First Minister eases lockdown rules in Wales

A significant easing of strict lockdown measures in Wales has been announced by First Minister Mark Drakeford today.

For the first time in more than two months people in Wales will be able to arrange to meet others from different households outdoors.

In doing this, however, people must still follow social distancing and strict hand hygiene practices to control the spread of the virus.

The changes, which come in on Monday, June 1, will mean some who live close enough to their families might be able to see them in person for the first time in almost 70 days.

For the full story, see: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/lockdown-rules-drakeford-coronavirus-family-18328700

Llan takes part in last official big clap for key staff

* Cat Meade's video showing residents waving light sabres 

during the last big clap in Bishops Walk.

People across Langollen were outside their homes yesterday evening to take part in the last official clap for NHS and key workers during the Covid-19 crisis.

The event has taken place every Thursday at 8pm for the past 10 weeks and has seen people throughout the UK join in a public display of unity and gratitude.

However, organiser Annemarie Plas called for this round to be the last, saying "it is good to stop it at its peak".

Amongst the most active supporters of the clapping were residents of Bishops Walk.

And last night Cat Meade, co-ordinator of Llangollen Coronavirus Help Group, who lives nearby, recorded their last clap on a short film which she posted on Facebook.

In the post she said: "Bishops Walk, 10 weeks of applause, dancing, light sabres, n smiles Everybody needs GOOD NEIGHBOURS."

At the Pavilion field, as they have done for many weeks, a group of sound experts set up a bank of loudspeakers over which town crier Chem Cheminais could boom his message of thanks across the town.

Concern reported over lack of distancing room at roadworks

* The roadworks on Hill Street which led to 

the resident's concern.

A nearby resident reported concerns to a county councillor that roadworks on Hill Street, Llangollen were making it difficult for people to stick to social distancing rules.

The resident told llanblogger: "The area left for pedestrians was very narrow, not allowing for social distancing in accordance with Welsh Government regulations. The contractor is MJ Quinn for Openreach.

"Later it was completely blocked off, even pedestrians couldn't get through. 

"So residents had to walk down Vicarage Hill and Willow Hill with a possible shortcut across the Youth Club field. This work was to last for three days, apparently."

The resident added: "I raised the matter with County Councillor Graham Timms and he was investigating via Denbighshire highways."

Cllr Timms said: "I reported the problem to the county council late Wednesday afternoon after being contacted by a local resident. 

"I was informed that Denbighshire would get in touch with the contractor urgently to ask them to check out the situation on Hill Street. 

“The works are due to finish on Friday (29th May) and on Thursday evening there was about 10metres of the road that had a restricted footpath. 

"At that time it was easy to see if there were other oncoming pedestrians on this section of Hill Street so that social distancing could be maintained. 

“It is important that local residents get in touch if they believe that the county council or its contractors are not helping residents to observe social distancing rules so that these matters can be addressed urgently."

County volunteers thanked for helping with Covid-19 crisis

As part of next week's national Volunteers Week Denbighshire County Council and Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) are thanking all those who have stepped forward during the coronavirus pandemic.

Since March over 500 Denbighshire residents have registered as volunteers and been assigned with their roles by the two organisations.

Many have helped the council directly with care work within homes and the community, befriending calls, PPE and equipment drivers, homelessness support and domestic duties such as cleaning and laundry, while DVSC has placed many more with community groups across the county.

Cllr Tony Thomas, Denbighshire’s Lead Member for Housing and Communities, said: “There has been tremendous support in our communities since the coronavirus outbreak. We have seen people come together and help others and that is something to be celebrated. I’d like to thank all those across Denbighshire who are volunteering and congratulate them on their work and I would also like to thank DVSC for working in partnership with the Council during this challenging time.

“I would like to also pay tribute to those who have been volunteering through the council directly and are helping provide vital support and help to people. It is tremendous to see the effect this is having on people’s lives and we know those receiving help are extremely grateful.”

Helen Wilkinson, Chief Executive of DVSC, said: "Over the last few months, the COVID19 Volunteer Community Response DVSC initiated has depended on volunteers stepping up to provide support to some of our most vulnerable residents.

“We have worked closely with Denbighshire County Council to ensure we place volunteers where the need is greatest, and the voluntary and community action is safe, effective and inspires people to keep stepping up. 

“We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for all volunteers who have supported residents, voluntary and community groups, third sector organisations, social enterprises, local businesses, and our public service partners like Denbighshire County Council and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. Every single voluntary act - great or small - has made a real difference to people's lives."

Volunteer Week, which takes place between June 1 and 7, is led in partnership with Third Sector Support Wales, of which DVSC is a member, Volunteer Scotland, Volunteer Now (Northern Ireland) and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and is supported by organisations across the UK. 

Welsh Government spends £2.4 billion on coronavirus crisis

Finance Minister Rebecca Evans has set out the steps the Welsh Government has taken to dedicate more than £2.4bn to the coronavirus crisis.

This financial effort has not only provided more than £750m to fund the NHS and public service response, supporting the supply of PPE, investment in testing and tracing and NHS recruitment, but also helped to deliver a major business support package. The latest figures show that more than 52,000 grants totalling £640m have been paid to businesses in Wales, who are also benefitting from rates relief through the £1.4bn package announced in March.  The Finance Minister has also called on the UK Government to ease the "rigid financial rules" that she said limit the Welsh Government’s ability to direct more resources to its COVID response. Rebecca Evans said: “This unprecedented financial response has maximised the immediate support we could offer to Welsh public services, businesses and the most vulnerable in this crisis. “It is only right that we have been guided by a sense of what is fair when public finances are facing such enormous pressure. That is why we have gone beyond the funding we have received from the UK government to deliver targeted support, from funding free school meals throughout the holidays to delivering the most generous business support package in the UK.   “There are still many challenges ahead and our ability to respond is limited by the rigid financial rules imposed on us by the UK Government. Easing the rules on the way we manage our budget and the amount we can borrow will free up much-needed resources for the front lines in this crisis. “I will continue to urge the UK Treasury to fix this problem and as we look ahead the Welsh Government will set out the case against any return to reckless austerity.”

Tenants reap benefits of investment, says county council

Tenants of council homes in Denbighshire are reaping the benefit of a five-year programme of investment in its housing stock and its communities, says the county council

Denbighshire now has the fifth lowest rent levels of the 11 stock-retaining councils in Wales and charges the lowest average social housing rent of neighbouring authorities. 

Over the last five years, the council says it has invested in properties:

• £1.9 million on estate and neighbourhood improvements, including 17 new play areas.
• £1.6 million in disabled adaptations.
• 1,000 properties properties painted externally
• 350 new roofs have been installed.
• 350 properties have been rendered
• 675 kitchens and bathrooms have been fitted.
• 325 sets of windows have been replaced.

The council is investing in 170 additional homes over the next three years.

Meanwhile, contractors working on behalf of the council will be continuing with external works at properties in Bryn Garth and Maes y Goron (both in Denbigh), Maes Gruffydd Estate (Trefnant) and Pant Glas (Ruthin).

Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for  Housing and Communities, said: “We are delighted to have been able to continue to invest our properties and our communities over the past five years, making sure our tenants have modern, fit for purpose properties for them and their families.

“Income from rents is used in its entirety to fund the work of Denbighshire Housing.  

"It does not receive any funding through council tax, nor does it subsidise any other council service. Funding is also received from Welsh Government to support and maintain housing stock.

“We have not only invested in the structural works, but we have also invested in neighbourhoods through improving our  open spaces whilst supporting the health and well-being of communities, organising regular roadshow events around the county and supporting people with fuel and financial advice, and helping more people get online."

* For more information, visit: www.denbighshirehousing.co.uk 

Waste sites to re-open tomorrow - but it's bookings only

Denbighshire County Council has announced that its household waste recycling centres will re-open tomorrow, Thursday May 28. with a bookings only system for people to dispose of essential household waste.

It says demand at the recycling centres at Lon Parcwr (Ruthin), Colomendy Industrial Estate (Denbigh) and Marsh Road (Rhyl)  will be very high, therefore it has introduced a booking in system, to keep queuing traffic at a reasonable level and in order to comply with social distancing measures.  

People can book a slot online: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/recycling or if people are having difficulty, they should contact the Council. The system is live now.

Drivers will need to bring their booking reference number and proof of residency.  Anyone turning up without an appointment will not be allowed on site.

The “pop-up” Household Waste Recycling Centres services in Corwen and Llangollen are still suspended until further notice.   

This is because the council says it is not able to ensure that social distancing would be maintained, and it is therefore not safe to open these.

The council is advising visitors to the recycling centres of the following:

• People must not visit the Recycling Centre if they or anyone they are living with is in self-isolation or showing COVID-19 symptoms.
• No twin axle trailers will be allowed entry (Car-derived vans/4x4s and single axle trailers will be able to enter).  People may only bring their household waste in a works vehicle if they already have a permit to do so.The Council are processing requests for new permits as usual.  Please do not make a booking until you have a valid permit.
• Please segregate waste before coming to site to speed up the visit.
• The number of vehicles on-site will be restricted and where possible vehicles should only include the driver as only one person will be allowed to unload their vehicles. People must remain in their car whilst queuing.
• Social distancing measures must be adhered to at all times by both staff and visitors.
• Black bag waste should only contain non-recyclable waste.  DCC are collecting food, cans, plastics, paper, card and glass at the kerbside so residents should use these collections for these materials.  We will not accept black bag waste that contains food and recyclables.
• The sites will be very busy and you should expect to queue to access the site. The booking system will reduce waiting times but you should still expect queues.  At our two smaller sites in Denbigh and Ruthin, waiting time will increase by approximately 20 further minutes if the skips become full and need emptying as no site users are allowed on the site during this operation.
• A new traffic management system will be in place but if the queues spill out onto a busy road  and cause a hazard, people may be asked to move on.  The Council has done what it can to mitigate this with the booking in system, but it is reliant on the public to adhere to the 20 minute slots and not turn up without prior booking.
• Please treat our staff and fellow customers with respect and consideration during this challenging period.  Any incident/abuse of site staff or other users will not be tolerated, will result in you not being able to book in to visit again and may involve police intervention.

The opening hours for the sites will be:

Ruthin : Monday – Thursday 10am-6pm; Closed Friday; Sat & Sun 9am – 5pm

Denbigh: Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri – 10am – 6pm; Closed Thursday; Sat & Sun 9am – 5pm

Rhyl : Monday – Sunday 10am – 6pm

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “Our teams have been working hard during these unprecedented times to keep as many of our services as possible operating, including recycling, food and waste collections. 

“We recognise that the closure of the recycling centres will have caused disruption and we thank residents for their patience and understanding.  We were following the national guidelines which did not consider journeys to the recycling centres as a reasonable excuse to leave home, so we took the decision to close the sites.  That position has now changed and we have been involved in discussions nationally to re-open the sites as quickly as possible.

“We are expecting a very high demand for use of the sites and it has been decided to use a booking system to reduce traffic congestion and to protect the safety of people using the site or working there.  The position will be under constant review and we will advise residents if anything changes.

“What we would ask is for people to follow the rules and we can work together to try and reintroduce the service as smoothly as possible."