AM calls for more to be done for veterans' housing needs

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood (pictured) has called for the Welsh Government to do more to address the housing needs of veterans in Wales.

Speaking in Darren’s Millar AM’s Short Debate, ‘Are we meeting the housing needs of our veterans?’ in the Chamber, he said housing is key to veterans and their families and emphasized the need for better integration by the Welsh Government of housing, health and care services for ex-services personnel.

He said: "Yesterday, the UK Defence Secretary announced that service leavers and their families will now be able to access military accommodation for up to a year after leaving, giving them more time to look for permanent accommodation as they transition back to civilian life, because housing is key to veterans and their families.

“First Choice Housing Association, which led the way on this in Wales, delivered the ambitious self-build project for veterans in Wrexham, the third residence in North Wales to be managed by Alabare's Wales Home for Veterans, taking the Charity's provision across Wales for veterans adjusting to the civilian world to 57 (bed spaces).

“However, the Welsh Government's Housing Referrals Pathway for veterans does not address the concerns of how housing officers themselves, who provide the necessary support, are able to manage the complex cases of re-homed veterans.

"Better integration of housing, health and care services is therefore needed from the Welsh Government, and they must explain why there's been a large reduction in the number of veterans households accepted by Local Authorities as being in priority housing need since the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 was introduced."

Eisteddfod stages St David's Day fundraising event

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is to host an international themed St David’s Day event in St Collen's Church on Friday March 1 to raise money to help fund overseas competitors to the festival.

Music director Dr Edward-Rhys Harry said: “The event will help to raise vital funds for the bursary fund ensuring that we can welcome as many international competitors to Llangollen in July as possible. It is great to see such talented local performers giving their time to support this cause.

“It is definitely going to be a traditional event not to be missed and is most certainly the perfect excuse to celebrate both Welsh culture and international inclusivity.”

The traditional format of the Cymanfa Ganu – the congregational singing of hymns - will be conducted by Leigh Mason of Côr Meibion Froncysyllte, and will have an extra international dimension as well as musical items from Llangollen Silver Band and the James Lambert Singers.

Former eisteddfod chairman Gethin Davies will be master of ceremonies sharing messages of support from the festival’s overseas competitors as well as festival president Terry Waite CBE.

Current eisteddfod chairman Dr Rhys Davies said: “After a very busy but exciting few weeks at the eisteddfod announcing our full line-up for 2019 and tickets going on sale, we are looking forward to hosting a special twist to this St David’s Day tradition.

“We’re thrilled with this year’s festival line-up and our St David’s Day fundraiser will bring people together to take part in a musical celebration, which is what the Eisteddfod is all about. It promises to be a great evening."

Tickets for the event are available from the Eisteddfod Box Office by calling 01978 862001 or from the Tourist Information Centre in Llangollen. Tickets are priced at £5, which includes entry, a programme and a wide range of refreshments. For further information visit www.llangollen.net.

The celebration will take place at 7pm at St Collen’s Church and everybody is welcome.

* For regular news and updates about the festival follow it on Twitter @llangollen_Eist , like the Facebook page Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, or follow it on Instagram @llangollen_eisteddfod. 

Report has radical ideas for town's parking and traffic

* The report suggests removing parking bays from Castle Street.

A range of proposals to ease town centre parking in Llangollen town centre are suggested in a report by consultants.

These include widening the pavements, narrowing the road, introducing trees and, most controversially, removing the on-street parking in Castle Street and also the pedestrianisation of part of Market Street.

Graham Timms, one of the area's county councillors who is leading the 2020 Group which is looking into parking and traffic problems and commissioned the study, briefed the town council on its contents on Tuesday night.

The report will be released for publish consumption later this week, he says.  

Meanwhile he has produced a statement for llanblogger.

He said: "The Llangollen 2020 working group have turned their attention to another thorny issue in Llangollen as they seek to produce a wide ranging plan for parking within the whole of the centre of the town.

"A report from the consultants Arcadis has made a number of suggestions to improve  parking in the town. However, the working group want to go much further to review all aspects of parking throughout the whole town centre.

"We've identified four main user groups who park in Llangollen and are looking at ways to address the needs of each one of these. The needs of local residents must be carefully considered in any plan, whilst we also make provisions for businesses, tourists and local pop-and-shop users.

"We are aiming to have a draft parking strategy by the late spring when we will hold consultations to give locals a chance to contribute before a final report is produced for Denbighshire County Council. This will sit alongside the much more detailed plans for improvement by Arcadis Consultants.

"The final Llangollen 2020 consultants report is to be published later this week and I updated the town council on the way forward on behalf of the steering group.

"The report suggests some major changes to the town to improve traffic flow and parking, whilst making the town a more pleasant place for locals, visitors and businesses.

"It will be available to download from Cadwyn Clwyd website by the end of the week and paper copies will be available to read in Llangollen Library.

"It lists a range of changes to Castle Street including widening the pavements, narrowing the road, introducing trees and removing the on-street parking in Castle Street. A mini roundabout by Llangollen Station, improved traffic light controls on the A5 and the pedestrianisation of part of Market Street."

Friendship Room benefits from community fund

* Buddug Williams of Grŵp Cynefin with Jan and Don Ware outside the Outhouse Friendship Room. 

A Llangollen couple who run a welcoming drop-in centre have benefitted from financial support from a housing association.

Grŵp Cynefin has shared out nearly £12,000 between 54 North Wales community groups and organisations to fund a variety of different projects and activities during 2018-2019.

The community fund is part of Grŵp Cynefin’s commitment to support local communities where they work and offer more than housing to people living in North Wales and north Powys.

Among them are Jan and Don Ware who work on a voluntary basis at Tŷ Allan’s Outhouse Friendship Room in Llangollen. They have twice been successful in their application for support from Grŵp Cynefin.

The Friendship Room is situated in Castle Street at the corner of Market Street car park and usual opening hours are from 10am-4pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Jan said: “We offer a warm room to stop during the day, a cup of tea or coffee, where people of all ages can pop in, chat and share any concerns they may have. It’s a safe and warm environment for local people, with some looking for support during a troublesome period in their lives.

“The people who stop by and visit us vary from young mothers with prams, wanting a five minute break in between shopping in town and the school pick up; young people struggling to find work to older people killing time before the bus arrives and people who are in dire need of support.

“It’s a voluntary project, but we are able to signpost people with more pressing needs to different agencies and organisations. We’ve been known to arrange birthday parties for families who are struggling, feed a family with no food in their cupboards, and Christmas is a special time where we open our doors for the festive period, and offer refreshments to people who may be on their own.

“We are wholly dependent on donations, so receiving support from Grŵp Cynefin has been fantastic. This year we’ve been able to buy new heaters and smaller tables that are more manageable for us to adapt the space we have for arts and craft activities. We’re also keen to develop our informal Welsh learning sessions, as working bilingually is very important to us.”

Community, voluntary and tenant groups are encouraged to bid for up to £500 to help them make a difference to local people’s lives and the environment they live in. The application process is a straightforward, says Grŵp Cynefin.

Community gardens, festivals, well-being sessions, family camping, conservation days, PA systems, play areas, investing in village halls, arts and science projects, first aid sessions and sporting events are just some of the activities people will benefit from.

“We are delighted that so many applications come through to us each year,” explains Mair Edwards, Community Initiatives Manager at Grŵp Cynefin.

“There are so many people across North Wales and north Powys working hard within their communities to support, care for and make a real difference to people’s lives. The variety of applications we have seen is inspiring.

“We have four application windows where we accept people’s proposals, and then our grants panel, made up of our tenants, meet to discuss each application based on a number of different criteria.”

* For more information regarding Grŵp Cynefin’s Community Grant, contact the Community Initiatives Team on 0300 111 2122 or email communityinitatives@grwpcynefin.org

MP questions RAF pilot shortage

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones (pictured) has called on the Government to take urgent steps to tackle the RAF's pilot shortage.

Speaking in the House of Commons Chamber she questioned Defence Ministers on a National Audit Office Report citing RAF concerns that it would be 20 years on current rates until the force has enough pilots.

After her exchange, Ms Jones said: "Everyone agrees the current system needs to be reviewed, but I don't think the Government is taking the sort of urgent steps we need. 

"I've spoken about defence cuts and shortages in our armed personnel before and I will do so again. We cannot be running down our armed forces at this time of global change and insecurity, and we must take on board the very real concerns of the RAF and our other armed services."     

Moves to improve valley's mobile signal unveiled

* Ken Skates, right, with local resident Mike Rutt, left, and Cllr Trevor Bates.

Plans to improve mobile phone coverage in the Ceiriog Valley have been welcomed by the area’s Assembly Member and MP.

Ken Skates and Susan Elan Jones have made repeated representations to mobile operators and the UK Government over the years in a bid to boost reception in the area, culminating in a petition signed by more than 1,000 people.

Mr Skates met with local councillor Trevor Bates and resident Mike Rutt, who organised the petition, in November, with the AM saying: “It is essential that residents and visitors to the Ceiriog Valley have mobile reception. I applaud the way Mike has gathered such a strong petition to urge UK Government to ensure there is better mobile connectivity.”

An email sent to Cllr Bates by BT last week said: “In order to deliver the coverage needed for the emergency services, EE is deploying hundreds of additional sites across rural Wales, England and Scotland.  The coverage provided by these sites will also be available to our commercial customers.

“In addition to these sites, the Home Office is also building nearly 300 further masts, many in Wales, to provide ‘Extended Area Services’ (EAS) coverage. It is currently planned that the Llanarmon Dyffrn Ceiriog area will be served by an EAS site. EE will put its equipment on these sites and will deliver commercial coverage as well as a blue lights service, subject to the site providing the necessary capacity to provide a good quality experience to our customers.”

Mr Skates said: “I have made numerous representations to the UK Government on this issue on behalf of my constituents in the Ceiriog Valley, which – like many parts of Clwyd South – continues to suffer from weak, intermittent and, in some cases, completely non-existent mobile phone coverage.

“I am extremely keen to ensure these plans materialise and have written to the Home Office to ask for more detail and timescales. People have waited far too long already and we need a firm commitment that action will be taken.”

Ms Jones said: “In addition to the problems poor mobile coverage causes on a daily basis for residents and visitors to the area, as well as local businesses, my constituents feel the issue could have far more serious consequences should there be another incident like there was recently when a local man suffered a serious fall, breaking several ribs.

“Rescuers had to drive some distance before a mobile signal was available to phone 999 and residents rallied to get two-way radio sets to relay the patient's condition to the emergency services while he passed in and out of consciousness. The incident happened around a mile from Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog and police had to run to the Hand Hotel in the village to call the Air Ambulance. Fortunately, the gentleman is now recovering.”

The incident spurred Mr Rutt and Cllr Bates into action and they subsequently collected a petition of 1,039 names urging the UK Government to act.

Bang-up-to-date Beemer ... at a price

* The new BMW X3 on the road.

* The cabin of the new Beemer.

BMW X3 road test by Steve Rogers

My BMW loving friend has got himself into a fix.

David has been driving his 420d for nearly a year and although he loves it he struggles to get in and out.

I should say David is nudging 80 and has had a new hip - 60 years prancing around a badminton court has taken its toll on his joints - so having to drop into and climb out of a low slung 420 is becoming a painful stretch. And he is taking stick from his wife who would have preferred an SUV this time round but you know what boys and their toys are like.

David always thought SUVs, even BMWs, had shabby handling, made for people who just want to get from A to B and couldn't care less about a car with street cred.

Then he and his good wife Margaret had their heads turned by my X3 test car. We went through the usual 'what's this, what do you think of it' questions and things got more serious when I took them for spin. They slid effortlessly and painlessly into the seats, were impressed with the quality finish, noting the dashboard looked virtually the same as their 420.

Even before we drove off Margaret was convinced they had made a mistake and should have had an X3, and David was veering to the same conclusion when he experienced the none too shabby performance and surprisingly good body control when I negotiated a roundabout a little quicker than normal.

They are not alone of course. The shift to crossovers-cum-SUVs, call them what you will, has been like a runaway train in the last few years. You may remember it all started in 2007 when Nissan came up with a new take on the family hatchback. Qashqai captured the imagination and raised the bar so high it started a trend that just keeps on rising.

But X3 was around in the days when it was easy for the premium set. Back in 2003 there was very little choice and the then newcomer was able to ride on the back of the impressive X5, not that it was in the same league.

Fifteen years on and we are living in a different world - SUV world. One in three cars leaving the BMW production line is an SUV and with so much quality opposition the German marque has really turned up the wick for the third generation X3.

It has become a big family car - the same size as the original X5 - and those who can afford to shell out nearly 40 grand are in for a real treat. You know what to expect from BMW, quality, precision and attention to detail is here in spades. The cabin is beautifully appointed putting X3 right up there as a contender for best in class.

I'm a huge fan of the new Volvos with their switch free minimalist cabin designs yet I was more comfortable tackling everyday tasks in the Beemer. It is bang up to date with a digital binnacle display, which includes the excellent head up display for speed and navigation directions, but the centre console has a more familiar look and is backed up by an infotainment centre that no longer needs a brain like Einstein to fathom.

Functions like radio, mobile phone, and navigation are behind a 10in screen with selections made via a rotary controller in a panel between the front seats. It is one of the easiest systems to work in any car.

The biggest difference over the previous X3 is how it drives. It sits on a new chassis and with modern construction technologies is lighter than the old car. Don't be thinking this drives like  a 3 or 4 Series BMW because it doesn't. It is still a fairly heavy all wheel drive car yet is surprisingly agile through twists and turns.

Granted my test car was the 8-speed M sport but I was quite happy driving in comfort mode which coped well with poor road surfaces.

You get a choice of two and three litre diesels and a new 2-litre petrol although the smaller diesel would be my pick because of its generous spread of torque, strong performance and economy.

So a big step up for X3, a technical tour de force with its driving dynamics and safety systems, but no longer having the luxury of very little opposition. It is now a case of circling the wagons with Audi, Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz  even Alfa Romeo presenting formidable challenges.

To come up with the perfect SUV would need elements from all of these but for now my money would still go on the Jaguar F-Pace... if only it could have the BMW 2-litre diesel!

Fast Facts

X3 xDrive M Sport

£41,990 (Tested £48,745 with options)

2-litre TD; 190bhp

0-62mph 8secs; 132mph

56.5 mpg combined

This test: 39mpg

144g/km. 1st road tax £515

Insurance group 29