German speed machine that gives almost 60mpg

BMW 3 Series 330e M Sport Touring road test by Steve Rogers

With the best will in the world economy and an M Sport BMW don't go hand in hand so why am I going to tell you about the German speed machine that gave me almost 60mpg?

No prizes for guessing that an electric motor has a lot to do with it. We are moving swiftly into a new motoring era and like all around BMW is doing its best to keep up, in this case building the first 3 Series plug-in hybrid mating a 68hp electric motor to a 2-litre petrol engine.

It means the car can be driven under purely electric power for up to 30 miles so if you were to take a 50 mile drive the hybrid could reach the official economy figure of 128mpg. 

Back to reality, my journey was a 200 mile round trip to the Midlands (work, of course) when I used up my electric quota and, according to the dashboard computer, managed 58.4mpg, not at all bad considering there was a lot of motorway cruising between 60 and 70mph.

Clearly the best way to get maximum economy is to keep the battery charged which takes around three and a half hours from a wall mounted charging box, or six hours plugged into a domestic socket. A word of caution. Put pedal to the metal in electric mode and the charge will be used up before you know it.

Given the M Sport's mouth watering performance, it has an extra 40hp for 10 seconds when you really need it, and superlative handling, it begs the question who benefits from buying an M Sport hybrid? The only answer I can come up with is the company car runner because the low emissions slash the annual tax bill.

Let's forget about the economy and assess if the new 3 Series Touring is a worthy buy. The sixth generation came out last year, probably unnoticed in the Covid catastrophe, but there are some points worth noting.

The new model has grown all round, most noticeably an extra 76mm in length adding a little more rear seat legroom, and extra boot space with a wider opening to help with loading larger items. Best of all the tailgate window opens so shopping bags can be quickly dropped in if space around the back is tight.

Not that it is anywhere near the league leaders (Skoda Superb, Volkswagen Passat) in fact the boot is only a tad bigger than a smaller Skoda Octavia, and the hybrid loses some space because of the battery pack stowed under the floor.

I keep coming back to the question: Who buys a 3 Series Touring for its space? Probably someone with a 3 Series saloon. And that person will be more than happy because it is in a class of its own when it comes to handling, says someone who is a huge fan of the Jaguar XE and Audi A4.

The all wheel drive M Sport gets stiffer suspension so don't expect a magic carpet ride, but it still does a damn fine job. You will hear the thud of a pothole but won't feel much because the shock is dissipated before it reaches the seat of your pants.

Driving position is spot on and the new seats have plenty of support keeping you planted while swishing through bends.

The dashboard has been reworked with state of the art graphics in a superbly crisp 12.3inch  digital driver's binnacle, a much larger head up display, and an equally sharp and easy to use screen in the centre console. This is touch screen although, thankfully, BMW has retained the rotary controller by the gear lever which is a safer and easier way of selecting the multitude of functions.

Voice control worked well too, but I would need more time to get my head around gesture control which was baffling.

No matter how impressive are the high tech communication and safety systems, of which there are a great many, the single most enjoyable feature of a 3 Series is getting behind the wheel and driving. Whether it is the exhilarating feeling gliding through bends or playing with the steering wheel mounted shifting panels for the 8 speed auto box, this is driving heaven.

Beemers aren't cheap but there is a reason for that - engineering excellence. The Touring starts at £35,505 but if you are prepared to spend bigger bucks then the plug-in hybrid becomes a no brainer given the combination of performance and the impressive economy.

Footnote: I agree with everyone who thinks BMW has spoilt the front of their cars by joining the famous kidney grilles together. Big mistake!

Fast facts

330e xDrive M Sport Touring

£44,265 (test car with extras £53,000)

2.0 litre petrol+electric motor; 252bhp

Electric range 32 miles

0-60mph 5.9secs; 140mph

128.8-156.9mpg

41g/km. First tax £10

Boot: 410-1420 litres (hybrid)

2020 group gives update on progress to date

* The start of the 2020 working group's Facebook-aired update film. The group's members, from top, are Town Cllr Austin Cheminais, County Cllrs Melvyn Mile and Graham Timms, and Town Cllr Robyn Lovelock. 

The group aiming to make major changes to traffic and parking in Llangollen is on the brink of confirming £2 million of investment for the town’s infrastructure, says its leader.

The news came from Llangollen county councillor Graham Timms, chair of the 2020 working group, in a video detailing its progress which was aired earlier this week on its own Facebook page.

Each of the group’s four members – two county and two town councillors – contributed to the hour-long film, gave their own appraisals of its performance since its formation four years ago.

Cllr Timms said they had gone online in person with the update because newspapers were “losing readers” and social media “often distorted healthy discussion”.

He began was saying: “We are on the brink of confirming £2 million in infrastructure for the town and we’ll find out in the next two weeks whether we have been successful.”

Fellow group member Roby Lovelock, a town councillor, said she got two messages from residents when the group was set up in 2017 – that it was “urgent and important to address the town’s long-standing problems around parking and congestion,” and that there was a feeling Llangollen had been missing out on opportunities from Denbighshire by being side-lined to towns further north in the county such as Rhyl.

The other Llangollen county councillor who is a member of the working group, Melvyn Mile, said it had received “incredible support and encouragement” from the leader of Denbighshire County Council and had drawn on the advice and expertise of its various departments including highways and road safety.

He said the Welsh Government’s highways officers had also been involved from the start, the area’s Assembly Member Ken Skates had also been supportive and the group had received a visit from Welsh Government Minister Hannah Blythyn.

The second town councillor in the group, Cllr Austin Cheminais, who is now the Llangollen Mayor, explained that when they realised they didn’t have sufficient expertise in traffic and highways to fully develop solutions to the problems, Llangollen Town Council had “contributed and secured” further European, Denbighshire County Council and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty funding to conduct a consultation and gather residents’ ideas.

He said: “A further consultation was held which was led by our consultants and the Lllangollen working team.

“Once we’d gathered your ideas we worked with the consultants to test them against what was allowed in law.”

County Cllr Timms came back to say: “Denbighshire County Council have almost completed the final drawings.”

* The picture of the town which  "broadly illustrates" the group's aims for Castle Street.

Putting a picture of a town centre up on screen, he added: “This a picture from another town which broadly illustrates the feel that we are trying to achieve on Castle Street.

“The paving colours will draw together the greys from the square and the sandstone of the town hall. Sadly, there won’t be enough rooms for quite as many trees as that [meaning the town in the picture] but we’re working on getting as many as we can.”

He said that, separately, the group would publish full details of the plan to be implemented from October 2021 but detailed the main changes the project would introduce which were:

* Wider pavements and a narrower carriageway to “maximise pavement space and slow traffic, improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists”.

* Raised crossing points across Castle Street junctions to “slow traffic and improve crossing safety, especially for those with disabilities and small children”.

* Keeping Market Street to one way up as far as the public toilets “after the Covid restrictions have finished in the town”.

* Installing loading bays on Castle Street and Market Street and marking out disabled parking bays on Oak Street and Bridge Street.

Cllr Cheminais returned to say: “Our consultants Arcadis have developed solutions based on your ideas, research and real-time traffic data. Further community consultations were held with more opportunities to feed into traffic surveys and meetings.

“There were more articles in local papers, Facebook Live sessions and more social media, all with the aim of refining ideas proposed.”

Cllr Mile said: “One of the key areas of feedback from these consultations was that the proposals didn’t go far enough to resolve the issues of the parking problems facing the town especially in the summer.

“So we’ve identified six groups with parking needs – town centre residents who don’t have designated parking spots, pop and shoppers, business owners and workers coming in for their jobs, disabled drivers, visitors by car in their thousands and visitors by bus.

“So it’s not going to be easy keeping everyone happy and discussions on this have been ongoing.

“This hasn’t been tried before and I know the reason why – it’s a nightmare!”

He added: “We tested the ideas at a public meeting, also with some discussion groups with people and businesses which would be affected by the proposals. We took on board some of their suggestions, for example loading bays on Castle Street.”

Cllr Lovelock said: “It’s all very well having these plans but where is the funding?

“This is something that the 2020 working group has taken on. We have met with numerous organisations looking for funding opportunities, given many presentations to those agencies.

“We’ve written and drafted grant applications and submitted them with the town council and submitted them with Denbighshire County Council.”

Cllr Timms returned to say: “The good news is that Denbighshire County Council has a project plan in place - a critical path for delivery as they call it - and we’re working hard to keep to it. And so far it’s on track even though we’ve had the coronavirus challenges this year.”

Cllr Mile added: “So, it might have taken a bit longer than we anticipated, However, this project may be called Llangollen 2020 but it’s very much a Denbighshire project.

“People say that we never get anything out of Denbighshire, that it all goes up to Rhyl. Well, that will change if we’re successful in these grant applications.

“We’ll have a lovely new town centre, safer for you the residents, safer for the thousands of visitors who come here and it’s an environment where our businesses can thrive.”        

* You can see the 2020 update at: https://www.facebook.com/llangollen2020/videos/370130353948136

Donations flood in from across world for crisis-hit railway

* The appeal's Facebook page showing donations of over £34,000.

Almost £10,000 has been contributed by supporters worldwide since the announcement that Llangollen Railway had been plunged into a financial crisis at the start of this month. 

On March 1 the board of Llangollen Railway PLC asked its bank to call in receivers after became insolvent to the tune of about £350,000 and could not legally continue trading.

An update on the railway's unofficial Facebook page shows that nearly £10K has been contributed by concerned supporters worldwide.

Pledges of money have come from as far away as Australia and the USA.

A post on the page says: "Since our last post on Monday March 1 donations to the Full Steam Ahead Appeal have grown from £25,000 to £34,500 plus Gift Aid contributions. 

"Llangollen Railway Trust (LRT) would like to thank everyone who has commented, shared the post and donated to the Appeal. We are extremely grateful for your ongoing support.

"If you are in a position to make a donation please visit the link below, this provides full details of how you can continue to support us. 

"These include bank transfers, posting a cheque or making an online donation which can be for a one off amount or a set monthly figure. If you are unable to donate at this time a share to others you feel could support us would also be appreciated. https://llangollenrailway.enthuse.com/cf/covid-19-appeal

"Other money has been arriving by cheque and bank transfers to LRT."

First Minister gives update on easing of coronavirus rules

Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford has given his latest update on the easing of coronavirus restrictions at a press conference this lunchtime.

Main points are:

• From tomorrow Saturday, March 13, the existing 'stay at home' message will be replaced by a 'stay local' rule
• Also from Saturday up to four people from a maximum of two households will be able to socialise together outdoors, including in gardens
• Outdoor sports facilities such as basketball and tennis courts and golf courses can also open again from Saturday
• Care home visits will be able to resume from Saturday, March 13, on the basis of a single designated visitor
• From Monday, March 15, all primary school pupils will return to face-to-face teaching, as will exam-year students in secondary schools. Wholesale school re-opening will not take place until after the Easter break
• Hairdressers and barbers can re-open for appointments from Monday, March 15
• Non-essential retail will begin to re-open on a gradual basis from Monday, March 22. At that stage shops such as supermarkets, which are currently entitled to remain open, will see restrictions on what they can sell removed while garden centres can re-open from that date
• On March 27, the 'stay local' message ends and people will be allowed to travel anywhere in Wales. Self-contained holiday accommodation will be allowed to open in time for the Easter holidays
• All shops, including close contact services, will be able to re-open from April 12
• The next three-week review takes place on April 2.
• In the conference Mr Drakeford said: “Thanks to the fantastic efforts everyone has made, we can make some changes to the current restrictions, which will be phased in over the coming weeks.

  “The number of cases of coronavirus continues to fall overall; the pressure on our NHS is easing and our vaccine programme continues to go from strength to strength.

  “But the very clear advice we have is that the virus has not gone away – the highly infectious Kent variant is the dominant strain in Wales and as soon as we start to mix again, the virus will come too.

  “With every step we take to return to a more normal life, we are responsible for what happens next. While we will welcome more freedom to move around locally and meet with family and friends, we cannot afford to let down our guard.”

  From Saturday 13 March:

  • No more than four people from two households will be able to meet in their local area outdoors, including in gardens. Children under 11 and carers do not count towards this limit. There must be no indoors mixing and social distancing should be followed.
  • Outdoor sports facilities can reopen, including tennis courts, golf courses and bowling greens. A maximum of four people from two households can take part in activities using local sports facilities.
  • Indoor care home visits can resume for one designated visitor, with the permission of the care home.

  From Monday 15 March:

  • All primary pupils and those in qualifications years will return. Schools will have the flexibility to bring in year 10 and 12 pupils, to support them to progress to the next stage of their learning, and more learners will return to colleges. There will also be flexibility for in-school check-ins for all other pupils. All learners will return after the Easter break.
  • Hairdressers and barbers can reopen by appointment only to cut hair.

  From Monday 22 March:

  • The first steps to re-open non-essential retail will begin. Restrictions on the sale of non-essential items will be lifted for those shops, which are currently open.
  • Garden centres will also reopen.

  An additional £150m will be available to support businesses to the end of March, which are not yet able to open.  

  The extra funding will see businesses in the hospitality, tourism, leisure and non-essential retail sectors that pay non-domestic rates qualify for an additional payment of up to £5,000.  

  During the third week of the review period, we will take stock of the latest evidence before confirming changes for the Easter holidays. If the public health conditions continue to be favourable, from 27 March:

  • The stay local restrictions will be lifted to allow people to travel within Wales.
  • Self-contained holiday accommodation will re-open for one household.
  • Organised children’s activities outdoors will restart.
  • Libraries will reopen.

  The review on 1^st April will consider whether all remaining shops and close contact services can reopen on the 12^th April. This is in line with planned re-opening in England.

  First Minister Mark Drakeford added:

  “We need everyone’s help as we start to unlock these restrictions. We all need to follow the rules, maintain social distancing, good hand hygiene and to  wear face coverings in indoor public places.

  “We all want to see Wales re-open and the return of a more normal life. This is within sight – but only if we can keep the virus under control. No one wants us to have to reintroduce strict restrictions, to retreat from the progress we have made. Only by working together, can we help keep Wales safe.”

  The changes follow the regular statutory review of the coronavirus regulations by Welsh Ministers, using the latest scientific and medical evidence from the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), the Welsh Government’s Technical Advisory Cell (TAC) and the advice from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales.

  First Minister Mark Drakeford said:

  “Thanks to the fantastic efforts everyone has made, we can make some changes to the current restrictions, which will be phased in over the coming weeks.

  “The number of cases of coronavirus continues to fall overall; the pressure on our NHS is easing and our vaccine programme continues to go from strength to strength.

  “But the very clear advice we have is that the virus has not gone away – the highly infectious Kent variant is the dominant strain in Wales and as soon as we start to mix again, the virus will come too.

  “With every step we take to return to a more normal life, we are responsible for what happens next. While we will welcome more freedom to move around locally and meet with family and friends, we cannot afford to let down our guard.”

  From Saturday 13 March:

  • No more than four people from two households will be able to meet in their local area outdoors, including in gardens. Children under 11 and carers do not count towards this limit. There must be no indoors mixing and social distancing should be followed.
  • Outdoor sports facilities can reopen, including tennis courts, golf courses and bowling greens. A maximum of four people from two households can take part in activities using local sports facilities.
  • Indoor care home visits can resume for one designated visitor, with the permission of the care home.

  From Monday 15 March:

  • All primary pupils and those in qualifications years will return. Schools will have the flexibility to bring in year 10 and 12 pupils, to support them to progress to the next stage of their learning, and more learners will return to colleges. There will also be flexibility for in-school check-ins for all other pupils. All learners will return after the Easter break.
  • Hairdressers and barbers can reopen by appointment only to cut hair.

  From Monday 22 March:

  • The first steps to re-open non-essential retail will begin. Restrictions on the sale of non-essential items will be lifted for those shops, which are currently open.
  • Garden centres will also reopen.

  An additional £150m will be available to support businesses to the end of March, which are not yet able to open.  

  The extra funding will see businesses in the hospitality, tourism, leisure and non-essential retail sectors that pay non-domestic rates qualify for an additional payment of up to £5,000.  

  During the third week of the review period, we will take stock of the latest evidence before confirming changes for the Easter holidays. If the public health conditions continue to be favourable, from 27 March:

  • The stay local restrictions will be lifted to allow people to travel within Wales.
  • Self-contained holiday accommodation will re-open for one household.
  • Organised children’s activities outdoors will restart.
  • Libraries will reopen.

  The review on 1^st April will consider whether all remaining shops and close contact services can reopen on the 12^th April. This is in line with planned re-opening in England.

  First Minister Mark Drakeford added:

  “We need everyone’s help as we start to unlock these restrictions. We all need to follow the rules, maintain social distancing, good hand hygiene and to  wear face coverings in indoor public places.

  “We all want to see Wales re-open and the return of a more normal life. This is within sight – but only if we can keep the virus under control. No one wants us to have to reintroduce strict restrictions, to retreat from the progress we have made. Only by working together, can we help keep Wales safe.”

  The changes follow the regular statutory review of the coronavirus regulations by Welsh Ministers, using the latest scientific and medical evidence from the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), the Welsh Government’s Technical Advisory Cell (TAC) and the advice from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales.

Changes to Arriva buses timings announced

One of Llangollen's county councillors has been informed by Arriva buses that its local services will be returning to their usual timings from next week.

Graham Timms has been sent the following message ...

"You will recall that the virus hit Arriva Wrexham very hard. 

"The position at Wrexham garage is sufficiently improved such that from next week weekday buses will revert to half-hourly and Sundays to every 40 minutes, compared to emergency timetables of hourly every day.”

* Details of services will be posted on www.traveline.cymru

Residents urged to report illegal tobacco crimes

Residents across Wales who think someone is selling illegal tobacco can now report it anonymously, thanks to a new campaign. 

Trading Standards Wales has joined forces with the charity Crimestoppers to provide a service which enables members of the public to anonymously provide valuable information to help keep communities safe and healthy. 

It is one of five issues that Trading Standards Wales and Crimestoppers are working together on, to encourage members of the public to provide information on concerns they might have, 100% anonymously.  If you have information on any of the following, you can tell us what you know: 

1. Doorstep crime
2. Sale of age-restricted products
3. Counterfeit goods
4. Rogue trading 

Helen Picton, Chair of Trading Standards Wales, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Crimestoppers and giving members of the public a way to report these crimes anonymously. 

“Illegal tobacco is causing harm to communities across Wales, and the sale of it supports organised crime and keeps money away from vital services. It also encourages smokers to continue smoking and encourages children to try smoking. 

“If you think someone is selling illegal tobacco, you can help stop the harm it’s causing by reporting it to Crimestoppers. Your information can help keep communities across Wales safe and healthy.” 

* If you think that someone is selling illegal tobacco call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit http://crimestoppers-uk.org and tell them what you know.

Viaduct closure causes traffic congestion

* The traffic build-up along Regent Street (A5) around 8.15a.m.

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."