First Minister questioned over waste disposal

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has today questioned the First Minister over what is being done in Wales to deal with radioactive waste.

According to the Welsh Government's Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste Consultation Document, 'Radioactive waste disposal is a devolved matter -the Welsh Government is responsible for determining the policy for this within Wales.'

In the Assembly Chamber this afternoon, Mr Isherwood asked Mark Drakeford what action is therefore being taken by the Welsh Government to dispose of this type of waste.

As you say, this is about higher-activity waste that's been accumulating over 60 years, and you referred to the Statement by the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs. I understand that she said a Geological Disposal Facility ‘provides a permanent solution to the long-term management of higher activity waste, rather than leaving the responsibility for future generations’.

“Given that the UK Government, through the Radioactive Waste Management Subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, has carried out geological surveys, and has been carrying out consultation events in Swansea, Llandudno and six sites in England, what engagement are you having with those other potential six sites, where, as you said, there's a collective responsibility to address this, and geology will, ultimately, determine where it's safe to put this stuff?” 

The First Minister replied: “We will not, and have not identified such sites, and we don't intend to do so. It is for any local community that is willing to come forward to do so, and if no community comes forward, there will be no disposal here in Wales.

“Even if a community does come forward, there is a very strict and lengthy process, lasting up to 20 years, in which any initial expression of interest would have to be negotiated. That local community would have the right to withdraw from those discussions at any point in that 20-year process, and that process would come to an end. And as I said, any local authority within which such a community were located would have the power to over-ride that expression of interest by that local community by declaring that, as a local authority area, it is not prepared to see geological disposal within its boundaries.”

Council says no to nuclear waste disposal in county

Councillors in Denbighshire say they will not be supporting the location of any form of nuclear waste disposal facility in the county.  

Their decision has come in response to a national consultation on the process for identifying potential sites.

In May 2015  the Welsh Government adopted a policy supporting geological disposal for the long term management of higher activity radioactive waste. 

A programme, funded by the UK Government, has been set up to seek a single disposal facility from Wales, England and Northern Ireland and will be delivered by Radioactive Waste Management Ltd.

In January the Welsh Government issued a policy statement setting out the broad outline of arrangements for working with potential host communities in Wales, should any wish to seek discussions about potentially hosting a geological disposal facility in Wales.

Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing, Regulation and the Environment, said: “At a meeting of the full council, councillors agreed to respond to the consultation, expressing their firm views that they want the county to be nuclear-free and would not support any such facility in the county. 

"They raised concerns about the effects on the landscape, the environment and on future generations in the county.

“Whilst we welcome the opportunity to respond to the consultation, we will be setting out our objections in the clearest of terms and forwarding our response to Radioactive Waste Management Ltd.

"We will also be contacting other councils in North Wales to see whether they wish to issue a regional response."

Art group stages exhibition at museum

Llangollen Artists stage Pavilion exhibition

University offers free football course

* Glyndwr University lecturer in Football and Coaching Science Chris Hughes.

Footballers and coaches of the future are being offered the chance to join a free three-day course at Wrexham Glyndwr University and boost their skills.

To celebrate its Football Coaching and the Performance Specialist degree, the university’s Easter Football College is open to anyone aged 16 plus and living in Wales.

The college – an annual highlight of the university’s spring calendar - takes place on April 15, 16 and 17 from 9.30am to 12.30pm at Wrexham Glyndwr University Sports Hall.

The course, funded by the North and Mid Wales Reaching Wider Partnership, is led by specialists in the field including Wrexham Glyndwr University lecturer in Football and Coaching Science Chris Hughes.

It will introduce its participants to coaching and football science, develop their coaching and planning skills and help them learn about the benefits of community sport development and the importance of creating strong relationships through sport.

Organiser and university Widening Access Coordinator Sarah Gaffney said: “The Easter Football College is a wonderful free opportunity for anyone living

in Wales who is interested in football to take part in.

“It’s led by industry specialists and really helps give anyone who takes part a feel for football coaching – an area where there are a lot of opportunities right across our region where people can put their skills on the field to use helping other people.”

Chris added: “The course also gives you the chance to see what studying with us is like – our students find themselves at the heart of some really exciting events, like the recent Wales friendly in Wrexham where they were talked through match preparations beforehand and got the chance to analyse the game first-hand.

“If you love football then this is a great opportunity for you. Each morning the course will introduce you to a range of skills for coaching, working at a variety of levels, including community and performance.”

* To book your place please see: https://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/ShortCourses/EasterFootballCollege/

Plan to build lift shaft up to castle unveiled

* Dinas Bran Castle could soon be reached by a lift shaft inside the hillside.

llanblogger April 1 exclusive

Llanblogger understands that consideration is being given to a dynamic new project for Llangollen.

The idea is to provide a lift shaft within the Dinas Bran hill with access up to the castle.

The project would see a tunnel dug into the hill, possibly from near the Army Cadet HQ, that would link to a lift shaft to take people up to the castle.    

A lift shaft pod would be built at the head of the lift within the castle walls in keeping with the architecture of the area and the tunnel would feature two moving walkways into the centre of the hill to the lift shaft base. 

Project spokesperson David Davies says it would be financed by a crowd-funding scheme.  

Acquisition of redundant shaft drilling and tunnel boring equipment might be possible to be purchased on completion of the London Crossrail ( Elizabeth Line) project, he added.

"Reducing the footfall erosion on the hillside the project would have zero impact on the environment and landscape of the castle hill," explained Mr Davies.

"The environment would be one of the prime considerations of the project to ensure that this exciting idea offers another significant tourist attraction to the town and allow visitors and residents, including those of limited walking ability, the experience of the views from the castle."

* Anyone who doubts the viability of the scheme should check out today's date.

Vicar blesses the beer aboard real ale train

* Father Lee performs the beer blessing as real ale train travellers watch.

* The vicar says cheers to the train as it pulls out of the station.

Llangollen's new vicar gave a blessing to the beer aboard a real ale train just before it steamed out of the town’s heritage railway station yesterday (Saturday) evening.

Father Lee Taylor, who took over at St Collen’s and three other churches in the Valle Crucis Mission Area last Christmas, believes that reviving the ancient ceremony which goes back to medieval times is a good way of taking the church out into the community.

So as the steam train prepared to leave the platform Father Lee was on hand in his full regalia to say some specially chosen words over the local brews that were about to be downed by a trainload of real ale lovers.

He said: “Back in medieval times it wasn’t unusual for priests to be called upon to bless all sorts of things, such as cheese, workmen’s tools or crops planted for harvest.

“It’s a way of the church responding to various activities in the community and a fun way of celebrating something that’s very good.”

Father Lee, whose mother was landlady at a couple of pubs back in his native Lancashire, added: “The beer blessing itself goes back to 1614 and inaugurated in the time of Pope Pius V.

"There also a link with St Collen's because on the church roof is a depiction of a men with barrels.

“I performed the ritual in English and used holy water and incense in the ceremony.

“Saint Arnold of Soissons, whose feast day is on August 14, and Saint Arnulf of Metz, whose day is on July 18, are both patron saints of beer and hop-pickers, so if any pubs or hotels in Llangollen would like their beer blessed on those days then let me know."

Earlier in the day he had been on BBC Radio Wales to explain what he was going to do and a TV camera crew were at the station to record the blessing.

This wasn't be the first time that Father Lee, who later joined travellers in a couple of pints himself, had carried out his beer blessing ceremony.

Back in 2016 he hit the national headlines when he blessed the casks at his local pub when he was part of the clergy team at Croydon Minster in London.

And soon after he arrived in Llangollen a gathering of parishioners and friends watched him bless his new vicarage in Abbey Road.

Llangollen heritage railway’s business manager, the aptly-named Liz McGuinness, also raised a glass to Father Lee’s ceremony.

She said: “This is a great idea. We are so pleased that Lee took out to re-enact an age old tradition. Everyone on the train enjoyed it very much.”