MP has her say on bank closure protocol

* Susan Elan Jones MP presents the Corwen banking petition in the House of Commons.

Susan Elan Jones MP has welcomed the inclusion of some key suggestions she made into a nation-wide protocol about bank closures.

Last month she me with Sir Russel Griggs, the man commissioned to produce an independent review and made her detailed recommendations then.

Sir Russell's review 'Access to Banking Protocol - One Year On Review' has just been published and includes the following points suggested by the Clwyd South Labour MP:

-  Regular cash collections from business customers: "Banks consider coming together and offer a generic cash pick up services for businesses across the UK"

- "All banks ensure that their customers are aware of what they can do at the Post Office in terms of their banking transactions"

- Specially trained staff are designated, in particular to work with older customers

Ms Jones MP, who yesterday (Thursday) presented a petition in Parliament on behalf of Corwen residents concerned at the local effect of bank closures, said: "I have been meeting many local businesses and residents and decided to put together some detailed proposals for Sir Russell in my meeting with him.

"I am pleased to see a number of my suggestions are now in the new national protocol. The importance of Sir Russell's review is that it is backed by the British Bankers Association and all the major banks have signed up to it.

"I will now be in contact with all banks which have closed in our area to see how they will be helping our local residents and implementing it. Having closed the banks in the first place, it is only right now that they do more to help local businesses and individuals."

Councillor given reason for balloon festival move

* A balloon over Llangollen in September.

County councillor Stuart Davies says he has heard back from the organisers of the Welsh International Balloon Festival which is moving out of Llangollen and into neighbouring Shropshire. 

Earlier this week the British Ironwork Centre near Oswestry dropped the bombshell news that it would be hosting the popular event, run by Nightingale House Hospice in aid of its funds, next August bank holiday.

Cllr Davies described the move as a “big loss” to Llangollen as the festival had attracted 7,000 people – both to the Pavilion field where it was held and the town centre – in September.  

And he promised to find out the reason for the decision.

On social media yesterday he said: “The lady from Nightingale House has called me to explain. They have been made an offer.

“The Ironwork Centre is going to run the event for them. A win win situation for a very worthy cause.

“I explained that I wished they had talked to me first to see if we could have helped so that the event could have taken place in Llangollen.

“She apologised for the news going out prematurely but it had been beyond their control.

“She said that the event is not going to be called the Welsh International Balloon Festival, that it would not be fair to take the name away from Llangollen.

“I reiterated that if they were thinking of doing another event in the future then please to talk to us first. Part of the conversation was about other things we could do.

“I wish a very worthy cause well and urge us all to continue to support them.” 

He told llanblogger: “I have to look at the bigger picture which means looking at the impact of losing an event which can bring 7,000 people into our town with all the benefits that that brings to local businesses - although there is the downside of the parking situation.

“I am having top level talks with our people to ensure that in the future we are more proactive, corporately, in engaging with big players that can bring business to our town.”

Have your say on empty homes charging plans

Denbighshire County Council is urging residents to have their say on a proposal to charge additional council tax on long-term empty properties and second homes in the county.

The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 gives all councils in Wales the powers to charge the additional council tax and a number of authorities across the country have already implemented the change.

The Welsh Government has introduced these new powers to help Councils encourage homeowners not to unnecessarily leave their properties empty and unoccupied for long periods of time. The powers are also intended to encourage homeowners to bring long term empty and second homes back into use for the benefit of the local community and economy.

Now the council is asking for views on how it should implement these powers from 1 April 2018.

A second home is classed as a dwelling which is not a person’s sole or main home and is substantially furnished. A long – term property is a dwelling which is unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for a continuous period of at least one year.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance, said: “The Welsh Government has introduced these new powers to help Councils encourage homeowners not to unnecessarily leave their properties empty and unoccupied for long periods of time.

“The powers are also intended to encourage homeowners to bring long term empty and second homes back into use for the benefit of the local community and economy. Developing the local economy and creating vibrant communities is a key priority for the Council and this initiative will assist to realise this ambition.

“We are encouraging people interested in this matter to share their views."

You can have your say by completing a short online survey on www.denbighshire.gov.uk/consultations or by sending  an email to:  Itesh.consultation@denbighshire.gov.uk

Alternatively, people can write to the Council at: Contracts & Performance, Finance Department, Denbighshire County Council, PO Box 62, Ruthin, LL15 9AZ or phone 01824 706006

The consultation runs until December 14^th and the findings will be reported to a meeting of the Full Council in early 2017.

AM hails older people as "everyday heroes"

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has described older people in Wales as “everyday heroes” and urged the Welsh Government to introduce an Older People’s Rights Bill to extend and promote their rights.

During the Welsh Conservative Debate on Older People in the Assembly chamber, Mr Isherwood (pictured) emphasised the "huge contribution" older people make, through work, activism, volunteering and community work, caring for families and providing childcare, but said that despite this they are often overlooked by society.

He said: “They deserve dignity and respect, independence and the freedom to make decisions about their own lives.

“As Age Cymru states, negative attitudes towards older people and ageing are pervasive in our society, based on inaccurate stereotypes, and assumptions about a person’s ability and competence due to their age.

“They add that the Welsh Government should further explore what role the introduction of a Bill of Rights for Older People could play.

“I therefore commend the call in our Motion for the introduction of an Older People's Rights Bill, to extend and promote the rights of older people – and for a duty on public sector bodies to consult older people when making decisions which affect their live."

He added: “Our 2016 Manifesto stated a Welsh Conservative Government would implement a £400 weekly cap on residential care, and protect £100,000 of assets for those in residential care. The Welsh Government’s failure to do the same is regrettable.” 

AM hails older people as "everyday heroes"

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has described older people in Wales as “everyday heroes” and urged the Welsh Government to introduce an Older People’s Rights Bill to extend and promote their rights.

During the Welsh Conservative Debate on Older People in he Assembly chamber, Mr Isherwood (pictured) emphasised the "huge contribution" older people make, through work, activism, volunteering and community work, caring for families and providing childcare, but said that despite this they are often overlooked by society.

He said: “They deserve dignity and respect, independence and the freedom to make decisions about their own lives.

“As Age Cymru states, negative attitudes towards older people and ageing are pervasive in our society, based on inaccurate stereotypes, and assumptions about a person’s ability and competence due to their age.

“They add that the Welsh Government should further explore what role the introduction of a Bill of Rights for Older People could play.

“I therefore commend the call in our Motion for the introduction of an Older People's Rights Bill, to extend and promote the rights of older people – and for a duty on public sector bodies to consult older people when making decisions which affect their live."

He added: “Our 2016 Manifesto stated a Welsh Conservative Government would implement a £400 weekly cap on residential care, and protect £100,000 of assets for those in residential care. The Welsh Government’s failure to do the same is regrettable.” 

Christmas quiz in aid of disabled children

Councillor wants answers over balloon festival `switch'

* A balloon in flight over Llangollen at this year's festival.

A Llangollen county councillor says he aims to find out exactly why the town appears to have lost one of its biggest crowd-pulling events.

The Border Counties Advertizer is reporting today that the Wales International Balloon Festival, which has been held on Llangollen Pavilion field since 1997, will be staged instead at the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry over the bank holiday weekend next August.

Although bosses at the Ironworks told the newspaper they are “excited” about the move there is no indication in the story about why the switch is being made.

Cllr Stuart Davies said: “If this is the case it is certainly a big loss to Llangollen, especially after getting the event back this September after it had been away from the town for a few years.

“I’ve heard an estimate that there were 7,000 people on the field over the weekend and that people were also spending money in the town.”

He added: “I intend to speak to the organisers to check this out and to find out what has caused them to move elsewhere.

“It’s seems ironic that an event called the Wales International Balloon Festival is now apparently going to be held in England.”  

The Advertizer story says that the festival will take place on the weekend of August 26 and 27 and will be held in collaboration with Lindstrands.

Per Lindstrand first appeared on the international ballooning scene in 1978 and then went on to create Lindstrand Technologies Ltd based in Oswestry.

He is well-known for his record-breaking hot air balloon flights and for his attempts to be the first to fly a Rozière balloon around the earth with Sir Richard Branson.

Sophia Knowles, the operations director at the British Ironwork Centre, is quoted in the story as saying: “Shropshire is such a beautiful, scenic county, it really is a wonderful area to embark on a balloon flight.

“We are very excited about this event.”

The event will raise funds for Nightingale House Hospice, in Wrexham which provides specialist palliative care service for patients with life-limiting illness across Shropshire and beyond.

* See the full Advertizer story at: http://bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk/news/169119/british-ironwork-centre-to-host-popular-wales-international-balloon-festival-in-2017.aspx