North Wales gears up for top cycling event

North Wales is gearing itself to welcome one of the most prestigious and high profile events in the cycling calendar to the region for the very first time.
   
Stage Four of the Tour of Britain| will begin in Stoke on Trent on Wednesday, 18th September before heading through Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Conwy before reaching the finishing line of the stage in Llanberis, Gwynedd.
   
Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, Chair of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, said:  "We are delighted to be welcoming the Tour of Britain for the very first time to our region.  This is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase North Wales as a destination, not only for cyclists but also visitors and indeed our own residents.
   
"The stage will take in some of the most breath-taking scenery in the UK, providing cyclists with plenty of challenges, but also providing visitors will views of stunning countryside, mountains and our historic towns and villages that all add up to a unique North Wales experience.
   
"North Wales is fast earning a name for itself as a destination to host major events.  There are plenty of opportunities for cycling, as we are blessed as a region with having plenty of forestry, countryside and cycle routes to attract all kinds of cyclists of all levels.  We really hope this event will put the spotlight firmly on North Wales and that the success will attract other great events to our region in future.
   
"A lot of planning is underway involving all six North Wales councils and we will be providing information over the coming few weeks on how the public can show their support on the day. It is vital that we make a fantastic impression on the event organisers and hope the residents of North Wales will come out in their droves to support this prestigious event."

Plans for major outdoor sports festival unveiled

PLANS to stage the UK’s first outdoor multi-sport festival in Llangollen have been unveiled by organisers.

Chester-based registered charity River Legacy, which provides funding, facilities and support for paddle sports in England and Wales, will host the event called FLO – Festival Llangollen Outdoor Sports – in the town from November 15-17 this year.

Centred on Llangollen International Pavilion, the event aims to bring together what River Legacy describes as “the highest concentration of talented, outdoor specialists from across North Wales, providing a range of activities in order to provide a fun and exciting weekend festival”.

The charity says it will feature activities from running to climbing, swimming to boating, zip-wiring to cooking and have “something for everyone”.

Plans for FLO were outlined by River Legacy representative Steve Wales to members of Llangollen Chamber of Trade and Tourism at their meeting in the Hand Hotel on Monday evening.

He said: “This will be a festival for all outdoor sports. There is a  phenomenal amount of talent in this town and the region in sports such as biking and climbing and we want to bring all that together.

“The idea is also to bring business into the town. We will have a campsite but we are also doing what we can to bring people into the town – we really want the whole town to benefit.”

Mr Wales stressed the event was still in the planning stage and said more information was available on a special website set up for the event at www.flo-llangollen.com

This describes how the International Pavilion will be the hub of the event and will host a range of ‘come and try’ activities, including kayaking, climbing and a zip-wire.

There will be the opportunity to try mountain-biking on an artificial track, and Canoe Wales will be providing equipment for people to try out a triathlon.

According to the website, food and drink and live bands will be providing entertainment all day along with films and lectures.

From the pavilion Canadian open boat tours will be run down the canal and there will also be walking and biking tours.

At other locations there will be activities including tubing and rafting, caving, climbing and orienteering.

Mr Wales told the chamber there would be many family-friendly activities, including den building, nature trails, learning how to cook, shelter building and fire making.

He said tickets for the festival will range from £5 for a day zone pass to £55 entitling a family of four to take part in all the activities.

He added: “Our target is to bring 1,000 people into the town over that weekend. We also want it to become an annual event.”

Denbighshire "best performing in Wales" for third year

Denbighshire County Council is the highest performing council in Wales for the third year running, according to information released by the Local Government Data Unit.

All councils reported against 30 national indicators and  Denbighshire performed in the top half of councils for more indicators  than any other authority (22 out of the 30).  

Denbighshire performed in the top quarter of councils for more indicators than any other council (17 out of 30).

Itl also performed in the bottom quarter of councils for fewer  indicators  than anyone else (4 out of the 30)

Denbighshire was the best performing council in Wales  on issues such as preventing homelessness and recycling.

Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, Leader of Denbighshire, said: "The findings clearly show that Denbighshire continues to perform extremely well, despite the challenges it faces in the current economic climate. We want to make sure that vital services are protected and are delivered to the best of our ability and today's news shows clearly we are on the right path.

"We have clear priorities here in Denbighshire and putting the customer at the heart of what we do is key.  Our aim is to work to provide even better services in future and work by working with community groups and partnership organisations to enhance the quality of life for residents".

Dr Mohammed Mehmet, Chief Executive of Denbighshire, said: "I would like to commend staff and councillors for working together to provide the best service for the people of Denbighshire. We are part of a forward thinking organisation that aims to provide the best service it can possibly offer.

"Indicators like these form only a small part of the picture. What's really important is the quality of service that residents receive from the Council."

Super-jail to be built in Wrexham

The BBC and other media are reporting today that the location for north Wales' new 2,000-inmate super-prison has been announced by the Ministry of Justice.

The £250m jail will be built on the Welsh government-owned former Firestone site on the Wrexham Industrial Estate, creating 1,000 jobs.

See the BBC story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-23957373

CLWYD SOUTH AM KEN SKATES says confirmation a new ‘super-prison’ will be built in Wrexham will provide a huge boost to the region’s economy.

 

The Ministry of Justice confirmed today (Wednesday, September 4) that the £250m jail – which will house 2,000 inmates – will be on Welsh Government-owned former Firestone site on the Wrexham Industrial Estate.

 

Two sites were shortlisted for the new prison, which should be built by 2017, but the owners of the rival Kingsmoor Park plot last week said it was out of the running.

 

Labour AM Mr Skates believes there were ‘compelling’ reasons to site a prison in North Wales, which consultants believe could be worth up to £23m to the local economy.

 

He said: “Our region does not currently have any facilities to house local prisoners and my constituents in Clwyd South who have family in prison currently have to travel a long way to HMP Altcourse in Liverpool to visit them.

 

“Importantly, I feel this could help reduce crime rates in North Wales as the odds of re-offending are 39% higher for prisoners who do not receive regular visits.”

 

Mr Skates is also hopeful many of his Clwyd South constituents will be able to secure work thanks to the project, which is expected to create about 1,000 jobs.

 

He added: “While not everybody is supportive of the prison being built here in North Wales, the potential economic benefits to the region are obvious. As well as a much-needed jobs boost, the building of the biggest jail in Britain will present huge opportunities for local businesses and provide millions of pounds worth of construction work.”

* The Welsh Conservatives' Shadow Minister for North Wales Mark Isherwood AM, said: “The announcement of a new prison for North Wales has served as a huge boost for the region and I welcome news of its chosen site, which I have supported since the aborted proposals for a new North Wales prison under the previous Labour UK Government.

 

“This is an enormously significant project, injecting jobs, confidence and investment.

 

“Its announcement was a huge lift for North Wales and a further sign of the Conservative-led UK Government’s commitment to the Welsh economy.” 

Store managers give success stories to chamber

The managers of two of the newer Llangollen stores have given positive accounts of how their businesses have fared since opening in the town centre.

The success stories were revealed by Steve Jones of Stans on the A5 and Rhian Roscoe of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill to members of the Chamber of Trade and Commerce at their monthly meeting held in the Hand Hotel on Monday evening.

Mr Jones said Stans had opened its store and petrol station on a purpose-built site 18 months ago and had immediately enjoyed a warm welcome.

He told the chamber: “Llangollen is a really special town and we hope the public feels we have helped and contributed to it.”

Part of the success story, he said, was the recent transfer to his store from nearby Castle Street of the Post Office , along with three to four of its staff.

They had now become part of a team of 24 full and part-time staff at Stans, all of whom are local people.

He said the shop prided itself on using a dozen local suppliers, providing home-made lines such as Welsh cakes and sandwiches.

Mr Jones also spoke of the success of the petrol station, explaining: “It has eight pumps which are constantly in operation.

“The amount of traffic on the A5, particularly at this time of the year, is phenomenal.”

A chamber member asked him if the store had lived up to expectations, to which he replied: “The directors are very pleased.”

Asked if Stans viewed the proposed opening of a new Sainsbury’s store just a little further along the A5 as a challenge, he said: “Yes, we see it as a challenge.

“Personally, I don’t think the town needs it but we have been well supported since we opened and I hope we always will be.”

Rhian Roscoe, manager of Edinburgh Woollen Mill, told the chamber: “We have been open for three months now and have had excellent feedback. I can’t say how welcoming the town has been to us.”

Ms Roscoe explained how the store had won favour from both local people and an increasing number of tourists, some of had come from as far away as China, Canada and Australia.

Also pointing out that all of the workforce was local, she said: “If we can keep Llangollen as full of shops as it is at the moment I think our success story will continue.”

One of her aims, she said, was to try to attract more coach parties to the store, which chamber members supported on the basis that this would be good for all the businesses in the town.

Asked by a member if the store would continue to trade throughout the week, Ms Roscoe replied: “At the moment we will carry on trading seven days a week and I don’t think we’ll be closing on Sundays.”

Chamber chairman David Davies said: “We must make sure that when Sainsbury’s do come – and we hear that this will be in the middle of 2015 – we have a viable, strong chamber to fight them on all fronts.”

Fringe premieres its new film this Friday

Llangollen Fringe 2013 Film Premiere is being held at the White Waters Hotel on Friday 6th September. 

It has been directed and produced by professional film-maker Mal Molloy, who lives in Llangollen, and it gives a comprehensive picture of the eleven-day festival held in July each year.

The film will be posted on Youtube and also available on DVD.

If you are a supporter of the Fringe and you would like to attend the event, then please email the organisers. contact@llangollenfringe.co.uk

Vodafone makes statement on Llan mobile coverage

Vodafone has admitted that its mobile phone signal in the Llangollen area is “limited” but doesn’t appear to have any specific plans at the moment to make it any more reliable.

At its meeting on Monday evening, Llangollen Chamber of Trade and Tourism again discussed complaints from many local users about the strength of the signal, which means quite a few have switched to other phone providers.

This was contrasted with news from earlier in the day that Vodafone has sold its 45% stake in Verizon Wireless for £84 billion in one of the biggest deals in corporate history.
 

Chamber secretary Ian Parry said that, in the past, he had tried to raise Llangollen phone coverage with the company but had received no response.

Llanblogger asked Vodafone for a statement on the situation and a company spokesman person said: “Vodafone coverage in Llangollen is limited. 

“I can’t give you any detailed plans for this area but across the UK we are investing more than £2.5 million every day in our network. 

“Our commitment it to provide 3G coverage to 98% of the population by the end of 2015. 

“Meanwhile, Vodafone customers with a broadband connection might find our Sure Signal device useful – it will create 3G coverage to homes where there is currently little or no signal.”

Ian Parry commented: “These days when everyone has got to rely heavily on their smartphones it is important that visitors to Llangollen do not feel restricted because of poor reception and may not want to return here as a result.

“Certainly no local people will be rushing to set up contracts with Vodafone.

“Denbighshire county council employees use Vodafone and therefore suffer from communication problems when in this area.

“So the sooner Vodafone can improve coverage in this area it will benefit Llangollen.”