Wiggle Etape Cymru to wheel through Llan

The Wiggle Etape Cymru closed road cycling race is returning to North East Wales, with Denbighshire and Wrexham Councils working closely with event organisers Human Race to deliver a successful event in the cycling calendar. 

This is the fourth year for this award-winning race to take to the region's roads and the 85 mile route takes in the stunning scenery of Wrexham county and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

The event will take place on Sunday, 14 September and will be a closed road event. The route is broadly the same as the 2013 event, however some changes have been made this year to reduce the impact on certain areas, these changes mean that there will now be people affected who were not last year as they were not previously on the route.

The event starts (and finishes) at the Bangor on Dee Racecourse before heading through or near Eyton, Crabtree Green, Ruabon, Acrefair, Llangollen, Horseshoe Pass, Bryneglwys, Carrog, Pentre-Celyn, Graigfechan, Llanarmon yn Iâl before heading back into Wrexham county and through/near Minera, Penycae Rhosllanerchrugog, Marchwiel, and Cross Lanes.

The official map can be found on the residents tab at: www.humanrace.co.uk/events/cycling/etape-cymru, together with times and other useful information. The answers to various FAQ’s can also be found here.

The majority of the region's A roads will remain open. However, there will be traffic management along any stretches of the route which crosses any 'A' roads. 

Councillor Huw Jones, Denbighshire's Cabinet Lead Member for Leisure, said: "This event is fast earning a reputation as a prestigious event in the cycling calendar, with increasing number of participants making their way to North East Wales to compete in the race. 

"We have some of the most breath-taking scenery as a backdrop and some great hills to provide a great challenge to the cyclists. This is a great opportunity for cyclists, as well as supporters to take advantage of the race to explore North East Wales and see what's on offer."

This year the event will also welcome ex Welsh rugby captain and legend Gareth Thomas on board as the ambassador for the ride. Gareth will be riding to support one of the official charities of the event, Macmillan Cancer Support. Many riders will also be supporting the local charity Nightingale House Hospice, who will also be benefiting through providing a number of paid for volunteers to support the running of the event and cheer on the thousands of cyclists.

If you’d like to join Gareth, along with hundreds of other Wrexham and Denbighshire residents who are set to take part on Sunday 14 September, then please sign up at www.humanrace.co.uk/events/cycling/etape-cymru.

Anyone with any specific enquiries should contact Human Race by e-mail: cycling@humanrace.co.uk or call their Customer Services Team on 0208 391 3913 (Monday-Friday 9am-5.30pm)

Another A-mazing year for Ysgol Dinas Bran

* Dinas Bran students celebrate their A level results.

Delighted Year 13 students celebrated excellent A level results at Ysgol Dinas Bran today.

100% of entrants achieved the prestigious level three threshold (two A level passes or more); well over half of all grades awarded were at A*-B and more than three quarters were higher level passes.

Among many successful students were George Wort who achieved an incredible five A* grades in Chemistry, ICT, Maths, further Maths and Physics.  

George will now go onto study Computer Science at Jesus College, Cambridge University.  

Another high-achiever was Iestyn Watkin who was awarded two A* grades in Maths and Physics, an A grade in Chemistry and a B grade in English Language. 

Iestyn also achieved an A grade in the Extended Project.  He will now progress to study Natural Sciences at Girton College, Cambridge University.

Wilf Wort, brother of George, achieved an A* grade and three A grades and Polly Harrison three A grades and a C grade.  

Wilf has successfully secured a place at Durham University to study English Literature and Polly will take up History at Keele University.

The vast majority of students who applied achieved their first-choice place at university – a real testament to the quality of their results.  Headteacher Martyn Froggett said: “We congratulate all students on their tremendous results.  

"They have worked exceptionally hard and can be proud of their achievements.  We wish them all the very best for the future.  

"A big thank you too to the staff and parents who have supported them.  It is a great year for the school – to achieve a 100% pass-rate is simply fantastic!”

A county council spokesperson said: "Early indications show that the approximate A Level (Level 3) pass rate at Denbighshire’s six secondary schools in 2014 shows an improvement of 2% up from 96.8% to 98.8% and there have been some excellent individual achievements across all schools.

"In addition to the A Level results, 99.4% students were awarded the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification's Advanced Diploma."  Councillor Eryl Williams, Denbighshire's Cabinet Lead Member for Education, said: “We would like to congratulate all students on their individual results.  "Education remains a top priority in Denbighshire and I am extremely pleased to see our A level results continuing to rise."

 

* Celebrations all round.

New regional emergency planning service formed

Councils in North Wales have joined forces to provide a new regional emergency planning service, the first of its kind in the country.

The team will bring together the six councils’ emergency planning teams ensuring a coordinated local authority response to any major incidents in North Wales such as flooding, severe weather, power cuts, transport or industrial accidents.

The service will assist the councils to fulfil their role in preparing with the emergency services and other organisations, plans to assist in a co-ordinated, multi agency response to a major emergency.

The 14-strong team will operate from two hubs based at Mold and Conwy and will be managed by the Regional Manager Phil Harrison, former Emergency Planning Manager for Wrexham and Deputy Regional Manager Jonathan Williams, formerly Emergency Planning Manager for Conwy.

He said: “We have brought together the expertise from all the North Wales Emergency Planning teams to harmonise all the various plans, reduce repetition of effort and ensure that the response from individual councils is timely and robust.

“As always we will continue to work closely with colleagues from other agencies involved in emergency response and recovery such as the police, fire, ambulance and Natural Resource Wales.”

Colin Everett, Chief Executive of Flintshire County Council, the lead authority for the new regional scheme, said: “Severe weather which has caused, for example, flooding emergencies in North Wales, requires a coordinated response from the emergency services and councils.

"It is essential that we are ready to respond to such incidents and any other type of emergency situation. Planning ahead is the most effective way to ensure that if emergencies do happen they have as small an impact as possible on local communities.

“Our new approach in North Wales has streamlined the service and will ensure that we use our resources in the most efficient and effective way to deliver a first class response for residents and businesses.”

Have your say on how cash bonanza is spent

 

* New life in the country, Cadwyn Clwyd Chairman Andrew

Jedwell with Manager Lowri Owain and Project Support Officer Lowri Edwards.

 

A regeneration agency is in line for a six-year £7 million cash bonanza to boost the economy of rural North East Wales.

Cadwyn Clwyd is launching a month-long consultation process to explore the best ways of spending the money in the rural areas of Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham. And you can have your say in Llangollen next week. 

The cash is part of an overall pot of £47.5 million for Wales and Cadwyn Clwyd has previously secured £14 million in European funding to run similar programmes in Denbighshire and Flintshire for a number of years.

Their remit has now been extended to the rural areas of Wrexham County Borough, taking in the large area south and west of North Wales’s biggest town.

The new projects could see over £2 million each go to Flintshire and Wrexham while Denbighshire receives just under £2 million.

The money comes through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) through the Welsh Government’s Rural Development Plan and is part of a six-year plan to revitalise rural communities and their economies.

It has been backed by Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates, the Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, who said: “The fact that more people in Clwyd South could soon benefit from additional European and Welsh Government money is fantastic news.

“This major investment would represent a huge vote of confidence in the area and help galvanise some of our rural communities. I am excited to see how and where the money could be spent, and I would encourage my constituents to take part in the consultation process and have their say.

“Cadwyn Clwyd has already done some fantastic work in Clwyd South and Denbighshire, and across North East Wales as a whole, and I look forward to their excellent programmes being extended to include Wrexham and to benefit many more people in our part of the world.”

Lowri Owain, the Manager of Cadwyn Clwyd, said: "As a company, we’ve been very successful in attracting funding and in helping to get projects realised and we work with a wide range of projects.

“We hope this will be an extension of the successful series of programmes which we have been running in Denbighshire and Flintshire and which now has the potential to continue through to 2020.

“If we can secure this funding then it will represent a massive vote of confidence in the work we have been doing across all aspects of rural life from tourism, food production and job creation to improving community facilities and encouraging the arts.

“It will mean we can continue to foster innovation and develop the local economy in rural North East Wales.

“We are working in partnership with the three County Councils representing Denbighshire, Flintshire and now Wrexham and that has been vital to the bid and will be equally important for the future.”

Cadwyn Clwyd has helped secure the future of major local events like the Hamper Llangollen and Mold Food Festival as well as launching the Prince of Wales’s favourite community enterprise, Pub is the Hub in Wales for the first time in Wales before rolling it out across a total of eight local authority areas in Wales.

Other successful initiatives have seen them work with local food producers as well as help launch the Pwllglas Community Shop near Ruthin, winner of a Rural Community Ownership Award for 2014, while their bursaries have given a kickstart to small businesses and young entrepreneurs, first in Flintshire and then in Denbighshire as well.

They are currently helping Corwen set up its own hydro renewable energy project and they have funded a survey into climate change in the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Lowri Owain added: “We would encourage local people with ideas to come to speak to Cadwyn Clwyd and to attend the consultation events being held over the coming weeks.

We have a great chance of securing this money and now it’s up to the public to decide what the community’s needs are and how this money can best be used.

“If we can help to develop projects further we will do all we can to provide technical support and assistance to find funds.”

Cadwyn Clwyd Board member and Flintshire County Councillor Carolyn Thomas, from Treuddyn, the Chair of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, said: “It is hugely important to rural North East Wales that Cadwyn Clwyd are able to continue their work.

“This new consultation process is a vital part of the preparation for the next six years and it is key that organizations and individuals engage with it.

“Cadwyn Clwyd has funded schemes that have brought communities together, working on initiatives they have developed from local groups through the support of their project officers who have taken people’s ideas and helped turned them into reality.

“Their expertise and know-how has brought organisations, communities and agencies together, provided access to funding and played a vital role in the ongoing regeneration of our countryside.”

Cadwyn Clwyd’s programme of consultation events covers all three counties and is as follows:

Denbighshire: Royal International Pavilion, Llangollen, on Thursday, August 21, 6-9pm.

Llangollen Lift bus service is back

The Llangollen Lift is back this year by popular demand.  

The free minibus service will be taking walkers and sightseers to some of the most stunning areas around Llangollen, including Castell Dinas Brân, the Panorama drive and the Ponderosa.  

The Lift is a fantastic way of accessing the beautiful countryside in the AONB, and gives great opportunities for leaving the car behind and enjoying linear walks from the hills back into town.  

Llangollen Lift runs at weekends until the end of September, and will also run on Mondays in August.

The service run three times a day – the 10 am and 1.30 pm minibus runs anticlockwise and are good for walks starting from the Panorama area.

The 11.30 service runs clockwise, and provides quick access to the Horseshoe Falls at the start of the World Heritage Site, where an easy 2 mile stroll along the canal will bring you back into Llangollen.

Funding has been provided by the Walking with Offa project, and the service follows the line of the National Trail along the Panorama.  

It can provide a useful lift for walkers staying in Llangollen back onto the route.

The minibus leaves Llangollen from the bus stop on Parade Street outside the Llangollen Museum, and also runs 3 times a day (11am, 1 pm and 2.30 pm) up to Plas Newydd where visitors can enjoy the house and gardens of the Ladies of Llangollen – as well as the café.

Timetables can be picked up from the Tourist Information and various outlets in Llangollen, and is also available online at http://www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk/llangollen-lift.  

Rapid progress at the Dwyrain Corwen East Station

There was a momentous occasion for the Llangollen Railway last Friday with the arrival of a gauging train at the site of the Corwen temporary station.

A test train of three diesel railcars ventured west of Carrog to check out the clearances at structures along the two and a half mile railway extension.

The train was driven by the chairman of Llangollen Railway Trust, Elizabeth Harland, who took the opportunity to congratulate the volunteer members of the extension project team on the completion of the track laying exercise.

Commenting on the successful test run along the extension, she said: “I was delighted to drive the gauging train down the line and to see what had been achieved by our volunteers.”

* The six coach gauging train along side the scaffolding which

forms the basis of the temporary platform at Dwyrain Corwen East station.

The running of the gauging train was possible thanks to all the work undertaken to have the new track ballasted and then packed and aligned with the aid of a hired-in tamper machine. 

In addition, work is well underway by contractors, Grosvenor Scaffolding of Bagillt, to erect the 100 metre long temporary platform which will provide the passenger facility at the Dwyrain Corwen East station. 

The completion of all infrastructure works will shortly allow for the track extension to be inspected with a view to being declared fit for the operation of passenger trains.

Before trains can run into the station at Dwyrain Corwen East, a further stage of construction requires the erection of a 38 metre long ramp off the platform end to connect with a footpath coming up from ground level. This is a complex text designed to meet modern standards which will allow for disability access on an appropriately graded structure.

George Jones, for Llangollen Railway Trust said: “The completion of tasks is rapidly coming to a conclusion and, when all arrangements come together, we will then be able to announce a date for the opening of train services to Corwen. This will be the completion of a 40 year old dream.”

Public wi-fi now available at Tourist Information Centre

Public wi-fi is now available at four sites in rural Denbighshire - Llangollen tourist information centre, Corwen library, Ruthin library and Denbigh library.

This new provision has been funded by the Destination Denbighshire Rural Development Plan funded project and allows visitors to access tourism websites to complement and aid them in their visit to rural Denbighshire.

One of the websites that can be visited is the Digital Adventures website www.digitaldenbighshire.co.uk.

Hawys Lebbon, Tourism Project Officer, said: "This is a great tourist addition to the rural Denbighshire area allowing our visitors to interact with us digitally and allowing them to download various information onto their mobile devices'.

"Anyone who wishes to use the wi-fi must seek assistance from a staff member at the sites for login details in order to conform with Denbighshire's Security Policy."