Designated landscapes to receive £7.2m government funding boost

Projects to improve access to the countryside and boost the sustainability of Designated Landscapes are to receive funding of £7.2m, Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, Hannah Blythyn announced today.

£4.7m has been awarded to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) to be invested in green infrastructure such as electric vehicles, retrofitting existing buildings with energy efficiency measures, and restoring peatland and woodlands.

A further £1.76m has been awarded to local councils to improve Wales’s network of footpaths and bridleways, making them easier to use and more accessible to all. 

This is in response to people rediscovering local footpaths and trails as part of their daily exercise during the recent Covid lockdown. 

£337,000 has also been awarded to 11 projects to improve recreational access to water and £309,000 to community orchards and allotments to support community growing projects.

The Deputy Minister made the announcement during a visit to Moel Famau in the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB which will benefit from £180,000 from this programme to ease traffic congestion, carry out remedial work to address erosion to paths and surrounding land and reduce light pollution. 

An additional £54,000 is also allocated to Denbighshire County Council for important upgrades to its network of footpaths and bridleways.

Hannah Blythyn said: “Our National Parks and AONBs cover a quarter of Wales and are hugely important in helping tackle the loss of biodiversity and climate change.

“While our Designated Landscapes are very special to the people of Wales and attract millions visitors each year, access to local green spaces proved just as important during lockdown and this funding demonstrates that we greatly value our local footpaths and other rights of way.

“Following easing of the lockdown, many of our most popular countryside sites have faced significant pressures from large numbers of visitors. While most have visited responsibly, there have been high-profile cases of illegal parking, littering and unregulated camping which have caused damage to our fragile landscapes. This funding has therefore included projects that mitigate the negative environmental effects of tourism such as erosion, littering and pollution.

 “As lockdown has eased, the need to invest in a safe, high quality visitor experience for an increasing number of visitors has been highlighted. This, along with the need to make a contribution to tackling climate change, is a major challenge for our Designated Landscapes.

“This funding will support our National Parks and other bodies to address these challenges and to ensure everyone can continue to enjoy our countryside for years to come.”

Councillor Tony Thomas, Denbighshire's Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and Communities, who is also the Chair of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Advisory Committee, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Minister to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and were equally as delighted to receive funding announced for AONBs and national parks.

“The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB has always proved popular with visitors and residents, with the stunning scenery, magnificent hillsides and historic towns and villages a magnet for thousands of visitors each year.

“Inevitably with increasing numbers of visitors, we do experience some traffic congestion in our most popular scenic attractions and the sheer volume of people venturing into the hills also have an impact on the quality of footpaths over time.  This funding will be used towards projects that will help address these issues and protect our landscape for generations to come."

Perfect place for a trip down memory lane

* ReCollections on Abbey Road.

* The shop is packed with items of all kinds.

A man who is passionate about music, film and TV legends has filled up his new shop in Llangollen with their memorabilia.

ReCollections in Abbey Road is the brainchild of Steven Brady and is now trading seven days a week and online. 

With a heavy emphasis on music, the shop is bursting with official t-shirts in a constantly changing range of alternative, hard rock, metal, punk and progressive artists and bands, including Sex Pistols, Pink Floyd, The Cure, David Bowie, Jim Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, The Jam, ACDC, The Rolling Stones, Manic Street Preachers, Oasis, Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, Guns n Roses and many more.  

It's also overflowing with key chains, mugs, posters, cushions, postcards, stickers, magnets and all sorts of well-priced gifts for others or personal treats. 

Steve says he likes to keep things changing, so that each time you visit there will be plenty new to look at. 

When it comes to films, ReCollections has got merchandise from Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Wrestling, Marvel, Magic Roundabout and all sorts of collectable items, as well as Banksy holographic posters, wallets, bags, DVDs of historic concerts and festivals, and prints of original concert posters.

He’s also planning to have an HMV-style poster rack on the wall for customers to flick through and take a trip down memory lane.

Steve has an original vinyl section which is growing, and he’s looking into getting new pressed vinyl of modern classics too.  

Also packed into the shop is a plethora of 80s vintage memorabilia. There are toys, games consoles, books, annuals, video games, Hornby railway collectibles and even Trolls.  

Steve and his partner arrived in the UK from New Zealand seven years ago, and the picturesque town of Llangollen was the first place they visited.

Having moved here he gained years of retail experience in Tenovus, 

Steve said: "I saw lockdown as an opportunity to get all my older stock sold online and take time to revamp and regroup. 

"I reorganised and completely refined the store to exactly how it is meant to be - a total nostalgia trip, specialising in what makes people happy. 

"The customers love it, and the vibe is amazing. And this is just the beginning."

Steve speaks fondly of Wales and the opportunities he’s found here.

"Opening a music-focused shop on Abbey Road, which is just an hour away from Liverpool, is m dream.

"Since I've been here I've met some fabulous, enthusiastic music fans from all over the world who now come to shop in ReCollections.  

"I love that the merchandise in the shop bridges the gap between teens, their parents and grandparents."

Steve already supports local groups by donating the proceeds from the PPE masks he sells in the shop, and he says he’d like to get more involved with things like Plastic Free Llangollen, local fundraising and the Llangollen live music scene.  

He is considering putting up a gig noticeboard and playing and promoting local bands’ music in the shop, as well connecting with the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod when it returns in 2021.

Steve, who says his mission is to bring joy to his customers, added: "Nothing is too much trouble. Pop in to ask for anything you’re after, or send a message via Facebook or WhatsApp so I can find the perfect items for you." 

Speedier access to Plas Madoc recycling centre demanded

* Plas Madoc waste recycling centre.

A concerned Llangollen resident has written an open letter to the chief executives of Denbighshire and Wrexham councils about the "slow progress" in local people getting access to the Plas Madoc recycling facility just over the border. 

Phil Jones writes to the two officials: "I am writing this open letter to you both in the hope and expectation that you will be able to speed up a process that seems to have been in abeyance since the Covid lockdown six months ago.

"You will beware that since the closure of the Plas Madoc recycling centre in March, residents of Denbighshire living in the Dee Valley have been unable to access a recycling facility without a 30 mile round trip to Ruthin.

"I acknowledge that whilst the pop-up facility at the pavilion has recently reopened, for a few hours each week, it is no substitute for a fully functioning civic amenity site open all week.

"When I first raised this issue with my local councillor, I was told that there ‘was no appetite’ to negotiate an access agreement at Plas Madoc for the residents of the Dee valley. 

"This caused me great concern for obvious reasons, so I contacted the Welsh Minister with national responsibility for recycling, Ms Hannah Blythyn. 

"Having contacted Denbighshire County Council, she assured me that ‘Denbighshire CC are very open to working collaboratively and exploring options with other Authorities in North Wales for common inter waste services that would benefit the residents of the region’.

"I appreciate that the Covid crisis has placed many strains on your councils’ ability to function efficiently, but there is silence on this subject and I wonder if any work has been done in terms of an exchange of heads of terms for a service level agreement between the two authorities for access to Plas Madoc? In what timescale we might expect to see this matter concluded?

"There are over 6,000 residents in the Dee Valley, and we need access to a fully functioning recycling facility. Such a facility exists at Plas Madoc, but we need effective collaboration between your two authorities to make this happen. 

"The matter is urgent, to the residents of the Dee Valley, so your help in expediting a speedy conclusion to access arrangements would be most appreciated."

Framework for Corwen station waiting room now in place

* A platform level-view of the new steel structure at Corwen. 

Picture by George Jones.

The fabricated steelwork for the on-platform waiting room at the new Corwen station has now been put in place.

Designed by EWP Structural Engineers of Bangor on the recommendation of Denbighshire County Council, the steel beams were fabricated by Barnett Engineering Ltd of Rhosllanerchrugog and delivered to site for assembly by their team. 

With help from the project’s Road Rail Vehicle, the beams where hosted into position to form an oblong box within the area of the waiting room measuring 15 x 4 metres with provision for services to toilets already plumbed in.

The steelwork comprises four Ibeams for each corner with eight intermediate wind posts and associated cross beams to link the vertical members, all weighing in at around four tons.  

The design called for integral strength to support the roof which will be part of the station canopy and subject to high winds at this exposed, elevated position on the embankment.

The steelwork sits between the three pairs of ex-Blackfriars, London canopy columns surrounding the access stairwell and the final pair of columns at the eastern end. The casual observer now has some idea as to how it will all link together to provide for the canopy.

The eventual canopy will require the fabrication of six assorted ‘A’ frames to support the roofing material and have been specially designed to cater for the variations in the width of the platform and curvature. However, construction of these is for a later stage of the project.

With the steelwork in-situ, the preparation of the surrounding area can be completed and a good start has been made by contractors Wrexham Paving on the laying of the tactile edging and paving blocks at the eastern end of the platform.

Project Leader, Richard Dixon-Gough said: “I would like to thank Barnett Engineering for their work to help us complete this project. They have done a great job in fabricating and erecting the steelwork for the waiting room building on the Corwen new build station platform.

“It is a little unfortunate that the results of their skills will be hidden within the structure of the building when the brickwork etc. has been completed, but at least we can enjoy the visual impact in the short term.

“Our association Barnett Engineering has been very successful, and this is the latest example of their skills and expertise as applied to the project; others include the new build water tank and the modifications required on the canopy columns, all of which are admired by the passing public and we have received many positives unsolicited comments about their presence on site.

“The steelwork is a further example of how the overall project is now coming together after many years of planning and hard work by a small band of volunteers on site. 

“Once completed and passed fit for purpose the new build station and infrastructure will be opened to the public and will increase footfall within Corwen helping to boost the local economy.”

People must wear masks in shops from Monday, says First Minister

The BBC is reporting that people in Wales must wear masks in shops and other indoor spaces from Monday, according to the First Minister.

Mark Drakeford said the change came as 20 people in every 100,000 in Wales now had coronavirus.

Indoor meetings of more than six people from an extended household will be illegal from Monday.

The rule will not apply to children aged 11 and under. Up to 30 people from different homes can still meet outside.

Mr Drakeford said: "Today for the first time we will go to a point where 20 people in 100,000 are suffering from coronavirus in Wales.

"That is the threshold we use for people to have to quarantine coming back into the UK.

"And having reached that today, we will be making the use of face coverings mandatory in shops and in closed public spaces in Wales."

He said if the figure fell, the advice could be re-examined.

Contact service businesses reminded of change in guidance

Barbers and hairdressers in Denbighshire are being reminded of a change in guidance regarding protective equipment.

Denbighshire County Council is reminding close contact service businesses of changes in Welsh Government guidance which includes requiring barbers and hairdressers to wear a Type II mask with three layers plus a clear face visor which covers the forehead, extends below the chin, and wraps around the side of the face.

The council has been working with Denbighshire businesses ensuring they are adhering to the guidelines and customers are being encouraged to report any businesses breaking the rules.

Cllr Mark Young, the Council’s Lead Member for Planning, Public Protection and Safer Communities, said: “We are reminding barbers, hairdressers and customers of the change in guidance regarding PPE.

“It is vitally important businesses follow this guidance to help reduce the risk of outbreaks and keep our communities safe.

“The council has been visiting businesses to ensure they are following the guidance and that they are keeping customers safe and we will look to take enforcement action against those not following the guidelines.

“We are also asking customers who are aware of businesses not following the guidance to report the matter to the council.”

As well as wearing PPE, close contact service businesses should ensure 2m social distancing in the waiting area, toys and magazines should have been removed from the waiting area, hand sanitiser should be provided for staff and customers and an appointment system and contact tracing should be in place while equipment should be disinfected between each client treatment.

The council says you can report a business by contacting the council via envhealth@denbighshire.gov.uk

* Businesses can read the latest guidance from the Welsh Government at https://gov.wales/close-contact-services-businesses-coronavirus-workplace-guidance

2020 Christmas festival falls victim to coronavirus

Llangollen Christmas Festival has become the latest casualty of the coronaviris situation.

The annual event draws thousands of people to the town from across a wide area for a day of fun and entertainment ending in the switching on of the Christmas lights and a spectacular fireworks display.

Hundreds of pounds is also regularly raised for local charities of the Welsh Air Ambulance. 

But  the group that organises the festival now says that having considered the risks they have reluctantly decided to cancel this year’s event.

In a statement this morning they say: “We feel it would be unrealistic and irresponsible for us to organise a festival that attracts over 2,000 people into town, with little chance of social distancing, whilst coronavirus is still a threat.

"We are hoping that we’ll be able to organise some smaller 'Chritmassy' activities during December but it will obviously be dependant upon the coronavirus advice at the time.

“We will be back and our plan is for Llangollen Christmas Festival 2021 to be the biggest and best ever."