Try lording it with Land Rover's new supreme mud-plugger

Land Rover Discovery Sport road test by Steve Rogers

So, you would like a new Range Rover but 80 grand is too salty for the pocket.

Solution. Troll the second hand market, or maybe there's a better option... buy a new Discovery Sport.

This is as close as you can get to the big man without paying the big bucks, although you'll still need £45-£50,000 to get near that real feeling of luxury.

Discovery Sport first appeared at the end of 2014 replacing Freelander which was nothing like a Range Rover. The aim was to distance the Land Rover brand from the growing crop of SUVs and it has been a roaring success winning awards left right and centre and becoming more a part of the 'if only I had the money' Range Rover family.

It has been freshened up with new light designs front and back, along with upgraded engines and even more technology.

Petrol and diesel engines now have mild hybrid electric motors to harvest battery power under braking. This shaves gramms off emissions and gives a small lift to economy but it does not mean you can drive on pure electric.

The tech team has built a whole new infotainment system called Pivi which does so much I got bored going through it all, but being able to pair two smart phones at the same time is a bonus although the most impressive new feature is 'over the air' software updates which saves going to the garage and waiting an age for the latest navigation maps to be downloaded and such like.

Dashboard layout is unchanged so you still get the problem of the sun blocking out the screen at certain times of the day. It only happened once as the sun was hardly out during my week with the car but something to consider at the next big redesign.

For the most part the cabin with its quality trim is a classy, comfortable place to be, just don't think you are in Range Rover territory. It is a big car with lashings of space for five adults and, unlike most of its rivals, provides an extra two foldaway seats although they are best suited to young children.

Seven up obviously dramatically reduces boot space but sticking to five leaves a huge area and with all the back seats down a couple can happily sleep in the car. There is a good amount of casual storage space and seven USB sockets which will come in handy when it's a full house.

Disco Sport is a popular tow car with additional safety features to keep the van on the straight and narrow. I endured some big winds towing my 7.2 metre caravan but never felt troubled and you can keep an eye on the van on the move thanks to the surround camera system. The 'disappearing' tow bar can be deployed from the touchscreen and if you can be bothered to put in the trailer dimensions it will park it as well.

My wife won the towing economy challenge returning 25.3mpg over 160 miles, a decent return from a 200hp 2-litre diesel. Most of the towing was motorway which was the right territory for the nine speed auto box. We even managed 42mpg on a 100 mile solo drive.

Although it pulls strongly the Disco doesn't feel quick off the mark and is tuned more to comfort as opposed to the stiffer ride of an Audi or BMW so expect some rolling through bends.

Where it beats everyone is its off road credentials. How often will they be needed? Probably rarely but I know which car I would choose in a mud fight! It will even wade through 600mm if water, that's nearly as high as the average office desk.

The entry front wheel drive Discovery Sport is around £32,000 but realistically you need to push the boat out to soak up the luxury. My HSE was just over £52k with extras and was packed with the things we love as well as a full suite of safety features.

It is not a Range Rover or Audi Q8 but the Disco Sport has enough grandeur to at least make you think you are lording it.

Fast facts

Discovery Sport D200 HSE 9sp auto

£46,815

2-litre turbo diesel; 204bhp

0-62mph 8.9secs; 117mph

41.4mpg combined

179g/km. 1st VED £1,305

Insurance group 33

Towing capacity 2,500kg

Computer firm helps school set up coding lab

* Managing director David Pinel and Jasmin Parry, tech support analyst, with 

pupils of Ysgol Y Gwernant and the new equipment. 

Representatives from Llangollen's IT Pro Support, went along to Ysgol Y Gwernant to present equipment for the school's new coding lab.

Kit handed over included four Raspberry PIs with monitors.

Company managing director David Pinel explained: "Understanding computers and learning the basics of coding helps children to develop an appreciation of how things work. 

"It also teaches them how to solve problems in a logical and creative way. This is an important reason that coding should be available in schools, so children learn these skills while they’re young."

County seeks feedback to identify homeless risks

Denbighshire County Council is seeking the views of residents, schools/colleges and other key organisations as it looks to develop a new project to help people identify whether they are at risk of homelessness at a much earlier point.

Homelessness means not having a safe place to live. 

This can include living in unsuitable accommodation, ‘sofa-surfing’ (staying in someone's home unofficially) and sleeping rough (sleeping outside).

If the council and other organisations can work with at-risk individuals earlier, there is a better chance people will be able to receive the help they need before there is a genuine risk of homelessness.

The council says it would like to know what people think this project could or should look like.

To have your say and get involved, visit the following web page and follow the link to complete the online consultation survey https://countyconversation.denbighshire.gov.uk/project/595

Paper copies of the survey will also be available in Denbighshire Libraries/One Stop shops, as well as the following locations in Rhyl: Tŷ Golau, The Women’s Centre, and St Mary’s Church.

The deadline for responding to the consultation is June 13, 2021, and it is possible to take part without leaving your contact details if preferred.

Eisteddfod responds to decorated bridge reaction

 

* An artist's impression of how a decorated bridge is intended to look.

Llanblogger’s recent story on Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod’s plan to launch this year’s festival by transforming the ancient town bridge into a giant work of art has split local opinion.

The eisteddfod has commissioned internationally renowned artist Luke Jerram to wrap the 60 metre-long bridge in a giant patchwork reflecting the crafts and cultures of Wales alongside the festival’s participating nations. 

While the festival will mainly be held online this year, organisers hope the eye-catching Festival Bridge will also attract people to visit the town this summer.

Since the story appeared on the blog last Friday, to be shared on social media, over 100 people have commented via Facebook.

While some described it as “a great idea” and said “wow, can’t wait,” others were more critical and said things such as “waste of money” and “ridiculous, awful and expensive”.

Others questioned how appropriate the decoration would be on Grade 1 Listed structure.

Former deputy town mayor, Issy Richards, questioned whether bodies such as Debighshire County Council, which is responsible for the bridge, or ancient monuments body CADW had been consulted about the scheme.

Llanblogger sought the reaction of the eisteddfod, which replied: “We are very much looking forward to working with people from the local community of Llangollen on the bridge artwork for this year’s Eisteddfod. 

“The artist, Luke, is hoping people will send in fabric contributions for the giant patchwork art installation, which is intended to celebrate the town of Llangollen as the home of the Eisteddfod, and the traditional crafts and cultures of Wales. 

“With this year’s event being held mainly online due to the pandemic, we are hoping the artwork will help keep the spirit of the Eisteddfod alive in Llangollen. 

“We’re actively working with local organisations including Denbighshire County Council and CADW, who have been very supportive of the plans. 

“The beauty of the town, and the support of the people who live there, is such an important part of the event’s unique appeal and success.”  

The bridge artwork aims to connect and extend the Eisteddfod’s creativity out from the field where it is normally held each year into the town, transforming and animating Llangollen for the whole world to see.

The festival says it is offering anyone, from local residents in the area and fans of the Eisteddfod to the friends and families of people participating, the chance to get involved.

They are asking for 1m x 1m fabric squares which will be stitched together into a giant patchwork and hung over the bridge. Ideally the patches should be bold in design, so the image stands out when seen from a distance.

People are asked to submit their patchwork by 30 June 2021 and to visit https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/[KL1] for details, information and terms and conditions.

Denbighshire County Council has been asked for a comment.

Care recruitment sessions to be held

Denbighshire County Council is holding two online care recruitment sessions.

The council is looking to recruit new staff into a number of care positions, with positions including community based health and social care support workers, day care assistant, night care assistant, and domestic assistant.

The majority of these roles will be based in the south of the county and you will be working in the community, supporting people in their own homes, so for these roles the ability to drive is most often essential.

There are also vacancies in our residential care home, Cysgod Y Gaer, Corwen, for both contracted and supply hours.

The virtual recruitment events will be held over Microsoft Teams on June 4 and June 10.

As part of these events there will be some group activities to take part in.

Each session will run for one hour, starting at 10am, followed by a 20 minute interview in the afternoon.

For more information contact 01824 706200 or HRDirect@denbighshire.gov.uk

Essential work planned for A483 through Wrexham

 

Essential work is to take place on the A483 in Wrexham between junctions 5 and 7 to increase the length of two central reserve crossovers together with drainage and barrier upgrades.

The works will begin on June 1 and are programmed to take six weeks. These crossover improvements are vital to ensure contra-flow arrangements are in place to facilitate future carriageway resurfacing work.  The existing surfacing in this location requires replacing later this year.  This work has to be carried out to maintain the condition of the road and to protect the safety of the travelling public.  In order to carry out the resurfacing work later this year as quickly and as safely as possible, traffic will be placed into a contraflow arrangement using the crossovers in the central reserve. These crossovers have been assessed and identified as needing to be upgraded to ensure they are safe for use when required. The majority of the current works will be carried out under continuous lane two closures in both directions. Additionally, there will be full nighttime closures for four consecutive nights at the start of the project to install a temporary protective barrier system and at its completion to remove the barrier. The first set of overnight closures will take place between Mold Road Interchange (J5) – Gresford Interchange (J6) in both directions from June 1st-3rd - the diversion route will be via the A541/A5152. The second overnight closure will be between Gresford Interchange (J6) to Rossett Interchange (J7) from June 3rd to 5th – the diversion route will be via B5102 and B5445. The final overnight closures will be between July 7th-11th and will affect traffic between J5 and J7 on different nights. To minimise disruption one lane is available during the daytime to allow traffic to pass in both directions and the most disruptive works have been scheduled overnight.  The planning for this work has been agreed with Wrexham, Cheshire West & Chester Councils and Highways England.  Deputy Minister for Climate Change with responsibility for transport Lee Waters said: “Investing in and maintaining our infrastructure in North Wales is vitally important.  The work is essential to maintain this section of the A483 which is a crucial part of the infrastructure around Wrexham, as well as being a crucial link with South Wales and England. The safety of the travelling public is our priority, and this work will allow the later more substantial work to take place with less potential disruption.” Road users can find out the latest traffic information and project updates on the Traffic Wales website or Twitter channels: Traffic Wales North & Mid.

'Talking' scheme for unpaid carers launched

Unpaid carers in Denbighshire are being asked to take part in a new talking scheme.

Push to Talk is a Denbighshire County Council project to help address feelings of isolation and loneliness among unpaid carers.

They will receive information and equipment that they can use to call other unpaid carers to have a chat at an agreed time.

Cllr Bobby Feeley, Denbighshire’s Lead Member for Well-being and Independence, said: “This new project helps give people in a similar situation a human connection allowing them to interact with other unpaid carers from the comfort of their own home.

“Small connections every day are proven to help mental well-being and self-esteem and this project also provides a supportive community.”

As part of its Corporate Plan, the Council has committed to supporting unpaid carers by improving the services that exist and ensuring young, young adult, parent and adult carers are aware of the support available to them.

* For further information contact Candcteam@denbighshire.gov.uk