AM welcomes council action to stop village's rat run

Residents in a village near Llangollen blighted by speeding breathed a sigh of relief after an AM secured assurances traffic-calming measures will be introduced to prevent it becoming ‘a rat run’.

Councillors in Pentredwr asked Clwyd South AM Ken Skates to allay their long-running fears about drivers using the community as a high-speed cut-through.

Denbighshire County Council has now confirmed that speed bumps should be installed before the Horseshoe Pass closes later this year.

Labour AM Mr Skates (pictured left) said: “Pentredwr has long been used as a short cut by drivers going down behind the Ponderosa instead of over the main Horseshoe Pass. They go dangerously fast on a far narrower, steeper route which has no footpaths.

“Put simply, Pentredwr was in danger of becoming a rat run if something wasn’t done, as the upcoming closure of the Horseshoe Pass would just lead to more and more vehicles hammering through the village at stupid speeds.

“This has been a real worry for residents and the community council for a long time, so I’m delighted to have secured an assurance that Denbighshire County Council will address it.”

In his response to Mr Skates’s urgent letter to the council, chief executive Dr Mohammed Mehmet said: “In relation to speeding traffic, we have secured county capital funding to implement a traffic-calming scheme within the village of Pentredwr this financial year.

“If the county councillors, community council and residents are in agreement with the proposal to implement speed humps within the village, it is hoped that the works can be tendered and implemented prior to the closure of the Horseshoe Pass.”

... and news of Pontfadog speed clampdown

* Mr Skates has praised police after a commitment to clamp down on speeding through a village in the Ceiriog Valley.

The Clwyd South AM has secured a pledge from North Wales Chief Constable Mark Polin that extra patrols will be deployed to enforce the 30mph limit through Pontfadog.

Mr Skates has previously urged Wrexham Council to do ‘everything possible’ to improve road safety outside the village school after being contacted by constituent Gayle Watkin, who said parents were growing increasingly  concerned about speeding.

He said: “There have been numerous attempts to get something done about this problem, but residents’ pleas have previously fallen on deaf ears.

“I’m pleased that North Wales Police has agreed there is a problem and that Mr Polin has promised that action is imminent, and I hope to see Wrexham Council follow suit in the not-too-distant future.”

Mr Polin’s letter to the AM stated: “Arrangements have been made for additional patrols to enforce speeding limits on the B4500. A speed survey at the location has been approved with a view to GoSafe enforcing at the location in the future.”

Mr Skates has asked the council to consider flashing signs either side of the village, speed bumps and a barrier outside the school gate as there is at present only a narrow pavement separating the grounds from the main road.

The council said: “The B4500, and in particular that length of this road within Pontfadog will be considered for such works during the 2015/16 financial year.”

Mr Skates added: “The headteacher, Miss Atkinson-Corben, and the school governors also want to see something done about this, so I am encouraged that we’re finally seeing some action to protect the children of Pontfadog.”

Residents given preview of new health centre

* The front of the new health centre approached from Mill Street.

In advance of its official opening on August 24, people from the area were yesterday given a preview of the new £5 million primary health care resource centre on Mill Street, Llangollen.

The spacious, glass-sided facility on the site of the former River Lodge on the banks of the River Dee, features a very extensive reception/patients' waiting area plus a suite of consulting and GPs' rooms on the ground floor, with a terrace overlooking the river.

Upstairs there is space for additional facilities.

The main staircase incorporates an ornate stained glass window which was once in place at the old Cottage Hospital.

Throughout yesterday afternoon scores of people turned up to see the new building, which is surrounded by parking areas, and were given a guided tour by members of the health centre team.

* The terrace overlooking the river.

* The spacious waiting and reception area.

* The stained glass window on the staircase once sited at the old Cottage Hospital.

* The ground floor corridor containing the GP and consulting rooms.

* The reception area close to the front door.

* The rear aspect of the new health centre.

Musketeers swashbuckle into Plas Newydd

A Theatre company are busy sharpening their rapiers, practising lunges and flirting outrageously in preparation for this summer's touring production of The Musketeers, which comes to Llagollen's Plas Newydd tomorrow (Friday).

Off the Ground Theatre says will be overwhelming amounts of swash and buckle as the, now slightly older, heroes with a little help from Athos’ son and D’Artagnan’s daughter, charm women  - and some men - quaff wine and fight off Spanish and Dutch spies- all in the name of France.  

This new story, written especially for the company by Daniel Cambridge, brings the Musketeers back together after they first met 20 years earlier.

And this time, the whole future of Europe is at stake as mysterious powers aim to topple the most powerful people throughout the continent. 

With full-blooded and fanciful fighting, live music and a 15-strong cast this promises to be a real summer spectacle.

Off the Ground Theatre started working on the Wirral 19 years ago and have produced over a hundred shows, featuring young talent from across Merseyside and the Northwest. 

This will be the company’s twentieth summer tour. 

The Musketeers is being directed by Chris Tomlinson and OTG’s artistic director, Dan Meigh.

Chris, who recently directed Until They Kick Us Out and assisted on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, both at The Everyman, said: “The OTG summer tour is always so much fun. 

"There is always such an exciting mix of tour troopers who have done it before and new faces who have no idea what to expect. 

"But by the time we open the first show we’re a proper company, partly due to the hard work we have to put in – there’s going to be a lot of sword play and fancy footwork we’re going to have to learn this year – and partly because we all want to put on a great show. 

"The big cast, the story and the great routines should mark this out as a bit special.”

One of the main aims of Off the Ground Theatre is to encourage talent from its native North West of England and this year’s cast recent graduates from OTG and YEP as well as university graduates gaining their first professional experience.

Booking Details:
By Phone: 0151-625-2929 | Mon from 2pm, Tue to Sat from 1pm
In Person: all venues on the night of performance
Online: www.offtheground.co.uk | Easy and secure online booking
Tickets £11, £8  (concessions), £5 (U21s)

New boards promote town trails

Preparations are being made to install a new set of information boards promoting town trails across Denbighshire, including Llangollen.

Continuing Denbighshire County Council’s commitment to meeting the needs of visitors and local residents and businesses alike, the Destination, Marketing and Communication Unit have redesigned their  suite of Town Trails in Llangollen, Corwen, Ruthin, Denbigh, St Asaph, Prestatyn and Rhuddlan, including a  brand new one produced for Rhyl.

These leaflets are being complemented by the information boards which will be placed in prominent locations within the main towns in the county shortly.

The Boards are being funded by the Welsh Government through the Regional Tourism Engagement Fund.

Councillor Huw Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Community Development,  said: “We have received a really positive response  from the tourism industry and local businesses to the new town trails leaflets.

“We now want to make sure that as many people as possible can access the information and placing the Town Trails boards in prominent locations will be a visual reminder to visitors and residents about the wealth of history, architecture and fascinating stories in our main towns."

The free leaflets will be available from the Tourist Information Centres and libraries in Denbighshire. For further information or a free copy of any of the towns please contact Denbighshire’s Destination, Marketing and Communications Unit on 01824 706072.

Appeal for information on stolen quad bike

North Wales Police are appealing for information following the theft of a quad bike from secure lock up in Bryn Eglwys, Corwen.

Sometime between 16.00 on 21/07/2015 and 14.00 on 24/07/2015 unknown offender(s) cut a padlock of a secure steel shipping container and stole a Yamaha 550 grizzly quad bike, 4x4, green in colour, 2012/2013 model.

If you have information, contact North Wales Police by dialling 101 quoting reference RC15111113.

Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers Wales on 0800 555 111.

North Wales Police urge residents to always report suspicious activity to them at the earliest opportunity.

New health centre previews tomorrow

 

NEW LLANGOLLEN HEALTH CENTRE OPEN AFTERNOON 

 

Thursday 30 July 2015, 3 – 6 pm 

 

Canolfan Iechyd Llangollen Health Centre 

Bishops Walk 

Llangollen 

LL20 8RZ 

 

 

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Dr A D Evans & Partners are hosting an open afternoon at the new Health Centre situated next to Bishops Walk in Llangollen. 

 

This will be an informal opportunity for people to familiarise themselves with the new building, and find out more about the services that it will offer, before it opens on 24 August. 

 

If you require any further information please contact the Health Centre on 01978 860625.

County to consult public over care proposals

Denbighshire’s Cabinet has agreed to consult the public on proposals for the Council’s in-house care services.

In March 2014, the Council’s Performance Scrutiny Committee agreed that a Task and Finish Group be set up to examine options for delivering high quality social care services in the county.

Discussions have already taken place with individuals and their families, resulting in the options considered.

At its meeting at County Hall, Ruthin today (Tuesday), the Cabinet agreed to consult the wider public on the following preferred options, but to also include the option for the public to put forward suggestions of their own.

A council statement says:

"Awelon, Ruthin: The Council wishes to emphasise that no resident in Awelon currently will need to move, the reason being that the assessment for the majority of residents states clearly they are too frail and elderly to be moved.

"At a future agreed date, we would stop new admissions and work with the individuals and their families at their own pace to explore, wherever appropriate, suitable alternatives as appropriate and enter into a partnership with the owner of Llys Awelon to develop additional Extra Care apartments on the site. The aspiration is for the site to have 50 extra care flats and a new community facility for wider use but it may take several years.

"Cysgod y Gaer, Corwen: To enter into a partnership with relevant stakeholders (including Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and the third sector) to develop the site into a ‘support hub’, offering both residential and extra care type facilities, as well as an outreach domiciliary care and support service to the tenants of local Sheltered Housing Schemes and the wider population of Edeyrnion and the surrounding area.

"This would ensure that the individuals living in Cysgod y Gaer currently can continue doing so through retaining beds at the location, but also develops services that support independence and improved outcomes for others in the local area.

"Extra Care Schemes: The suggestion for all three schemes is to tender for a social care provider for each of them and enter into formal consultation with the staff involved regarding transfer of employment. This does not require a formal public consultation as it involves only a change in provider, not the service."

Cabinet also  agreed two additional recommendations:

• that any future provision must recognise the importance of delivering care services through the medium of Welsh for those older people who require it and maintain the capability to do so.
• that the Council engages with Welsh Government Ministers, officials and the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in order to urge greater collaboration and partnership working between the Council and BCUHB in the provision of services relating to the care of older people.

Councillor Bobby Feeley, Cabinet Lead Member for Social Care, said: “People’s expectations about how they want to live their lives as they get older is changing.  People rightly want (and demand) control over their own lives and the freedom to choose how to live it. 

"Most people tell us that they do not want to live in a residential care home or go to a day care centre when they get older.  They say that they would prefer to live in their own home and be supported to be as independent as possible for as long as possible.

“That is why we have carried out a review of our in-house care provision, in response to the changing needs of the public.

“We also recognise the need to consult widely on the proposals and Cabinet’s decision gives us the green light to do so”.

Over the coming weeks, the Council says it will inform residents of how they can contribute to the consultation. Detailed will be posted on the Council’s website and social media sites, as well as through the media. The consultation is expected to begin in September.