Call to step up road safety on Horseshoe Pass

* Safety concerns: From left, County Councillors Graham Timms, Martyn Holland and Melvyn Mile at the Horseshoe Pass summit. 

A spate of serious accidents has prompted a group of county councillors to make an urgent call for extra road safety measures of the Horseshoe Pass above Llangollen.

Cllrs Graham Timms and Melvyn Mile representing Llangollen along with Llandegla member Martyn Holland recently met at the Ponderosa Café at the summit of the pass to thrash out a solution to the situation which has seen three accidents in the past year.   


Cllr Timms said: “We can’t just sit back any longer whilst road users continue to get injured or killed. Something has to be done to make the area much safer for everyone.

“Over the last two months the air ambulance has visited the pass on two occasions to support seriously injured casualties in accidents on the bends on each side of the summit.” 

A road safety expert working for Denbighshire County Council met with the councillors at the café  to examine what could be done to reduce the casualty toll.

Statistics show that in almost half of the accidents over the last 10 years drivers losing control of the vehicle had been a contributory factor.

Cllr Mile said: “The road is difficult to navigate and many road users are unused to the bends and gradients on the pass, resulting in them losing control. We need to ensure that vehicles travel at sensible speeds for their own safety and the safety of others.”

The trio of councillors believes that one section of the road poses a particular hazard for pedestrians.

They say visitors who park opposite the café and have to cross the main road are in danger from fast-moving vehicles on the straight section of road as it passes the Ponderosa. 

Cllr Holland said he would support a reduction in the speed limit in his ward on the A542 from the top of the pass past the Ponderosa and through the bends down towards Llandegla.

“Large numbers of walkers and visitors cross this section of road to enjoy the paths across the moors, the spectacular views and to visit the Ponderosa,” he said.

“There have also been a number of accidents involving motorbikes on the bends between the Ponderosa and the Horseshoe Pass roundabout on the A542 and A5104 and North Wales Police have indicated that these have often involved speed.”

Cllr Holland also has concerns about the speed of traffic on the nearby Old Horseshoe Pass which is very narrow and again crossed by walkers and visitors.

Cllr Timms said that as a result of the meeting the county council will be deciding on ways to make the road safer for everyone and proposals will go out for consultation in the next few months.
 
The Horseshoe Pass is a popular destination for coach tours and cars. It is also a favourite with large numbers of motorcyclists who visit the area on Sundays. 

County offers work opportunities to designers

Denbighshire print and graphic designers are being offered the chance to be considered for future opportunities offered by Denbighshire County Council.

The Print and Graphic Design Framework tender, created in conjunction with Flintshire County Council, will offer local print and graphic designers the chance to be included on the framework.

Suppliers not on the framework will not be eligible to bid for forthcoming opportunities for the length of the framework.

Although local suppliers cannot be guaranteed a place on the framework due to European Procurement Regulations, local suppliers and newly formed businesses are being encouraged to access the tender and submit their bids for inclusion on the framework.

The Framework Agreement will be awarded to successful tenderers for an initial period of two years with the option of a further two, one-year extensions.

The tender will be separated into 3 lots, for print, graphic design and banners and signage.

Suppliers will have the opportunity, and may wish to apply for inclusion on either one, two or all three lots.

Each section will be evaluated by ‘price and quality’ criteria and the highest scoring suppliers will be awarded to those lots.

The estimated combined annual spend for the three lots is £560,000.

Increasing opportunities for local businesses to secure contracts with Denbighshire County Council is part of the Council’s work on developing the local economy by creating employment opportunities and job creation, as well as sustaining existing jobs.

* Full details of the requirements, including specifications, evaluation methods and questions will be available at Sell2 Wales website - www.Sell2Wales.com and Proactis.com at https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com/Account/Login#

Action plan to halt rise in women's jail sentences

An action plan has been launched to reverse the shock rise in short jail sentences dished out to women in North Wales

The "worrying trend", which saw an 88 per cent increase from 40 in 2010 to 75 in 2015, was highlighted at a special summit hosted by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones (pictured)

As a result Mr Jones, the Prison Reform Trust and around 20 other agencies, have proposed a series of urgent recommendations after hearing that that proportionately more jail sentences of six months or less were handed out to women in North Wales than almost anywhere else in the UK.

All of the report's recommendations have now been accepted by the North Wales Criminal Justice Board and have been included in their delivery plan for the next year.

One of the main priorities is that there should be more out-of-court solutions like cautions, community sentences and referrals for specialist support from organisations like the North Wales Women's Centre in Rhyl.

According to Arfon Jones, there was often a link between women's offending and the fact that they had been victims of domestic violence or trafficking which could lead to a series of other issues like mental health problems, drug-taking or prostitution.

Mr Jones said: "The paucity of mental health services, long waiting times and prohibitive need thresholds are a real challenge with implications for police time.

"Many women who come into contact with criminal justice system have mental health needs and learning disabilities, and psychiatric services are currently the biggest referrer to North Wales Women’s Centre in Rhyl.

"There is good evidence to show that women’s centres are more effective than prison in reducing women’s offending.

"Recent experience from Manchester and the North Wales Women’s Centre demonstrates that these services can help turn around the lives of women and enhance existing public service provision.

"Such services are cost effective and can leverage in additional funding but in order to do so they require long-term stable funding from key statutory partners.  

"Everybody was agreed about the need to make the needs of children a real priority because women are more often than not the primary carer.

"The urgency of the situation has been underlined by new figures from the Ministry of Justice.

"They show the total number of women sentenced to custody in North Wales has continued to rise and has now reached 116 - the highest it has been since at least 2011 and a rise of almost 60 per cent over five years."

Mr Jones also paid tribute to the tireless campaigning on the issue by Howard Thomas, the former chief probation officer of North Wales.

He added: "Howard Thomas deserves a huge amount of credit for all the hard work and lobbying he has done to shine a light on this important issue."

For his part, Mr Thomas welcomed the action plan as a major step forward.

He pointed to the fact that national statistics showed one third of women prisoners lost their homes, and often their possessions, while serving their sentence and that 38 per cent of them did not have accommodation organised when they were released.

Mr Thomas said: “Being sent to prison, even if it’s only for a short period of time, has a major impact on the lives of the women affected and also on their families.

"It also makes their rehabilitation, which is of paramount importance, more difficult as evidenced by the 61 per cent reconviction rate for those serving short sentences.

"A former governor of Styal Prison commented he had never come across such a concentration of damaged, fragile and complex needs individuals. He rightly called for the immediate end to short sentences and suggested that half the women in his former prison should never have been sent there."

The Prison Reform Trust, were given a grant by the Big Lottery to carry out a programme of work across the UK called Transforming Lives aimed at reducing the unnecessary use of custody for women, particularly short sentences.

       

Senior programme officer Dr Thomas Guiney said: “Many women serve extremely short custodial sentences. The average stay at HMP Styal is seven to eight weeks and this provides little opportunity for effective rehabilitation and resettlement planning. 

"Many of those attending highlighted the role of women as primary carers. There is a clear and well evidenced link between a mother’s imprisonment and adverse childhood experiences. There is scope for greater use of out of court disposals at the point of arrest and prosecution. "

National Eisteddfod success for Silver Band youngster

* National Eisteddfod success for Gabriel Tranmer.

A 16-year-old member of Llangollen Silver Band has played his way to success at the National Eisteddfod in Anglesey.

Gabriel Tranmer competed in the Brass Solo under-19 section playing the 2nd and 3rd movements of the Edward Gregson Tuba Concerto. He took first place along with a £75 bursary.

Next month Gabriel will be leaving St Brigid's school in Denbigh to attend Chethams School of Music in Manchester where he will be studying for his A Levels and focusing on the tuba, voice and piano.

He says he is excited about going ahead with his music and would like to thank his current tuba teacher Colin Sneade of Wexham, his music teacher who is also his grandmother, Eirwen Jones of Llangollen, as well as Trevor Williams and everyone at Llangollen Silver Band for their help and support.

 

Scheme for houses on Tyn Y Wern site revealed

* The Tyn Y Wern site off the A5.

Details of a plan to build 12 detached homes on the site of Tyn Y Wern Hotel on Holyhead Road, Llangollen have been revealed.

The new planning regulations require a consultation to take place ahead of the submission of a planning application. Applicants Mr and Mrs Tomlinson have asked county council planning officers to arrange this.

A planning brief prepared on their behalf says the proposed development would require the demolition of the existing hotel which has been closed for some time.

Both access points to the site, from Maesmawr Road and the A5, would remain.

The brief adds that 3-4 bedroom properties are proposed which would have amenity space and parking facilities.

The planning department says it will be delivering letters to the immediate neighbours shortly. A paper copy of the plans will be deposited in Llangollen library.

Anyone who wishes to make representations about this proposed development must write to the applicant’s agent at Bob Dewey Planning, The Gables, Llanfynydd, Wrexham LL11 5HG by  August 16.

* You may inspect the proposed application at https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ai4_2Lc_R3KMcOcO4vqPwAc78Ew

AM praises Welsh Government's support for low-income families

An Assembly Member has praised the Welsh Government for its support of low-income households through an extended council tax reduction scheme.

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates (pictured) said he was proud that the Welsh Labour Government was helping thousands of people in his constituency, while vulnerable families in England continue to pay an average of £169 a year more.

Mr Skates, whose constituency includes Llangollen, said: “Last September, Local Government Secretary Mark Drakeford confirmed that the Welsh Labour Government would continue to protect vulnerable and low-income households by maintaining full entitlement to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme until at least the end of April 2018. I’m pleased that so many families in Clwyd South will continue to receive this financial support.

“Figures show 12,097 households in Wrexham benefited last year and 10,098 Denbighshire – plus another 11,496 in Flintshire. I’m proud that the Welsh Labour Government continues to stand up for families in North East Wales.”

Almost 300,000 homes in Wales received a reduction in their council tax in 2016-17, around 220,000 of which pay nothing.  The Council Tax Reduction Scheme was supported by funding of £244m to councils in the local government settlement.

Mr Skates added: “This is despite huge cuts to the Welsh budget imposed by the Tory UK Government at Westminster and is in stark contrast with the situation in England, where local authorities have been left to design their own schemes and manage the associated funding shortfall. This has resulted in more than two million low-income households in England having to pay more of their council tax bills.”
 
He said low-income families in England are now paying an average of £169 a year more than they would have if the UK Government had a similar scheme in place.

Missing Harry returns home

llanblogger's pet cat, Harry, returned home in the early hours of this morning (Wednesday) after being missing for about 24 hours.

Although wet, dirty and hungry, he appears none of the worse for his time away from home.

I'd like to thank all those who showed concern for his safety while he was missing.