AM takes up rail link cut fears

Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates has reacted to concerns over the future of a peak-time rail link from this area to the Midlands.

The 07:47 train from Wrexham to Birmingham has been left out of a draft timetable for May published online, according to the Shrewsbury to Chester Rail Users Association (SCRUA).

If the service is axed commuters face waits of half an hour for a connection at Shrewsbury, the group said.

Arriva Trains Wales has said "nothing has been finalised" on their May timetable.

Ken Skates said: “I have made repeated representations over this issue as the axing of the service would cause major inconvenience to many of my constituents who use Chirk and Ruabon stations, as well as Wrexham.

“I have written to Arriva Trains Wales and have also relayed concerns to Welsh Government Transport Minister Edwina Hart, who recognises the importance of rail travel in North Wales and the border areas.

“I will continue to fight for the best service provision possible for my constituents.”

Young Llan director goes on tour

* Director Natalie Evans.

A budding theatre director from Llangollen will soon be going on tour with a new stage production, supported by the town's own Twenty Club Amateur Players.

Natalie Evans, 21, will direct Winona, a new work from Welsh playwright Christopher T.Harris, which follows siblings Kate and Daf as they retreat to the family cottage following the sudden deaths of their parents.

* A publicity image for the play (Dorit Fuhg).

When a stranger named Ed comes to visit, however, their somewhat quiet retreat turns into something quite different.

Along with Natalie, the production stars fellow Twenty Club members Andy Evans and Ally Goodman on stage, with technician Jack Shimmin behind the scenes.

* The cast of Winona.

Natalie is currently pursuing her career in theatre directing and has previously taken charge of two Twenty Club productions - The Glass Menagerie (2013) and Season's Greetings (2014).

She has also taken the helm in productions with both Aberystwyth and Chester Universities and her own graduate theatre company, Quintus.

Winona will be performed at venues in Liverpool, Aberystwyth and Cardiff in February with more dates to be confirmed for later in the year.

 

The Twenty Club, with its aim of supporting young local theatre talent on stage and behind the scenes, will assist with the production costs along with the Arts Council of Wales.

 

Tickets for the tour start at £5 and more information can be found on the websites below:

Lantern Theatre, Liverpool - 12th February - lanterntheatreliverpool.co.uk
Aberystwyth Arts Centre - 19th February - aberystwythartscentre.co.uk
The Gate, Cardiff - 20th February - thegate.org.uk

Consider fostering says county council

Denbighshire County Council is encouraging people to make a new year's resolution - to consider becoming a foster carer.

The Council is running a campaign called Love Fostering, to increase the number of applications and enquiries received about fostering in the county and to promote the benefits of fostering county-wide.

The 'Love Fostering' campaign includes a new information website, promotional banners and booklets and the fostering team is arranging a programme of information events providing advice and information to prospective foster carers.

There are a number of differing types of fostering including general fostering (short and long term), respite care to allow other carers to take a break from their duties , short break care to support families who have children with disabilities, support care to enable families to overcome difficult periods in their lives and emergency foster care that can see children placed at very short notice.

Councillor Bobby Feeley, Cabinet Lead Member for Health and Social Care, said: "The start of a brand new year is a great time for people to look forward to the future and to consider a fresh new start. We want to use this opportunity to make people think about the possibility of becoming foster carers.

"We have a dedicated team of staff at the other end of the phone who would be more than willing to have an informal chat and advise people about the fostering process, the benefits of fostering and what it involves.  

"Making that phone call may make a real difference to the life of a child or young person in Denbighshire."

* To find out more, visit: www.lovefostering.co.uk or call 0800 7313215. 

Provide more community beds, says campaigner

 

* Mabon ap Gwynfor with Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood outside Llangollen Hospital.

 

Hospital wards should be re-opened as a matter of urgency, following revelations that there are 400 fewer beds in North Wales compared to last five years.

 

That’s the view of a health campaigner, who made his call in the wake of an emergency medicine consultant at Wrexham Maelor blaming lack of beds for the pressures on A&E.

 

Mabon ap Gwynfor, of the North Wales Health Alliance and Plaid Cymru parliamentary candidate for Clwyd South, called on the Welsh Government to set a strategic goal that no District General Hospital should have acute bed occupancy levels of more than 80%.

 

In addition, he said beds should be re-introduced into communities following the closure of four community hospitals in north Wales.

 

Mabon ap Gwynfor said:  “When we formed the campaign to keep hospital beds in Llangollen, it was exactly because of this reason. We knew that patients would find themselves staying longer in General Hospitals or be discharged only to be re-admitted again immediately afterwards.

 

“Staff are working extremely hard and it’s unfair to expect them to work in such conditions. It’s not surprising that morale is low when they’re under such pressure.

 

“This is the consequence of a centralisation agenda by both the Welsh Government and local health board, which has meant taking services away from our communities and also failing to invest properly in a proven alternative before rolling it out. Patients should not be used as guinea pigs for an unproven Home Enhanced Care programme.

 

“Hospital acquired infections are far more likely to occur in hospitals that have 85% occupancy rates or higher, therefore the partial closure of two wards in Wrexham Maelor over Christmas because of noro-virus should not have come as a surprise. Unless drastic changes are made, this will happen again and it will continue to place significant pressure on the hospital and their staff.

“The Government’s by now regular financial injections merely deals with the symptoms and not the cause. They should use the money to invest in community hospital beds and get the service back to working order.

 

"By investing in opening wards and re-introducing community beds, this would take occupancy levels down and ease much of the pressure we are seeing with delayed transfers of care and re-admission.”

Tractor crash road stays closed

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

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.

 

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.

 

"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."