Volunteers begin collecting comments on People's Plan

* Shape My Llangollen deputy chair Issy Richards outside the Town Hall. In the background is Town Clerk Gareth Thomas.

A team of volunteers has begun the process of logging public reaction to Llangollen's People's Plan.

Between today (Thursday) and Saturday the team from Shape My Llangollen will be on hand outside the Town Hall to receive your comments on the draft plan, Caru Llangollen, which sets out the vision for how our town should develop up until 2026. 

The plan is based on what the group was told by the people of Llangollen in a series of public consultation sessions when they were asked about what they liked or didn't like about the town and how they reckon it could be improved.

These face-to-face sessions, held at the health centre, outside local superstores as well as in the town square, generated hundreds of replies.

And, based on what they were told, the volunteers have produced the final draft plan which contains 90 suggestions for improving Llangollen and its quality of life and work over the next four years. 

Shape My Llangollen is now putting the People's Plan back to the people for the last time before producing the final version of it.

This will then go before the Town Council, which set them the original task in 2018, for approval and adoption.

The final public consultation sessions, the first of which was held yesterday, are taking place outside the town hall and continue until Saturday.

On Friday the group will be there to meet the public between 10am and 4pm. 

Today (Thursday) because many people will be attending the funeral of Wyn 'Paraffin' Hughes - the opening hours are a little later from 2 until 4pm and on Saturday the group will be on hand from 10am-1pm.  

Following this exercise and armed with the public’s latest impressions on the draft, SML will then produce the final Action Plan ready for publication early in 2022. 

Phil Robinson, who chairs SML, said: “This final round of public consultation is extremely important as it will be the last chance for people to have their say on this vital and far-reaching vision of the town’s future development.

"This is truly the People's Plan and is something which has never been done before in Llangollen.

"Please come along to Centenary Square, take a look at the plan and tell us what you think of its recommendations."

* To look through the action plan - and turn it over page by page - go to: https://pubhtml5.com/gaql/ahfd

Comments on the plan can be emailed to: townclerk@llangollentowncouncil.gov.uk

 

Changes to GP appointments process announced

Health Minister Eluned Morgan today announced new changes to the GP contract to help improve access to appointments.

The changes, which are backed by £12m of extra investment, will end the morning scramble to book an appointment. The revised contract will make it clear the practice of releasing appointments daily at 8am is no longer acceptable.

Instead, the new GP access commitment will help ensure people are triaged appropriately and if an appointment is needed, people receive one, which is right for their clinical needs.

Where appropriate, people may be signposted to another service – or healthcare professional – who can help or support them.

The new General Medical Services (GMS) contract deal will also include an uplift to pay for GPs and practice staff and extra funding to increase capacity and staffing to help to respond to winter pressures.

Eluned Morgan said: "We know GPs and their staff are under significant pressure at the moment. They have played a really important role during the pandemic.

"I am very pleased we have been able to agree a new contract which rewards all staff working in general practice with a pay rise.

"We have also agreed a way forward to improve the appointment system. I want to see an end to the 8am bottleneck where patients have to telephone their practice numerous times, day after day to get an appointment.

"The extra funding announced today will support GP practices to build capacity and  implement more efficient booking systems to better manage patient need. I have also announced an extra £2m to help meet the immediate pressures our GPs will face this winter.

"The £4m extra funding will be made available to GPs for the next three financial years to ensure the retention of the additional capacity and in support of the commitment made around access to services."

Dr Phil White, chair of GPC Wales said: "We are pleased that our collaborative working relationship with Welsh Government and NHS Wales has resulted in a contractual agreement which we hope will go some way to support practices under great duress.

"We believe that the Welsh Government understand the existential challenge GP practices face, and we are committed to continuing to work together to ensure that patients can access a better resourced general practice service in the future."

Last chance to have your say on Llangollen's future

If you want to have your say about how Llangollen develops over the next four years then the town hall is the place to be this week.

Between today (Wednesday) and Saturday volunteers from Shape My Llangollen will be on hand to receive your comments on the draft plan, Caru Llangollen, which sets out the vision for how our town should develop up until 2026.   

The plan is based on what the group was told by the people of Llangollen in a series of public consultation sessions when they were asked about what they liked or didn't like about the town and how they reckon it could be improved.

These face-to-face sessions, held at the health centre, outside local superstores as well as in the town square, generated hundreds of replies.

And, based on what they were told, the volunteers have produced the final draft plan which contains 90 suggestions for improving Llangollen and its quality of life and work over the next four years. 

Shape My Llangollen is now putting the "People's Plan" back to the people for the last time before producing the final version of it.

This will then go before the Town Council, which set them the original task in 2018, for approval and adoption.

The final public consultation sessions will take place outside the town hall today (Wednesday), Thursday, Friday and Saturday, December 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Today and Friday the group will be there to meet the public between 10am and 4pm. On Thursday - because many people will be attending the funeral of Wyn 'Paraffin' Hughes - the opening hours will be a little later from 2 until 4pm and on Saturday the group will be on hand from 10am-1pm.  

Following this exercise and armed with the public’s latest impressions on the draft, SML will then produce the final Action Plan ready for publication early in 2022. 

Phil Robinson, who chairs SML, said: “This final round of public consultation is extremely important as it will be the last chance for people to have their say on this vital and far-reaching vision of the town’s future development.

"This is truly the People's Plan and is something which has never been done before in Llangollen.

"Please come along to Centenary Square, take a look at the plan and tell us what you think of its recommendations."

* To look through the action plan - and turn it over page by page - go to: https://pubhtml5.com/gaql/ahfd

Have your say on Llan's "people's plan" from tomorrow

This week the whole town has the chance to have a say on the “people’s plan” for the immediate future of Llangollen.

Shape My Llangollen (SML), the group of volunteers tasked with producing a Place Plan for the area on behalf of the Town Council, recently published its draft blueprint containing 90 suggestions for improving Llangollen and its quality of life and work over the next four years.

And this week, starting from tomorrow (Wednesday), members of the team will be showcasing their plan, entitled Caru (Love) Llangollen, and explaining what it means during the final phase of public consultation outside the Town Hall.

Everyone will have the chance to see it and – most importantly – be able to give their feedback on its proposals before it goes back to the Town Council for final approval and adoption.

SML has been working for the past three years to produce a Place Plan for the town covering the years 2022-2026.

The group was given the task by the Town Council back in the summer of 2018 and, as part of what is thought to be the largest exercise of its type ever undertaken, has since carried out a series of public consultations  asking the people of Llangollen – residents, businesses and organisations – a number of key questions about their hopes and aspirations for the future development of their area. 

Questions including what they liked or disliked about the town and features they would like to see kept or changed were posed in face-to-face interviews at locations such as the health centre, local superstores and Centenary Square.

This exhaustive testing of grassroots opinion brought in over 1,700 replies and was reinforced by online consultations with major stakeholders in the town, ranging from the International Eisteddfod to the county council and from the Canal & River Authority to representatives of Castle Street shops.

Although the pandemic slowed up the project it never came to halt and in the latter stages, to make up for any lost time and with the aid of a small National Lottery grant, a firm of expert consultants was brought in to help bring the results of the consultation together in Caru Llangollen, the Draft Action Plan.

The views and opinions of the people of Llangollen form the core of the plan, which includes almost 90 separate action points in six sections of aims with headings including “A Community That Works Together Stays Together”, Our Younger Generation Will Be Able to Stay or Return to Live and Work in our Community”, “A Community That Supports a Vibrant Town Centre With Its Own Unique Identity” and “A Community That Provides Essential Services for Its Residents.”

The plan also lists those organisations, such as the town and county councils, responsible for taking the action points forward and gives a time scale for achievement.

The plan in draft form was recently unanimously approved by the Town Council.

The final round of public consultation will take place outside the Town Hall tomorrow (Wednesday), Thursday, Friday and Saturday, December 1, 2, 3 and 4.

On Wednesday and Friday the group will be there to meet the public between 10am and 2pm. On Thursday - as many people will be attending the funeral of Wyn 'Paraffin' Hughes - the opening will be a little later from 2 until 4pm and on Saturday the group will be on hand from 10am-1pm.  

Following this exercise and armed with the public’s latest impressions on the draft, SML will then produce the final Action Plan ready for publication early in 2022. 

Phil Robinson, who chairs SML, said: “This final round of public consultation is extremely important as it will be the last chance for people to have their say on this vital and far-reaching vision of the town’s future development.

“As we have stressed all along, this is the people’s own plan, echoing the things they have told us about how they would like to see our town shaping up through the years ahead, so we are hoping as many people as possible can join us for the consultation process in December.

“I would once again like to thank all those who have assisted our work so far and taken part in our earlier rounds of consultation.

“Without you we could never have completed this rather daunting task the like of which has never before been seen in Llangollen.”      

* To look through the action plan, go to: https://pubhtml5.com/gaql/ahfd

Council gets £175,000 to progress repair work on Newbridge Road

* Storm damage caused by Storm Christoph earlier this year.

Funding of £175,000 from Welsh Government has been confirmed to progress the work needed to repair the extensive damage caused to the B5605 at Newbridge earlier this year during Storm Christoph.

In a statement Wrexham Council says: "As reported previously we have continued to work on the ground and with Welsh Government to provide the technical and assessment reports and establish costs to ensure this road is brought back into use as soon as possible

"The funding will cover our preliminary, assessment and design costs. The ground investigations have just completed and we await the options report."

Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member Environment and Transport, said: “I am pleased we have secured funding from Welsh Government of £175k for the next stage of this process to develop a business case for all the options available to repair the road.

“We are currently carrying out geotechnical work and hopefully this will be complete by the end of December. We then need to consider options and design for work and will be submitting them to Welsh Government as soon as possible.

“We are aware of the extensive inconvenience and impacts this is having on local communities and businesses and hope to be in a position early in the new year to progress with options for repair work. We hope this will be fully funded following storm Christoph.”

Three Eagles lands best eatery award at tourism Oscars

* The Three Eagles Bar and Grill's Dyfan Hughes and Lydia Davies.

A Llangollen restaurant and bar has been named North Wales’s best eatery at the region’s tourism Oscars.

The Three Eagles Bar and Grill’s successful transformation to provide an outdoor dining offer won them the Go Taste of North Wales, sponsored by Bwydlyn Butchery.

A delighted restaurant manager Lydia Davies said: “We’ve got a really good team here doing lots of hours and their hard work has paid off.

“We made a really big change because we wanted the Bar and Grill to be more accessible and we’ve opened up our outdoor space which has really helped us because as well as our regulars we’ve got lots of visitors coming in.

“We get lots of walkers and cyclists and people walking their dogs and Llangollen itself is a great attraction and an outdoorsy place.”

The Three Eagles received its accolade at the Go North Wales Tourism Awards, a glittering event at Venue Cymru in Llandudno sponsored by leading food distribution company, Harlech Foodservice, and hosted by acclaimed journalist Sian Lloyd who hails from Wrexham.

The occasion was also a 30^th anniversary celebration for organiser North Wales Tourism which was founded in 1990 and now represents more than 1,500 members across the region.

Other Denbighshire winners: Thornley Leisure Parks Go Holiday Park of the Year, Marine Holiday Park, Rhyl; Pero Foods Ltd Go Pet Friendly Award, Y Shed, Meliden; Bwydlyn Butchery Go Taste of North Wales Award, Three Eagles Bar and Grill, Llangollen; Design To Print Go Activity of the Year, Mynydd Sleddog Adventures, Llyn Brenig and Alwen Reservoir.

According to Chair of the judges Jim Jones, the chief executive of North Wales Tourism, the amount of investment going into improving the infrastructure of the tourism and hospitality sector was a vote of confidence in the future of the industry in North Wales.

Before the pandemic, the tourism industry was flying with the overall income generated increasing to an all-time high of £3.6 billion in 2019 when the number of visitors rocketed to nearly 37 million.

After a massive slump, the staycation boom this summer showed that North Wales was still a hugely popular destination for holidaymakers.

Jim Jones said: “Like everybody else, the tourism industry has endured an absolute nightmare over the past 20 months and, because of the nature of the business, our sector was disproportionately affected during the lockdown periods.

“I would like to congratulate the winners and the other finalists tonight because was they have achieved is utterly remarkable, particularly under the most difficult of circumstances.

“I would also like to stress that all the nominees are playing an absolutely vital role in leading the economic recovery here in North Wales and I would like to thank them for their incredible ongoing contribution.”

David Cattrall, the managing director of Harlech Foodservice, said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to be the headline backer of the awards and to sponsor two individual categories because the tourism and hospitality industry represents our core customer base.

“Although we’ve all had an extremely tough time, there are reasons to be optimistic for the future and the scale of investment going into North Wales shows there is a strong belief that this is a first-class, must-visit destination.”

North Wales Tourism used the occasion to raise money for their nominated charity, St David’s Hospice in Llandudno.

Llan business backs county's 'shop local' campaign

* Peter Carol is backing the #LoveLiveLocal campaign.

Llangollen’s ProAdventure is one of a number of independent businesses supporting the #LoveLiveLocal campaign being run by Denbighshire County Council to encourage more people to shop local this winter.

ProAdventure opened in 1991 and is a specialist outdoor adventure retailer selling everything from tipi tents, bush-craft equipment, outdoor clothing and equipment for cooking and living comfortably in the great outdoors.

Peter Carol runs the business with his wife Lesley who is a trained mountain leader, a qualified canoe river leader and a Nordic walking coach.

Peter, who has more than 30 years of experience of working in outdoor adventure training and holidays, said: “Adventure sports are very popular in Denbighshire and we are seeing it grow. There is also a wealth of beautiful countryside for people to explore.

“Now is a great time to get kitted out for the new year, or for those who are experienced in the outdoors you can repair, wash or reproof kit with the supplies we carry in the shop. The products we sell reflect our love of walking and camping, Scandinavian culture and back garden living.

“We also make careful buying choices while taking account of the environmental impact products make and this includes choices on what we sell and who we buy it from, sourcing renewable electricity and using LED lighting throughout the store.

“We have a very sportive business community here in Llangollen and we would encourage shoppers to look at their local high streets this Christmas and to think outside the box when looking for presents.”

Shoppers can help by sharing great experiences and products on social media to let people know you have shopped local this winter and encourage others to #LoveLiveLocal too.

* You can get involved by visiting www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/business/business-support/love-live-local.aspx