Queen of Shops helps traders prepare for Christmas

* Councillor Hugh Evans and Helen Hodgkinson

showcase Denbighshire's #LoveLiveLocal campaign.

Denbighshire has its own ‘Queen of Shops’ to get the county’s retailers match fit for the vital Christmas selling season.

Retail expert Helen Hodgkinson has been working with shop and business owners in Llangollen and elsewhere alongside the County Council’s Economic and Business Development Team on how to make the most of the festive season.

Helen, a former fashion retailer and college lecturer herself, has been holding one-on-one sessions with businesses and is keen to get out the message that the county’s shops have plenty to offer shoppers for Christmas.

It’s part of Denbighshire County Council’s #LoveLiveLocal campaign to encourage people to use their local shops and services and for businesses to promote themselves and for everyone to use social media platforms Twitter and Facebook to share their positive experiences of Denbighshire as a fantastic place to shop.

She said: “Businesses have to be ready for Christmas with their plans in place because this is the most important time of the year and you have to get the basics right to reap the rewards.

“There’s a great offer in Denbighshire, lots of unusual, quirky, specialist independent shops offering great products and service but they still need a plan and know how to sell themselves.

“People want to buy something that’s a bit different, not mass manufactured, and provenance is important, where it’s from and how it’s made and is there a story behind it because all that adds value.”

Helen, from Dyserth, began in retail for supermarket chain Fine Fare in Buxton in Derbyshire and then went on to work for health food giants Holland and Barratt in Buxton and Stockport before moving to North Wales where she opened an ethical clothing business in Llandudno.

She then taught at Rhyl College where she set up FE – for Further Education – Retail as a small business within the college where students could gain experience of selling.

She also taught a series of courses by the high priestess of retail, TV star Mary Portas, on successful retailing and launched a Retail Academy at the college which worked with Denbighshire County Council.

Now the Council has called on Helen’s skills again and Council Leader Hugh Evans OBE said: “We want to help promote our local traders this Christmas as part of our work to create resilient communities.

“The #LoveLiveLocal 2018 campaign is a celebration of the diverse and vibrant shopping experiences we have in our County and is aimed at encouraging consumers to use the hashtag #LoveLiveLocal to promote businesses in Denbighshire across all social networking platforms.

“We are helping to highlight the great retail offer right here in Denbighshire and encourage shoppers to see what is on their local high streets.

“Not only do our businesses offer great value for money and a wide range of products, they also provide excellent customer service and we want to play our part in showcasing the fantastic businesses we have throughout Denbighshire.”

As part of the #LoveLiveLocal campaign, Denbighshire County Council will be rolling out a series of short video clips to highlight what the county has to offer shoppers and the campaign will encourage people to support local independent businesses by using the hashtag on Twitter and Facebook to share good experiences they’ve had as well as promote products and services locally they have ‘loved’.

The videos will appear on social media throughout the Christmas period to help promote shopping locally.

Helen added: “Ten years ago retail was still retail but things have moved on so much since then and retailers have to move on as well.

“It’s vital to get involved with events happening locally and to look to mix up your offer so that on many high streets businesses add a café on their premises, provide samples, hold evening classes and get involved in social media.

“I’ve been around all eight towns in Denbighshire and things are happening on the high streets, they’re changing for the better with new businesses opening up and offering that something different that attracts shoppers.

“They’re thinking outside the box and inspiring their customers because there are a lot of very talented people out there and lots to celebrate on the Denbighshire retail scene.”

Volunteers produce a wall of remembrance poppies

* Volunteers at the RAFA Club fix the poppies in place.

A massive community effort in Llangollen has seen over 3,000 poppies made by hand to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the end of World War One.  

The sea of red flowers – the traditional symbol of remembrance – lovingly created by a small army of volunteers will go on display at the town’s new Centenary Square from this Sunday where they will form the backdrop of a special event to mark the local launch of the 2018 Poppy Appeal.

The production of the poppies began over a year ago and has been overseen by former Llangollen town mayor Sheena Grindley.

She said: “We put out the word out about what we intended to do and we immediately started to get people volunteering to help make them.

“The initial target figure was 2,000 poppies but we eventually got over 3,000.

“They’ve been knitted, crocheted from water resistant acrylic wool and also made from recycled plastic and then painted red.

“More than 100 people were involved in making them. I can’t remember a community event which has involved so many groups and individuals, who came not just from Llangollen but from surrounding areas too.

“I’m absolutely overwhelmed by the response.”

Amongst the groups who joined the poppy production line were children from the town’s two primary schools, Ysgol Bryn Collen and Ysgol Y Gwernant.

“The children alone made over 320 poppies, all from the bottoms of plastic bottles which they then painted red and finished off with a black button in the middle. Each one will bear the first name and initial of the child who made it,” said Sheena.

“Their poppies will be planted in the soil along the back of Centenary Square while all the others have been fixed to many metres of green plastic netting, kindly donated by Matt Jones of Knights Construction, which will be positioned along the back wall close to our two war memorials commemorating the fallen of the First and Second World Wars.

“More volunteers have spent the past week fixing the poppies to the sheeting at Llangollen RAFA Club.

“We’re going to leave all the poppies on display until the New Year when people will be welcome to take them to keep as something to remember.”

On Sunday the poppies will take pride of place at the launch of the town’s annual Poppy Appeal at Centenary Square at 11am.

This will see a group of special guests in the shape of 40 riders from the biker section of the Royal British Legion (RBL) who will bring with them their own bugler to sound the traditional remembrance calls and a clergyman to take a short service.

On parade will be members of local RBL branch along with representatives of the Royal Naval Association and Royal Air Force Association.

A contingent from Llangollen Town Council will be led by the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Issy Murray Richards.

Sheena added: “At the end of the ceremony people are invited back to the RAFA Club – appropriate as this is also the centenary of the formation of the RAF - for tea or coffee and to view photographic and art exhibitions on the theme of remembrance.”

Changes to waste collection being considered

The majority of households would only have their non-recyclable waste collected every four weeks under a plan being considered by Denbighshire County Council.

The proposals, which come under the spotlight of the council's Communities Scrutiny Committee  later this month, would see:

* 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 believes

The council is therefore proposing to change the collection of non-recyclable waste to every four weeks for the majority of households.

Residents can opt for bigger black bins if they need them, but overall, households will have an additional 35 litres of capacity each week in their Trolliboc for recycling packaging waste (including cans, tins, glass bottles& jars, plastic bottles & tubs, paper and card)  compared to their current blue recycling bin. 

They can free up even more space in their black bin by using the new kerbside recycling services for textiles, WEEE, batteries and where needed, nappy and incontinence waste.   

The council believes that increasing the size of the bins to the new larger ones and introducing weekly and recycling kerbside sort collections, supported by other special collections, should meet the needs of residents.

The Welsh Government has agreed £4 million for 2019/20 and a further £3 million in 2020/21.  Further discussions are on-going with Welsh Government and WRAP to find the additional funds needed to implement the project.

Members of the Communities Scrutiny Committee will consider the proposal at the meeting on October 25^th at County Hall, Ruthin at 10am.

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Highways, Planning and Sustainable Travel, said: “The county has historically one of the best recycling rates in Wales and residents have played a significant part in that success.

"Despite all the efforts, more than 5,000 tonnes of recycling are still being thrown away through general waste collections costing £500,000 which could be spent on protecting vital council services.

"This is a significant challenge and the Council needs to recycle more and reduce unnecessary disposal costs. That can only be done by changing the way in which its waste collection works and by changing the way residents recycle. The Council needs to work towards the statutory target of 70% by 2025, and it expects that the target could be increased to 80% by the Welsh Government in future.

“The majority of households in Denbighshire can be switched to the proposed system. The households at which the proposed system may be unsuitable are being identified. Where necessary alternative collection models, designed to achieve the highest levels of recycling practicable, will be introduced.

"Over 2,300 people responded to an online survey about the proposals, with a further 150 people completing surveys at libraries and One Stop Shops.  This information is extremely important and will help inform the decision the Council will soon need to make about the future design of our waste and recycling services.

"No decision has been taken. However, should the plans be approved, the Council would expect that any proposed change would take place in 2020."

Call goes out for likely development sites

As part of its work on a new Local Development Plan, Denbighshire County Council is inviting landowners, developers and any others with an interest in land in the county to submit suggested sites for future development, with the deadline being November 26.

The Local Development Plan (LDP) sets out where, and how much, future development will happen in the county, as well as the areas to be protected from development.  To help inform these decisions, a ‘call for candidate sites’ will be held until November 26.

Submitting a site is not, however, a guarantee of inclusion in the LDP. 

All sites submissions must provide sufficient background information and the Council will assess each site before making a decision on its suitability.  All sites selected for inclusion will be subject to public consultation as part of the Deposit LDP early in 2020.

Guidance and forms for submitting a candidate site are available on the Local Development Plan section.   All forms must be submitted in full, and accompanied by the necessary maps, before the deadline of November 26.  Incomplete or late submissions will not be accepted, says the council 

* For further information, please contact the Strategic Planning and Housing Team: Email – planningpolicy@denbighshire.gov.uk

County leading the way on eco-friendly weed killing

Denbighshire County Council has become the first local authority in the UK to use the latest herbicide-free weed killing technology.

The Council’s Countryside Services has taken delivery of the new Foamstream M600 which uses heat and an organic foam made from olive oil, to kill plants.

* The Foamstream M600 in operation.

The foam is non-toxic and will enable the Council to reduce the amount of  herbicides it uses to control unwanted growth of plants and non-native invasive weeds including in sensitive areas such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Areas of Conservation and county wildlife sites.

Cllr Tony Thomas, lead member for the Environment, said: “Protecting the environment is something the Council takes very seriously and is a priority for us under our Corporate Plan.

“The use of herbicides is a concern for many residents, and we are investing in new, state-of-the-art technologies to manage our environment in a more eco-friendly way.

“This is the first step towards eliminating the use of herbicides and we will also be running a trial to see how effective this is at controlling weed growth on pavements and roads, as an alternative using herbicides in more urban settings.

“We are the first organisation in UK to purchase the latest technology to control unwanted growth of plants and non-native invasive weeds and hope other organisations follow our example.”

Herbicides have been linked to negative impacts on the environment with a number of recent studies identifying glyphosate, the most commonly used herbicide, as a cause of death and decline among honey bees.

As the foam is completely organic and nontoxic, it can be used near to water and this will also reduce the impact on freshwater ecosystems and the species they contain, which are some of the most vulnerable to the effects of herbicides.

Earlier this year Denbighshire County Council was awarded Bee Friendly status from the Welsh Government, a scheme which aims to make Wales a pollinator-friendly country.

Welsh health and social care gets £180m funding

Plans to deliver a "seamless health and social care system", which aims to support people to live healthy and independent lives, will receive a £180m funding boost next year, Ministers announced today.

North Wales South East Wales South West Wales Health and Social Services Secretary, Vaughan Gething and Minister for Children, Older People and Social Care, Huw Irranca-Davies have set out their spending priorities for 2019-20.

Earlier this year, the Welsh Government published A Healthier Wales, the long-term plan for health and social care in Wales. 

As part of the process of transforming the health and social care system, the Welsh Government wants everyone to have access to a single integrated package of health and social care when they need it. This may be delivered by several different services, according to people’s needs.

Health and Social Services Secretary Vaughan Gething said: “In Wales, we’ve set out a clear vision to transform the health and care system. People will receive a single integrated package of support for health and social care tailored to their needs and preferences.

“The £180m package of investment we’re confirming today for health and social care in Wales represents a significant additional investment next year. It will be targeted across the health and social care system, to reflect the integrated approach we are promoting towards the development of seamless models of care.”

A package of £130m funding in 2019-20 will help to deliver the single integrated package of support and will be available to health and social care regional partnerships throughout Wales. The funding will be allocated across three main areas:

• £50m of revenue funding for the Integrated Care Fund, which aims to reduce pressure on the hospital and social care system by helping to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, inappropriate admissions to residential care, and delayed hospital discharges
• £30m to be allocated through the regional partnership boards – these are shared decision-making bodies between health boards and local authorities. Regional partnership boards will play a leading role in the delivery of A Healthier Wales
• £50m for the Transformation Fund, which will be allocated to programmes endorsed by regional partnership boards, to take forward the development and implementation of new models of care.

Ministers have also confirmed local authority social care services will receive £50m next year – £20m will be provided as part of the local government revenue support grant and a further £30m as a specific grant from the health and social services budget.

Minister for Children, Older People and Social Care, Huw Irranca-Davies added: “The £50m additional investment we’re making in social care will help services meet the growing demand for services and the needs of individuals in communities’ right across Wales.

“This wider package of investment demonstrates our commitment to the development of a truly seamless health and social care system in Wales.”

The announcement comes as the Welsh Government will today publish stage two of the draft Budget 2019-20 – the detailed spending proposals set out how the funding to each government portfolio will be allocated to individual programmes and grants.

Residents encouraged to stay safe at Halloween

This Halloween Denbighshire County Council is asking the public to consider those who may be frightened or intimidated.

Parents are being asked to make October 31 as pleasant as possible for the households called on by trick or treaters by being polite and courteous as well as being aware of the potential fire risk presented by children’s fancy dress costumes.

Cllr Tony Thomas, cabinet lead member for Housing, Regulation and the Environment, said: “Nuisance behaviour at Halloween has often been a bigger problem than Bonfire Night. 

“We would ask trick or treaters and parents to be aware of the shock some elderly and vulnerable people get when they find someone dressed in a terrifying outfit on their doorstep or from people persistently knocking on their doors.

“Elderly people can be left frightened and intimidated by youngsters calling at their home, particularly when the callers are in costume.”

Parents are advised to only purchase costumes from trusted sources and that are CE marked and to follow the instructions and safety information carefully.

Cllr Thomas added: “We would encourage parents to be vigilant and aware of the potential risks associated with fancy dress costumes and fire or naked flames, especially those items imported from non-EU countries where testing regimes may not be as stringent or the goods counterfeit.

“The simple advice is to keep your children away from candles and naked flames or use an LED equivalent.

“This year we are urging everyone in the community to help us make Halloween trouble free, to stay as safe as possible and for everyone to enjoy themselves.”