Llan councillor hits out over government funding

Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies has voiced his “irritation” at the relationship between the Welsh Government and local authorities like Denbighshire.

Cllr Davies (pictured) said: “The results of the UK Government Spending Review have confirmed that the funding coming to Wales is going to increase in cash terms over the next four years.

“The revenue position will increase from £12.9bn this year to £13.3bn in 2019/20 and capital from £1.5bn to £1.6bn. The capital allocation is to increase further by 2020 to £1.7bn.

"As a local councillor I am being forced by the Labour-led Welsh Government to take part in cuts across the board in our services because they have cut our funding year on year.

"We had to find cuts of £8million last year and this year with more again next year.”

He added: “The Welsh Government continually says that its central funding has been cut, but in fact, as can be seen in the document below *, the cash funding has been increased!"

"It irritates me immensely when simple things that are the responsibility of the Welsh Government, like the yellow lines on the A5 opposite Stan’s supermarket and the extending of the speed limit on the A5 past the new print works, are promised but haven’t taken place due to so-called funding constraints.

"They seem to be able to spend money on failing airports down south, to spend millions in Cardiff and yet can’t find a few thousands to do the simple things here in Llangollen and Clwyd South.

“I would remind the local Assembly Members that it is election time next year and the public are taking note of their actions or lack of.”

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates said: “After a period of unprecedented cuts to the Welsh budget and our public services, this continues to be the slowest economic recovery in living memory. Sadly, Wales is still suffering from the UK Government’s ongoing failure to meet its own targets.

 

“Tory policies mean our spending power can’t even keep track with inflation. Overall, between now and 2019-20, there will be a real terms reduction of 3.6% on a Welsh budget which has already been cut by £1.3bn since the Tories came to power in 2010-2011.

 

"While some have clearly been misled by the smoke and mirrors offered by Chancellor George Osborne, the vast majority of Welsh people won’t be.

 

“I share the anger of our communities at the UK Government’s approach to public finance and its relentless austerity campaign, but the Welsh Labour Government continues to spend more per head in key areas such as health and education. Cuts this side of the border are forced, not a choice.

 

“It is also worth pointing out – again – that more money is spent per head in areas on things like health, roads and tourism in North Wales than Cardiff and the South East. Locally, the Welsh Government has just spent more than £4.5m on brand new state-of-the-art health centres in Llangollen and Chirk.

 

“With regard to the double yellow lines opposite Stan’s, I am continuing to push for them and the Welsh Government’s Transport Minister Edwina Hart has said several times that the work will be put forward for funding consideration in the next financial year. As always, I will pass on any news to Cllr Davies and Llanblogger.”

 

* The document Cllr Davies refers to is a letter sent by the leader of Denbighshire County Council to Welsh Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews earlier this week, a copy of which he has supplied to llanblogger. It reads:

 
Dear Minister,
 
Local Government Settlement 2016/17

The results of the UK Government Spending Review have confirmed that the funding coming to Wales is going to increase in cash terms over the next four years. 

The revenue position will increase from £12.9bn this year to £13.3bn in 2019/20 and capital from £1.5bn to £1.6bn.  

The capital allocation is to increase further by 2020 to £1.7bn.

These cash increases do not allow for inflation of course and assumptions about the 'real terms' impact are suggesting a reduction in the revenue position of 4.5% but importantly, this is over the next four years.

Given the relatively flat cash settlement from Westminster, I would urge you to support a fair settlement to local government in Wales.

Applying the same principles to the local government settlement as have been provided to Wales as a whole would seem fair. 

The justification for such a settlement would be clearly understood and important services would have time to adjust in a well organised way over the period to meet the challenge.

I would appreciate your support on this very important issue.

Yours sincerely,
Cllr Hugh H Evans OBE
Leader of Denbighshire County Council

Traffic halted to allow wide load to pass through town

Traffic along Regent Street was halted briefly by police earlier this afternoon to allow the passage of a wide load on its way towards Corwen.

 

* The escorted load makes its way through the centre of Llangollen.

* A police motorcyclist controls traffic at the lights.

Plaid candidate speaks out over Syria bombing vote

In advance of tomorrow's vote on whether or not the UK should bomb Syria, Mabon ap Gwynfor, Plaid Cymru spokesperson for Clwyd South (pictured), said: “The Government are itching for a war, and David Cameron wants to be seen as a war leader.

 

"I sincerely hope that our local MPs won’t fall into the trap of massaging his ego at the expense of the lives of children, mothers and fathers.

 

"Two years ago this Government wanted to bomb Syrian leader Bashar al Assad and in the process help his enemies, including Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/IS).

 

"Since then the Coalition Forces have supplied weapons to Daesh and allowed arms to be sold to other despotic regimes which in turn sell them onto Daesh. Now they want to deal with Daesh and support the despotic Al Assad.

 

“Whatever the bombast, the sad truth is that airstrikes have dire consequences. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Syrian Network for Human Rights calculate that Coalition bombing has killed over 500 civilians, at least 97 of them children, in the last two months. Bombing kills, and kills innocent civilians far more than military targets.

 

“Daesh have an extreme and evil ideology. As evil as it is, you can’t bomb an ideology. Any military actions will have inevitable consequences, and bombing will only create fertile ground for that ideology to flourish. I urge our elected representatives to think logically about these proposals; to vote against escalating this conflict further; and do everything they can to secure peace in the Middle East and stop this ideology from spreading further.”

Bus passengers invited to have their say

Llangollen bus passengers are invited to two drop-in sessions at Llangollen on Tuesday December 8 to meet managers and discuss any concerns they have with the current service or proposals for the future.

 

The sessions are between 7am and 9am on a bus at Parade Street and between 11am and 1pm at Llangollen Tourist Information Centre.

A representative from GHA Coaches and a representative of Bus Users Cymru will be present to hear passengers’ views and comments.

 

Passengers can also speak to County Council officers about proposed changes to contracted bus services. Further details about the contract changes are at www.denbighshire.gov.uk/travel.

Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies said: "I am pleased to see that local concerns about the problems with the bus services in Llangollen are being addressed.

"I forwarded on these concerns to the relevant authorities when they were pointed out to me and I urge people who wish to make their voices heard to take this opportunity to do so."

Llan Calender Girls become magazine cover girls

* The magazine's front cover featuring the Calendar Girls.

LLANGOLLEN’S Calendar Girls have become cover girls after being featured in a magazine spread.

The December edition of Border Life includes an article on the Valley Girls WI who have produced a 2016 calendar copies of which they are selling to raise £1,000 to be divided between Nightingale House and Hope House hospices.

The story is also showcased on the magazine’s front cover.

Instead of posing nude like their counterparts in Yorkshire a few years ago, members of the area’s newest branch of the Women’s Institute donned a range of colourful period costumes to appear alongside some famous local landmarks in their calendar.

Llangollen-based professional photographer Kim Price Evans, who took the dozen atmospheric images for the calendar, revealed that although her fellow members kept fully clothed for her shoots, the project did stem from a saucy burlesque workshop she and friend Julie Thomas, who are both accomplished dancers, did for the Valley Girls earlier this year.   * The article inside the magazine.

She said: “We went along to a meeting to do the workshop and the idea of doing a calendar came from that.

“We wanted to create something a bit different, so we decided on a calendar showing famous spots in Llangollen including the heritage railway, the Motor Museum, the Chain Bridge, Plas Newydd, Valle Crucis Abbey, the canal and wharf and the International Pavilion.

“We had members posing in each scene and we reckon we have them wearing costumes depicting most of the decades of the 20^th century, which is appropriate as the WI is celebrating its centenary this year.

“The whole thing began in the spring and has taken quite a few months to complete but it was a lot of fun to do.”         

Valley Girls WI was founded in 2013 by a small group of local thirty-somethings who shared a passion for baking, crafting and socialising.

Its president, Gail Ellson, said: “We have a target of raising at least £1,000 from sales of the calendar which will be split equally between our two local hospices.

“But, apart from supporting these great charities, we also want the calendar to be used as a tool to help market Llangollen.

“We’d like to see businesses buying a stock to distribute to their customers and people using them as Christmas or birthday presents for their friends and family.”

* Copies of the calendar are available at various outlets in town, via Valley Girls’ website at www.valleygirlswi.co.uk, or by emailing: valleygirlswi@outlook.com  

Skates backs Welsh football petition

An Assembly Member has backed a campaign started by one of his constituents to give Welsh football ‘the recognition it deserves’.

Asa Bailey, from Corwen, has launched an online petition to get Welsh Premier League teams featured in the next instalment of the popular FIFA computer game series.

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates, who is also the Welsh Government’s sports minister, was made aware of the bid this week and quickly threw his support behind it.

“It’s great that Asa has started this petition and I signed it gladly,” said Mr Skates (pictured).

“While the Welsh Premier League can’t boast the riches of the English Premier League or Spain’s La Liga, our teams compete in Europe every season and this year TNS, Bala and Newtown all won games and progressed beyond the first round.

“Our national team has entered a golden era, qualifying for next summer’s European Championships and reaching an all-time high in the world rankings, and we also have one of the best players on the planet in Gareth Bale. It’s definitely time for the game’s makers to give us the recognition we deserve.”

Mr Skates said he would be happy to send a letter of support for Asa’s campaign to the game’s makers EA Sports. To sign the petition, visit putwalesinthegame.com.

Rain fails to dampen festival's seasonal spirit

* Sion Corn arrives in town aboard a float.

HEAVY rain which fell throughout today (Saturday) failed to dampen the seasonal spirit of Llangollen’s annual Christmas Festival.

Hundreds of people joined in the festive fun as they watched events ranging across Castle Street, Oak Street and in the Town Hall.

The day began with the traditional parade which heralded the arrival of Sion Corn, the Welsh Santa, and included vintage cars, a magnificently bedecked heavy horse, a helicopter for the children’s rides and a fire engine from the local station.

Entertainment was provided by performers including a saxophone player, Llangollen Silver Band and Llangollen Male Voice Choir.

There were seasonal stalls along Oak Street while a Christmas fair was staged in the Town Hall.

Scores of youngsters lined up for the chance for a pre-Christmas meeting with Sion Corn in his grotto, which was also in the Town Hall along with children’s games.    

The switching on of the town’s more extensive Christmas lights was the prelude to a firework display which ended the day with a bang.

Proceeds from the event will once again be donated to Air Ambulance Wales. 

 

* Town crier, "Chem", leads the parade

over the bridge.

* Hoop, hoop hurray!

* A vintage car motors in.

* A magnificent heavy horse hauls a cart into town.

 

* Waves for the crowd from a princess. 

* People in Castle Street watch the parade go by.

* A seasonal stall in Oak Street.

* Mulled wine was amongst the festival fare on sale.

* A saxophone player entertains on the library steps.

* Llan Silver Band plays a seasonal selection.

* Santa's little helpers assist with his grotto in the Town Hall.

From left, Graham Platt, Carys Stallard and Phil Meyers. 

* People select a seasonal bargain at the Christmas fair inside the Town Hall.

 

 

 

* The Mayor of Llangollen, Cllr Mike Adams, hands over a gift to local schoolchildren

Daisy Jones-Neish and Dyfan Hughes who won a competition to switch on the town's Christmas lights.

 

 

* A firework display brought the day to an end.