County calls for public's help in Covid fight

Denbighshire County Council is calling on communities across Denbighshire to adhere to new local restrictions coming into place in the county from 6pm tonight (Thursday), to help fight coronavirus in the county.

Extra restrictions will also be introduced in neighbouring Conwy, Flintshire and Wrexham. The restrictions will mean that residents will not be able to travel out of the county in which they live without a reasonable excuse, such as travel for work or education.

People will only be able to meet people they do not live with outdoors for the time being. They will not be able to form, or be in, extended households (sometimes called a “bubble”).

Leader of Denbighshire, Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, said:  “The restrictions due to be imposed on us here in Denbighshire are completely necessary in the fight to halt the increase in the number of cases in our county.

“By taking early action, we hope we can slow the upward trend in cases over the past week or so – helping to protect local people from the virus, as well as businesses from more radical lockdown measures further down the line.

“This decision has not been taken lightly, but following discussions with Public Health Wales, Welsh Government and other local authorities, introducing further restrictions is the only option available to us. It’s only Denbighshire residents that can make the sacrifices to protect Denbighshire communities.

“We fully recognise and understand that this will prove difficult for some residents  but compliance is essential and we really need to do this to try and protect our most vulnerable in our communities.

“On top of the new restrictions, we must also continue to adhere to the social distancing measures, as well as wearing face masks to visit shops and following stringent hygiene measures.

“The Council and its partners are monitoring the situation hour by hour and we will continue to remind people of the restrictions being introduced through local media, websites and social media feeds.”

Residents are also asked to remember to stick to existing guidance, which includes:

• Staying at home if you have Coronavirus symptoms and request a test immediately.
• Working from home wherever you can.
• Avoiding car-sharing.
• Those over 11 must wear a face-mask in indoor public spaces and on public transport.
• Covering your mouth whenever you sneeze or cough.
• Keeping your hands clean.
• Hospitality businesses in Wales have to close by 10pm, with table service only, and off-licences and supermarkets having to stop selling alcohol from 10pm.

Eisteddfod withdraws new homes planning application

* An aerial view of the proposed development site off Abbey Road.

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has withdrawn its planning application for a small residential development on land it owns off Abbey Road.

In August llanblogger reported that the eisteddfod was seeking permission from Denbighshire to build seven houses on the overspill car park close to its main site in a bid to raise cash for the festival.

A decision by county planners was pending.

But in a statement issued this afternoon the eisteddfod says the plan has now been withdrawn.

The statement says: "In July, the Trustees of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (LIME) submitted a planning application to Denbighshire Council for a modest residential development on a parcel of land adjoining Abbey Road, Llangollen.  

"The application was part of a pre-COVID scheme to raise much needed funds for the Eisteddfod and enable organisers to plan for the future with confidence. 

"However, at a Board meeting last week, LIME Trustees voted to withdraw the planning application at this time and instead retain the piece of land as an asset for the organisation.

"In April, following the postponement of this year’s Llangollen International Eisteddfod due to COVID-19, Welsh Government recognised it as a Welsh flagship cultural event and in doing so pledged financial support to help with business continuity through 2020."

Chair of the Trustees for the International Eisteddfod, Dr Rhys Davies said: “The support from Welsh Government helped cover losses this year arising from the coronavirus pandemic, however further funds are still needed to maintain the event in the future.  

"In our recent discussions, the Trustees recognised that the continuing situation of COVID-19 and the unpredictable future meant that we need to adapt and review all our fundraising options. The Trustees also felt that, at present, retaining the land as an asset was the most sensible way forward.”

Dr Davies continued: “LIME’s commitment to being a good neighbour in Abbey Road was core to and continues to be at the heart of our deliberations.  

"Whilst we felt the scheme had been designed to respect and compliment the area, and to take account of the sensitivity of the site being within the World Heritage Site and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, we also listened to the concerns raised by our neighbours and community who have made our International Eisteddfod the much-loved event it is today.”

If it had gone ahead and been approved the proposed development of three-bedroom homes would have occupied a small triangular paddock off the A542 which is currently listed as brownfield for development purposes.

A design statement issued by the applicant’s agents, Fisher German of Chester, admitted the proposed scheme was outside the development boundary and therefore contrary to Denbighshire’s current Local Development Plan (LDP).

Concerns raised over state of park's picnic benches

* Above and below: the wooden benches.

* Mole-hills near the benches.

A Llangollen resident has complained about the "shocking" state of picnic benches in Riverside Park.

Emailing the county's customer services department with three pictures of the wooden benches she says: "Karen Edwards I would like to draw your attention to the shocking state of the picnic benches in the Riverside park in Llangollen.

"These benches are in a dangerous condition and need urgent repair or better still replacement. 

"When were these benches last inspected? 

"To add insult to injury the moles are having a field day on the grassed area, this also needs to be addressed." 

A spokesperson for Denbighshire County Council said: “The picnic benches at the park are exposed to the elements all year round and recently have been subjected to vandalism. Repairs to the benches are scheduled to take place in the near future with the help of Llangollen Tidy Town Team.

“A visit will be conducted to the park to look at possible solutions to the mole hills.”

Fresh lockdown forces railway to close for a second time

Llangollen Railway has had to close for a second time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It shut down regular services for the first time during the early days of the nationwide lockdown last spring.

But now the heritage line, which operates as a charity, has announced it is to close for a second time following yesterday's announcement by the Welsh Government of a local lockdown starting tomorrow (Thursday) at 6pm.

In a statement issued late this afternoon general manager Liz McGuinness said: "After a meeting with the interim board it has been agreed that we will close after the last service tomorrow until 14th October. 

"This will be under constant review. We don't have an option and I do hope this will be short lived."

During the first lockdown the railway ran into a major financial  crisis due to a massive shortfall of income from passengers.

But help came in the form of £161,000 of National Lottery support aimed at addressing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The cash, from the Heritage Fund, was intended to support the attraction through the coming difficult winter months and help with the implementation of its recent governance review.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown began the railway has been working hard to raise funds to ensure its survival. 

It has also been implementing many changes to help safeguard its future.

Extra restrictions will help fight ‘second wave’ say councils

Four North Wales councils, the Welsh Government and other key partners have agreed to support extra restrictions to help fight coronavirus in the region.

As of tomorrow (Thursday) at 6pm, extra restrictions will be introduced in the counties of  Denbighshire, Conwy, Flintshire and Wrexham.

The restrictions will mean that residents will not be able to travel out of the county in which they live without a valid reason.

By taking early action, partners hope they can slow the upward trend in cases over the past week or so – helping to protect local people from the virus, as well as businesses from more radical lockdown measures further down the line.

The two other North Wales councils – Anglesey and Gwynedd – have lower rates of coronavirus at the moment, but will continue to monitor the situation.

Councillor Hugh Evans, OBE Leader of Denbighshire County Council said: “It makes sense for Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham to act together given the rise in cases. 

"However, it is important to stress that the restrictions will mean that residents will not be able to travel freely between the counties unless they have a valid reason.”

The restrictions which come into effect from 6pm on Thursday will mean that:

• People will not be allowed to enter or leave the county in which they live (Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham) without a reasonable excuse such as travel for work or education;

• People will only be able to meet people they don’t live with outdoors for the time being. They will not be able to form, or be in, extended households (sometimes called a “bubble”). 

Residents are also asked to remember to stick to existing guidance, which includes:

• Staying at home if you have Coronavirus symptoms and request a test immediately.

• Working from home wherever you can.

• Avoiding car-sharing.

• Those over 11 must wear a face-mask in indoor public spaces and on public transport.

• Covering your mouth whenever you sneeze or cough.

• Keeping your hands clean.

• Hospitality businesses in Wales have to close by 10pm, with table service only, and off-licences and supermarkets having to stop selling alcohol from 10pm.

Cllr Evans added: “We can see the instances of Covid-19 rising in Denbighshire and we feel that it is right to act now in order to keep our vulnerable citizens safe.  

"I am keen to reduce the long-term economic impact of Covid on our communities in Denbighshire, so by taking this decision now I hope to avoid the need for the more severe lockdown rules that we saw earlier in the year.”

* Full details about the restrictions including frequently asked questions is available on https://gov.wales/local-lockdown

Council cancels remembrance service due to Covid-19 threat

* A scene from last year's Remembrance service in Centenary Square.

Llangollen Town Council has announced that this year's traditional Remembrance Day service in November has been cancelled due to the coronavirus situation.

In a statement released to llanblogger late yesterday evening it said: "It is with deep regret that the Town Council have made the decision that there will be no Civic Service on Remembrance Sunday this year."

The Town Mayor explained: “All Town Councillors acknowledge that the Remembrance weekend is a vitally important time to reflect and honour the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces community.  

"Unfortunately, given the current limitations in place on gatherings outside and recent local developments, it is impossible to see how the services which involves over 40 organisations as well as the Town Council, Llantysilio Community Council, the Royal British Legion, substantial numbers of veterans and members of the public, can be held safely in line with the regulations."

The Town Clerk, Gareth Thomas, confirmed that the Llangollen Branch of the Royal British Legion will launch this year’s Poppy Appeal on the 29th October and funds raised locally will go to support of the costs of the legion's welfare work.

He commented: “The restrictions will not prevent the laying of wreaths or poppy crosses, on both War Memorials and this is encouraged from the date of the local launch until Armistice Day, Wednesday 11th November 2020, as long as social distancing guidelines are met.  

"Indeed the Town Council is looking at a way to capture these moments and are asking any group or individual that lays a wreath, or a poppy cross, to take a pictures on their mobile phone or camera and then send them to townclerk@langollentowncouncil.gov.uk.  

"The Town Council will then create an archive of these photographs with a view to producing a photomontage or slideshow to post on the Llangollen Remembers Facebook page as a record of what happened this year."

Denbighshire goes into coronavirus lockdown

 

New coronavirus restrictions are being introduced in four local authority areas in North Wales – Denbighshire, Flintshire, Conwy and Wrexham – following a rise in cases, Health Minister Vaughan Gething has just announced.

The new measures will come into force at 6pm on Thursday 1 October, to protect people’s health and control the spread of the virus in the four areas. The new restrictions will apply to everyone living in Denbighshire, Flintshire, Conwy and Wrexham: People will not be allowed to enter or leave each of these areas without a reasonable excuse, such as travel for work or education; People will only be able to meet people they don’t live with outdoors for the time being. They will not be able to form, or be in, extended households; The restrictions will be in addition to the rules that apply everywhere in Wales, including: All licensed premises must stop selling alcohol at 10pm Everyone over 11 will be required to wear face coverings in indoor public areas – as is the case across Wales. Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, said: “Unfortunately, we have seen a rise in coronavirus cases in four north Wales local authority areas – in Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and Conwy. These are largely linked to people socialising indoors and are the pattern of transmission similar to what we have seen in South Wales. “We have worked closely with local authority leaders and the police in North Wales and we all agree about the need to take swift action to control and the spread of the virus. “Large parts of Wales will now be subject to local restrictions but I want to be clear – this is not a national lockdown. These are a series of local restrictions to respond to rises in cases in individual areas. “It’s always difficult to make the decision to impose restrictions but we hope that these measures will make a positive difference – just as we have seen in Caerphilly and Newport, where local residents have pulled together and followed the rules. “It is important we all work together and support each other. This isn’t just about protecting ourselves, it’s about protecting each other.” The restrictions are being introduced following a rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in coronavirus, which have been linked to people meeting indoors, not following social distancing guidelines and returning from summer holidays overseas. The Welsh Government met with local authorities, health boards and police across North Wales today (29 September) to discuss the situation across the region, and what measures could be taken to prevent the further spread of the virus and how to protect people’s health. The local restrictions will not be introduced in Anglesey or Gwynedd at this stage, where cases are lower. The new local restrictions will be kept under regular review. They will be enforced by local authorities and by the police. Keep Wales safe by: Always keeping your distance Washing your hands regularly Working from home wherever you can Following any local restrictions Following the rules about meeting people Staying at home if you or anyone in your extended household has symptoms.