Compensation arrangements for garden waste service

Denbighshire County Council is reminding residents of the arrangements in place for compensating for the temporary stoppage in the garden waste service, as a result of the covid-19 restrictions.

The service was suspended on 20^th March following restrictions by Welsh Government, as they meant that staff needed to either self-isolate or some staff became unwell and the Council needed to make the difficult decision to suspend the service. The paid- for service resumed officially on June 1^st. 

Residents who had a valid subscription for the entire 10 week stoppage will have their subscription extended by those 10 weeks.  

Where subscriptions had lapsed part way through the suspension,  extensions will be added on a pro rata basis, for example, a resident who had paid for 6 out of the 10 weeks, will have their subscription extended by 6 weeks.

Customers who are already paying for their garden waste service by Direct Debit will not need to contact the Council. The Council will put back the date of all future annual invoices to account for the stoppage.

Residents who have allowed their subscriptions to lapse and not yet renewed them at all should contact the Council so that any additional collection entitlement can be agreed.

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Highways, Planning and Environment, said: “The Council fully understood the frustration faced by some residents of not having a garden waste collection service and the Council worked tirelessly to restore the service as quickly as possible.

“We are pleased at the response by the general public and the service is now operating as normal.  We’re also grateful for the opportunity to explain how people who missed collections during the lockdown will be compensated. No one will miss out financially, as we will simply extend the subscription by the number of weeks collection missed”.

Denbighshire Leisure supports Welsh Mountain Zoo

Denbighshire Leisure Ltd is helping to raise funds for the Welsh Mountain Zoo during the pandemic by giving Ninja TAG games with every donation to the official zoo recovery fund.

The Welsh Mountain Zoo, National Zoo of Wales in Colwyn Bay, faces an uncertain future if it can’t keep vital funds coming in during the pandemic.

As well as sharing the same North Wales Coast as the Welsh Mountain Zoo, SC2 and Ninja TAG in Rhyl is also part of the North Wales TenTop Attractions group. 

Ninja TAG in SC2 Rhyl, is giving free offers to every person who donates £20 or more to the official recovery fund and the attraction hopes that working together they can get through this uncertain time.

Jim Jones CEO of North Wales Tourism said: “It’s heart-warming to see this level of support between attraction businesses in North Wales. Great initiative from Denbighshire Leisure Ltd, and proof that when we work together everybody benefits.”

Marcia Azevedo Moreira, Marketing & Sales Manager, at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, said: “We are extremely grateful that Denbighshire Leisure Ltd, one of our partners in the North Wales TopTen Attractions group, are supporting us during this difficult time. 

"It is incredible to see another popular attraction in the area putting something together that will help us push our plight further whilst giving our wonderful supporters a little treat that they can enjoy once restrictions have been lifted. On behalf of us all here at the Welsh Mountain Zoo, and of course all of the animals, we thanks Denbighshire Leisure Ltd and SC2 Rhyl for their support.”

Ninja TAG is an adrenaline fuelled obstacle course within SC2 Rhyl on the promenade. Players of the game must hit electronic targets throughout the course to gain points and beat the clock and their friends.

Suitable for the whole family, Ninja TAG is the first in Wales with Junior Ninja TAG being the first of its kind created.

Jamie Groves, Managing Director of Denbighshire Leisure Ltd said: “We are living in difficult times and North Wales attractions need to support each other to get through. We firmly believe that ‘together we will beat this’. We have said from the inception of SC2 Rhyl that we want to encourage tourists to come to North Wales and stay in the region, we’re partners not competitors with other attractions, so it only seemed right to help our local zoo during this difficult time.”

Libraries prepare to go live with order and collect service

Libraries across Denbighshire will be offering an order and collect service for books from today (Monday) as part of on-going efforts to re-introduce elements of the service in the county.

The Home Library Service is also being re-introduced at the same time and library staff will be contacting customers of that service to offer them a new delivery.

Library members can order books using the online catalogue, using the Order and Collect order form on the Council’s website https ://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/order-and-collect-library-books or phoning their local library. 

Staff at libraries will select up to 10 books according to the customer’s preferences and contact the customer to arrange an appointment to come and collect them.

Customers can ask a friend to collect on their behalf, and home delivery will be available for people who are shielding and do not have the means to collect the books.  

People may also use their appointment to return books to libraries. Those customers wishing only to return their books should contact the library to arrange an appointment.

All books currently on loan and new loans will be automatically renewed and no late fines will be incurred. The range of stock will be limited to what is available in Denbighshire and until new stock arrives from suppliers.

Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and Communities, said: “We are delighted to be re-introducing an element of the library service, providing access to the wealth of books we have on offer.

“The safety of our staff and customers is the priority and our libraries are following Welsh Government guidance on how to handle library books, to help protect people’s safety and well-being.  All books will be quarantined for 72 hours when they are returned.

“Customers are reminded that when collecting, returning, or receiving books at a library or at  home, they must follow the social distancing guidance set out by the Welsh Government. Library buildings remain closed to the public at the moment."

* Full details of the new Order and Collect service are available on the Council’s website https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/order-and-collect-library-books

Young 'Uns performers pay tribute to their friend Janette Williams

* The film pays tribute to the Operatic Society's Janette Williams.

Talented young singers from Llangollen Operatic Society’s junior section have put together a moving tribute to one of the leading figures from their group who died recently.

Janette Williams was one of a number of adult members of the society who have worked with the Young ‘Uns over many years, performing various roles to make sure their annual productions are a success. Her speciality was costumes.

* Shea Ferron performs in and edited the film.

Janette’s funeral is due to take place later today and to mark the sad occasion seven members of the Young ‘Uns have created a video tribute which has just been posted on YouTube.

The 25-minute film features a medley of some of their favourite songs from recent shows and includes contributions from Shea Ferron, who also edited the video, Celyn Orton Jones, Aled Morris, Sophie Roberts, Heledd Edwards, Ethan Le-Cheminant and Grace Roberts.

There are also pictures of Jan on her own and with other members of the society taken over the years.

* Celyn Orton Jones also sings on the video.

A pre-amble to the film written by 17-year-old Shea says: “On behalf of the Llangollen Operatic Society’s Young ‘Uns section, I have been busy these past few days in editing a video to pay tribute to the late Janette Williams who was a huge member of our family.

“Today (15/06/20), Jan’s family and close friends say goodbye to her and sadly due to the current circumstances, we all cannot be there.

“This video is a medley of our favourite songs as our way of saying goodbye and paying tribute to Jan.”

Shea has been asked to perform at Jan's funeral later today at Pentrebychan Crematorium. 

He will sing Green Green Grass of Home and Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

To watch the video, go to: https://youtu.be/1l9dIqLM4yw

Father Lee streams his hymns and music hall songs session

* Father Lee at the vicarage piano for the hymns and music hall songs session.

Llangollen vicar Father Lee Taylor held the first in a series of musical sessions streamed live on Facebook yesterday evening in which he mixed hymns with numbers from the days of music hall, of which he is a major fan.

A number of people contacted him in advance to sponsor both types of song, with the money going towards church funds.

Father Lee explained that finances for the four local churches he runs,including St Collen's, had been hard hit by the lockdown which means that congregations are unable to attend.

This had meant, he said, that a total of 21 weddings had been cancelled so far and he gave shout-outs to a number of couples affected.

* A raffle staged by Cat Meade, co-ordinator of the Lllangollen Coronaviris Group, on Saturday evening raised £635 for facilities for the children soon to return to Ysgol Bryn Collen.

Thirteen valuable prizes were donated by local businesses.

  

Well-being calls to Denbighshire residents expanded

Denbighshire County Council has expanded its wellbeing checks to residents during the coronavirus outbreak.

With the support of Denbighshire Leisure Ltd, the council is contacting everybody receiving shielding letters from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales and is now expanding calls to residents over 70.

So far more than 5,000 residents have been contacted and support has included referrals to community groups or local charities for help with, for example, advice about finances, grocery shopping or dog walking.

Denbighshire Leisure’s Active Communities team has visited over 300 residents, with another 200 to be visited within the next few weeks.

The team has visited people who have received a shielding letter and had previously been uncontactable by phone and checked in on them to ensure they were being supported during this difficult time.

Overall, the project has involved more than 80 staff members from a range of council departments as well as Denbighshire Leisure Ltd and external partners including Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC), the British Red Cross, and elected members have been recruited to support by becoming telephone befrienders.

Cllr Bobby Feeley, Lead Member for Well-being and Independence, said: “Thanks to the hard work and adaptability of staff, we have been in touch with more than 5,000 people, and are in regular contact with a majority of those.  

"We have referred more than 250 people for Welsh Government food boxes, and more than 300 people to DVSC to find help with shopping and collecting medications.  

"We have identified a number of safeguarding and wellbeing concerns and referred these for a quick professional response.  This has meant that many officers have had to work in a completely different way and I would again like to thank staff for their dedication and hard work during this process.”

A number of residents have contacted the council to offer their thanks to staff as well as posting on social media.

Feedback from a resident in Ruthin said it was very reassuring to have the Denbighshire Leisure Active Communities team call by and he said it was a great comfort for him and his wife who feel like they are being supported and are not alone.

Jamie Groves, Managing Director of Denbighshire Leisure Ltd, said: “The team has gone above and beyond over the last month and it’s fantastic to hear the amazing feedback from the local community, who feel supported by the team during this difficult time. 

"They were happy to step up to the task and felt it was a great way to stay connected with our residents and service users at this time. Fortunately most residents were safe and well and enjoyed chatting to the team, at a safe distance.”

Ex-councillor on why he's against 40mph limit on Horseshoe Pass

* Former county councillor Stuart Davies.

The plan to introduce a 40mph speed limit on the Horseshoe Pass, revealed by llanblogger in a story last week, drew some criticism when it was shared on social media.

Here former Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies gives his view of the proposal:

"At the end of my term in 2012 – 2017 maybe 2016, the Welsh Government came out with an initiative for all councils to review their speed limits. So it started.

"A few residents up the Horseshoe Pass (HSP) started going on about motorcycles speeding and making a noise. Their argument was, stop speeding and the noise would stop.

"The council officers meanwhile, in conjunction with North Wales Police, went off on putting speed limits everywhere on A roads. You can see the result on the Llandegla roads and the road to Corwen from Llandegla. It's 40 mph everywhere and average speed cams.

"The residents from the HSP were very vociferous and so I had put in a speed checker for a week. The results were surprising, no speeding as such, with IIRC an average speed of 48 mph.

"So people weren’t speeding BUT when I told the residents they refused to believe it! I said that they should concentrate their efforts on the noise-making by bikers with illegal exhausts.

"I as a Cllr always used to base decisions on the facts. I asked the police how many tickets had been issued in the 5 years previous to this initiative for breaking the 60mph limit. They refused to give me the information and I was told to do an FOI (Freedom of Information) request. 

"A quick email to the chief executive officer of Denbighshire County Council (DCC) and the Chief Constable gave them straight away. It was 1 in 5 years, so no speeding, according to their stats!

"I also learned that NWP didn’t have the resources to police a speed limit.

"I got the accident stats from DCC for the area and realised that this initiative was being driven by things other than road safety based on stats.

"I stopped them doing it. I argued that if they were concerned about road safety then putting in guard rails would be a better option and that they should approach the Welsh Government and our local AM, Ken Skates.

"The issue of the noisy exhausts? I liaised with NWP and they started a re-education initiative with the bikers visiting the Ponderosa backed up with tickets for illegal exhausts.

"Now it has come back. The local councillors appear to be backing this 40 mph limit from the Britannia to the other side, nearly to the Llandegla roundabout. 

"This will impact on commuters travelling from here to Ruthin, on disabled children being taxied from here to that end of the county etc etc. 

"I had lots of emails from concerned residents ref this. There is also the issue that people would try to use the Old Horseshoe Pass to try and beat the system causing speeding in Pentredwr.

"I have looked at the statutory notice, the only “evidence” produced, as far as I could see, was the words 'To improve road safety'. No stats, no evidence, nothing.

"So I want to know, what has prompted this? Give me the evidence to prove it isn’t safe! Where are the stats for the public to make up their minds?

"I believe this is being driven by the dislike of noise from bikes, the mistaken belief that bikers are speeding. It wasn’t correct then and I don’t believe it is now. 

"The belief that putting in a speed limit the noise goes away is wrong. The issue is about illegal and 'fruity' after-market exhausts. Address that and you address the issue of the noise. That also then stops the issue of affecting the lives of commuters.

"One more point, if they are thinking of putting in average speed cams, I would ask the question, if DCC can't afford to put in a civic recycling site in Llangollen, as told by the local councillors, how can they afford to pay for this scheme?"

* Maggie Smith, chairman of Llantysilio Community Council said: "It is important that comments are forwarded via the link below to the Denbighshire County Council Consultation.

https://countyconversation.denbighshire.gov.uk/kms/dmart.aspx?strTab=PublicDMart&fbclid=IwAR0tuCGuWRGKqiMnwQL2ciODM4BLbRgA7wRK-VPEz5LpOKrv4kf96jnxAXU