Campaigner gives update on response to his recycling petition

* The Plas Madoc Recycling Centre.

The Llangollen resident who sent in a petition to Denbighshire County Council (DCC) calling for a full-time recycling site to service the area has given an update on responses to it from key officials.  

In six weeks Phil Jones secured 800 on-paper signatures for his petition with more being added to an online version.

It asks the county to negotiate with neighbouring Wrexham County Borough Council for Llangollen people to have guaranteed access to the Plas Madoc Recycling Centre.

At the time the submitted the list of names he said "I think this is a measure of the frustration and anger felt by the community that daily access to a recycling facility requires a 30-mile round trip to Ruthin, when we have one on our doorstep at Plas Madoc."

In an update to his campaign he says: "I have now received a response from the Lead Member in Denbighshire County Council responsible for waste, and also from our two County Councillors, Messrs Timms and Mile. I received a detailed response summarised in the following extracts:

1] There are currently no plans to look for an alternative site to provide a new Household Waste Recycling Centre((HWRC) in the Dee Valley,

2] There is an acknowledgement that DCC did enter into discussions with WCBC after the closure of our site at Wenffrwd, that no agreement was concluded, but 'It is likely, however, that some Denbighshire residents did use the Plas Madoc site'

3]  DCC has ... 'now received a further response from Wrexham, which is the start of a more detailed discussion to agree the details of any potential proposal ... we will continue to keep the dialogue going with Wrexham to progress the matter as soon as we possibly can.

4] 'We remain committed to exploring whether it is possible and affordable to enable Dee Valley residents to use the Plas Madoc site, and we will push to get these discussions concluded as soon as possible. 

5] 'The council does not feel that there is a valid case to provide a free bulky collection service for residents in the LL20.'

6] I have also been assured by our County Councillors that they are pressing for an early conclusion to the discussions with Wrexham CBC.

I was informed some time ago by an officer in WCBC that no resolution was likely to be achieved before April. It is true that the pace of negotiations will be governed by WCBC, but reaching a provisional agreement on a costed service level agreement between the two council’s isn’t the end of the process because funding and committee approval has to be secured before an agreement could be implemented.

With cash limited budgets the Council may wish to close services to pay for the new service. The obvious candidate might be the pop-up service at the Pavilion. Our County Councillors may wish to consult the community on any proposals for change to the service before a final decision is made. I have argued that as over 900 people have now signed our petition asking for access to Plas Madoc the express wishes of the town could not be clearer, and that consultation would add yet more delay.

If you feel that consultation is an important and necessary step which should be taken before the potential loss of the pop-up service at the Pavilion, please email me at llanrecycle2021@gmail.com

Thank-you to all who have supported our campaign."

Half a million have now received Covid-19 vaccination in Wales

Today is the 60th day since COVID-19 vaccinations began in Wales and also marks the day when more than half a million people received their first COVID-19 vaccination.

As the total vaccinated exceeds more than 523,000 today, this now means almost one in every six adults have had their first dose of this life-protecting vaccine. 

Here are the latest statistics from the Welsh Government as of Friday February 5:

• More than half a million people across Wales have received their first dose - this will rise to 600,000 within a matter of days
• That’s the same as filling the Principality Stadium in Cardiff seven times or the Eirias Stadium in Colwyn Bay 86 times
• …or someone every four seconds
• Of the top 4 priority groups, Wales has vaccinated;

- 83% of over 80s

- 62% of 75 to 79 year olds

- 34% of 70 to 74 year olds

- And more than 112,400 frontline health and social care workers

• Wales is on track to have offered vaccinations to those eligible people in the top four priority groups by mid-February, if supplies continue at their current rate
• Around one third of everyone in the top 9 priority groups have been vaccinated too
• Last week, Wales vaccinated more people per population than any other UK nation
• Weekends are the busiest time, especially for primary care vaccinators. This means it can take a few days for data from these days to be uploaded
• There are 34 mass vaccination centres open across Wales at any one time and most are open seven days a week
• Six more mass vaccination centres are due to open in the coming weeks
• We have more than 400 GP-led clinics – the original target was 250 by the end of January
• 17 hospital sites are also providing vaccines
• Very little vaccine has gone to waste, less than 1% has not been used. This is exceptionally low, and thanks to the committed workforce delivering this precious resource

Once someone has had the vaccine, we ask everyone to follow the same steps to keep themselves and Wales safe; wear a mask, keep a 2m distance, wash your hands regularly and keep rooms as well ventilated as possible.

A Government spokesperson said: "We are still learning about how the vaccine affects transmission of the virus.

"And please remember, you will be invited to for an appointment when it is your turn – do not call your local health services, unless you are asked to do so, as this will add to their already pressured workloads."

 

Wales 'not yet ready' for full schools re-opening

According to the BBC online, the Education Minister has said in the latest Government update that Wales is 'not ready' for full school reopening.'

* For the full story, see:

 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55911573

Welsh Government's £55m healthier travel boost

The Welsh Government have unveiled a £55 Million funding package for councils to encourage people to take up healthier travel for short local journeys.

The funding boost represents an eleven-fold increase in the dedicated budget for investment in Active Travel in the last five years.

“We want to make it easier for people to make everyday journeys in ways that benefits their help and the environment” Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, said.

The 2021-22 budget has allocated more than £55m to be spent on active travel, an increase of £20m from last year - up from £5 million in 2016 at the start of this Welsh Government term.

The big rise in investment is part of a major push to support sustainable transport as part of the Welsh Government’s action on climate change.

The new investment comes alongside the publication of new guidance to improve the design of new infrastructure

Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, said: “Changing travel habits is not easy to achieve but we have to make a big effort if we are to tackle our health crisis and our climate crisis. We want local authorities to be ambitious in their plans, and to reach out to people who currently would not consider swapping a local car journey for a bike ride or a journey on foot and design safe routes that would encourage them to give it a try.”

The new funding is part of a reform package which includes a major local consultation exercise in every local authority area to create a pipeline of schemes to make it more attractive to walk and cycle.

Councils have been invited to apply for schemes that can make a real difference to the numbers walking and cycling in their areas. They can use the money for small-scale schemes like upgrading narrow routes that have become overcrowded, or removing barriers that block wheelchairs or cycle trailers, as well as for the planning of bigger and more complex schemes.

Councils will be encouraged to work together to better connect places that may happen to lie in different council areas, but where many people travel between.

The Welsh Government has also published two sets of guidance designed to further improve conditions for active travel. The first set of guidance aims to ensure that when streetworks are put in place that the safety of walkers and cyclists are planned for. It has been drafted in collaboration with Sustrans and the Welsh Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee.

The second guidance focuses on active travel improvements on trunk roads, which the Welsh Government are responsible for managing. The guidance is aimed at ensuring that whenever improvements are made to trunk roads in Wales, full consideration is given to how conditions for walking and cycling can be improved as part of the project, both within and beyond the trunk road boundary.

Santa's virtual grotto raises £1,073 for air ambulance

* Santa Claus beams a personal Christmas message from his virtual grotto.

A series of personalised Christmas video messages by Santa Claus from his virtual grotto in Llangollen raised over £1,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance.

Sion Corn, as he's known in Welsh, works closely each year with Austin "Chem" Cheminais - now the town's mayor - to boost funds for the air ambulance and other local good causes, with cash coming in from Llangollen's annual Christmas festival as well as personal appearances and quizzes during December.

Between £500 and £1,000 is usually raised for the air ambulance alone.

But Christmas 2020 was very different due to Covid-19 restrictions, which saw the festival cancelled, so Santa had to find a new and safer way of fundraising.

He and Chem came up with the idea of setting up a properly isolated grotto from where Santa used the internet to beam personalised seasonal messages to people prepared to make a small donation to the usual causes. 

Chem said: "Although most requests were Llangollen-based Santa had requests for messages from across the UK and as far away as the USA.

"He produced over 50 video clips and raised a very healthy £1,075 for the Wales Air Ambulance for which he and I are very grateful."

Latest coronavirus update from Welsh Government

 

Latest coronavirus update from the Welsh Government (dated yesterday) is:

• Further COVID-19 testing for care home staff is beginning this week to help identify infectious individuals sooner and manage outbreaks more effectively, Health Minister Vaughan Gething has announced.
• The enhanced testing programme will involve the twice weekly testing of asymptomatic care home staff using rapid lateral flow test devices.
• This is in addition to the PCR tests, which are sent to a laboratory, currently undertaken by care home staff as part of a package of measures for preventing transmission of COVID-19 in care homes and protecting residents and staff which has been operating since June 2020.
• https://gov.wales/enhanced-covid-19-testing-introduced-care-homes 

• The Welsh Government is urging businesses to ensure they are registered for financial support to help them deal with the ongoing impacts of coronavirus: https://gov.wales/businesses-urged-register-financial-support
• The Welsh Government has written to the 130,000 people on the shielding patient list with updated advice
• Letter: https://gov.wales/sites/default/files/inline-documents/2021-02/Letter%20to%20those%20who%20are%20Clinically%20Extremely%20Vulnerable%20%E2%80%93%20previously%20%E2%80%98shielding%E2%80%99.pdf
• Guidance for people who are classed as extremely clinically vulnerable: https://gov.wales/guidance-protecting-people-defined-medical-grounds-clinically-extremely-vulnerable-coronavirus .  

• Cwmbran recycling company Recresco is increasing its production and creating new jobs thanks to £250,000 support from Welsh Government: https://gov.wales/future-cwmbran-company-safeguarded-welsh-government-support
• Health Minister Vaughan Gething has published a written statement about the detailed and forensic investigation into three cases of the South African variant strain of coronavirus in Wales: https://gov.wales/written-statement-new-variants-concern-wales

Coronavirus in numbers

• The latest figures published by Public Health Wales today show there have been 544 newly reported cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 194,525 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Wales since the start of the pandemic.
• Very sadly, there were 35 deaths reported by Public Health Wales today. The total number of deaths reported by Public Health Wales is 4,867.
• These figures are updated daily at: https://public.tableau.com/profile/public.health.wales.health.protection#!/vizhome/RapidCOVID-19virology-Public/Headlinesummary

• The number of people who have received a Covid vaccine in Wales is being published every weekday by Public Health Wales.
• The latest figures show 490,570 people have received their first dose
• And 1,216 people have received two doses of the vaccine
• https://public.tableau.com/profile/public.health.wales.health.protection#!/vizhome/RapidCOVID-19virology-Public/Headlinesummary 

What to do if you have symptoms of coronavirus

• The symptoms of coronavirus are a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change in smell or taste.
• If you have symptoms of coronavirus, however mild, you must self-isolate at home for 10 days from when your symptoms started.
• Guidance about self-isolating: https://gov.wales/self-isolation-stay-home-guidance-households-possible-coronavirus
• Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
• You should arrange to have a test to see if you have coronavirus once you are self-isolating. You can book a test at https://gov.wales/apply-coronavirus-covid-19-test
• You should continue to isolate while waiting for a test result.
• Got a question about what to do if you’ve got coronavirus? Visit https://gov.wales/self-isolation-stay-home-guidance-households-possible-coronavirus 

Where to find the latest information

• Information about the new national measures in place in Wales is available at: https://gov.wales/alert-level-4

• Public Health Wales provides a daily update about the number of cases of coronavirus in Wales. It is available at: https://covid19-phwstatement.nhs.wales/
• Information about coronavirus is available on the Welsh Government’s website at https://gov.wales/coronavirus and https://llyw.cymru/coronafeirws
• Questions about Covid-19 vaccines? Visit: https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/covid-19-vaccination-information/ and https://gov.wales/vaccine-coronavirus
• Information about support for businesses is available at the Business Wales website https://businesswales.gov.wales/coronavirus-advice/
• The Welsh Government holds a regular media briefing about coronavirus. These are on-the-record, on-camera and supported by a BSL interpreter. These are held at 12.15pm, broadcast on BBC One Wales and live-streamed on our @WelshGovernment Twitter channel.

Decision made on temporary scheme in Ruthin

A decision has been made to remove the temporary Local Sustainable Transport Response to Covid-19 scheme in Ruthin town centre.

This decision has been made by Cllr Brian Jones, Denbighshire County Council’s Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, following a recommendation made by Ruthin Member Area Group (MAG).

Cllr Jones said: “I have come to this decision following a meeting with the Ruthin Member Area Group during which members expressed strong concerns about the scheme.

“As a result, we have taken the decision to remove the temporary infrastructure. This removal work is due to begin shortly and we will update the public once a date is finalised. “Once this is completed Market Street and Well Street will return to two-way traffic flow. We would like to thank residents and businesses in advance for their understanding during this work.

“We would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to provide feedback on the temporary scheme. Your feedback will be collated, analysed and published in the near future.

“Denbighshire County Council has an ongoing legal obligation under the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 to research, develop, consult on and promote active travel routes in and around town centres – including Ruthin. We wish to reassure residents that the decision to end the temporary Covid-19 active travel scheme early will have no impact on this work and the Council will work with residents, businesses and local members.”

Cllr Emrys Wynne, Chair of Ruthin MAG, said: “I would like to thank the Council for working closely with us and residents on this project. We support the aspirations of this scheme, however as a MAG we felt it wasn’t the right scheme for the town.

“We look forward to working with the Council, residents and businesses about the long-term aspirations and concerns about active travel and healthier lifestyles in the Ruthin area.”