Yesterday afternoon's tractor crash on the A5 Chirk bypass will mean a section of the road is closed until tomorrow (Wednesday) according to a story in the Daily Post.
See the full story at: http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/a5-chirk-tractor-crash-bridge-8475639
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Paths group plans latest public meeting
THE lobby group which aims to combat the damage it
says is being caused to the countryside around Llangollen by off-road vehicles
is to stage its latest public meeting next month.
Save Our Paths (SOPS) was set up last year to
oppose what it claims is widespread abuse and trespass by 4x4s and motorbikes
in the hills around the town.
The group held its first public meeting at
Llangollen Town Hall last October which was attended by affected residents along
with representatives of local councils, police, countryside organisations and
the off-roaders themselves.
SOPS is now planning a follow-up meeting at the
Town Hall starting at 7pm on Thursday, February 19.
Organisers say that questions under discussion will
include if the councils and police have listened to the arguments put forward
at the last meeting and whether local MPs and AMs have taken up the SOPS cause.
They say the meeting is for all residents of the
area.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Cost of policing to rise by 3.44%
A 3.44 per cent increase in the cost of policing North Wales has been agreed - it works out at 17p a week for Band D households in the region.
The rise in the precept was unanimously approved at a meeting today (Monday, January 19) of the North Wales Police and Crime Panel in Conwy.
Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick CB QC, pictured below, said: "Its importance to the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of policing North Wales is vital as it is to the ability of the force to keep north Wales a safe place to live work and visit.
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"That last objective is more challenging now than at any other time. Keeping the people safe has become the policing imperative."
Mr Roddick pointed out that 2015/16 will be se fifth consecutive year of severe cuts for North Wales Police, with £19.6m having been cut over the previous four years.
He said: "Grants were cut by 18 per over the same period. All the political parties
are committed to reducing the nation’s annual deficit over the next Parliament and we are told that we are only half way there.
"It is very likely, therefore, that cuts of a similar level will be made over
the next four years as were made during the previous four years.
"Although inflation has been kept to a minimum in the budget itself, it is still a challenge. The cost of the national IT service, for example, has increased by 22 per cent."
According to Mr Roddick, the force would need to cut a further £15.5m over the next four years.
The Commissioner added: "The front line has been protected as far as possible, but the more cuts that are made the more likely it is that they will affect front line services.
"In the meantime, there are new demands on the police, such as the increased terrorist threat, cyber crime, child sexual exploitation and the new victim’s code.
“The HMIC - Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary - report last year found that North Wales Police had identified the savings to cope with the cutbacks.
“Since then, of course, there have been further cutbacks but we are satisfied that we will be able to police North Wales effectively although it will be a greater challenge.
“I have asked the Chief Constable if he is able to cope and he has said that provided the precept can make up for some cutbacks then North Wales Police will be able to cope.
"In future, we will need to ensure we achieve even greater value for money and there is more work to be done in terms of collaborating more with other forces.
"A recent example was the alliance we have formed with Cheshire Police in relation to armed response.
"At a time when budgets are tight, strategic alliances like this makes a great deal of sense.
"Through innovative collaboration like this, we can continue to provide enhanced policing to communities across North Wales and reduce costs at the same time.
"I take my responsibilities very seriously and we have struck the right balance between sensible financial management and the operational effectiveness of the force."
Accident on A5 Chirk bypass
The Daily Post's news blog reported just after 2.20pm today (Monday) ...
ACCIDENT: Reports of queuing traffic on the A5 Chirk bypass due to accident involving up to three vehicles . Traffic between A483 (Halton Roundabout) and B5070 Chirk Road / Station Road (Gledrid Roundabout).
Llangollen Fire Station tweeted about 3.30pm ...
Llangollen Fire @Llangollenfire 26 minutes ago
ACCIDENT: Reports of queuing traffic on the A5 Chirk bypass due to accident involving up to three vehicles . Traffic between A483 (Halton Roundabout) and B5070 Chirk Road / Station Road (Gledrid Roundabout).
Llangollen Fire Station tweeted about 3.30pm ...
Llangollen Fire
Traffic backing up through CHIRK as A5 is shut as tractor is in a dangerous position.
The BBC reported about 4.05pm ...
The A5 Chirk bypass is shut in both directions between Halton roundabout and B5070 Chirk Road, following the incident which also involved two cars.
The BBC reported about 4.05pm ...
Tractor hanging off bridge closes A5 Chirk bypass, Wrexham
A car driver has been taken to hospital and a major road
in north Wales is closed as a tractor is left hanging off a bridge following a
crash.
The A5 Chirk bypass is shut in both directions between Halton roundabout and B5070 Chirk Road, following the incident which also involved two cars.
Methodists enjoy New Year gathering
FORTY-TWO members of Llangollen Methodist Church enjoyed a New Year gathering at the White Water Hotel in the town recently.
A carvery meal was followed by a quiz organised by John and Gill Newbrook, which was won by Sue Smith and Laura Davies.
A carvery meal was followed by a quiz organised by John and Gill Newbrook, which was won by Sue Smith and Laura Davies.
* Church members tuck into their lunch.
* Quiz winners Sue Smith and Laura Davies with, centre, Gill Newbrook.
Hospital beds question under discussion
North Wales has nearly 400 fewer
hospital beds and 350 fewer nurses than five years ago, according to new
figures obtained by Plaid Cymru – the Party Of Wales.
The figures, released following a series of Freedom of Information requests, shows that in October 2009 the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board had 2677 in-patient beds and employed 6276 nurses. By October 2014 the figures were 2284 in-patient beds, a 15% fall, and 5907 nurses, a 6% drop.
Wrexham Maelor Hospital saw a drop of 50 beds coupled with the closure of Flint and Llangollen community hospitals during that period (1).
At the same time, the number of inpatient cases in North Wales rose from 80,867 to 86,249 – a 6.7% rise. But in Wrexham Maelor the rise in the past year alone has been 15% - from 26331 to 30409.
Plaid Cymru’s North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd said that such a reduction in beds and nursing staff was contributing to the difficulties the NHS was facing in terms of coping with a growing elderly population and ensuring there were beds for those brought in by ambulance to A&E.
Mr Gruffydd said: “Closing wards such as the Acton ward in the Wrexham Maelor , coupled with the loss of many community hospitals, help explain why we are seeing long queues of ambulances outside our main hospitals and why people waiting so long for operations.
“The health board claims that nurse recruitment is the problem but nurses tell us they’ve applied to work Bank shifts and not heard back from the board. Instead, we’re seeing expensive agency nurses being recruited when we need longer-term planning in terms of workforce recruitment and retention.”
He was also critical of the health board’s claims that care was now focussed in the community: “These cuts in hospital services would be easier to stomach if we had seen an equivalent increase in funding for community care and GPs, but the truth is that we are facing a looming crisis in GP and primary-care services. I fear GP shortages will be the ‘health story’ of 2015, unless something drastic is done about it.
“Care at a hospital might be an out-dated concept for health bosses who want to see more care delivered at home but, until the structure and provisions are in place to ensure that home-care is functioning properly and can be delivered within budget, then there is a real danger that the system will fail if they reduce the number of beds and nurses.
“In recent years, Labour has underfunded the NHS in Wales and, as a result, we have seen a health service struggling to meet demand, which is rising with every new medical breakthrough and with a population that is living longer. The Cardiff Labour Government is presiding over an NHS that employs fewer nurses and has fewer facilities than it did five years ago – that’s a huge indictment of their misrule.”
* See the statistics at:
* In a related story local health services campaigner Martin Crumpton has contacted llanblogger to say:
The figures, released following a series of Freedom of Information requests, shows that in October 2009 the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board had 2677 in-patient beds and employed 6276 nurses. By October 2014 the figures were 2284 in-patient beds, a 15% fall, and 5907 nurses, a 6% drop.
Wrexham Maelor Hospital saw a drop of 50 beds coupled with the closure of Flint and Llangollen community hospitals during that period (1).
At the same time, the number of inpatient cases in North Wales rose from 80,867 to 86,249 – a 6.7% rise. But in Wrexham Maelor the rise in the past year alone has been 15% - from 26331 to 30409.
Plaid Cymru’s North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd said that such a reduction in beds and nursing staff was contributing to the difficulties the NHS was facing in terms of coping with a growing elderly population and ensuring there were beds for those brought in by ambulance to A&E.
Mr Gruffydd said: “Closing wards such as the Acton ward in the Wrexham Maelor , coupled with the loss of many community hospitals, help explain why we are seeing long queues of ambulances outside our main hospitals and why people waiting so long for operations.
“The health board claims that nurse recruitment is the problem but nurses tell us they’ve applied to work Bank shifts and not heard back from the board. Instead, we’re seeing expensive agency nurses being recruited when we need longer-term planning in terms of workforce recruitment and retention.”
He was also critical of the health board’s claims that care was now focussed in the community: “These cuts in hospital services would be easier to stomach if we had seen an equivalent increase in funding for community care and GPs, but the truth is that we are facing a looming crisis in GP and primary-care services. I fear GP shortages will be the ‘health story’ of 2015, unless something drastic is done about it.
“Care at a hospital might be an out-dated concept for health bosses who want to see more care delivered at home but, until the structure and provisions are in place to ensure that home-care is functioning properly and can be delivered within budget, then there is a real danger that the system will fail if they reduce the number of beds and nurses.
“In recent years, Labour has underfunded the NHS in Wales and, as a result, we have seen a health service struggling to meet demand, which is rising with every new medical breakthrough and with a population that is living longer. The Cardiff Labour Government is presiding over an NHS that employs fewer nurses and has fewer facilities than it did five years ago – that’s a huge indictment of their misrule.”
* See the statistics at:
* In a related story local health services campaigner Martin Crumpton has contacted llanblogger to say:
“The current BBC website
story in which an emergency medicine consultant has blamed a drop in his
hospital's performance on a lack of capacity in parts of the region shows that
at last, somebody with a voice they can’t ignored has told them what I’ve
been saying all along, but studiously ignored. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-30863360
“As
llanblogger readers will know, this confirms everything I’ve been campaigning
against since our Cottage Hospital and others were closed. I’ve lost count of
the number of times I’ve written to the Board of Betsi Cadwaladr urging them to
reopen our hospital and others in North Wales so misguidedly, reprehensibly and
disastrously shut in the now-infamous `North Wales Health Is Changing’ debacle.
“Blaming
this on internecine political wars between the Welsh and English NHS
authorities is nothing short of ludicrous and is procrastination instead of
action. Last week, I watched the Parliamentary Select Committee in which it was
made crystal clear that the NHS cannot un-knot itself from the bed shortage
without a sharp and immediate increase in bed capacity – well, the capacity was
there all along until the bean counters of the loathed Mary Burrows regime
decided they could spreadsheet their way to major savings.
“And
it’s going to get worse because of the same ill-thought-out policy: When the GP
practice and the chemist move to the wholly-unnecessary new and bedless Health
Centre at the far edge of Llangollen, are going to react instinctively and dial
999 if they develop worrying symptoms or their children sustain deep cuts. It’s
human nature, especially where children are involved. Ambulances DO NOT take
people to clinics or Minor Injury Units, only to hospital A&E.
“Llangollen
is an elderly town with a high proportion of residents without private
transport. For the majority, it’s relatively quick and easy to get to the
Regent Street Health Centre for worries and minor injuries. Anyone’s
understanding of human nature and physical capability will know that the River
Lodge site is beyond reach if you don’t have a car, and you’ll certainly think
twice about leaving blood or vomit all over a taxi, if you can afford one – if
you can risk waiting for one, as they’re not bound by NHS target times to
arrive.
“Something
I find genuinely disturbing is the silence coming from the doctors at the
Regent Street Health Centre. To date they’ve only given one statement -
they opposed the closure of the Cottage Hospital.
“I
ask the doctors to reconsider moving to the new health centre, and to put their
weight into helping the campaign to have the Cottage Hospital re-opened. There
cannot be a better outcome for us and North Wales at this time.”
Step out in Llan's walking festival this May
* The beautiful countryside around Llangollen where some of the walks will be held.
PEOPLE are being invited to step out in the annual Llangollen Walking Festival, which takes place in and around the town this May.
Organiser Mike Smart, of Summerhill-based walking guides company Treksmart,
said: “We’re inviting people to come and join us in this beautiful Victorian town
where walkers are welcome, for short, medium and long walks all within the
Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the
nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site.”
Programme for the festival, which takes place over three days on May 2,
3 and 4, is:
Saturday May 2
• UNESCO World Heritage Site walk (easy walk of 4.5
miles)
• Llangollen town history walk (easy)
• Castle, cliff top, valley and fantastic views (moderate walk of
eight miles)
• Ponderosa, World's End, High Moors, Cliff Top,
castle and fantastic views (strenuous walk of 12 miles)
• Evening entertainment, with local food and drink,
Welsh folk tale storytelling (in English), music and song
Sunday May 3
• Food and drink walk (easy 3.5 miles)
• Steam train ride and walk (moderate walk of
eight miles)
• Steam train ride and walk and high moors and
wilderness trek (strenuous walk of 15 miles)
Monday May 4
• History in the landscape walk (3.5 miles)
• Photography walk (easy)
• Chirk Castle, two aqueducts, Offa's Dyke, battle site and Pilgrims Way (strenuous walk of
12 miles)
• Nordic walking for beginners
• Nordic walk advanced level
Mike Smart added: “Apart from all this we’ll also
have free Welsh beer for the over-18s and other free refreshments on
some walks.”
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