Llangollen Town Council back to full strength

* New councillor Peter Carol.

* New councillor John Palmer.

With the co-option of Peter Carol at the last night’s meeting and John Palmer at the meeting in August, all casual vacancies on the Town Council have now been filled.

Cllr Palmer replaces the seat vacated by former Cllr Beech and Cllr Carol that of former Deputy Mayor, Cllr Richards.

Commenting on the appointments Town Clerk Gareth Thomas said: "The process of co-option is governed and controlled by a number of regulations and the pandemic did not change the requirements for clerks to follow  defined procedures. 

"The initial notices of vacancy were displayed for a period of 14 days in which time 10 constituents could have requested a by-election.

"With both applications the necessary requisite numbers were not met and therefore the appointments were made by co-option, a process again governed by a further set of regulations.”

He added: "Following advice from the county council's Returning Officer there were concerns that any appointments to a contest seat, which was the case with the resignation of Cllr Richards, should not be made until the Town Council could meet face to face again without restrictions. 

"However, more recent guidance allowed the Town Council to proceed with the second appointment this month.

"This recent advice also means that the annual meeting of the Town Council, which is normally held in May, will now take place in November and at that meeting councillors will consider the appointment of the Town Mayor and Deputy Town Mayor."

Denbighshire becomes area of Covid concern

 

Denbighshire has become one of the ”areas of concern” to Public Health Wales (PHW) when it comes to an increase in coronavirus cases.

In its latest statement issued earlier this afternoon PHW says: “We are continuing to see a steady increase in cases in many communities across Wales, and our investigations show that many of these have been transmitted due to a lack of social distancing.

“The council areas of Cardiff, Swansea, the Vale of Glamorgan, Carmarthen, Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire and Flintshire are all areas of concern to us and we are watching the data from there carefully, but numbers of cases are increasing in all parts of Wales so there is no room for complacency in any area.”

The statement adds: “We are also seeing an increase in the number of people who are seriously ill and have been admitted to hospital with COVID-19.

“We are concerned that much of the good work conducted over the past few months is at risk of going to waste.

“If the situation continues to worsen, we may find ourselves at the same levels of infection that we experienced earlier this year in March and April; and with that comes the potential for more extended restrictions to be imposed nationally.

“Coronavirus has not gone away. It remains the responsibility of everyone to help prevent the spread of this virus to protect older and vulnerable family members and friends. 

“They should do this by self-isolating when asked to do so, staying two metres away from others, and by washing hands regularly.

“Public Health Wales is urging all eligible people in Wales to have their free flu vaccine as NHS Wales begins its largest ever national flu vaccine programme.

“Flu (also known as influenza) can be serious, particularly for those who are older or have a health condition and are more vulnerable to complications as a result of the flu. Having a flu vaccine every year is one of the most effective ways to protect against flu.

“Those eligible for a free NHS flu vaccine include people with long term health conditions, people aged 65 and over, pregnant women, children aged two to ten years old, carers, domiciliary carers and care home staff with regular client contact as well as care home residents.”

For the latest information, visit www.beatflu.org or www.curwchffliw.org or search Beat Flu or Curwch Ffliw on Twitter and Facebook.

On its Facebook page Llangollen Health Centre has given details of its drive-through flu vaccination day this Saturday.

It says: “All patients born before 1 April 1956 should have received a letter inviting them to a drive-through flu clinic on Saturday 26th September at Llangollen Pavilion. If you have received a letter we would like to draw your attention to the following important points:

• We will not be able to vaccinate any patient arriving on foot. Any patient who cannot get to the clinic in a car needs to let us know (via Llangollen.Admin@wales.nhs.uk or 01978 860625) and we will contact them within the next couple of weeks with an alternative. However we are asking that our patients born before 1 April 1956 make every effort to arrange car transport to this clinic (subject to Covid regulations on car sharing) as it is in their best interests to be immunised as early as possible. 

• The alphabetical time slots are there to avoid excessive waiting times and queues. If you cannot keep to your slot, you can turn up a time convenient to you between 9am and 5pm. 

• Please car share if it is safe for to do so i.e. those living in the same household, those in extended households (even if you have different surnames). Please note: We will inject the arm nearest to the car window so please consider where in the car you will be sitting and dress appropriately so that their upper arm nearest the window is easily accessible. For example, short sleeves or sleeves that can be easily rolled up. 

• We will not be able to give any other vaccinations or flu vaccinations to other age groups at this clinic. 

Other patients who are eligible for a flu vaccination, who do not fall into this age group, will be contacted with details of further clinics. There are different vaccines for different age groups which are delivered to the practice at different times and we will be sending out invitations as we get our vaccine deliveries.”

Police safety warning follows spate of bike collisions

Police are urging motorcyclists to stay safe following several collisions over the weekend, one of which was in Llangollen.

Between Friday night and Sunday afternoon officers dealt with six collisions involving motorcycles across the region.

On Friday evening (September 18th) a pillion passenger was left with serious life changing injuries after falling off a motorcycle on Green Lane in Shotton. The 33-year-old was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Just before 2pm on Saturday, September 19th officers were called to a report of a single vehicle collision involving a motorcycle on the A496 near Blaenau Ffestiniog. The 58-year-old rider was airlifted to hospital in Stoke with serious arm injuries.

Shortly after 2pm on Sunday (September 20th) officers dealt with a serious two-vehicle collision on the A4212 Fron Goch near Bala, which involved a motorcycle and a van. The motorcyclist was taken to the Wrexham Maelor Hospital with serious injuries.

Officers also dealt with two single-vehicle collisions involving motorcycles near Llangollen Golf Club and in Abergele. 

And another motorcyclist was seriously injured following a single-vehicle collision on the A5 near Betws-y-Coed.

Superintendent Jane Banham, Head of the Roads Policing Unit, North Wales Police said: “We tend to see a spike in serious injury collisions involving motorbikes, especially on fine weekends, and sadly officers have recently dealt with several collisions which all involved motorcycles.

“This of course is concerning, but at the moment it is especially poignant.  These are unprecedented times and we all have a role to play in helping in the fight against coronavirus.

“If people are travelling – be it for work or to enjoy the stunning scenery in north Wales, then we want people to take extra care and to ride/drive responsibly. If we all do our bit, we can help to ease the strain currently being placed on the NHS – and all emergency services.

“With warm weather set to continue until Wednesday we’re urging motorcyclists to ride carefully and stay aware. 

“All motorists are being urged to be considerate towards each other. Similarly, other road users need to be mindful of riders and their vulnerability and to always Think Bike - to look carefully, especially before turning, exiting junctions or similar manoeuvres.

“The roads have been really busy this weekend because of the exceptionally good weather so we would of course like to thank the vast majority of the motoring public for their cooperation.

“Reducing casualties on our roads remains one of our top priorities and all motorists must be aware that we are doing all we can to ensure our roads are used safely by all. 

"Our dedicated Roads Policing teams are out and about and they will continue to take robust action against all those that ride or drive dangerously, at excess speed, overtake on solid white lines or commit any other road traffic offences."

Superintendent Banham added: “Our proactive patrols will continue and we’re reminding everybody that staying safe on the road applies to everybody, whether they have two or four wheels on their vehicle.

“Taking just one chance when you are under the influence of drink or drugs can have truly devastating consequences for you, your loved ones and others road users. Please plan ahead and ensure that if you are out having a drink, you have a safe and reliable way of getting home.”

* Anyone with information regarding individuals who are believed to drive whilst under the influence of drink or drugs, or who may be committing any other driving offences can contact North Wales Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

130-plus affordable homes built across county in the past year

More than 130 new affordable homes have been created in Denbighshire during the last year.

A total of 139 affordable homes were created between April 2019 and March 2020 and included 104 new builds as well as an additional 28 leased homes for people affected by homelessness and supported units for tenants affected with learning difficulties.

Affordable housing is provided for local people to meet the needs of those who cannot afford open market housing to buy or rent

The homes have been built by private developers and registered social landlords (RSLs) including Cartrefi Conwy, Grŵp Cynefin, Clwyd Alyn and Wales & West and are spread across the county with properties in Rhyl, Llanbedr DC, Denbigh, Rhuddlan, Prestatyn, Cynwyd, Henllan, Corwen, Prestatyn, Dyserth and Ruthin.

The Council works with RSLs and private developers to ensure sites chosen will meet the open market and affordable housing needs of residents as well as managing the Social Housing Grant provided by Welsh Government to enable affordable house building by RSLs.

Councillor Tony Thomas, the council’s Lead Member for Housing and Communities, said: “Ensuring there is enough housing to meet the needs of Denbighshire residents is a priority for the Council.

“The council set a target of ensuring 260 affordable homes were built in the county between 2017 and 2022 and so far 210 have been created.

“The council is pleased to be working in partnership with private developers and RSLs to ensure the number of affordable properties in the county is increasing.”

* Information on affordable housing options and availability can be found on the Tai Teg website www.taiteg.org.uk or contact 03456 015 605.

Call for businesses to apply for internet connections upgrade

Rural businesses in Denbighshire are being urged to apply for funding to upgrade their internet connections.

The Welsh Government’s Rural Gigabit Voucher Scheme offers up to £7,000 for small-to-medium sized businesses to support improvements to community infrastructure.

With more businesses relying on technology during the current lockdown, the council is offering help on how to apply for the funding to upgrade their connection as well as providing advice on how improve their current connection speeds by making small changes.

Cllr Hugh Evans OBE, Leader of Denbighshire County Council and Lead Member for the Economy, said: “Lockdown has demonstrated just how important digital infrastructure is for residents and businesses of all types, be it for industries wanting to enable home-working or those depending on e-commerce to either become more sustainable or to enable diversification.

“If you are experiencing slow internet speeds your business set-up maybe at fault and with a few tweaks you could improve performance and we can provide advice on how to do this.

“The Welsh Government’s Rural Gigabit Voucher Scheme also offers a great funding opportunity for residential-based businesses to support improvements to community infrastructure. This could be particularly attractive for agriculture and tourism businesses.”

Improving digital connectivity and broadband infrastructure is a priority for the Council, so if you would like to get more information or discuss how you can increase your internet speed contact communitydevelopment@denbighshire.gov.uk

County council's new website goes live

* The county council's new look website.

Denbighshire County Council has completely revamped its website to make it more accessible to the public – and it’s now gone live.

Each public service organisation needs to ensure that its website meets the requirements of the Equalities Act and have accessible websites by September 2020.   

Making a website accessible means that it can be used by people with impaired vision, motor difficulties, learning disabilities, deafness or impaired hearing.

Councillor Richard Mainon, Cabinet Lead Member for Corporate Services and Strategic Direction, said: “We hope people like out new look website and find the new look site a lot easier to navigate and find the information they need.

“We are always looking at ways of improving our online services and this latest change in law has given us a great opportunity to revamp our website, making sure it fully complies with accessibility guidelines.

“We have been testing the site with the Disability Access Centre and have passed their accessibility tests. We have also introduced some minor changes in response to feedback from the public and we would like to thank people for taking the time to get in touch.

“It has a very different look and feel from the existing website.  It has a clear and simple design; it should be easier to read in terms of font, colours and contrast and the language should be easy to understand.  It has also been designed so that it can be used on as many digital devices as possible.

“Our website is one of the key platforms for the council to provide advice and information to the public and is available twenty four hours a day, 365 days a year. 

“The council is focussing on providing more services online and allowing customers to access a wide range of information about council services, as well as registering requests, making payments and getting involved in consultations.  

* The new-look website is available by visiting: www.denbighshire.gov.uk. 

Tourism Ambassador scheme proves popular in Denbighshire

A scheme providing people with training and knowledge about tourism in Denbighshire is proving popular with 200 signing up since its launch last year.

The Denbighshire Tourism Ambassador Scheme offers a variety of online training modules on a variety of themes in order to improve the overall visitor experience. It’s totally free and open to everyone. This is the first online scheme of its kind in Wales. 

Module themes include - Denbighshire towns & city, walking, cycling, history, arts, coast, Clwydian Range & Dee Valley AONB, welsh language & culture, food tourism and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site.

There are 3 levels of awards – bronze, silver and gold, depending on the amount of modules completed. Each person receives a certificate, pin badge and window stickers on completion of the awards.

Leader of Denbighshire, Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, said: “We know that continuous learning can have a positive impact on people’s lives. Whether people are looking to brush up on their skills, to try something new, to seek information or to improve their job prospects; Adult Learners’ Week is a great time to start. The Denbighshire Tourism Ambassador Scheme offers the flexibility and convenience for you to gain new knowledge and become part of a shared interest community.”

The online scheme launched in 2019 and continues to grow with a range of Ambassadors including local people, accommodation and attraction providers, shops, pubs, students, library staff, tour guides and volunteers.

Jenny Whitham, who runs Faraway Follies boutique guest lodges in Llandegla said: “Becoming a Tourism Ambassador is a great way of getting to know more information about the area that I could impart to my guests. The online modules are well-paced, a nice mix of video and words, they’re easy to follow and the quizzes at the end are fairly simple. Adding that extra little bit of service for guests is invaluable. If the locals are friendly and knowledgeable then people will be encouraged to visit and return to the area.”

Paul Hughes. walking group leader for the Vale of Clwyd Mind commented: “I chose to become a Denbighshire Tourism Ambassador because it gives you more information, it’s always handy to have more knowledge when you’re leading people on walks and taking people around the different areas. The course is free as well which always helps. And you can do it at home over a couple of evenings a week, so it’s brilliant. You can’t have enough knowledge as they say, it’s always nice to learn something new.”

The scheme is now being recognised across North Wales and other local authorities and National Parks are looking at running a similar online scheme. The long-term aim is to establish North Wales Ambassadors to ensure tourism messages are consistent to maximise the visitor experience and encourage sustainable tourism.

The project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

* For more information on the scheme and to complete the modules please visit – www.denbighshireambassador.wales