MP slams Government response over bank closures

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones has slammed the Government's response on Llangollen and Corwen bank closures, and has called for much tougher action.

Ms Jones (pictured right) made her comments after she received a formal response to a question in Parliament where she had urged a Cabinet Minister to meet with senior management of Nat West Bank to get them to re-consider their decision to close branches in Llangollen, Corwen and other communities in North Wales.

In its written response HM Treasury said: "Decisions on the opening and closing of individual bank branches are taken by the management of each bank on a commercial basis without intervention from Government.

"Banks and building societies need to balance customer interests, market competition, and other commercial factors when considering their strategy.

"The Government is committed to increasing competition to deliver innovation and good financial products and services for all bank customers, and part of the Government’s long term economic plan is to ensure that banks serve all sections of society. 

"The Government welcomed the industry-wide Access to Banking protocol announced in March 2015. From the first of May this year, a bank must carry out a number of steps if it is closing a branch.

"The steps include establishing the impact of a branch closure before it takes place; finding suitable alternative provision; and putting satisfactory alternative measures in place before a branch is closed."

Susan Elan Jones MP said: "Government Ministers ignored my direct question about meeting with NatWest Bank to try and prevent the closure of banks in Llangollen, Corwen and other communities in North Wales.

"It's also concerning that the Government has moved away from its declared aim of only a few years ago to try and save the last bank in every community. Now there only seems to be a very vague 'Access to Banking protocol'.

"It's ridiculous to suggest that an irregular 'bank on wheels' services that offers partial banking services for an hour a week or so can  meet the needs of individual and business customers.

"There really needs to be a major re-think of banking services in rural areas, because of the distances involved. It's not the same as if a branch closes in a suburb of Manchester, London or Cardiff. Nat West's decision to close branches in Corwen and Llangollen will have a massive impact on both towns."

Choir's concert at Plas Newydd

The Porthmyn Vale Choir (pictured) will perform a mid-summer eve concert in the grounds of Plas Newydd tomorrow (Sunday) from 6-8pm.

The programme will include solo pieces from tenors within the choir, which comes from Rhewl near Ruthin.

People can bring a chair or a rug (and maybe a bottle) to enjoy the  wonder of mid-summer's eve in the setting of the beautiful Plas Newydd grounds.

* Tickets £5 on the day from Plas Newydd shop.
 

Skates vows to do all he can to find buyer for D&C

Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates has vowed to do everything he can to help find a buyer for an under-threat company in his constituency. 

Welsh Labour AM Mr Skates is in talks with the administrators at Dobson & Crowther in Llangollen, which made 55 of its 79-strong workforce redundant on Wednesday.

He said the company was forced to restructure in 2014 after the loss of its biggest customer, and was later let down when its main supplier went bust.

Mr Skates said he had a ‘positive’ conversation with financial services firm Baker Tilly Ltd on Thursday and visited the site today (Friday) to talk to staff.

He said: “I’ve spoken with the administrators and the workforce and assured them I will help in any way I can to find a buyer and a new employer for people in Llangollen.

“Dobson & Crowther has a brand new, state-of-the-art factory on a prime site, so it’s a very attractive proposition. There seems to be an encouraging level of interest already.”

Mr Skates has also secured an assurance that details of the 55 employees laid off this week be passed to any buyer.

He added: “This week’s developments are a real blow to Llangollen and the wider area, but the most important people here are the employees and their families. I will work with the town and county councils, the Chamber of Trade – whoever I need to – to try to secure the best outcome possible under the circumstances.

“This has been a terrible time for staff, who have shown incredible loyalty to the company over many years. Recent events demonstrate clearly why we must continue to work relentlessly to create and safeguard jobs in the Dee Valley.”

Railway hosts heritage railcar gala this weekend

Llangollen Railway will be hosting a Heritage Railcar Gala tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday, June 20 and  21.

An intensive service will operate along the 10-mile preserved line, using the trains which revolutionised the railways more than half a century ago.

Visitors will  be able to see the line as the driver sees it from the comfort of one of our heritage scenic observation diesel trains.

Making a guest appearance over the weekend will be a 1958 vintage Class 122 'Bubble Car' from Derbyshire, which will be in Wales for only a few days. 

 

It will operate both on its own and in multiple with members of the home fleet, including the Wickham and 127 sets, enabling a five-car rake of green vehicles to be put together.

The event, which is often seen as one of the highlight of the UK's heritage railway calendar, will feature a half-hourly service as far as Carrog,with alternate trains continuing onwards to Corwen on the line’s recently-opened 2.5 mile extension.

 

All intermediate stations will be open and will offer opportunities for exchanging trains.

Supporting the visitor will be four of the line’s resident fleet of units, the Birmingham RCW Class 104, the Derby works Class 108, the Wickham Class 109 and a hybrid of a Class 127 power car and a Class 108 trailer.

 

There will also be a steam diagram which will be covered by the GW push-pull ‘autotrain’ powered by Pannier Tank 6430, which is imminently due to re-enter service after its ten-year overhaul.

Another feature is a photographic evening on the night immediately before the event featuring the Class 122 and an evening train on the Saturday where fish and chips or a barbecue will be available.

* Full details are available at: http://llangollenrailcars.co.uk/Gala2015.php and http://www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/event/heritage-railcar-gala-2/ 

 

Home Secretary asked to sort out Eisteddfod visa problems

 

* International affair: The opening parade of last year's Eisteddfod.

 

 

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is writing to Home Secretary Theresa May to ask her to intervene personally to sort out a visa problem caused by a mistake made by one of her officials.

 

Some performers from Africa and Asia have been refused visas and will not be able to compete at the Eisteddfod in three weeks' time unless Mrs May is able to sort the mess out.

The problem has arisen because the festival has mistakenly been left off a list of so-called "permit-free" festivals so visa applications take more time to process.

 

Eisteddfod Chair Gethin Davies said: "We have over the years had some problems with visas.

 

"We had understood that this year we were going to be placed on the permit free list, which is a list of existing 44 festivals, and we thought we were on that list as well, in which case the issue of visas s far more straight forward.

 

"Due to an administrative oversight at the Home Office which they have held their hands up to, we’re not on that list and consequently each visa application has to be carefully scrutinised by the relevant authorities in the various countries, and some of them are being refused, and it causes us great anxiety.

 

“In the first place we need a cast iron guarantee that the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod will be on the permit free list from now on, plus we want practical help in the short term to assist those people who are still waiting for their visas and to possibly overturn decisions that have been made to refuse other competitors.

 

"I shall be writing a personal letter to the Home Secretary asking her if she can intervene directly in this, and use her considerable influence to see if this unfortunate state of affairs can be addressed as a matter of urgency.

 

"The Eisteddfod is on in three weeks’ time, and time is very short, so we are hoping that we can get that help from the highest level, which will enable these wonderful people who want nothing more than to come and share their culture with us in Llangollen so that they will be able to be with us.”

 

The Home Office have apologised for their error in a letter to Eisteddfod officials.

 

The letter said: "Unfortunately, due to an administrative oversight on our part when changes to the Immigration Rules were laid in February the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod was omitted from the list of permit free festivals included in the new simplified visitor rules.

 

"I apologise for any inconvenience this will cause however I want to assure you that there are alternative routes that can be used in the meantime."

The iconic event was started in Llangollen in 1947 in the aftermath of the Second World War in an attempt to bring peace and harmony to the world through music and dance.

According to the Eisteddfod, several people from China, Algeria, Tanzania and Ivory Coast had already had their visa applications turned down.

Around 100 dancers and musicians are waiting to hear if they will be granted visas in time to compete at this year's event from 7 July.

Among them are two groups from India, five different groups from Morocco, 14 dancers from Ghana and five from Nepal.

Competitors from other parts of the world outside Africa and Asia are unaffected.

The case has also been taken up by Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones.

 

She said: "The Eisteddfod is hugely important to our area. The Home Office has admitted it has made a mistake and it's now vital they put things right."

 

Llangollen residents urge action on climate change

* Friends of the Earth members take to Dinas Bran calling

for the Government to help protect what they love.

Members of Llangollen Friends of the Earth are today (Wednesday) taking part in a national campaign asking MPs to take action on climate change.

They are calling for action to help protect the "things we love in our lives" - from children right down to a cup of tea. 

FoE says drought, crop failure, and mass migration are al effects of climate change, which will greatly affect our all aspects of our everyday lives.

Llangollen resident Kay Polley said: “Climate change will affect so many of the things we care about, from our families to our food to our wildlife and our futures. We are asking our MP to press the UK
government to take action for the climate.”

She added: "Locally, people are concerned about how climate change will affect people around the world, but also how it will affect us here in Wales.

"With the climate talks in Paris, 2015 presents us with an opportunity to make progress on climate change.

"The UK has a big role to play in bringing countries together at the negotiations. Our position at the forefront of the fight against global poverty can help build a better, fairer global deal on climate change."

* For more information visit http://www.llangollenfoe.org.uk/

Dobson & Crowther goes into administration

Dobson & Crowther Ltd in Llangollen has gone into administration.

Christopher Ratten and Lindsey Cooper of Baker Tilly Restructuring and Recovery LLP have today been appointed administrators for the company, which operates as a manufacturer of bespoke litho printed envelopes and is the UK’s leading supplier of seed envelopes to the horticultural sector.

Baker Tilly Partner Christopher Ratten, who is one of the Joint Administrators, said: ‘Dobson & Crowther has experienced a challenging 18 months. In early 2014 it restructured its operations following the loss of its largest customer and in late 2014 it successfully relocated to a purpose built site on the outskirts of the town.

“Whilst operationally the company was well placed to trade positively into 2015, it suffered a significant setback following the administration of Paperlynx, its largest supplier. As a consequence of Paperlynx’s failure there was considerable disruption to the company’s supply chain resulting in lost sales and consequential cash flow pressures.

"In the lead up to the administration the possibility of further investment or a sale has been investigated. Due to the company’s financial and trading situation it has not been possible to secure such a transaction in the relatively short timescale concerned.

“The administrators are now considering the possibility of continuing the business for a short period in order to fulfil outstanding orders and establish if there are any other parties that would be interested in acquiring the business. Any parties with such an interest should make contact with Baker Tilly Restructuring and Recovery LLP as soon as possible on 0161 830 4000. Whilst this is being considered it has been necessary to send a high proportion of the 79 employees home.”