Council reassures parents and guardians ahead of new term

* Ysgol Dinas Bran.

Denbighshire County Council has moved to reassure parents and guardians that "everything possible" is being done to protect the safety of pupils and school staff when the new term begins next week.

It says all schools have carried rigorous risk assessments and have introduced measures to try and protect the health and well-being of pupils.

This may include staggered school days, safety signage, re-organisation of classrooms and reduced contacts with other year groups. 

The council adds that all schools continue to follow stringent hygiene guidelines issued by Welsh Government.

Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts, Cabinet Lead Member for Education, Children’s Services and Public Engagement, says: “First of all, I’d like to thank parents and guardians across the county for their continued support during these unprecedented times. 

“Over recent months, many parents/guardians have been supporting schools to ensure that children and young people can continue learning at home – a great example of partnership working. We also recognise that many parents/ guardians will have changed working patterns to accommodate children and young people being at home.

“The Minister has made it clear that she expects all schools to be open by September 14 and our schools have worked tirelessly to put plans in place to welcome pupils as safely as possible.   

"I must thank schools and various council teams for their work to date. This has been a significant logistical and practical challenge, taking into account issues around catering, buildings, curriculum and transport.

“Stringent hygiene measures are in place and each school has come up with arrangements for conducting classes and activities, whilst reducing contact with other pupils as much as possible.

“Now the priority is on getting on with the task of educating our children and young people in a safe environment.”

Use 999 responsibly over bank holiday, says ambulance service

The Welsh Ambulance Service is appealing to people to use 999 responsibly this Bank Holiday weekend.

Traditionally, the service will see an increase in demand on Bank Holidays as people take advantage of the long weekend – and this weekend is expected to be no different.

Lee Brooks, the Trust’s Director of Operations, said: “More people are out and about socialising with family and friends on the Bank Holiday weekends, and this can lead to more people becoming ill or suffering injuries and requiring medical attention.

“While there are plans in place to deal with the increase in demand, we only have a limited number of crews and vehicles available which means that we need to prioritise those sickest patients first.

“It also means that people not facing a serious or life-threatening emergency could wait longer for a response or be asked to seek alternatives to an ambulance response.

“We certainly don’t want to discourage people from calling 999 in a genuine emergency, but are asking people to consider whether an emergency ambulance is the most appropriate service for their needs.”

Examples of when to call 999 include choking, chest pain, stroke, serious blood loss and unconsciousness.

Using 999 correctly helps crews to reach those patients most in need of clinical attention.

“Our clinical staff often find themselves responding to patients who have reported a serious condition only to find they have a minor illness or injury which could have been treated by an alternative service,” said Lee.

August has been an exceptionally busy month for the Welsh Ambulance Service already.

Wednesday 12 August, which was the hottest day of the year in Wales, was its busiest day of the year so far second only to New Year’s Day.

The service is reminding the public of the alternatives to 999.

Lee said: “If you’re ill and unsure what to do, please visit 111.wales.nhs.uk for advice and information or to take a symptom checker quiz.

“Alternatively, visit a pharmacy, your GP or a Minor Injury Unit.

“You can also call 111 to speak to a Nurse Advisor, or 0845 46 47 if it’s not available in your area.

“Keep yourselves and others safe so that emergency ambulances are available for those who need them most.

“We also continue to live with the presence of Covid-19 and so we need to continue to follow the guidance from Public Health Wales and Welsh Government.”

Anyone visiting Wales this weekend should remember to bring any essential medicines and stock up on repeat prescriptions before they travel.

Kiosk to be taken over by Denbighshire Leisure, says councillor

* The kiosk in Riverside Park.

Following social media speculation about what its future might be, one of the area's county councillors has outlined what is due to happen to the kiosk in Riverside Park.

The cafe facility has been closed since the start of lockdown and there were fears it might not open again.

But Llangollen county councillor Melvyn Mile has told llanblogger: "I’ve been informed that Denbighshire Leisure will be refurbishing the kiosk and will be operating it themselves."

Denbighshire Leisure is the private firm which oversees leisure centres, community facilities, theatres and attractions on behalf of the county counil. 

MP congratulates Sun Trevor on its lockdown renovations

* Sun Trevor owners Paul and Katy Jones, their daughters Seren and Darcey, dog Poppy and Simon Baynes MP.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes made a socially- distanced visit to The Sun Trevor near Llangollen to learn more about how the team has used the time during lockdown to upgrade facilities.

Mr Baynes met owners Paul and Katy Jones as well as their daughters Seren and Darcey, and dog Poppy. 

He was also joined on the visit by Chirk town councillor Gareth Baines.

Paul and Katy used lockdown to refurbish areas including the kitchen and toilets, which now have full disabled facilities. And they have been working on converting the nearby stables into holiday lets.

The team received the Travellers’ Choice Award on Tripadvisor for consistently earning great reviews from travellers and for being ranked within the top 10% of hospitality businesses on the site.

Paul Jones said: “I want to thank my wife Katy and our family and friends for their support and for their hard work at the pub. 

"I’m also extremely grateful to our staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure we could re-open safely and on time. It’s great to finally be able to welcome customers back and we’re so appreciative of everyone’s support.”

Simon Baynes said: "The whole team at The Sun Trevor have done an incredible job earning the Travellers’ Choice Award. 

"Their Quiz evenings on Zoom during lockdown have been a hit with the local community and have really added to The Sun Trevor’s reputation as friendly, community-spirited pub. 

"It’s great to see a local business doing so well and I wish them every success for the future.”

Advice on using public transport to travel to school

Denbighshire County Council is advising parents and guardians of children travelling on public buses that owing to social distancing and reduced capacity on public transport, those using public bus services may be adversely impacted.

Parents and guardians of children and young people using public transport to travel to school or college are being advised to make alternative arrangements during the first weeks of term.

The council says it is currently working with bus companies to ensure that extra buses are provided to increase capacity where possible.

Cllr Brian Jones the Council’s Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, said: “Owing to reduced capacity on public transport to ensure social distancing, wherever possible we are putting on extra services for school and college learners, and we are working to ensure they can travel to school safely, which is of paramount importance.

“We understand this is a very difficult time for parents and we want to assure them that we are working to make sure the return to school runs as smoothly as possible.

“However, owing to a number of pressures associated with Covid-19, we are asking parents who are able to transport their children to school or college to do so for the first two weeks of term or, where possible, to encourage the use of active travel.

“Those parents who can transport their children to school or college are asked to walk where possible or to park further away from school to avoid congestion.

“Parents of all pupils aged over 11 using school buses or public transport to get to school are also reminded they need to wear a face covering while using buses, coaches and where appropriate taxis.”

Some schools are also using staggered times which will impact transport to and from school and parents are being advised to check with their school.

Timetables for public bus services have also been impacted by Covid-19 and parents should check their local provider for the most up to date information.

Councillor gives more details on Active Travel plans approved yesterday

* The county council's plan for changes to be made in the town centre.

Local county councillor Graham Timms has given more details about the Active Travel plans approved yesterday by Denbighshire to allow social distancing in Llangollen town centre.

The council had successfully bid for Welsh Government funds to introduce local sustainable transport measures in response to covid-19. 

The funding will be used to promote walking and cycling, to facilitate social distancing measures, to encourage businesses to expand their offer outside their premises and to support residents and visitors to feel safe in four of the county's town centres.

Following consultation, the proposals for Llangollen have now been given the go-ahead, as revealed yesterday evening by llanblogger.

Giving further details of what will happen, Cllr Timms said this will mean:

The creation of more space for social distancing by widening the pavements along Castle Street and on Abbey Road at the junction with Castle Street by the removal of parking and the use of ‘lane defenders’ to create safe areas for pedestrians and cyclists.

Additional proposals include:

*          Creating a ‘one-way’ street on the first section of Market Street as it leaves Market Street. The one-way section would only allow traffic to enter Market Street from Castle Street.Vehicles wishing to enter Castle Street from Market Street will follow the route via East Street and Parade Street. 

       This, said Cllr Timms, change will relieve congestion on Castle Street and the ‘one way’ section of Market Street will also allow the creation of a loading bay to serve nearby businesses on Castle Street. 

•          The closure of the link road between Hall Street and Berwyn Street (A5)

•          Reversing the direction of flow of vehicles on Church Street

•          Support cafes, pubs and restaurants to introduce outside seating will make the town centre more welcoming

       

       The changes will be made by a temporary traffic order for up to 18 months and the effect of the changes will be closely monitored by the council as they are introduced.

Cllr Timms said: "The results of the formal consultation showed huge support for the introduction of these measures. 

"It has been clear to residents over the last few weeks that social distancing in the town has been almost impossible to achieve. 

"The narrow pavements and the huge increase in the number of visitors since the lockdown ended has created a very difficult situation. Many residents have avoided the town centre because they do not feel safe on crowded streets in the middle of the day.

“Both Cllr Melvyn Mile and I were strongly in favour of the introduction of these measures. We believe that they are essential to enable residents and visitors to feel safe in the town centre.

“It is encouraging to see that visitors are keen to return to Llangollen, But it is also vital that we do everything we can to make the town as safe as possible for everyone; residents and visitors alike.

“Denbighshire’s formal consultation through the County Conversation website gave a huge ‘thumbs-up’ for the proposals with nearly 83% of those that responded‘strongly agreeing’ and a further 12% ‘somewhat agreeing’ with the proposals. Only 5% of the replies were negative."

He added: “Over the last few weeks queueing outside small shops has been a problem, leaving no space for those walking down the street to keep their distance. It will be much easier to maintain social distancing in the town when wider pavements are created.

“The reversal of the one-way traffic flow on Church Street should result in a significant change in the number of vehicles using this route as a 'short cut', particularly at the times just before and just after the school day. This will lead to a much safer route to school for children and their parents who walk and cycle to and from school along this very narrow road.

“The closure of the road between Berwyn Street and Hall Street that passes between Stan’s garage and the M’eating Place will help to make this area safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

“Some businesses expressed their concerns over the loss of ‘pop and shop’ parking and the lack of loading bays by signing a ‘template’ letter which was sent to the council separately. I believe that it is important to address these important concerns.

"The ‘loading bay’ issue has been addressed by providing a bay on the Market Street and Castle Street junction. On the provision of short stay parking, Mel Mile and I have been pressing the council to give free parking in all car parks for 30 minutes to allow ‘pop and shop’ visits for those on the outskirts of the town. 

"The county responded with two hours free parking in East Street Car Park. Other towns in Denbighshire will also get a similar concessions. 

"We don’t think that this meets the needs of Llangollen and so we will continue to press the case for a ‘free half-hour’ in all our car parks to encourage local shopping in the town centre.

“It is vitally important that local residents and businesses pull together to create a town centre that is vibrant and safe for everyone in these very difficult times."

Active travel plans for Llangollen approved by county council

Denbighshire County Council has announced its decision on proposed active travel plans for Llangollen, Ruthin, Denbigh and Rhyl.

The council had successfully bid for Welsh Government funds to introduce local sustainable transport measures in response to covid-19 in the four town centres. 

The funding would be used to promote walking and cycling, to facilitate social distancing measures, to encourage businesses to expand their offer outside their premises and to support residents and visitors to feel safe.

Following consultation, the proposals for Llangollen and Ruthin have been approved. 

The plans for Llangollen involve widening pavements for shared pedestrian/cyclist use along designated streets.

The Rhyl proposal has been approved in principle, but there will be alterations to certain aspects of the scheme.  

These alterations will be circulated to all relevant stakeholders before proceeding with the final project implementation. 

The original proposals for Denbigh have been withdrawn after extensive feedback was received from the public.  

The council will go back to the drawing board and consider whether there are alternative options for Denbigh to help facilitate social distancing whilst encouraging walking and cycling.

The plans for Ruthin included the introduction of one-way roads for traffic on Market Street and Well Street.

The proposals for Rhyl involve improving shared space for pedestrians and cyclists in key areas of Rhyl between the railway station and the National Cycling Route along the promenade.  

This also reflects the commitment in the Rhyl Masterplan to enhance sustainable active travel in the town.

The original proposals for Denbigh included a one-way system on Vale Street, High Street and Bridge Street; improved areas for pedestrians and cyclists; the closure to vehicles of the northern side of High Street.and a temporary 20mph speed limits would have been introduced on some town roads. 

The plans were refused due to concerns raised by business owners and residents about the scale of the proposals.

The council will draw up new proposals for Denbigh and will be engaging with the local community in due course.

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Highways, Transport and the Environment, said: “We would like to thank members of the public for getting involved in the consultations. Representations were received via an online survey, emails, written letters, telephone calls, e-petitions and through social media.

“Active travel has become a more prominent issue in recent times, with covid-19 allowing people the opportunity to walk more or to get on bikes as a means of getting out and about. The funding made available was to be used to promote active travel and allowing councils to introduce measures that would help protect people’s safety through social distancing, we well as  encouraging more people to visit our town centre businesses.

“We fully recognise the quick turnaround but we were only given a short amount of notice to apply for the Welsh Government funding and we needed to get our plans drawn up and submitted very quickly, to make sure our communities did not miss out on the funding.

“We had community engagement plans planned and agreed to carry out a consultation on the proposals. 

"There was generally strong support for the plans for Llangollen, Ruthin and Rhyl and we were happy to support these proposals going forward and will now plan to implement the measures.   Further details will be announced in due course and the work will be monitored on a regular basis.

“However, in Denbigh there were significant number of people objecting to the original proposals put forward. We have considered people’s responses at great length and we have listened to their views. Clearly there was no appetite from the local community to move forward with the plans, so the Denbigh plans will not go ahead as they stand."