 2007, begins at Llanfyllin in Powys on Saturday and the Llangollen fuel stop comes at roughly the half-way point of the route, which takes in areas of Powys and Denbighshire before finishing 100 miles later at Meiford in Powys.

The 75 entries include cars from the 1970s to the present day such as VW Golfs, Ford Escorts, Renaults and Subarus.

Clerk of the course Iwan Jones said: “The cars won’t be in Llangollen for very long. It will just be a fuelling halt, which is known as a ‘splash and dash’ in rallying.”

The event’s organisers have gone to great pains to assure Llangollen residents to ensure that no unnecessary disturbance is caused as the rally passes through.

They recently dropped off letters to a number of local homes saying that all checkpoints will be manned by efficient marshals and placed where possible far enough away from dwellings so as not to allow excessive noise to be created.

The letter adds: “The competitors will be notified that any undue nuisance created by them during the event will mean their instant disqualification.” 

Search continues for missing Acrefair man

North Wales Police say they are continuing in their efforts to trace Acrefair man David Clwyd Davies (pictured below) who has not been seen since the April 7.

 

Detective Inspector Arwyn Jones, who is leading the enquiry said: “It will be four weeks on Sunday May 5 since Mr Davies was last seen and our investigation into his disappearance remains a priority.

 

"We would again ask members of the public who may hold any information that may assist the enquiry to come forward, particularly anybody who knows Clwyd, and who may have any information about his life or movements, past or present.    

 

“We would ask any person who regularly uses the public footpath which runs from Tower Hill, Acrefair towards Tref Y Nant Farm to come forward.  

 

 “We have received a number of requests from members of the public to assist with searching for Clwyd, and although we would like to thank those who have offered, we would discourage this at this time and would like to reassure the public that we have highly trained search advisors involved in locating Clwyd.”

 

Anybody with any information should contact North Wales Police on 101 or alternatively Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.