Welsh Government confirms further easing of Covid rules

* First Minister Mark Drakeford.

The Welsh Government has confirmed further relaxations will be brought forward from 17 May to 3 May – including the resumption of indoor supervised activities for children, indoor organised activities for up to 15 adults, such as exercise classes, and the re-opening of community centres.

This means Wales will have completed the move to Alert Level 3 by Monday 3 May.

First Minister Mark Drakeford has also indicated that the hospitality sector – bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes – will be able to open indoors from May 17.

From Saturday 24 April, the rule of 6 will allow for up to 6 people from 6 households to meet outdoors, not including children under 11 years of age or carers from those households.

The Welsh Government has also confirmed the relaxations that will take place on Monday 26 April. Outdoor attractions, including outdoor swimming pools, funfairs and theme parks, will be allowed to reopen, while outdoor hospitality can also resume, including at cafes, pubs and restaurants.

Organised outdoor activities for up to 30 people will be able to take place and weddings receptions can begin again outdoors for up to 30 people.

Wales has the lowest coronavirus rates of the UK nations. The successful vaccine programme continues with a higher proportion of people vaccinated in Wales than other nations of the UK for both first and second doses.

Changes from Monday 3 May:

• Gyms, leisure centres and fitness facilities being able to reopen
• People will also again be able to form extended households with one other household.

Relaxations planned for 17 May will be brought forward to the 3 May, including:

• The resumption of indoor supervised activities for children
• Indoor organised activities for up to 15 adults (such as exercise classes and swimming lessons)
• And the re-opening of community centres.

The First Minister said:

"The sacrifices we have made continue to show results. By us all working together and sticking to the rules, combined with our vaccination programme, mean we continue to make progress. Rates of the virus continue to fall and the public health situation is improving.

"Due to these efforts we are able confirm more easing of the restrictions from 26 April and for early May we are again able to bring forward some of our plans. However, this progress is dependent on all of us continuing to work together to keep Wales safe.

"At the last three-week review, I set out a forward-look of how the restrictions could continue to be lifted in the weeks ahead, if the public health situation remains stable.

"It will be for the incoming Welsh Government to confirm these arrangements at the next three-week review, which will be held on May 13 – a week after the election. It is my assessment that the hospitality sector – bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes – will be able to open indoors from May 17, together with all other tourist accommodation, indoor entertainment and attractions."

Further possible easements are subject to the public health situation remaining favourable.

Former landfill site becomes new pocket park

* The entrance to the new pocket park.

* One of the trails within the park.

* A tree-lined walkway with the nature reserve.

A former landfill site at Wenffrwd on the outskirts of Llangollen has taken on a new lease of life.

Denbighshire County Council and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) team have worked together with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and European Rural Development Fund, to create a new nature reserve - or pocket park - on the former landfill site at Wenffrwd – just outside Llangollen.

Visitors are now able to use a small car park at the nature reserve and explore the new site by following the 0.5 miles of new surfaced path which winds through a variety of habitats and offers views of the River Dee and across the valley.

Huw Rees, Countryside and Heritage Services Manager, said: “It’s hard to imagine now that this whole mound of land is the result of several decades of tipping household waste from the Llangollen area. 

"Up to 75,000 tonnes were dumped each year until it stopped receiving rubbish in the 1980s, although the transfer station was available for the local population until 2008.

“Nature has done an excellent job at reclaiming the site. The wildflower meadows provide food for pollinators and yellow meadow ants which make the anthills that you will see. The thick bramble offers safe areas for birds and mammals. 

“This is still a work in progress and in the coming year we will continue to work on creating links from this site to the canal and back to the Health Centre in Llangollen along the old railway line.  We will also be adding diversity to the site through tree planting and the creation of new wildflower areas.” 

Welsh Secretary visits businesses in Chirk

* From left, the owner of the Hand Hotel Paul Rodgers, candidate Barbara Hughes, Simon Hart MP and Simon Baynes MP at the Hand Hotel beer garden in Chirk.

While Labour's two leaders, Sir Kier Starmer and Mark Drakeford, were on the campaign trail in Llangollen this morning, Conservatives were out and about in neighbouring Chirk earlier this week.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes welcomed the Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart MP, to the area following the launch of the Welsh Conservative manifesto for the 2021 Senedd elections in May.

Along with the Welsh Conservative candidate for Clwyd South, Barbara Hughes, they visited a number of different businesses, including Castle Bistro where they met the owner Reza Noori, the Hand Hotel with owner Paul Rodgers, Jamie Ward’s Traditional Family Butchers, M.G. Hughes Fruit & Veg and Manford’s Little Lambs with its owner Vicki Mitchell.

Simon Hart said: “I much enjoyed meeting businesses in Chirk and hearing about how they have served the community throughout the Covid crisis. 

"I congratulate them on their hard work and wish them all the very best as we gradually come out of the pandemic.”

Simon Baynes said: “It was a great pleasure to be joined by the Secretary of State for Wales and to have the opportunity to show him some of excellent Clwyd South local businesses, many of whom have gone above and beyond during the Covid crisis to meet the needs of customers and give back to the community." 

First Minister pledges to help keep railway running

llanblogger exclusive

* Mark Drakeford on the bridge looking over at the crisis-hit railway.

* The Labour team on walk-about in Castle Street.

* Mark Drakeford and Ken Skates chat to a constituent outside the bank.

* Sir Keir Starmer, left, Ken Skates and Mark Drakeford, far right, speak to practice manager Tessa Orton-Jones outside the health centre.

If it wins next month’s Senedd election a new Labour-controlled Welsh Government would work with local people to help get crisis-hit Llangollen Railway back up and running.

That was the pledge from Welsh Labour leader and First Minister Mark Drakeford when he and UK Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer had an election walk-about in the town this morning (Thursday) to support the campaign of the party's candidate Ken Skates to be returned as Senedd Member for the local Clwyd South constituency on May 6.

Arriving in the Market Street car park the two leaders, accompanied by Mr Skates, strolled down Castle Street where they met and chatted to a small number of shoppers and at least one business owner.

Later they drove across town to Llangollen Health Centre where they spoke at some length to the clinical team who have been carrying out the busy Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Sir Keir told them he found their hard work “uplifting”. There was also praise for their efforts from Mr Drakeford, who is a former Welsh Health Minister.

llanblogger asked the First Minister whether Llangollen’s world-famous heritage railway, which recently went into receivership with debts of £350,000 and now faces the auctioning off online of its assets, could look forward to any assistance from a returning Labour government.

He said: “We obviously realise the importance of Llangollen Railway and the way it has helped to bring people to this part of Wales and we think there is a successful future for it.

“But that will depend upon there being a credible plan for the future of the railway with people who are confident in the running of it.

“In the end Ken Skates and I deal with public money, so when we are making investments in things like the railway we have got to know that the money is going to achieve all that we want it to achieve.”

He added: “I’m not wanting to suggest for a moment that there is going to be some sort of blank cheque from the next Labour government.

“What there will be is a very positive determination to work with local people to come up with a plan that would allow us to be part of the help that they will need to get the railway back up and running.”

Before leaving Sir Keir said he thought Ken Skates had “a good chance” of holding Clwyd South for Labour.

And Mr Skates himself said he was confident of victory after some “very positive” canvassing over the past few weeks.    

Health centre's latest vaccinations update

Llangollen Health Centre has sent out an update on Covid-19 vaccinations, which says:

"Pfizer Vaccine - second doses.

"All patients who had a first dose Pfizer vaccine at the Health Centre during 5-7 February should have received a reminder that their second dose is due this weekend.

"The date and time of your second dose appointment is shown on the vaccine record card that you received when you attended your appointment in February.

"It is really important that you attend this appointment as we will not be getting any more Pfizer vaccine at the Health Centre.

"Please remember:

• to bring your vaccine record with you so that it can be updated

• to park in the same car park as you were asked last time

• that you will need to sit in the waiting room for 15 minutes after your vaccination

We will have an update on first doses for the 40-49 age group early next week."

Webinars aim to help businesses come out of lockdown

Flintshire County Council has joined forces with local company Outwrite PR to help local businesses prepare to reopen as we ease out of lockdown. 

The past year has been difficult for everyone and particularly town centre businesses, local food and drink producers and the hospitality and tourism sectors. 

To help businesses get back on track, two free webinars will be held and local businesses are being invited to sign up and join in. 

Both webinars will run for 30 minutes and aim to be a useful addition to local business owners’ plans already being put in place.

 

Dates and times are as follows and will take place via ZOOM:

 

• Tuesday 4 May 10am

• Tuesday 11 May 10am

 

The first will feature Laurence Edwards from Black Mountain Honey and will focus on how to generate content for social media beyond simply publishing sales messages and offers or discounts. 

It also aims to help build relationships and trust with key audiences and customers

 

Webinar two will take place a week later and focus the entire digital footprint and how to build engaging content for cost-effective results. 

This webinar will help ensure there is a consistently high-quality brand image across all forms of marketing. 

Business owner Stephen Thorp from A Pesto will be there to talk about his experiences and highlight what has worked well for his business.

* To book go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-marketing-webinar-for-flintshire-businesses-tickets-149688356905

Have your say on how local woodlands are managed

Those who enjoy visiting woodlands in the Vale of Llangollen and the wider Dee Valley are invited to have their say on how the woodlands are managed for the future.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) – which manages the Welsh Government Woodland Estate across Wales – has developed a 25-year management plan in order to improve their biodiversity and long-term resilience to climate change, so that future generations will also be able to enjoy the benefits they provide.

The Llangollen Forest Resources Plan (FRP) consists of seven different forest blocks; Corwen, Cynwyd, Carrog, Nantyr (Ceiriog forest), Coed Foel, Craig-y-Dduallt and Halton Wood, which are located in the Dee and Ceiriog Valleys.

These woodlands collectively have a total area of 1,400 ha and have a mixture of conifer and broadleaved tree species.

The plan sets out long term objectives and proposals for the future management of the woodlands and the trees within them.

This week NRW published the plan as it begins a public consultation to give people an opportunity to feedback on the proposals.

The consultation will be open until 9 May 2021. People can read the plans in detail and leave feedback via NRW’s online consultation.

Aidan Cooke, Senior Forest Operations Officer from NRW said: “Our forests offer so many benefits to the natural world and to our communities. They help us in the fight against climate and nature emergencies, provide good quality timber for us to use, and wonderful places for us all to spend time in and enjoy.

“Over the last year during the pandemic, these spaces have been more important than ever, providing much needed opportunities for exercise, for family time and for moments of calm.

“We know how valued our woodlands are, and we want to make sure the people who use them have the opportunity to feedback on the plans. This will help us to ensure these areas can continue to meet the needs of the local communities for years to come.”

The consultation will be open until 9 May 2021. People can read the plans in detail and leave feedback via NRW’s online consultation.

Anyone wishing to participate but unable to view the proposal on NRW’s online consultation can contact 03000 65 3000 and request a hard copy.

* Residents who wish to send feedback by post can send it to:Aidan Cooke

Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales

Clawdd Newydd

Rhuthun

Sir Ddinbych

LL15 2NL

All feedback and questions will need to be returned by 9 May 2021 at the latest.