County warns over bogus tax calls

Scammers claiming to be from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) are targeting people in Denbighshire and neighbouring authorities by attempting to trick them into paying bogus debts and taxes.

Denbighshire Trading Standards have received reports of the bogus phone calls from worried residents, who got in touch following warnings of similar calls being made across the country in recent weeks.

The fraudsters told their intended victims that they had unpaid tax bills and demanded immediate payment. One individual was told that they owed £860 in income tax payments and they would be taken to court if she did not pay immediately.

Payment has been requested in a number of formats including buying ITunes Vouchers that someone would call and collect.

Fortunately at this time residents reporting the matter have realised it was a scam and refused to hand any money over.

Denbighshire Trading Standards are issuing a warning today to help prevent others falling for the con.  

A spokesman said: “A genuine representative of HMRC would never call and ask for your bank details or for payment in iTunes vouchers.

“Be wary of any caller who asks you to give personal or financial details over the phone – wherever they claim to be from. “If you believe it may be a genuine call from your bank, a retailer where you have an account or a Government body, hang up and call them back later – and look up the contact details yourself rather than using a number the caller has given you.

“If they’re genuine they won’t have a problem with this and you could save yourself from handing over your hard earned cash to a scammer.”

“We would also ask that you pass on the details of this scam to any neighbours or relatives that you may have, we need to spread this message to any individuals who may be vulnerable or may not have access to online media.  Anyone who receives a call that they are suspicious about is asked to call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or report it online.

Public express their views on town centre traffic

* People gather at the drop-in session outside the Town Hall yesterday.

The public have given their views on the future of traffic management in Llangollen.

A stream of people expressed their opinions to consultants who ran a drop-in session outside the Town Hall yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon.

Representatives from Arcadis (Consulting) are currently looking at traffic issues in the area with financial support from Cadwyn Clwyd, the Welsh Government, the European Union Rural Development Fund, Denbighshire County Council, Llangollen Town Council and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  

Interested parties were invited to write down their suggestions to solve congestion and improve traffic flow on post-it notes and then fix them to a large map of the town centre spread out on a table.

llanblogger took a note of some of the suggestions which included:

* “Underground car park or @ pavilion”

* “Make parking regulations at Aldi/Home Bargains car park clear for local shoppers and not just Aldi/HB”

* There were a number of post-it notes concerned with parking along Castle Street, including “Stop parking on Castle Street between 10.00 – 16.00. This would avoid congestion but still allow parking for disabled”

* “Unrealistic but cover Oak Street and make it pedestrian only street”

* “Multi-storey car park at Smithfield 1 down 1 ground 1up”

* “Roundabout at A5/Castle Street”

* “Demolish the old Smithfield pub remove old prison and rebuild it elsewhere. Build a roundabout in this area. Perfect”

Llangollen county councillor Graham Timms, who was at the drop-in session, said it had been a worthwhile exercise.   

He said earlier: “Arcadis are in the process of speaking to residents, businesses and visitors before they start to draw up their suggestions to make the town better for all.

“The event gave the opportunity for everyone to voice their opinions on problems in the centre of the town and how they might be improved.

“Last Friday and Saturday Arcadis carried out a survey at three major junctions - Castle Street/Abbey Road, Castle Street/A5 Regent Street and Market Street/A5 Berwyn Road. 

“The video evidence will be analysed by Arcadis using computer modelling to help them to better understand the issues with congestion and traffic flow through the town.

“We're expecting a further consultation in the late summer on the ideas that Arcadis put forward. A final report will be produced for the end of September 2018.

“The Llangollen 2020 working group wants to ensure that everyone can take part before the planning phase begins.”

As part of the same exercise local people are being encouraged to take part in an online survey which can be found at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Llangollen2020

There will also be Facetime sessions, details of which are due to be given on social media. 

* The public's ideas were written on post-it notes and stuck on a map of the town centre.

Some of the notes are pictured below.

Public urged to take part in waste survey

Denbighshire County Council is reminding residents of a survey about proposed changes to recycling and waste collections in the county and urging them to get involved.

The proposed changes to the recycling service will provide residents with:

• a new weekly collection for recyclables such as paper, glass, cans, and plastic
• a weekly collection for food waste
• a new fortnightly collection for clothes and small electrical items

With 64% of waste already being recycled and a weekly recycling collection with extra capacity there should only be small amounts of non-recyclable waste left in the black bin. 

The Council is therefore proposing to change the collection of non-recyclable waste to every four weeks.  Instead of the current 140 litre black bins, the Council would provide new, larger 240 litre black bins instead.

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Highways, Planning and Sustainable Travel, said: “Over 1,700 residents have already got involved in the survey and shared information on recycling and waste collections. We’d like to thank them for their feedback, as the information already received gives us a snapshot of people’s views. We were already aware of some of the issues raised and all the feedback will be considered when the survey closes.

“To make sure we develop the right model for Denbighshire, we want to understand more about people’s recycling needs, hear about any potential impacts these proposed changes may have on households and to work with communities to manage the proposed changes”.

People can complete the online questionnaire available on the Council’s website: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/recyclemore.  Alternatively, people can pick up a copy of the survey at One Stop Shops and libraries across the county.

The Council would expect that any proposed change would take place in 2020.

Play revives golden Fifties memories

* The cast of Smiling in the Sunlight Laughing in the Rain.

A group of lively youngsters put the clock back over 60 years at Llangollen Methodist Church last night (Monday).

About a dozen members of Llangollen Operatic Society’s junior section, the Young ‘Uns, revived memories of the early 1950s in a half-hour playlet called Smiling in the Sunlight Laughing in the Rain.

All the sketches were based on local recollections of what it was like to be a child in this town in the decade after World War Two when mobile phones and social media had never even been dreamt of.

The trip down memory lane started with an evocation of a local junior school class where the teacher ruled her young charges with iron discipline.

The appreciative audience was then taken to the local grocer’s shop where another well-remembered lady dispensed her goods without the aid of an electronic till - but never on a Wednesday which was half-day closing.

By the mircale of imagination it was then Christmas in 1950s Llan where the kids opened the presents while mum put the finishing touches to cooking the chicken - apparently, turkey was only for the well-off back then.

Along with the kids we then boarded an ancient charabanc to be transported to Rhyl for a day out of paddling and sand castles.

This was a marvellous interlude of golden memories presented by a talented bunch of children and well put together by Pam Williams of the Operatic and other helpers.

County looks at boosting car charging points

Denbighshire County Council could play an increasing role in tackling climate change .

It is currently looking at the possibility of increasing the number of electrical vehicle charging points (pictured) across the county and evaluating the use of potential alternative fuel sources to run its fleet of vehicles.

Plaid Cymru Councillor Mabon ap Gwynfor, Llandrillo/Cynwyd, called on the council to look at the issue of electrical charging points and fuel used for its own vehicles.

Council officers will draw up papers on both issues for discussion at a Scrutiny Committee.

Cllr ap Gwynfor said: “We need to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels, which is causing huge damage to the environment. Man-made global warming is one of the biggest threats facing us today. It’s already causing havoc to coastal communities, affecting our health and wellbeing and is the cause of many wars across the globe.

"Sea levels are set to rise, and we could see further damage to communities on the Denbighshire coast over the coming decades unless we do something about this issue.

“It’s also clear that the direction of travel as far as vehicle fuel is concerned is away from fossil fuel, so Denbighshire County Council needs to be prepared for that eventuality and ensure that it builds up a fleet of vehicles that are not dependent on fossil fuels.”

Research conducted by HSBC showed that only 31 publicly-funded charging points are available in Wales, compared with 2,862 in England, 743 in Scotland and 185 in Northern Ireland. That’s 1 charging point per 100,000 people in Wales (1).

Cllr ap Gwynfor added: “There’s an opportunity here to look at developing electric vehicle charging points across Denbighshire. It’s very difficult for rural communities like the ones I represent to move away from diesel or petrol because the infrastructure isn’t yet in place to enable people to charge electric vehicles.

"Denbighshire County Council could lead the way and help our communities to transition to electric. It would also help the Council to achieve its ambition of reducing CO2 emissions as well.”

Up to 10,000 expected at LlanBikeFest 2018

Up to 10,000 people are expected to visit LlanBikeFest 2018 –  the Llangollen Motorcycle Festival – at the town’s Royal International Pavilion on August 4 and 5.
 
Special guest and TT legend John McGuinness said. “I will definitely be at LlanBikeFest. It’s a weekend of fun and a great family affair.”


He will be joined by British Superbike champion John Reynolds and British Superbike star Steve Plater. 

LlanBikeFest director John Hutchinson said: “We had 7,000 visitors last year and all the signs are that there will be thousands more in 2018.

"We are Wales’s biggest festival that celebrates everything people love about bikes – a great weekend for families as well as bike enthusiasts, with free entry for accompanied children aged 16 and under.
 
“There’s lots to see and do -  hundreds of motorcycles of every type on show, spectacular riding displays, birds of prey, rides and children’s entertainments, plus a great line-up of bands both days.

"One of the biggest attractions for bikers is that we are set amongst some of the best biking roads in Britain – and Llangollen is a lovely, biker-friendly town. We’ll also be raising lots of money for Wales Air Ambulance.” 

Star entertainments will include jaw-dropping stunts by champion trails rider Steve Colley and Savage Skills (pictured), the UK’s leading freestyle mountain bike team, plus beautiful birds from the Talonted Feathers falconry. 

LlanBikeFest is open 9.00am to 6.00pm Saturday, with a beer and bands party starting at 6.00pm Saturday included in the day ticket.

It will be opened officially by Llangollen Mayor John Haddy and Town Crier Chem Cheminais at 11.00am. Sunday, 9.00am to 5.00pm, with awards for exhibitors’ bikes presented by John McGiuinness in the afternoon.

Llan Co-op to be facelifted this autumn

* The Co-op in Regent Street is due to be upgraded this autumn. 

A major facelift of the Co-op store in Llangollen will be carried out this autumn.

That is the word from a spokesman for the food store chain which has just announced details of a big expansion plan.

This will see the Co-op open 20 new stores across Wales over the next 18 months, including Prestatyn and Rhos-on-Sea.

The group says it will also be revamping six of its existing stores in North Wales, including Llangollen, Denbigh and Llandudno Junction.

Asked by llanblogger for further details of what is planned for the local store in Regent Street, a Co-op spokesman said: “It is a little too early to confirm further detail, it is scheduled for major investment this autumn - enabling the store to better serve its community.

“We expect the works to be carried out by mid-October.”

The move has been welcomed by Llangollen county councillor Graham Timms, who said: “I am delighted that the Co-op has announced that they will be investing in the Llangollen store on Regent Street.

“When Aldi and Home Bargains opened in the town a year ago, many thought that it would lead to the closure of the Co-op.

“New investment in the store indicates the confidence that the company has in giving the Co-op a future in Llangollen.

“Many customers who rely on the Co-op for their shopping would have found it difficult to travel to alternative shops in Llangollen. 

Tina Mitchell, Co-op’s managing director for Wales, recently told the Daily Post: “Since our troubles a few years ago we have reconnected with our customers.

“We have focused on what we do well and also innovated.

“We have focused on being local and on being relevant to customers.

“The shops have got better, our service has got better and we have worked with more local suppliers and our offer is better.

“Co-op now work with hundreds of local suppliers in Wales and they provide 500 products for stores – we are very proud of that.”

She added: “Convenience and online have been the growth areas and we have been well placed to take advantage of that.

“While some supermarkets have tried to make this part of their offer, providing convenience stores in people’s communities is what we are all about.

“The gap in prices (to supermarkets) has narrowed. We have invested £50m in prices to make many items cheaper. While it is not all about price, we have invested here to remain competitive.”

On the future plans in North Wales, she said: “The brand has always resonated in Wales and Co-op is looking at areas where we think people are under-serviced – this is a big opportunity for us.

“We want to open 20 new stores in Wales over the next 18 months.

“This will see seven or eight in the second half of 2018 and 12 or 13 in 2019. This will create a lot of local jobs in North Wales.

“We are also looking ahead and can see future potential in Wales for the considerable future. This will not end at the end of 2019.”