Llangollen has experienced major traffic congestion this morning due to the closure of a section of the A5 near Chirk.
Traffic Wales North & Mid recently tweeted: "River Ceiriog viaduct closed in both directions due to high winds, diversion in place."
Considerable traffic built up through Llangollen.
But at 8.15 Traffic Wales tweeted: "River Ceiriog Viaduct now open."
Despite the financial crisis currently facing its public limited company, volunteers from Llangollen Railway last week got to grips with rerailing the Dee Bridge after the 18 new timbers were put in place.
To run trains over the Victorian bridge the railway has had to replace its worn-out timbers.
New woodwork cost £15,000 and an appeal was launched last November by Llangollen Railway Trust to raise the required funds.
The appeal has proven a major success with members of the public and the trust together raising the entire amount.
All the rail has now been replaced on the timbers.
Rails at the west and east ends have been fixed in place with the chairs drilled and screwed down with rail keys added.
The rest of the fixing is subject to adjustment - level and gauging and completing the tie rods. A couple of joints will receive rail welds to help smooth the trip over the bridge.
As revealed by llanblogger, the board of Llangollen Railway PLC recently asked its bank to call in receivers after it plunged into insolvency to the tune of about £350,000 and could not legally continue trading.
With all operations on the railways now suspended, further work to complete the bridge in readiness for resumption of trains must await the administrator's permission.
The positioning of a new one-way sign in Llangollen town centre has come under attack.
The criticism comes from Stuart Davies, a town councillor, after the sign was erected at the corner of Castle Street and Market Street.
He said: “I make no apologies
for this rant. What on earth is going on?
“The dropped kerbs at the point where the
sign has been erected are for wheelchair users to cross the road.
“How an earth is a wheelchair user going
to access that drop kerb from the Castle Street side?”
He added: “We also need to ask the
question, if the temporary order of which this is allegedly part is to partly
promote ‘social distancing’ how does this work?
“I have asked what the county council’s
head of service for public protection thinks of this. I have emailed him and
the head of service for highways.”
A
spokesperson for Denbighshire County Council said: “The posts carry signage
required to give legal effect to the temporary one way restriction on Market
Street.
“The
position is due to the presence of underground services and the post was
positioned to allow as much clear footway width as possible and
complies
with guidance provided in the Traffic Signs Manual.
“Every possible consideration was given to an alternative location before settling on the current location.”
Following news that Llangollen Railway PLC is to go into receivership, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has raised its plight in the Welsh Parliament and called for a government statement on support for the attraction.
Mr Isherwood, who has long championed the work of Llangollen Railway and worked with them over many years, said: “The directors of this wonderful Welsh standard-gauge heritage railway announced last week that they have taken the reluctant step of inviting their bank to appoint a receiver.
“The Trust Board stated it will need to take steps to negotiate with the receiver to try to secure the line and preserve rolling stock and infrastructure to the greatest extent possible.
"It
is intended to recommence operations in due course, but this is dependent upon
legal and regulatory approvals, including licensing, all of which will clearly
take time, it added.
“The impact
this will have on their staff, volunteers, customers, suppliers, locomotive
owners and their organisations, and anyone else with connections to the railway, is potentially serious, as is the wider impact on the visitor economy
in Llangollen and throughout the Dee Valley.
“I have
therefore been asked to raise this in the Welsh Parliament and alert the First
Minister, and request a Welsh Government statement accordingly.”
In her response the Tefnydd, Rebecca Evans MS, told Mr Isherwood to write to the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, which he said he will now be doing.
Retail, hospitality, tourism and other businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic will now be protected from eviction until the end of June 2021, Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales Ken Skates has announced.
As part of the action Welsh Government is
taking to support the business community the moratorium against forfeiture for
the non-payment of rent, which was due to end on 31 March, will now be extended
until 30 June, 2021.
While businesses should continue to pay rent
wherever possible, the latest measure will ensure no business is forced out of
its premises if it misses a payment between now and the end of June this year.
The move will help ease the burden on a range of sectors, including retail and
hospitality, at what continues to be an incredibly challenging period of time.
The Welsh Government’s package of business
support is in addition to that available from the UK Government and is the most
generous in the UK. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Welsh Government
has ensured that more than £1.9bn has reached businesses across Wales with more
money reaching firms every day.
Ken Skates, said: “The past year has placed untold pressures on our firms and our people as we deal with coronavirus and that is why we have moved at pace to support the business community through the pandemic with a package worth in excess of £2 billion.
“Today’s announcement of the extension of
measures to prevent forfeiture for the non-payment of rent builds on that and
is crucial in protecting businesses from eviction and securing jobs and
livelihoods over the coming months.
“We will continue to do all that we can to help them through these incredibly challenging times.”
Llangollen's vicar has given an update on the re-opening of St Collen's Church after the latest lockdown.
Father Lee Taylor says: "We are provisionally looking to reopen the St Collen's for public worship on Sunday 21st March. This date is provisional upon the further guidelines from the Welsh Government and of the Church in Wales.
* Balloons take flight at the 2019 Oswestry Balloon Carnival in aid of
Nightingale House Hospice.
The annual Oswestry Balloon Carnival is to return this summer after it was postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions last year.
And it will be the first face-to-face fundraising event for Nightingale House Hospice in 18 months.
Following the Government’s recent announcement to lift lockdown measures, the Oswestry Balloon Carnival in aid of Nightingale House Hospice is due to take place on August 21 and 22.
Extra safety measures are being introduced because of the pandemic to ensure this year’s family fun event can go ahead safely.
The hospice is synonymous with the Balloon Carnival, held in association with Oswestry Town Council, Spirit Operations and supported by Oswestry Business Improvement District (BID), and had held the event for four years prior to 2020.
Weather permitting there will be an array of hot air balloons on display including impressive special shapes, as well as family entertainment and an eclectic mix of food stalls and returns to Cae-Glas Park.
The carnival atmosphere will spill over into the town centre where more entertainment and family fun will be on offer.
It is the Balloon Carnival event that was the inspiration behind the hospice’s unique Build-A-Balloon Campaign, where supporters can sponsor a panel on our unique Nightingale hot air balloon.
It is hoped the finished balloon, emblazoned with panels of images, illustrations, messages of love, good wishes and hopes and memories will take centre stage at this year’s summer event*.
Sarah Povey, Event Organiser for Nightingale House, said: “We are eager to start putting our plans in place, as we are confident that we will be able to go ahead with this year’s event, following government guidelines.
"This Oswestry Balloon Carnival will be incredibly special for everyone involved in fundraising for the hospice, as it will mark the first participant event for Nightingale House since early 2020. We hope that as always the public will support us and mark the date in their diaries as a great community event to look forward to.”
* If you would like to sponsor a panel on the Nightingale House Hot Air Balloon you can reserve your spot via www.nightingalehouse.co.uk/event/build-a-balloon/
