Queen's Baton relay heads for county

The countdown has begun ahead of the Queen's Baton Relay's visit to Denbighshire later this month - with last minute arrangements being put in place to numerous events arranged to mark this historic occasion.

The Baton is visiting a handful of counties in Wales as part of its journey to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer, with Denbighshire having the honour of being the final leg of the Baton's journey in Wales.

Residents and visitors to Denbighshire are encouraged to support the Baton's visit and to attend events being held in Rhyl, Ruthin, Moel Famau and the final event at Coed Llandegla (Oneplanet Adventure site).

The baton relay routes and associated events are:

Rhyl Harbour  (9am-4pm)
The baton is welcomed into Denbighshire during the official opening of Rhyl Harbour.  At the beginning of the event, families will be able to enjoy a festival of colour and activities, including face painting, a treasure trail, bouncy castle, food, demonstrations from rescue services, kite surfing, watersports on Marine Lake and so much more.  For further details visit www.loverhyl.co.uk .  The baton  will be present between 9am and 9.30am.


Rhyl Harbour to marsh tracks baton relay (9.30am-10.00am)
Eight local baton bearers, Sioned Terry, Michael Kitchin, Nathan Montgomery, Callum Perrin, Jamie Turley, James Morgan, Tracey Jones and Gerallt Allen will carry the baton between the two Rhyl events. Starting from the harbour at 9.30am, around Marine Lake to promote water sport activities, over the railway footbridge and along the countryside services path at Glan Morfa and into the Marsh tracks cycling centre on Marsh Road.

Marsh Tracks, Rhyl,  (10am-4pm) Free BMX and Road cycling bike hire and coaching, mountain bike track open as usual. Street games activities such as  football, rugby, ultimate frisbee, athletics, dance and more! Test your power against Team GB cyclists scores on the watt bikes leader board and recuperate with FREE drinks supplied by Asda (until stocks last) and food available to buy on- site from the taste academy, Rhyl. The baton will be there between 10am and 11am.


Moel Famau (12 noon – 4pm) The baton arrives on horseback, walking groups will relay the baton to the peak of Moel Famau, come and join in and see the views across the Clwydian Range whilst listening to a live band performance at the summit too! Fell runners will take the baton back down. The baton will be there between 1pm and 3pm.


Ruthin Family FUN day, Cae Ddol and The Centre, LL15 1LE (12-5pm) An afternoon on activities for the whole family. Come down to Cae Ddol and join in and watch the battle of the bands, local sport fixtures, bouncy castles, face painting and sporting taster sessions from local clubs such as rugby league, netball, athletics, football, fun fitness boot camps, tennis, golf and bowls.  The baton will be there between 3.30pm and 4.30pm.


Coed Llandegla Forest (9am – 8pm), Oneplanet Adventure site Fun open day for mountain bike enthusiasts, all mountain bike tracks open as normal. Go-Race events organised by Welsh Cycling throughout the day, test your power against Team GB cyclists scores on the watt bikes leader board. Live music and entertainment from 6pm for the official baton handover event. The baton is there between  5pm and 6pm.

Jamie Groves, Denbighshire's Head of Communication, Marketing and Leisure, said: "We are really looking forward to a memorable day when the Baton finally arrives in the county. Events to mark the occasion have been months in the making and we are encouraging people to get out and support the Baton's visit.

"We hope the event will encourage people to consider getting involved in sports and activities and that it leaves a lasting legacy for people's health and well-being.

"This is a great opportunity to showcase Denbighshire as a county to host major events, as well as promoting Denbighshire's unique mix of coast, country and historic towns."

Story highlights government backing for new health centre

* An artist's impression of the planned new health centre.

The Daily Post is reporting today that the Welsh Government has approved the sale of the former River Lodge Hotel in Llangollen to the local health board as a site for a proposed health centre.

The story says: "The controversial hotel plot had originally been bought by the Welsh Government for £1.6m – above its market value – as part of a proposal to transform it into a martial arts centre.

But the present building – which is expected to be demolished – has been valued at just £500,000 to £600,000.

Almost a year ago, an inquiry by the Wales Audit Office concluded that the decisions to buy the former 25-bedroom River Lodge Hotel in Llangollen for £1.6m in 2007, and to enter into a lease agreement with an organisation known as Powys Fadog, were “flawed and did not represent good value for money”.

The proposal for a kung fu centre at the site finally collapsed in 2011 but a further £200,000 had to be spent maintaining the building between 2007-12.

Now economy minister Edwina Hart has approved the sale of River Lodge, Llangollen to Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which plans to demolish it and build a health centre, after Llangollen Community Hospital was closed last year.

The new centre is expected to open in 2015.

Paul Davies, Conservative shadow finance minister, said: “It’s no surprise that Labour quietly want to get rid of this aborted kung fu centre, which cost taxpayers nearly £2m for absolutely no benefit.

“The Wales Audit Office was scathing in its assessment of the unbelievable incompetence of Labour’s purchase of the hotel, which was beset by a major conflict of interest, a lack of risk assessment and no proper valuation.

“The Welsh Government’s earlier estimates suggested that the taxpayer would only get back between a third and a quarter of what the administration originally paid for the hotel.

“At a time when Labour Ministers are imposing record-breaking cuts on the Welsh NHS, evidenced by the recent closure of Llangollen’s community hospital, patients will be angry to see more evidence of millions of pounds thrown down the drain.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said that it had no comment to make on the River Lodge issue further to the confirmation of the sale decision on its website.

A figure of £5.5m had been touted for the new centre but no official cost was officially confirmed.

A Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board spokesperson said: “We look forward to progressing with the next stages of the new Primary Care Resource Centre project for Llangollen.

“The development is planned to provide a light, modern and spacious building to bring together a wide range of integrated services provided by the GP Practice, the Health Board, Denbighshire County Council Social Services and the voluntary sector, delivering as many services as close to patient’s homes as possible and allowing the ability to expand in the future. We are keen for this development to be completed in mid 2015.”

Seek help with energy bills urges AM

Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Aled Roberts is urging people in North Wales to take advantage of free help and support that could save them £140 on their energy bills.

British Gas has announced that their Warm Home Discount Scheme, which helps those in need with £140 towards their energy bills, opened for registration on 1st May.

The Warm Home Discount Scheme is a five-year scheme introduced by UK Government and delivered by the larger energy suppliers. It helps those in need with their winter energy costs by paying a credit onto the energy account of the qualifying account holder.

 

  To be eligible customers must:

Be receiving the Savings or Guarantee & Savings element of the State Pension Credit

Be receiving eligible Means Tested Benefits

Have a household income below £16,190 and have a disability or long term illness

  Or have a household income of below £16,190 and be spending more than 10% on fuel for adequate heating (usually 21 degrees for the main living area).

 

Consumers must apply each year to qualify for the payment, so British Gas is urging customers to get in contact to ensure they receive the Discount.

 

Aled Roberts AM said: “I want all my constituents to understand what help is available. There are a wide range of schemes and services to help people heat their homes. Anyone who’s worried about rising costs can – and should – contact their energy provider or a relevant charity to discuss the help available.”

 

Applications can be made by calling the British Gas Home Energy Care team (for credit meter customers) on 0800 072 8625 or our Here to Help team (for Pay as you Go customers) on 0800 294 8604. Alternatively, customers can apply online at www.britishgaswarmhomediscount.com.

 

Consumers who receive Pension Credit Guarantee or Pension Credit Guarantee and Savings, should automatically qualify for this year’s rebate of £140. The Department of Work and Pensions will send a letter to all those who qualify around September time, confirming their supplier will make the payment.                                                                                     

Latest roadworks bulletin

Latest local roadworks notified by Denbighshire County Council are:

A5, Regent Street, Llangollen, temporary traffic lights on May 14 to allow water works.

Outside Prince of Wales pub, Regent Street, Llangollen, temporary traffic lights from May 15-19 to allow water works.

Berwyn Road, Llangollen, temporary traffic lights from June 2-6 to allow retaining wall works.

A5, Regent Street, Llangollen, temporary traffic lights from June 9-13 to allow retaining wall works.

Casualty airlifted to hospital after A5 collision this afternoon

* The air ambulance takes off with the casualty aboard.

ONE casualty was flown to hospital by air ambulance following what appeared to be a serious collision on the A5 just outside Llangollen earlier this afternoon.

Emergency services dashed to the scene, close to the White Waters Hotel, just before 2pm.

The road was closed in both directions as firefighters appeared to be freeing the casualty.

A number of police cars and paramedic ambulances were also at the scene.

Around 2.15pm the casualty, attended by firefighters and paramedics, was wheeled to a nearby field where the red Wales Air Ambulance was waiting.

Ten minutes later the ambulance took off and headed out over the nearby Dee Valley.

Update from Daily Post just after 5.30pm:

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/a5-crash-man-airlifted-hospital-7103806

 

* Emergency services at the scene.

* Traffic backing up on the A5 after the road was temporarily closed.

Time to focus on food poverty, says Isherwood

NORTH Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has said it is time to focus on those in food poverty and to stop politicising the problem.  

 

Mr Isherwood raised the matter with the Minister for Poverty Communities and Tackling Poverty, Jeff Cuthbert AM, in the Assembly this week following a meeting with Trussell Trust, which works with churches and communities to open new foodbanks nationwide.

 

With over 420 foodbanks currently launched across the UK, including several across Wales their goal is for every town to have one.    

   

He said: “I had the pleasure of meeting the admirable Trussell Trust last week. The Trust told me that food banks are an expression of something that has been going on in the churches for ever, namely feeding the hungry, that food poverty has been with us for ever, and it asked that we all work together, putting aside whatever party political differences we may have, to focus on those in need.

 

“They told me that they will be putting this message to all parties and all agents. I pledged my support, and I urge you to do the same.”

 

In his response the Minister said he hopes to meet with Trussell Trust soon to discuss the extent of the problem in Wales, but insisted benefit reform is to blame for more people seeking help from food banks.   

 

Mr Isherwood added: “Given the Trussell Trust’s desire to engage with all spectrums of the political divide and to ensure that there is truly genuine dialogue in Wales, I’m disappointed by the response I received.

 

“In reality, 200,000 households across Wales are expected to be better off when Universal Credit changes have gone through by 2017. Under the last UK Labour Government, the numbers in poverty across the UK rose by nearly 400,000 and the numbers in severe poverty rose by nearly 800,000 – and more than five million people of working age lived in workless households.

 

“However, I genuinely hope that we can all put party bickering aside and heed Trussell Trust’s call.”

Film shows construction of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

On Twitter today, Wrexham Council is drawing attention to an amazing animated film by the People’s Collection Wales about the construction of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. It can be seen at:

http://www.peoplescollectionwales.co.uk/sites/default/files/item_videos/original/2014/May/Pontcysyllte%20-%20trimmed.mp4