"Don't tinker with S4C" says Labour duo

Clwyd South Labour duo Susan Elan Jones and Ken Skates have warned the UK Government not to tinker with S4C’s funding, saying that any change could seriously jeopardise the broadcasters independence.

 

On the eve of the UK Government’s Spending Review on Wednesday the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has refused to quash speculation it will end the £6.7m grant the Welsh channel receives each year directly from the department. 

 

Any such move could leave it entirely funded by the BBC Licence Fee. 

 

Last week the Department for Culture Media and Sport agreed an 8% cut to its budget as part of the Spending Review due to be announced by the Chancellor this week.

 

The Labour pair said S4C was key to a strong and independent media in Wales and that the channel’s funding shouldn’t be cut back any further.

 

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones said: "It is worrying if the UK Government chooses to end entirely its direct funding of S4C.  The channel has seen its budget cut back significantly in recent years and its fragile funding formula shouldn’t be tinkered with any further during this or any other spending review.

 

“The funding it receives from DCMS gives it a direct channel into the heart of government and a vital dialogue with the Secretary of State on broadcasting issues impacting on Wales, S4C and the Welsh language.

 

“S4C is only just getting back on its feet after the trauma of the last funding changes.  Only this year it had its long-term funding outlined in a new relationship with the BBC, so more change would only further destabilise the channel and impact negatively on its independence.”

 

Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates said: “Under no circumstances would it be either fair or sensible for the UK Government to visit even more pain on S4C during the upcoming Spending Review.  The Government have had their pound of flesh from S4C over the last few years and it shouldn’t be returning for more cuts given the fragile position the channel is in. 

 

“I recently met with other AMs and the Chief Executive of S4C who warned us very clearly that cutting back S4C’s funding any further would negatively impact on the channel and its excellent body of work.  S4C helps generate nearly £125m for Wales’ creative economy, so any further cuts would be bad for the whole sector, not just the channel.

 

“Broadcasting in Wales is in a weak enough position as it is without more pain being visited upon it.  The delicate ecology of our Welsh media needs to be better protected and not become an easy target for cuts every time the Treasury needs to bring in more cash.”

 

S4C received £6.7m from DCMS in 2013, down from £101m in 2010.

 

The BBC will contribute £76.3m from the licence fee in 2013-14, falling to £74.5m by 2016/17.

 

Earlier this year a new partnership was agreed following public consultation over plans to fund most of S4C's activities from the BBC licence fee meaning S4C will remain independent, also receiving UK government funding and generating its own revenue. 

Scrapyard escapee runs for last time at Llan Railway

* No.6430 at Llangollen on its final day in service.

 

 

* Members of the train crew as they prepare for the final

departure. From left are driver Ben Jackson, guard

Wayne Ronneback, ticket inspector Martyn Amys and signalman Paul Reynolds.

Llangollen Railway's annual Railcar Gala saw one the regular steam engines based there operating its final passenger trains on Sunday.

No.6430 has now completed 10 years in service since restoration to working order after being rescued from the scrapyard.

 

The popular Great Western Pannier Tank engine is now withdrawn for a major overhaul after its boiler certificate expired.

 

On its last day in service it ran with the Great Western Auto coach owned by the group based in Oswestry as the steam train option on a day when other train services on the Dee Valley line were provided by the heritage diesel railcars.

 

George Jones for Llangollen Railway said: " No.6430 is a brave little engine having been restored at Llangollen from a very basic kit of parts after it had survived a visit to a scrapyard when originally withdrawn by British Railways.

 

"It is the only mainline engine to have escaped from a scrapyard other than the famous one at Barry Island, South Wales from which many steam locomotives were rescued.

 

"After it has donated various parts to keep an other Pannier tank in service, a lot of the missing parts were made at Llangollen to allow the engine to be restored to working order by 2003. Since then it has achieved fame as part of the two-coach Great Western branch line auto-train.

 

"It has been a worthy ambassador for the Llangollen Railway during its visits other heritage railways in Britain during its ten years in service. We hope that a fast track overhaul of the boiler and mechanical parts will allow for an early return to service.

 

"Operating on this final occasion the steam train made an historic contrast with the heritage railcars and, in particular, the two visiting single unit Bubble cars. These attracted a lot of attention and interest from rail fans keen to sample a ride on these two unusual visitors to the line."

County's Advice Network wins praise from Welsh Government

The success of the Denbighshire Advice Network in securing over £100 million in extra social security benefits and tax credits during its lifetime has been praised as an example of best practice in a report issued by the Welsh Government.

The Denbighshire Advice Network was set up following local government reorganisation in 1996 and network members work together to ensure that both specialist and generalist advice is available throughout the county meeting the needs of a diverse range of clients.

Members meet on a quarterly basis to discuss new legislation and polity, to discuss good practice, access free training, undertake joint campaigns and share information about new projects.

Now it has been cited as example of best practice in the Welsh Government document, ‘Advice Services Review: Final Research Report’.

Membership of the Network ranges from Age Concern to Youth Inclusion Programme, Shelter Cymru to Denbighshire’s Family Information Service, Mental Health Advocacy Service to the Voluntary Services Council, working to ensure that all advice providers across the age and specialism spectrum are engaged and as many local people as possible have access to effective information and advice services.

In 2012 Network members lead a successful project bid to the Welsh Government’s European Social Fund, supported by the joint Conwy and Denbighshire Local Service Board, to deliver a financial inclusion and anti-poverty project across Conwy and Denbighshire.

Some of the successes from last year include:

• £10.8m in confirmed State Benefit and Tax Credit gains, a 31% increase on last year and a record high since Denbighshire County Council started in 1996.

• 246 people have been represented at appeal tribunals with a 66% success rate, mainly overturning decisions to disentitled people from Employment and Support Allowance.

• Lifting 567  children  and  997 adults above the UK and Welsh Government's 60% median income poverty lines, in total this is a 52% increase on last year and a record high.

• Raising 419 households out of fuel poverty, a 68% increase on last year and a record high.

• CAB resolved £18m of personal debt for 1761 people,  a 5% increase on last year.

Richard Jones Abbas, Denbighshire’s Welfare Rights Manager, said: “We are delighted that the Welsh Government has recognised the tremendous amount of good work going on in Denbighshire to reduce poverty and to make sure people know what they are entitled to claim.

“In this current economic climate, it is vital that people have access to lots of advice and information of where there are funds available and how to access them in times of need".

People wanting welfare rights advice can contact a number of organisations for information and support.

■ Denbighshire’s Welfare Rights team
Freephone 0800 169 6625
(Weekdays 10am -4pm)
■ Denbighshire CAB
01745 334568 or 814336.

AM calls for caravan park legislation

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood is calling for  proposed new holiday caravan park legislation to address concerns raised by the industry in North Wales.

 

Speaking in the Assembly Debate ‘Seeking the Assembly’s Agreement to Introduce a Member Proposed Bill on Holiday Caravan Park (Wales)’, Mr Isherwood called for the Bill to address the concerns of holiday park representatives in North Wales, deal with the problem of people living on holiday caravan parks all year around and protect caravan owners who are threatened with unfair eviction.

 

He said: “The industry states that, if inappropriately drafted, legislation would give rise to the increased cost and red-tape burden on an industry that is a mainstay of Welsh tourism, at a time of an extremely hard market. The industry wants to see abuses in holiday parks eradicated. However, it says that local authorities already have the powers to enforce.

 

"The industry says that the history of poor enforcement could be best addressed through giving local authorities a duty to enforce. However, the issues that are highlighted by the Bill’s proposal address the planning and site licensing of a park business, and, since the position for each park will be different in both these respects, they say that it is essential that enforcement is addressed on a case-by-case basis.”

 

Mr Isherwood asked for the Bill to tackle the problem of caravan owners living on sites all year around by calling on local authorities to make checks to ascertain that a site licence applicant is not seeking to circumvent the home park legislation by applying to license a home park site as a holiday site.

 

“The terms of Tree Tops caravan park state that the park is not a residential caravan park, and that neither Flintshire County Council, nor the park directors will allow customers to make their mobile holiday home their permanent home. This means that you will need to be able to prove that you are using your caravan holiday home within the terms of the park licence."

 

He also called for the new legislation to be designed to help caravan owners who are unfairly evicted, stating that caravan owners had complained that park owners used terms and conditions that allowed park owners to treat them arbitrarily. The Assembly agreed that the Bill's proposer, Welsh Conservative AM for Clwyd West, Darren Millar, could introduce a Bill on Holiday Caravan Parks in Wales.

 

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Musical theatre workshops to be staged in Llan

Professional dance tutor Julie Thomas is staging a two-day musical theatre workshop for children at Llangollen Town Hall during the school summer holidays on July 23 and 24.

Entitled Matilda, the workshops, which run from 10am-4pm each day, take as their theme the popular Roald Dahl book of that name. Cost is £38.

For more details, ring 07944 402474, or 07814 661165.

Shuttle bus idea aired at council meeting

A call for a shuttle bus to serve various parts of the town was made at Llangollen Town Council meeting on Tuesday night.

Town Clerk Gareth Thomas had told members he had received a number of requests from members of the public for the number 64 bus to be re-routed to take in the Maesmawr area.

Cllr Sheena Burrell said: “I think that’s a good idea because we have a bus which already takes in Pengwern, so why not other areas?

“I think it would be wonderful if we could have a shuttle bus service going round all parts of Llangollen, perhaps running once an hour.”

Cllr Phil Thane said it would be a good idea to contact the bus company to ask if they could station a small bus locally to run a service from the town centre to various estates.

Members agreed with a suggestion from the Town Clerk that a representative from the bus company be invited to attend a future council meeting to discuss various aspects of the local service.

X-Files release sheds new light on local UFO mystery

* Llandrillo where the alleged UFO incident took place in 1974.

 

The release yesterday (Friday) of official Ministry of Defence documents dealing with alleged UFO sightings has thrown fresh light on an a famous incident which took place not too far from Llangollen almost 40 years ago.

The documents, until now subject to government secrecy, have been published on the National Archives website. 

The incident, near Llandrillo between Corwen and Bala, took place on the evening of January 23, 1974, and is said by some to be an “extremely compelling UFO event”. 

According to UFO writer Billy Booth, it began many of the residents of the village heard an extremely loud noise.  

In an account published on the website About.com, he says: “Most of the citizens thought that an explosion had occurred - possibly a plane crash.  

“Those who ventured outside on this cold night were astonished to see blue and orange lights near the Cader Bronwen mountain. 

“There would be many eyewitness accounts of what was seen. The press immediately investigated the occurrence, and interviewed those close to the scene of the lights on the mountain. The first newspaper accounts made this statement: "There was a huge explosion a few minutes after 8:30 PM. From various accounts, this preceded, some say, by up to two or three minutes, a violent shaking of the ground, like a medium-sized earthquake-objects inside houses were knocked off shelves."

“Local police would arrive at the scene first, soon followed by the Royal Air Force. The area in and around the crash site was zoned off, with no one allowed to enter. A search and rescue effort would be ongoing for several days, with no information being related to interested bystanders or press personnel.

“An employee of a hotel in nearby Bala would come forward with a very interesting story. He stated that a group of men had checked into the hotel, and stayed during the search of the mountains.

“They did admit that they were involved in the mission, but could not talk about what they had seen or found at the site.

“Another account was given by a nurse who lived in Llanderfel, also close to the scene of the crash. Local police had asked for the assistance of the nurse at the crash site. She was told a plane had gone down in the area. 

“Being rushed to the scene, and not being able to get a sitter for her teenage daughters, she was forced to take them along. Driving on B4391, at 10:00 PM, the road was deserted. As she reached the foot of the mountain chain, she was shocked at what she saw... a glowing UFO.  

“She and her daughters would later relate their story to the press. They saw a UFO, which was almost intact. It was a large, circular object, and glowed an orange color.  

“They were within a couple of hundred yards of the object, and were certain of what they saw. They also saw emergency personnel, local police and military, close to the object. The nurse was instructed to immediately leave the area. She told the authorities that she was ordered to the site, but was quickly escorted from the area. 

“For several days, all roads leading to the crash area were closed to everyone but authorized personnel. The nurse was told by local shepherds that they were not allowed to tend their flocks during the operation at the mountain.

“Most of the citizens that lived near the area of the mountain crash were convinced by what they saw that a military cover-up was being conducted.

“It is still a mystery as what exactly happened on January 23, 1974 near the Berwyn Mountains of Wales.”

According to a story in the Daily Post on Friday (http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-ufo-files-really-4694422) the Ministry of Defence UFO files just released include a request from a film and TV company to the ministry to answer claims it was a spacecraft that crashed with the military removing the wreckage and two aliens, who later died, being taken to the Porton Down research centre.

The MoD is said to have turned down the company’s request.

See the MoD files at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/news/850.htm

See article by Billy Booth at: http://ufos.about.com/od/bestufocrashcases/p/wales1974.htm