Group formed to save Plas Madoc

A group of experts and community representatives has been formed to work on an urgent plan to save Plas Madoc Leisure Centre.

The team has been brought together following a meeting of campaigners, local councillors, third sector organisations, Wrexham Council officers and experts in energy conservation and social enterprises.

The meeting on Sunday to form a plan of action was called by Clwyd South AM Ken Skates and organised by Cefn Mawr councillor Derek Wright.

Labour AM Mr Skates said: “People are extremely anxious about the possible loss of Plas Madoc Leisure Centre because of the UK Government's austerity programme, but Sunday’s meeting has provided us with Plan B and an alternative to closure which I hope Wrexham Council will help us deliver.

“I am extremely grateful to those people who gave up their time to attend what was a last-minute event to look at alternative ownership models for Plas Madoc. I know many more people would have liked to attend and I will be seeking their views and assistance this week.

“We agreed to form an efficient working group and to tap into the required expertise needed for a viable business plan for the future of this popular facility. We will need time to develop the plan, but the desire, knowledge and energy needed to save the centre is definitely evident.

“I am keen to see the centre remain open while Plan B is developed and I hope everyone, regardless of their politics, will be able to come together in a constructive way as a matter of urgency. I also urge current service users to stay loyal to Plas Madoc while we invest time and effort in trying to protect it.”

Mr Skates added: “Above all, one message is clear. UK austerity and welfare reforms are devastating the country, so now more than ever before we need to stand up for our most vulnerable communities, otherwise they will crumble. That means we must be united and put all our energy into delivering solutions to impending public service cuts.

“By 2020, Wales will be getting 20% less from Westminster than we were getting at the start of the decade, so alternative ownership and operational models for council-run services need to be initiated right now.”

Redundancy story comments disputed

A community group is disputing comments reportedly made to media outlets by a local county councillor in stories about redundancies planned at Llangollen printworks Dobson & Crowther.

The company is due to move to a new factory to be built on nearby farmland at Cilmedw allowing Sainsbury’s to develop a new superstore on its current riverside site.

A turf-cutting ceremony due to be held at Cilmedw on Friday was cancelled. This was due to bad weather, according to developers J-Ross.

Separate stories appeared last Friday on the BBC website http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-26192993 and in the Daily Post http://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/llangollen-up-30-workers-face-6711941 about redundancies at the factory.

In the Daily Post story there was confirmation of a redundancy situation by Dobson & Crowther managing director Paul Holden.

In both stories Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies is reported to have blamed “the process caused by opposition to the development” for slowing the opening of the new factory.

But the comments have prompted criticism from community group Keep Llangollen Special (KLS) which opposed the superstore plan.

A statement from Martin Crumpton, chair of KLS, says: “Cllr Stuart Davies has blamed opposition to the plans for the downward fortunes of the printworks. By opposition, he specifically blames the Keep Llangollen Special community group.

“Neither we, nor any other opponents of the developments, have had any bearing on the state of the company’s business.

“Neither we nor any of the plans’ opponents have protracted the granting of planning permission in any way – no judicial reviews, no injunctions, only exercising our legitimate rights in objecting on behalf of the majority of Llangollen’s residents. Until Friday we were unaware the company’s prime customer was cancelling its contract.

“We saw the job cuts coming and warned him long ago and several times this would happen. We will not shoulder any further transfer of blame by the councillor and feel that the time has come for him to consider his position before the community is put at further risk.”

Cllr Davies told llanblogger he did not wish to respond to the KLS statement.

READER REACTION:

It seems perverse to blame the proposed redundancies at Dobson & Crowther on opposition to the Sainsbury’s superstore. Final planning was granted in December 2012, so why did the developers only start building the new factory in January 2014?  In any case, if the redundancies are the result of a lost contract, a new factory, or the lack of it, is a bit of red herring.

 

Gill Thomas

Linking memories – a bridge through time

A new project on the famous Chain Bridge at Llantysilio has begun. 

The bridge has gone through three reincarnations in its lifetime, the first dating back to 1817.

It is believed, through work carried out by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW), that it is possibly the oldest cast iron chain link bridge in the Western world.

Now, after its closure in the 1980s, a new project is underway which focuses on the historic bridge.

The £350,000 Heritage Lottery funded project will involve a series of events with local communities and schools. 

Samantha Jones, Heritage Officer for the project, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for the local area. I am keen for as many people as possible to be involved in the project. One way people can get involved is through helping us gather memories of the bridge and we are looking for volunteers to help us with this.”

On Friday, February 21, there will be a free training event which is open to everyone.

The event is being held at the Llangollen Town Hall running from 10.30am to 3.30pm.

The day will provide an opportunity to learn more about the project along with presentations by heritage experts who will speak about digital archiving, guide volunteers in the use of various recording kit and equipment along with helpful tips on interviewing techniques.

Volunteers will also have the chance to practice their interviewing skills with assistance from the experienced professionals. Speakers will include Helen Rowe and Nikki Vousden from RCAHMW; David Crane from the Llangollen Museum; and local heritage professional Lorna Jenner. 

If you are unable to attend this date but still want to get involved or have a story you want to share please contact the Chain Bridge team.

* For more information or to book your place please contact Samantha Jones at chainbridgeheritage@gmail.com or call 07936590867.

You can keep up to date on the project via Facebook, Twitter and our Wordpress site, www.chainbridgeproject.wordpress.com

Latest roadworks details

Hall Street, Llangollen, road closure from March 10-28 to allow the laying of road cables.

Brook Street, Llangollen, road closure from February 25-March 18 to allow laying of new cables.

Outside the Canoe Centre, Berwyn Road, Llangollen, temporary traffic lights from March 24-26 to allow water works.

Prince of Wales Pub, Regent Street, Llangollen, temporary traffic lights from March 24-26 to allow water works.

Birch Terrace, Llangollen, A5 from area boundary to Queen Street, temporary traffic lights from February 20-March 6 to allow retaining wall works.

Park Avenue- Hall Street, Berwyn Street, Llangollen, temporary traffic lights until March 14 to allow the laying of new cables.

Dee floods near Corwen

* A picture of the Dee flooding from North Wales Police control room.

The River Dee has burst its banks at Corwen.

On Twitter at about 9.30am, the North Wales Police control room says: “Flooding in Corwen. Green Lane only just passable with extreme care. Don't take risks, use an alternative route.”

Another tweet from the control room at around the same time says the flooding is near Carrog.

oReply

 

Research prompts call for Plas Madoc to be saved

New research revealing that poorer communities are less physically active has prompted calls for Wrexham Council to reverse its decision to close Plas Madoc leisure centre.

 

The research by the ESRC (Economic and Social research Council) says that being less physically active is storing up huge health-related problems for the future.

 

Researchers from the ESRC examined data on over one million adults in England. The large sample size and detailed local information made it possible to produce precise estimates of the link between physical inactivity and different aspects of individual socio-economic positions, adjusted for local cost of physical activity.

Their research shows high levels of inactivity are closely associated with people’s socio-economic position – specifically income, education and local area deprivation. Other factors influencing physical activity include gender, ethnic group, age and geographic area.

 

The policy implications refer to:

- Subsidising sports centres and swimming pools to keep prices low could enable low-income people to attend local facilities

- Financial support for the development of sports facilities in lower socio-economic areas with reduced tax bases could provide gyms, football pitches and pools which are free at the point of access.

Plaid Cymru Clwyd South spokesperson, Mabon ap Gwynfor said: “Plas Madoc is in one of the most deprived wards in Wales. This research shows that inactivity levels and deprivation levels are linked. Our Health system is already struggling. The closure of Plas Madoc is a short sighted decision which will create huge problems for the future.

“The ESRC is a respected research body and is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It says that swimming pools and sports centres should be kept open and financial support should be given to develop sports facilities.

“By contrast, Wrexham Council is actively closing a popular leisure centre based in one of our most deprived wards.

“Diabetes Type Two is on the increase; obesity levels are rising; heart disease continues to be the nation’s biggest killer. All of these cost our NHS tens of millions every year. Health costs could be cut if we provided more leisure facilities. Plas Madoc is ideally placed to play an important part in tackling these health issues and help ease the burden on our health service.”

Plas Madoc campaigners pledge to fight on

Organisers behind the Save Plas Madoc Leisure Centre Campaign have expressed their disappointment at Tuesday’s vote to close Plas Madoc but say they are resolute in continuing their campaign for its survival.

As the next step in they have announced a public meeting for next week, Thursday 20th February at the Air Products Social Club in Acrefair.

One of the Organisers, Greg Ogden, said: "Naturally, we are disappointed that the WCBC Executive Board chose to inflate their egos with an unnecessary dream over the well-being of the vulnerable and less-abled people in the community. However, we believe that we can persuade the council to change their minds and vote for the Leisure Centre to remain open."

"We are constantly being stopped in the street with people angry that Wrexham South is being abandoned by its council and politicians. The vote for closure is the only topic of conversation in the local shops and cafés. These same people are telling us that they will remember which councillors have neglected them at the next ballot box. We have promised them that we record and publish how each councillor votes.

"One local resident told me, 'What is the council for, if they won't listen to what the public want for their area? What is the point of the council, if it closes our valued services and amenities?' The campaign team wholeheartedly agrees with this sentiment, what is purpose of the council, if it won't fulfill the wishes of its residents?"

Another campaign organiser Darrell Wright, said: "We are inviting all those concerned with the plight of Plas Madoc to meet next Thursday. Together we will plan how we can secure the future of the Leisure Centre and how the campaign will be run over the next few weeks. We encourage everyone who can make it to be there.

"In the meantime, we urge everyone to contact their local councillor and demand that they vote to save Plas Madoc at the full council meeting on February 26."

In the next few days, the campaign team will meet with AM Ken Skates and Cllr Paul Blackwell to tell them how angry their voters are with the council's decision.

The team is also discussing professional advice they have had which they say states that the social enterprise/community trust initiative is being set up to fail, as the council is "dragging their heals" over presenting information that was first requested in October.