MP writes to bank boss over branch closures

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones has written to HSBC Regional Director Jonathon Byrne, posing a series of detailed questions on the bank's proposals to close its branches in Ruabon and Chirk.

Ms Jones (pictured) said: "I have been working very closely with community representatives and a large number of constituents to produce this letter. We demand answers.

"We want HSBC to keep both branches open. We are all dismayed by how the UK Government has weakened a previously agreed 'banking protocol' so that there is now no requirement to keep open the last bank in every community.

"However, we are also appalled at HSBC's appalling treatment of loyal customers in our local area. We call on them to re-think their dreadful decision.

"The letter we have produced is the result of many long conversations, emails, letters and points made at local community meetings. We ask detailed questions about a whole range of matters - including business banking; face-to-face service provision; ATM (cashpoint) facilities; customers who do not use the internet; community groups; and the lack of existing Post Office provision. We also call on HSBC to reveal statistical details about the number of transactions carried out locally."   

The letter ...


Dear Mr Byrne,

 

I am appalled that HSBC has stated its wishes to close the long established HSBC branches in Ruabon and Chirk. As you will know, both branches fall within my constituency and I have been contacted by many constituents who are deeply concerned about the closures.

 

Both branches have long been an important part of the community and local residents have relied upon, and continue to rely upon, the services that these branches provide.

 

As the representative Member of Parliament for both Ruabon and Chirk, I know the impact that these closures will have on local businesses and how they will be affected by not having the physical presence of a bank. Though I recognise that there has been an increase in internet banking in recent years, the reality is that branches are still a fundamental part of our communities.

 

Many constituents are concerned about the option of moving to Wrexham and how eas y it will be to access their finances. The Wrexham branch is already heavily mechanised and loyal customers in both Ruabon and Chirk have appreciated and needed the face-to-face service that has been provided. Many customers have been loyal to the branches for many years.

 

Can you provide numbers that show that transactions have fallen? Can you provide information on how many accounts are held at both branches? Following the closures of Cefn Mawr, Llangollen and Rhosllannerchrugog branches, how many accounts were served by these two branches and will those accounts now all be transferred to Wrexham? Please provide figures to show why you consider Ruabon and Chirk branches to be no longer commercially viable.

 

I have liaised with many community representatives and a large number of constituents and I would like to raise the following questions directly on their behalf:

 

1.    What provisions will be made available to business customers? Both branches current ly serve a large number of diverse local businesses. Local business customers will be forced to endure addition costs travelling to Oswestry or Wrexham on a daily basis. What will HSBC do to ensure that business customers in Ruabon, Chirk and the wider area are not directly affected by these closures? This also applies to customers running charitable organisations and local groups in both areas.

 

2.    What is HSBC’s current plans for ATM availability? As you will know, they provide a vital local amenity and the nearest free cash point is not for a number of miles. Will there still be ATMs available for loyal customers who have used the ATMs for a number of years?

3.    With regards to Post Offices, both local Post Offices have an extremely limited service in terms of access to finances. How has this been considered by HSBC?

4.    After closures such as this, customers have been known to be the target of telephone scams (phone calls to local people claiming to be from the bank about the moving of accounts). What is HSBC doing to do to ensure communication with their customers is efficient and clear?

 

5.    Both branches are situated in prominent community buildings. If HSBC goes ahead with this appalling decision, is there a plan for the future of either building?

6.    There is still a large proportion of the community who do not use internet or telephone banking. How will HSBC ensure that these members of the community, many of them long standing, loyal customers, are not cut off completely from these banking services? Some residents, who despair at HSBC’s proposals, have asked that if they do go ahead will mobile banking be provided? They also ask if training will be provided to show customers how to use internet banking if they have not done so before?

 

I would like to ask directly what HSBC’s commitment is to villages and small towns in Wales. With so many closures in my constituency and across North Wales, I am appalled by the lack of commitment that HSBC has shown to local customers who have been loyal for many years. How long have these closures been discussed? Why have these local communities not been approached sooner? HSBC absolutely must consider the implications that any closure would have on our local communities and must rethink these inexcusable proposals immediately.

Eisteddfod singing competition gets prize boost

 

* Dr Rhys Davies, Llangollen International Musical

Eisteddfod chairman (right), with Mario Kreft and Ken Skates AM.

 

AN ICONIC competition to find the world's best young singers has been given a massive boost by a pioneering care organisation.

 

Pendine Park has agreed to more than triple the prize money up for grabs in the prestigious Voice of the Future competition at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

 

According to the festival's Musical Director, Eilir Owen Griffiths, increasing the annual prize to £5,000 from 2017 onwards will "catapult the competition into a whole new league".

 

He said: "This is a truly remarkable gesture which will lead to a big surge in interest for new vocal talent.

 

"The timing is especially appropriate as we will be celebrating our 70th anniversary in 2017 and looking forward to an even brighter future.

 

The announcement about Pendine Park's sizeable financial contribution was made by Ken Skates, the Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism.

 

Mr Skates, the Clwyd South AM, said: “It’s a fantastic, incredibly generous investment by a very well-respected and responsible employer.

 

“I believe that in Wales we need to have what I call the 'Martini arts' because they are available any time, any place and anywhere.

 

“Pendine is helping to deliver this in a social care setting, and I toast their success.”

 

Voice of the Future is one of the main highlights of the International Eisteddfod, which each year attracts competitors and visitors from across the globe.

 

The competition is open to young soloists under the age of 28 and the prize money – now up from £1,500 to £5,000 thanks to Pendine Park– is intended to help them advance their professional career.

 

The prize also includes the chance to perform at future festival concerts.

 

During the two-day competition, singers are required to deliver a contrasting programme of up to eight minutes of music, including oratorio, opera, lieder and song, performed in its original language.

 

In the final competitors must present a programme of music lasting up to 10 minutes.

 

Eirlys Myfanwy Davies, winner of the Voice of the Future title in 2014, will share the stage with opera legend Bryn Terfel when he stars at a glittering evening concert on July 7.

 

The concert marking the Eisteddfod’s 70^th is also being sponsored by Pendine Park and will also star the supremely talented Maltese opera colleague Joseph Calleja whose voice has been compared to the legendary Caruso.

 

Pendine proprietor Mario Kreft said after the announcement of the £5,000 prize: "The ethos of the Eisteddfod chimes perfectly with what my wife, Gill, and I are doing at Pendine Park.

 

“I firmly believe in the vital role played by music and arts in social care and as part of our enrichment programme for people with dementia we regularly have world-class musicians from the Hallé orchestra and Welsh National Opera as part of our enrichment workshops and staff training and development programme.

 

“For some years now we have supported evening concerts at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and we want to provide further impetus to this unique festival and the Voice of the Future Competition in particular by increasing the prize money available to the winner."

 

He added: “The message of the Eisteddfod about the importance of peace and harmony is as relevant today as it's ever been.

 

"We're absolutely delighted to be giving this extra support to the Eisteddfod as  on Children’s Day at last year’s festival we will never forget seeing over 800 young people from local schools taking part in music workshops we hosted with members of the Welsh National Opera.

 

“As Terry Waite, who is President of the Eisteddfod, has often said, there is nothing more important than giving good memories to young people."

 

Eisteddfod Musical Director, Eilir Owen Griffiths, said: “It’s fantastic that Pendine Park is continuing its support for the festival by offering this £5,000 prize money for Voice of the Future after previously sponsoring our evening concerts.

 

“I know the difference this money will make in drawing in a much larger number of applications for this competition.

 

“I previously ran a similar competition in another part of Wales and when the prize money was increased the number of applications actually tripled."

 

Festival chairman Dr Rhys Davies added: “This is an extraordinarily generous contribution from Pendine Park and the prize money on offer will help to support the training of the young singer who is chosen as the winner.

 

“The competition is equally important is providing a stage for the singing stars of tomorrow and that is why it was created.” 

County claims £800k in office savings

Denbighshire County Council says it has saved over £800,000 of public funds over the past five years by rationalising its office space and encouraging staff to work more flexibly.

In 2010, council staff worked from 10 main buildings located across the county.

However, the council has implemented a programme to modernise the way it works that has involved relocating staff, desk sharing and encouraging home working.

As a direct result, the council has reduced its main buildings down to four – making a recurring saving of £273,000 a year from its budget.

In the last five years the Middle Lane site and industrial units in Denbigh, Fronfraith in Rhyl, Ty-Nant offices in Prestatyn as well as Clwyd Street and Trem Clwyd in Ruthin have been removed from the corporate office accommodation portfolio. 

All staff who previously worked from the now closed offices have been relocated to existing council buildings.

In addition to the annual savings local taxpayers have also benefitted from the £875,000 sale of two of the empty buildings, says the authority.

Councillor Barbara Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Modernisation and Housing, said: “The Council has made a commitment in its corporate plan to modernise the way it works.

“This approach to rationalising the number of office buildings is great news for local residents, as it means that we have been able to make substantial savings that have been used to protect valuable front line services to the public.

“We have encouraged staff to use less space, developed open plan office environments and introduced work practices that allow staff to work from a variety of locations, rather than being fixed to their desks.

“The environment has also benefitted with CO2 omissions reducing by almost 400 tonnes per year."

The council claims further plans in the pipeline to rationalise the space it uses for the purposes of office accommodation will save a further £250,000 a year.

Networking event planned for Pavilion

A networking event called a Taste for Local will be held at Llangollen Pavilion on March 9.

Taking place from mid-morning to early afternoon, it is an opportunity to promote and highlight the wide range of Denbighshire producers to each other and potential buyers such as hoteliers, B&Bs, Retailers, restaurants & Cafes. With key guest speakers.

Powerful panto turns Pavilion into wonderland

* The cast of Alice in Wonderland lines up.

THE Pavilion stage has been transformed into an all-singing, all-dancing wonderland for Llangollen Pantomime Group’s latest production.

It might have been cold outside, but last night’s crowd were thoroughly warmed by the antics of a large and talented cast ranging from dancing tiny tots to wise-cracking and singing grown-ups.

Alice in Wonderland, of course, follows a dreamy girl of that name through an action-packed odyssey in which she encounters the likes of a time-conscious White Rabbit and the deliciously barmy Mad Hatter and March Hare.

The larger version of Alice is played neatly by Serena Young, who is quite an accomplished singer and actor, and the smaller version (for fitting through small doors etc) by a handy Celyn-Orton Jones.

There’s a nice cameo from Seren Decourt as the eternally late bunny and, in terms of vocal power and sheer zest, Llan panto veteran Jo Potts is outstanding as the Mad Hatter complete with oversized headgear. Tessa Orton-Jones makes a superb March Hare with those big floppy ears and pronounced Welsh accent.

Another real star of the show is Noel the Cat, Alice’s feline guide, gloriously portrayed by Neil Barrett in the style of Manc Oasis star Noel Gallagher and who is constantly “up fer it!”

Every panto needs a villain but in this one there’s two – the Queen of Hearts, a hissingly good and big-voiced Justine Bradey, and the Ace of Spades, a bitingly beastly Nico Decourt.

There ain’t nothing like a dame when it comes to pantos and ours was fortunate to have Simon Orton-Jones filling – and I do mean filling – that role with aplomb.

There are further nice turns from young Eve Barrett and Millie Orton-Jones as, respectively, the comedy double act Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. And Harvey Barrett, who is a handy Dormouse, proves he’s a Llan panto star in the making.

Another audience favourite is Jo Pearson doing a bit of gender bending to play the King of Hearts.

Sets, with their large moving picture backdrop, are brilliant as are the costumes.

Helping to make this production a hit are the well-chosen – and thankfully up-to-date - pop songs and funky dance routines that lavishly intersperse it, all marvellously backed by a great five-piece band.

The whole feel-good experience is a credit to co-directors Justine Bradey and Nico Decourt and producer Simon Orton-Jones.

Alice in Wonderland still has a couple of shows left, so catch it if you can today or tomorrow.

Tickets: Thursday, £6 and £4, other times, £8 and £6.

Tickets are available from Jades Beauty, Llangollen or Gwyn Davies (Butchers), Llangollen. You can also reserve tickets by calling 01978 860297.

Work goes ahead on canal leak

The Canal & River Trust is currently carrying out working repair work on a stretch of the canal near Llangollen Wharf.

A spokesperson said: "We’re carrying out repairs to a heritage stone wall that is in a poor condition and has been leaking onto the embankment. 

"We are taking the wall down and re-building it using heritage techniques working with CADW. 

"The work will be on-going till the end of January."

* Men at work on the canal near the Wharf. Picture by Mike Edwards.

Corwen residents to get feedback from questionnaire

Residents in Corwen have had their say on community life through completing a questionnaire – now the results will be fed back through an event for the local community.

 

The ‘Caru Corwen’  event will feed back to the community what has been learnt about Corwen and its residents through the pilot People to People project, an initiative by the Denbighshire Strategic Partnership Board.

 

Questionnaires were distributed in hard copies and promoted on social media, asking residents what they value about their community and what they may need to improve their community.  This offered the chance to share ideas on how the community can face challenges together and thrive.

 

Feedback was received on a wide range of issues, including facilities, activities, transport, education, local amenities.

 

The drop -in feedback event will take place at Canolfan Ni, Corwen on Monday, 25 January between 11am and 7pm.

 

A number of organisations will be on hand throughout the day to discuss projects and activities they have going on in Corwen that residents may be interested in taking part in or volunteering for.

 

A minibus service will be available from Clawdd Poncen, Llygadog and Maesafallen, with collection times starting from Clawdd Poncen at 11am, 1.30pm, 4pm and 5.30pm.