Politicians voice concern over water company's future

Shareholders of a company have been urged to think of the workforce and local jobs when they vote on its future.

The Dee Valley Water board will decide which of two rival bids to accept on Thursday morning (January 12), with employees at the firm’s Rhostyllen headquarters having previously raised concerns about a possible takeover by Severn Trent Water.

The Coventry-based company has outbid investment firm Ancala, which is the workforce’s preferred option.

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates and MP Susan Elan Jones, along with Wrexham MP Ian Lucas, have put their names to a series of letters supporting the staff.

A joint statement by Mr Skates and Ms Jones said: “As the people elected to serve this area, we continue to fight for the Dee Valley workforce and for the people of Clwyd South. The employees have made it clear what they want, and we have supported them throughout this process. We continue to do so.

“First Minister Carwyn Jones spoke in Senedd about Dee Valley Water and said he could not support any change that would mean the loss of jobs at Rhostyllen. People’s livelihoods must be the primary concern when shareholders’ cast their vote.”

Wrexham MP Ian Lucas added: “This is a crucial meeting where the future of a valued local employer will be decided. Shareholders should understand that hundreds of jobs will be affected by the decisions they take and I would urge them to listen to the views of the people who work for Dee Valley Water.”

The three Labour politicians have previously said Severn Trent has not offered sufficient guarantees over jobs and welcomed Ancala’s intention to retain Dee Valley Water’s operations and brand.

Dee Valley Water employs about 180 people and has 230,000 customers across the Wrexham and Chester areas. The company’s average household bill is £126, compared to Severn Trent’s average of £174.

County offers grants to boost companies' digital profile

Firms looking for a digital makeover can now take advantage of a business grant.

Denbighshire County Council’s Business Development Grant scheme has awarded more than £71,000 to 17 Denbighshire firms since April last year.

The grant has been expanded to offer more financial support for businesses looking to take advantage of digital technology to help stimulate local innovation, improve competitiveness and help reach new markets.

This includes opportunities for all types of businesses, including firms looking to take bookings online and send automatic appointment reminders by text or email or replacing their old telephone systems with cheaper internet based systems.

Cllr Hugh Evans OBE, leader of Denbighshire, said: “Even the smallest business can benefit from this grant.

“Websites have well established benefits for trade and in 2017 more funding is available for local businesses to create their own high quality online presence and even venture into selling online.

“I would encourage eligible businesses in the county to apply for a grant as soon as possible as the funding is awarded on a first come, first served basis.”

Up to 75 per cent of costs may be funded and proposals will have to demonstrate how the investment will develop the business.

The scheme, which forms part of the Council’s Economic and Community Ambition Programme, also offers funding to new and existing businesses to create employment, improve business competitiveness and create a vibrant local economy.

As well as increasing the funding for the digital element of the scheme, the overall cap of the grant has been raised from £5,000 to £10,000 and the limit on applicants’ annual turnover has increased from £250,000 to £500,000.

* For more information or to apply for a Business Development Grant from Denbighshire County Council visit Denbighshire.gov.uk/business or contact 01824 706896.

Llangollen WI's committee for 2017

Llangollen WI has sent in this picture of members of their committee for 2017.

Railway volunteers get to work tidying trackside

* Volunteers at work on the line of Llangollen Railway

near Berwyn. Picture by David Roberts.

Over the winter period, it is a common misconception that the Llangollen Railway goes into slumber mode until the trains restart in mid-February.

In fact, it is a busy time for the volunteers and staff to undertake maintenance tasks along the line in readiness for visitors in 2017.

In the area around Berwyn a large amount of work has been going on to manage the vegetation growing along the lineside.

This is a regular but often ‘behind the scenes’ part of railway operations and enables the travelling public to see the countryside through which the railway runs instead of a green corridor.

Last Saturday a dozen volunteers were on hand to assist with the clearing and burning the vegetation on the embankment to the east of the station.

The stockpiled brushwood from two years ago proved to be perfect basis for some lineside bonfires, which were kept well fed with freshly cut saplings and branches throughout the day.

The ground was also strimmed using a heavy-duty power tool, to give a neat finish.

The exposed retaining wall appears to be in good condition, although its exposure will enable a more detailed structural survey to be carried out.

Unmanaged trees and plants can cause serious safety problems for the railway by covering up signals or falling on to the tracks.

Any lineside clearance work done on the Llangollen Railway is conducted outside of the bird nesting season.

The areas of lineside vegetation proposed for clearance work are carefully inspected for birds' nests prior to any work commencing.

The Railway has said a massive thank you to everyone who has participated in the clearance work so far this season.

AM "seriously concerned" over regional prosperity figures

* See response from Wales's Economy Secretary Ken Skates at the foot of the story ...

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood says he is seriously concerned that the publication of new economic prosperity figures show North Wales is trailing even further behind the rest of the UK. 

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published regional gross value added (GVA) figures for 2015, which measure the value of the goods and services per head of population produced in an economy.

They show that at £16,059, West Wales and the Valleys, including four North Wales counties, Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy and Denbighshire, still has the lowest GVA of all UK sub regions, down again to just 63.3% of the UK average.

West Wales and The Valleys has had the lowest GVA per head of all UK sub-regions in each of the years1997 to 2015, moving relatively further away from the UK average since the start of the time period.

Anglesey still has the lowest GVA amongst all UK local areas at £13,411, down again to just 52.9% of the UK average.

Even GVA per head in Wrexham and Flintshire, which stood at 99.3 per cent of the UK average in 1999, has fallen again to just 84% of the UK average.

At £18,002, Wales continues to have the lowest GVA per head amongst the 12 UK nations and regions, standing at only 71% of the UK average.

Mr Isherwood (pictured) said: “With Labour Welsh Government in charge of economic development in Wales since 1999, this record of failure is a betrayal of North Wales, demanding a change of direction.

“The UK Government announced in its March 2016 Budget that it was ‘opening the door’ to a Growth Deal for North Wales and that it would be looking for the next Welsh Government to devolve powers down and invest in the region as part of any future deal.

“Proposals detailed in "A Growth Vision for the Economy of North Wales", developed by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board in partnership with the Mersey Dee Alliance and the Cheshire & Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, went to both the UK and Welsh Government’s last summer.

“The UK Treasury responded by asking the Ambition Board to detail their strategic priorities and prioritise projects, and the Chancellor’s  Autumn Statement in November 2016 confirmed that the UK Government continued to be open to discussing options for a Growth Deal with North Wales.

“However, the Welsh Government has dodged my questions about how and whether it has responded to the call in the North Wales Growth Vision document for the devolution of powers by the Welsh Government over employment, taxes, skills and transport, which it states ‘would boost the economy, jobs and productivity, create at least 120,000 jobs, and boost the value of the local economy from £12.8 billion to £20 billion by 2035’.

“After almost 18 years of Labour excuses, the time has come to enable North Wales to become a beacon of prosperity, vision and ambition.”

The Economy Secretary, Ken Skates said:  “Latest GVA figures show an improving  picture for Wales, with 2015’s total  GVA for Wales  standing at £55.8 billion, an increase of 3 per cent on the previous year and rising faster than the UK average.

“The figures also show  that GVA per head  increased by  2.8 per cent on 2014 figures in Wales compared to an increase of 2.1 per cent for the UK,  and last year stood at £18,002.

“Latest  figures mean Wales’ increase in GVA per head was the third highest of UK countries and regions.

“We recognise there is  more to do  and we will keep working hard to grow Wales’ economy. Developments  such as our  Valleys Taskforce, Wylfa Newydd and our plans for the Third Menai Crossing will all help to drive up GVA in some of Wales’ less prosperous communities.

“There is absolutely no room for complacency but these figures  do show that our pro-business approach is driving growth and  making a real difference to the lives of ordinary people  across Wales.”

Local author plans to kickstart new novel

Local author David Ebsworth is taking pre-orders this month for his new Spanish Civil War thriller, Until the Curtain Falls, through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.


The novel comes highly recommended, and if anyone wants to pre-order a copy it will help him to get the book launched successfully.


Until the Curtain Falls is the sequel to his 2013 Spanish Civil War novel, The Assassin’s Mark.


The novel starts off in October 1938 as a British foreign correspondent is on the run in northern Spain, hunted by three different and deadly enemies determined to kill him before he can reach the Mediterranean coast and freedom.


It’s already picked up some literary plaudits including:


“A cracking, finely paced story of civil war, betrayal, fear and bravery. It is also remarkable for its robust and honest characterisation and its terrific detail.” - Elizabeth Buchan, bestselling author of Consider the Lily, I Can’t Begin to Tell You and The New Mrs Clifton.


“A pacy thriller set in the murky world of civil war Spain where nothing is quite what it seems. Until the Curtain Falls confirms Dave Ebsworth’s reputation as a first-rate story teller with a sharp eye for historical detail.” - Dr David Mathieson, Spanish Civil War historian and tour guide, author of Frontline Madrid.


It’s planned to publish the novel in both in English and Spanish and make it available for pre-order through a Kickstarter crowd funding campaign which allows the author to test whether there’s a market for Until the Curtain Falls.


Dave said: “If enough people pre-order, then we go ahead and readers have helped bring the story to life. They become part of the story itself. Part of the team. If we don’t get enough pre-orders, of course, we don’t publish. Then it costs nothing.”


* Here's a link to the Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/527857657/until-the-curtain-falls-hasta-que-caiga-el-telon?ref=category.

Guest loco for railway's spring gala unveiled

* Ex-LMS 8F No. 48624 will take pride of place in the Spring Steam Gala. 

Llangollen Railway has announced details of the guest locomotive which will star at its first Spring Steam Gala from March 3-5.

Ex-LMS 8F No. 48624 will take pride of place in the event which is entitled Along Birkenhead Lines. 

The 8Fs were one of the most successful locomotive designs of all time and were devised by William Stanier for the London, Midland & Scottish Railway.

The design was chosen by the War Department for large scale production in the Second World War and eventually 852 members of the class were built.

The 8Fs were no strangers around the Wirral and North-East Wales during the 1950s and 1960s, including hauling heavy goods train up the notoriously steep climb to Brymbo steelworks.  

In 1967 a now long-scrapped member of the class, No.48697, hauled the final passenger train through Llangollen on an enthusiasts' rail tour.

No. 48624 is unique in preservation in that it is the only surviving example built at Southern Railway built example, being completed as part of the War Effort in 1943 at Ashford Works.

The locomotive is normally based on the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire.

Llangollen Railway says it will be making further locomotive announcements soon.