Corwen's big hydro-electric boost

Neighbouring Corwen could be one of the first towns in Wales with its own hydro-electric power scheme which could earn half a million pounds for the local community.

Ambitious plans developed alongside a £2.1 million Denbighshire County Council scheme to
alleviate flooding problems in the town will be unveiled at a public meeting on Thursday,
September 12th, when details of the £300,000 project will be available.

The electricity would be generated by water from a reservoir above the town and could earn Corwen £40,000 a year – with more than half that money going to the local community over a 20-year period.

It is the brainchild of rural regeneration agency Cadwyn Clwyd who have worked with
Denbighshire County Council and the Rhug Estate to develop the plans. They hope that one of the products of the meeting will be the formation of a board to run a not-for-profit company to run the scheme and organise its finance.

Silas Jones, Cadwyn Clwyd's Energy Officer, said: "We have carried out a feasibility study and it
shows that the Nant y Pigyn scheme could generate 170,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year, enough to power over 30 homes.

"We have worked closed with Denbighshire Council who have a project to prevent persistent
flooding caused by a culvert that runs under buildings through the town. They have encouraged us to develop the hydro power plan and the two will run side by side, with the flood defence scheme benefiting the hydro scheme.

"We are looking to use the water that drains down the Nant Cwrddu and Nant y Pigyn streams from the reservoir to power a generator in the town and at the same time it would prevent the Nant Cwrddu stream, which passes through a culvert under the Owain Glyndwr Hotel, from flooding after heavy rain."

The costs of the study and the meeting have been paid for by Cadwyn Clwyd through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) through the Welsh Government's Rural Development Plan, part of a three-year plan to revitalise rural communities and their economies, and by the County Council and the Rhug Estate.

Water from the Nant y Pigyn stream 500 feet above the town and flowing at 45 litres a second will power a 55 kilowatt generator housed in a purpose-built building in the town and connected to the National Grid.

It is intended to finance the £300,000 scheme through investors, who would be eligible for an annual dividend, decided by the locally-based board and through loans. Once the loans had been paid off, the cash raised through the Government's electricity feed-in tariffs would provide
a guaranteed income for 20 years.

Denbighshire County Councillor Huw Jones, from Corwen, Cabinet Member for Tourism, Youth and Leisure, and a member of the Cadwyn Clwyd Board, said: "I'm very positive about the hydro scheme and there is a lot of interest in it in the town.

"The flood alleviation scheme is taking place and that makes the hydro project possible and if we can get local people and local organisations involved then it can be a real boost to Corwen for years to come and provide a regular income to benefit the area."

Silas Jones added: "We are looking for a board with the right skills to run this scheme, and for shareholders, and they will decide how the project will be run, the structure of the company, the cost of shares and how many will be made available.

"The community share offer is expected to be priced at £100 to £150 a share with one member one vote, no matter how many shares anyone holds and we have already had expressions of interest in it.

"We need a range of expertise and experience, financial, legal, energy-generating and engineering, and it really is a very exciting idea which could benefit Corwen for many years to come.

"Successful similar community schemes run elsewhere in Wales, notably in the Brecon Beacons through the Green Valleys organisation but this is the first in North East Wales and one of the first in a town."

A public meeting will be held at the Corwen Sports Pavilion on Thursday, September 12th, at 6.45pm to gauge interest in the hydro scheme with a view to forming a company to run it.

For more information on Cadwyn Clwyd's green energy projects ring 01824 705802 or e-mail
silas.jones@cadwynclwyd.co.uk This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

AM questions ambulance response times

Latest figures for emergency ambulance response times in North Wales show a huge variation between council areas and this is being questioned by Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Aled Roberts.

 

“The Welsh Government has commissioned 9 reports into the overall poor performance of the ambulance service in Wales which has by far the worst record in mainland UK,” commented Aled Roberts. 

 

“But the overall figures hide large variations which suggest that some parts of North Wales are much better organized than others.

 

“Wrexham comes out top not just in the North but throughout Wales with a figure of 73.7% for emergency calls attended within the target time of 8 minutes during July. However, the figure for Anglesey is 48.9% which is by far the lowest in North Wales followed by Flintshire on 56.8% and Gwynedd on 57%. These are all below the UK target of 65%, whereas Conwy on 70.5% is well above and Denbighshire is just above on 66.2%

 

"Overall there are clearly problems Wales-wide which were thoroughly investigated in Professor McClelland’s recommendations which were published in April of this year. But these latest figures indicate that the differences cannot be explained away by issues of rurality. There have been major improvements in Scotland in recent years and yet in Wales the Welsh Government and management at the LHBs appear unable to improve the service. I am writing to the Director of the Ambulance Service in North Wales demanding that more be done to ensure that good practice is shared across the region.

 

"Poor ambulance response times are nothing new and yet the Welsh Government does not appear to be doing anything about it. Recommendations from the McClelland Report published in April have still not been acted upon. The report clearly indicates that there is an urgent need to tackle these issues regardless of any long term decisions on the future structure of the ambulance service. When the Assembly reconvenes next month I will be questioning the Health Minister, Mark Drakeford as to what action is to be taken to improve the situation in North Wales in the meantime.”

 

The raw statistics can be found here:

 

https://statswales.wales.gov.uk/Catalogue/Health-and-Social-Care/NHS-Performance/Ambulance-Services/AmbulanceCallsAndEmergencyResponses-by-Area-CategoryOfCall

Temporary closure of Corwen swimming pool

Users of the swimming pool at Corwen's Leisure Centre are being informed that the pool will be closed on Thursday and Friday (5 and 6 September), due to planned essential maintenance work.

The swimming pool will re-open as normal on Saturday, 7 September.

Denbighshire Leisure Services would like to thank pool users for their co-operation.

Police appeal for witnesses after indecent assault on woman

Police are appealing for information after a woman was indecently assaulted in Ruabon.

 

The incident happened at around 4.05pm on Tuesday August 27 on New Hall Road when the victim, who was at the junction Black Brook Drive and the footpath which leads across the A483, became aware of a man on her right who indecently assaulted her and walked on towards Ruabon.

 

He was seen entering the Gower estate at the roundabout junction.

 

The victim, in her late teens, was not hurt during the incident.

 

The offender is described as white, between 30 and 45 years old, about 5'9'' tall, slim to medium build with blue eyes and dark grey spikey hair. The gelled spikes appeared vertical over the top of his head.

 

He was wearing a white t-shirt and dark blue jeans.

 

Anyone with information is asked to call North Wales Police on 101.

Local MP welcomes Commons vote on Syria

Clywd South MP Susan Elan Jones has warmly welcomed last night’s House of Commons vote that Britain should not enter military conflict in Syria.

 

Ms Jones, who is a Labour whip and who voted against David Cameron’s proposal, said: ‘The House of Commons rightly stopped the Government in its dangerous tracks in a way that has not happened since the Suez Crisis in 1956.

 

"People do not want war. The international community must deal firmly with the issue of Syria and chemical weapons but David Cameron’s plans would have made things much worse.

 

"I am delighted that the House of Commons and the Labour Party had the guts to do the right thing on this and to allow the common sense views of most British people to be heard."

 

AM's concern over Minister's statement on stations access

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has expressed concern about the “limited” response provided to him by the Transport Minister on improvements to disabled access at Chirk and Ruabon railway stations, despite her predecessor having detailed direct Welsh Government engagement.

Mr Isherwood, who is  Co-Chair of the Assembly Cross Party Group on Disability, wrote to the Minister, Edwina Hart, at the beginning of the month asking what plans the Welsh Government has to improve disabled access at Chirk and Ruabon railway stations and when this will happen.

After receiving an initial response from her stating only that “rail infrastructure matters are not devolved”, Mr Isherwood wrote again requesting further detail  in the context of a 2011 statement by her predecessor Carl Sargeant AM.

Mr Isherwood has now received her subsequent reply, in which she simply states that “under the UK Government National Programme, there is a scheme to improve access at Chirk Station. These improvement works are due for completion in 2014. At Ruabon Station, improvements can be considered should further funding become available from the UK Government.”  

In contrast her predecessor’s December 2011 Statement when Chirk, and four other stations (Llandaf, Machynlleth, Radyr and Ystrad Mynach) were awarded funding from the UK Government included: “The  (Welsh Government) Department For Transport will fund 50% of the costs of this programme at those stations and my officials are currently finalising funding details with each relevant regional transport consortia, which will fund the remaining 50% of costs over the lifetime of these projects.

“Improving accessibility at railway stations in Wales is a key priority for the Welsh Government , and will allow more passengers to use the rail network. Although this is a non devolved area, we have funded station improvements from our own budget, where we have resource available and believe this is the right thing to do.”

 

Mr Isherwood said:  “The current Minister has established a track record for downgrading commitments to transport infrastructure in North Wales and her reply is simply not good enough. The people of our region must not be disabled by her apparent low level of interest in their needs and deserve a proper update to the matters detailed in her predecessor’s statement.

 “It is totally unacceptable that the Transport Minister is so dismissive of the situation.  Disabled rail users should have the same access to travel as every other rail user and I will continue pressing the Minister until they do.”  

Llangollen lands coveted Cittaslow status

* The Mayor of Llangollen, Cllr Robert Lube, accepts

Cittaslow accreditation from  representatives of the

organisation in Mold Andrea Mearns, left, and Sarah Pratt.

Bid group members celebrate the achievement in the background.

 

LLANGOLLEN has just officially become part of a select worldwide community dedicated to safeguarding precious resources.   

The town’s year-long bid to become part of the international Cittaslow movement, which fosters economic, social and environmental sustainability, was rewarded this week when it was formally granted accreditation by the organisation. 

Bosses of the Denbighshire tourist mecca say this will now bring a range of benefits, including reassuring potential visitors and investors that it is well run and progressive, and unlocking funds from central government and the EU to help finance local initiatives.  

Llangollen has become only the second Cittaslow town in Wales after Mold, and is only the sixth in the UK. 

Mold is said to have benefited enormously from holding the status. 

Cittaslow grew from the Slow Food Movement, another international scheme which links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment by promoting local, seasonal produce and reconnecting people with where their food comes from.

The name Cittaslow is derived from the Italian word for city or town and is pronounced almost like 'cheetah'. Slow is English. 

Under the umbrella of the town council, Llangollen set up a working group dedicated to winning Cittaslow status. 

The group’s 14 members, including councillors and non-councillors, have spent the past year putting together a formal bid package which demonstrated every aspect of the town’s suitability for accreditation, including the strength of its local produce and products and its hospitality and community assets. 

The bid was showcased by group members to two Cittaslow representatives from Mold during a presentation held in the town hall on Wednesday evening. 

At the end of it, Mold town councillor Andrea Mearns told them: “This is a very sound application and we’ll be recommending you are accepted as a Cittaslow town. 

“You have done very well and have produced a good body of evidence to support your application. You will be welcomed into the Cittaslow network.” 

She went on to explain that each of the UK’s six Cittaslow towns has a place on the national board which is one of 23 representing countries across the world. 

Businesses in Llangollen will now be entitled to carry the official Cittaslow logo on their websites and Llangollen Town Council is investigating the possibility of flying a Cittaslow flag over the town hall. 

Members of the bid group are currently working on plans to spread the word locally about the benefits Cittaslow membership. 

Spokesman and town councillor Phil Thane said: “We are delighted to have won accreditation  which is a tribute to the hard work put in by the bid group and of our town clerk Gareth Thomas. 

“There are two major reasons for becoming a Cittaslow town. 

“Firstly, it provides a set of well recognised goals that serve to keep the town council and Denbighshire County Council up to scratch. 

“Also, when the council or a voluntary body in Llangollen applies for a grant from Cardiff, London or Brussels being a Cittaslow town shows that we are well organised and run and should help us bring more investment into the town. 

“One of our main aims is to involve as many people as possible in Cittaslow Llangollen, which is why we've set up a website to show you what we're doing at www.cittaslow.llangollentowncouncil.co.uk. We are also on Facebook and Twitter.”

* llanblogger is proud to have been part of the successful bid group.

Llyr Gruffydd, North Wales regional AM for Plaid Cymru, said: “I’m delighted that Llangollen has joined Mold as one of the Cittaslow towns – a third of all the UK’s Cittaslow towns are in North Wales [2 out of 6].

 

“Mold has worked hard to gain a reputation as a food town and I’m sure this new status will also help Llangollen’s food producers and outlets to benefit. We should be justifiably proud that our food and drink is of such high quality. The challenge now is to create the outlets for those products to be sold throughout the region.”