Traffic survey appeal deadline speeds closer

* Busy Castle Street in Llangollen.

The clock is ticking on a public appeal for cash to help pay for a survey into traffic conditions in the centre of Llangollen.

The local Cittaslow group is backing a plan to take on traffic management specialists Hamilton Baillie Associates to carry out a study into how best to the handle conflicting traffic needs in the town – parkers, shopkeepers and pedestrians.

While a full blown survey by the firm which created a ground-breaking scheme for Poynton in Cheshire would be £10,000, Cittaslow has opted for a brief one-day appraisal costing just £1,000.

Town councillor Phil Thane is fronting a public appeal to raise the cash and he revealed that with just five days left to the deadline, there’s still £350 to be raised.

He said: “We are not doing a public opinion survey that carries no weight, we're getting a professional opinion.

“We have been backed by AXA Insurance' Roadsafe scheme which has pledged £250.

“One of our Castle Street shopkeepers has pledged £50, and another £20, so how about a few quid from the others?

“With just a few days left to the Tuesday, March 3 deadline to find the extra £350 we really need support.”

He added: “Everyone grumbles about Castle Street.

“Drivers in a hurry to get through would like all parking banned, pedestrians would like safe crossings, shopkeepers need to load and unload and want more parking for their customers, tourists want a pleasant place to stroll.

“At the moment we have the worst of all possible solutions, some legal parking, some illegal parking, double yellows down one side giving motorists the illusion of a clear road - until they meet a large vehicle coming the other way, and pedestrians running the gauntlet.

“The only good thing is that it's so chaotic the traffic is usually slow and there haven't been any serious accidents.

“We think it could be better, but it needs a new vision not just the county council putting down some more paint and harrassing shopkeepers.

“Poynton's problems were much worse than ours in Llangollen, and they've been fixed.

“The town council budget is tiny, and tight, so we're asking the community to get behind this.”
To find out more, go to: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/people-traffic-in-llan/

Susan Elan Jones repeats call for MPs' second jobs ban

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones has repeated her call her call for MPs to be banned from having second jobs.
Ms Jones, who spent 15 years working for charities before she became an MP, said: "I spoke out on this subject last October in the House of Commons, when I was actually boo-ed by some Conservative MPs from the other side of the Chamber.

"These are the very same people that won't legislate to stop abuses of zero hours contracts, a practice that is making a life a misery for so many families in our area. 

"I am glad that the Labour Party is leading a proper debate on the issue today and that there will be a vote too."

Today's Labour motion states: “That this House believes that, as part of a wider regulatory framework for second jobs, from the start of the next Parliament no hon. Members should be permitted to hold paid directorships or consultancies.”

Council tax bills set to rise by 3.09%

Denbighshire County Council has confirmed its budget for the 2015/16 financial year, meaning that council tax bills will increase by 3.09% in total.

This means that the average council tax bill for a Band D property will be £1,422.40, compared with £1,379.73 in 2014/5.

The Council Tax bill comprises three elements; the county council; the city, town and community councils and the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales. The increase set for the County Council was 2.75%.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance, said: "We have tried to keep council tax increases as low as possible, as Denbighshire residents tell us regularly that is what they would like to see happen.

"We have set and agreed this budget at a time of severe financial constraints, with protection for education, substantially protecting funding levels to social services and putting additional funding in to the corporate plan.

"This budget is set at a time of unprecedented change for the organisation. However, we are pleased that we have been able to agree a budget that sets clearly how we are going to manage our finances over the next 12 months.

"We can also reassure residents that despite the cuts being implemented, we are fully committed to providing the best possible service for the people of Denbighshire."

Bumper half-term bodes well for Splash Magic

‘Fantastic’ half-term figures have been reported at a former council leisure centre taken over by the community.

Last week saw thousands go through the doors at Splash Magic in Acrefair, providing precious income which will be key to the venture’s long-term viability.

It was recently reported that the popular facility, formerly known as Plas Madoc Leisure Centre, was operating at a £400,000-a-year loss under the council’s ownership, but the future looks brighter under the social enterprise model.

And with uncertainty over the future of council-run Waterworld centre in Wrexham, Splash Magic could soon be the only not-for-profit facility of its kind in the county borough.

Splash Community Trust chairman Darrell Wright said the team of volunteers still ‘can’t get carried away’ despite a successful first three months since the centre reopened on December 6.

He said: “We’re thrilled to have had some really busy weekends and to have had such fantastic numbers during half-term, and it makes all the hard work worthwhile.

“But we can’t get carried away, because we will need many more bumper weeks and months if we’re going to make sure Splash stays open.

“We’re still short of the 600 monthly memberships we need to tick over, but we’re certainly in a much better position than we were a year ago and than many thought we would be in.”

Darrell, who lives in Trevor, said the Trust owes ‘another huge thank you’ to Coleg Cambria students, who have agreed to undertake a variety of maintenance jobs at Splash including tiling, welding and joinery.

“The college’s support has been brilliant, invaluable really. Any work the students have done has been completed to a very high standard and they have saved us a lot of money, which is vital when every penny counts.”

Volunteers are still needed to help out at Splash. If you are interested, call Darrell on 07882 947804 or the centre on 01978 821600.

Calls for safe standing at the Racecourse ground

The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for North Wales, Aled Roberts, has today called on the First Minister to support calls for safe standing areas in football grounds and to engage in talks with Wrexham FC and Glyndwr University to secure safe standing areas at The Racecourse ground.

 

Commenting after raising the issue in the Siambr today, he said: “Current UK legislation means that all football grounds in England and Wales are on a seating only basis. Additionally, UEFA and FIFA require any club holding an international match to have an all-seating stadium.

 

“However, safe standing areas are becoming a hugely popular idea for fans at domestic matches and would be welcomed in many town and cities should this legislation change.

 

“Fans have been calling for safe standing areas in grounds for some time now. Should UK legislation change, there is no reason why the new, adaptable seating and standing arra ngements already in place in Germany can’t be put in place at grounds like The Racecourse.

 

“The First Minister agrees with me that having international matches in north Wales again would be a fantastic boost, and appropriate investment coupled with representation from the Welsh Government could see the changes being made.

 

“It is now crucial that the First Minister works with the relevant bodies to ensure that Welsh calls for safe standing areas are heard, and that any future investment at The Racecourse ground should accommodate scope for safe standing areas."

New Wrexham prison will be operated by HMPS

* An artist's impression of the new Wrexham Prison.

Prisons Minister Andrew Selous has today (Tuesday) announced that the new prison in Wrexham will be operated by Her Majesty’s Prison Service (HMPS).

The prison, which is due to open in 2017, will be run by an innovative new approach that will see the best of the public, voluntary and private sectors working together.

HMPS will take overall ownership of the prison but with 34% of service provision outsourced – including a large industrial workshop complex.

Prisons Minister Andrew Selous said: "I am pleased to announce that the new prison in North Wales will be operated by Her Majesty’s Prison Service as part of an innovative new approach to running prisons.

"Our combination of benchmarking and outsourcing services is saving taxpayers around £300 million a year and now it will allow us to deliver a truly efficient prison in Wrexham that is based on best practice from the opening of previous prisons.

"This prison reflects the true success of our reforms in helping to create a modern low-cost prison estate, and is proving a real boost to the North Wales economy with £1.1 million already committed to local companies – well ahead of the £250,000 target for 2014.

"The £212 million investment will provide good quality prison accommodation that delivers value for the taxpayer by reducing the cost per prisoner place. Recent reforms have already saved significant sums for taxpayers, and continuing to create a modern low cost prison estate is essential to further reduce the overall cost of the prison system.

"Once operational the North Wales prison will also bring a huge benefit to the area, boosting the regional economy by around £23 million a year and create up to 1,000 jobs."

Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb said: "The new prison in Wrexham will provide a massive boost to North Wales by generating opportunities for local businesses and creating hundreds of jobs in the area.

"This is all part of our long term plan to help rebalance the economy and invest in world class infrastructure across the whole country."

The prison will provide around 2,100 Category C places for male offenders from North Wales and North West England, including a small remand function serving the courts in North Wales.

It will include places for education, 12 large workshop spaces, and resettlement functions, helping offenders who will be held closer to home reintegrate into their communities on release.

The Ministry of Justice has also been working closely with Welsh devolved health and education services to develop suitable models for the prison and will continue to work with the Welsh government and other partners to agree the necessary resourcing as delivery requirements are finalised.

Construction is currently underway in Wrexham and the first houseblock is due to start taking prisoners from early 2017.

Welcoming the news, North Wales Assembly Member Aled Roberts said: "A prison run by the public sector with support from the voluntary and private sectors offers the best solution to the questions some critics have raised” commented Aled Roberts AM.

 

“I think this solution has the potential to offer a new way forward by bringing together the voluntary and private sectors under the leadership of the Westminster Government’s Prison Service.

 

“This will make the running of the prison directly accountable to Government.  But at the same time it will offer the innovation of the private sector and the enthusiasm of the voluntary sector to the running of specialist services such as the large industrial workshop complex that is being planned.

 

“When I was Wrexham Council leader I actively supported the development of a new prison in Wrexham for the jobs that it would bring and for the improved support local prisoners could  receive from their families nearer home. 

 

“Over the years councillors from all parties and none have worked together in Wrexham to make the building of a new prison in Wrexham a reality. My only concern now is that politicians in Cardiff and London work together to make sure that transport, police, health and other public services are allocated extra investment so they can cope with the extra demands the prison will make.”

Social care chief welcomes new legislation

* Mario Kreft.

 

A social care leader has welcomed new legislation to beef up regulation of the sector but warns it will not work unless there is a "fundamental change of culture".

 

Mario Kreft MBE, the Chair of Care Forum Wales, it was vital to "change the DNA in Wales to ensure everybody involved in worked together in collaboration.

 

Care Forum Wales are also calling for the people from local authorities and health boards who commission social care services to be regulated so that their decisions are based on quality not price.

 

The new law to strengthen the regulation and inspection of the social care sector was announced by Health Minister Professor Mark Drakeford.

 

According to the Welsh Government, care home owners will become more accountable for the services they provide to protect children and adults.

 

Prof Drakeford said the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Bill, would put delivering success at the heart of a "revised and streamlined legal framework".

 

Mr Kreft said: "“Care Forum Wales would want to support the overall thrust of the legislation.

 

"It is some time since the current regulations and legal system were put in place and, as the minister said, we’ve got many more people with complex needs receiving services at home.

 

"The people living in care homes have very complex needs, much more so than 20 years ago.

 

"It is therefore absolutely the right time on the back of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, which has created this new framework, that we now match that with a new regulatory framework, and there are certain aspects that we would certainly welcome.

 

"But there are also areas of concern. The reality is that in Wales today we have a struggling health and social care system.

 

"It's struggling because of demand and because we are not harnessing the resources that we already have at our disposal.

 

"People in Wales are not working in partnership in the way that the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has shown in other parts of the UK makes a real difference in terms of efficiency of resources, quality of service delivery through what we call relationship centred care.

 

"Unfortunately, this new legislation will change little unless we really harness all the resources at our disposal and particularly recognise that social care is a fundamental cornerstone of the NHS in Wales.

 

"Independent social care in Wales is being decimated by flawed commissioning practices which put price before quality.

 

"As a result, morale in the sector among providers and the workforce is very low.

 

"It means we cannot attract enough of the right quality of people, because the economic model that most local authorities are using does not make it possible to make this a career to be proud of with all the things that you would expect for those skills.

 

"While the big stick will always be what you require when things go terribly wrong, we’ve really got to have a new approach.

 

"We are calling for the commissioners from local authorities and health boards to be regulated in their commissioning strategies and procedures.

 

"At the moment, the way social care is commissioned does not support quality services and this is backed up by the findings of the recent report by the Commissioner for Older People.

 

"We’re really talking about what the Commissioner for Older People also wants - that’s a better quality of life. It has to be about support, it has to be about, building for the future, and particularly respecting and valuing social care workers who provide those services.

 

“The most important thing that we can do in Wales is to change within our DNA so that we work collaboratively and see social care as a great positive, as a part of our community in the way that it underpins the economy and the NHS - and underpins indeed our society.

 

"We’ve had now nearly 20 years whereby social care funding for independent sector organisations has been held within local authorities.

 

"The progress that we’ve made is lamentable. Yes there are pockets of good practice, but that’s not good enough for a small nation of three million people. We should have got this right by now.

 

"This new law will go some way, but if we don’t fundamentally change the way we do business, if we don’t fundamentally change the way we work collaboratively, if we don’t fundamentally value providers and their workforce and just hit them when it goes wrong, then quite frankly this will not make the progress and provide the framework that the minister wants it to do."