Campaigners welcome improved safety measures at Ruabon roundabout

Local campaigners have welcomed a promise to improve safety at a roundabout used by many Llangollen people which was the scene of a recent accident. 

Member of the Senedd Ken Skates (pictured) and Ruabon councillor Dana Davies both wrote to the council to call for action at the Aldi roundabout linking Ruabon, Acrefair and Rhosymedre to the A483 dual carriageway, which residents had branded dangerous. 

The Labour pair wanted new, improved road marking and signage to avoid the ‘confusion’ causing regular near misses – and Wrexham Council has now agreed. 

In an email, received by Mr Skates on Wednesday (July 27), the council said: “Following a recent site meeting with the Local Member it has been agreed that arrows which were on the road surface on the approach to the roundabout on the A539 travelling towards Llangollen would be replaced along with an advance road sign at the start of the short distance of dual carriageway.  

“This will mean that vehicles approaching the roundabout heading for Llangollen on the A539 will be in lane two along with right turning traffic going into the village of Ruabon on the B5605. This should then reduce any conflict with vehicles in lane one which is taking place at the moment. 

“I will also be looking at speeds of vehicles arriving at the roundabout especially from Ty-y-Fron area of the A539 where there is an allegation of vehicular speed.” 

Mr Skates previously said a number of his constituents had contacted him on the issue saying measures are needed to make it clear to drivers which lane they should be in. 

Mr Skates, MS for Clwyd South, said: “I’m pleased the council has responded so positively to the request Dana and I made, and I hope this will help clear up any confusion for drivers and make the area safer. This is something I’ve been contacted about regularly. 

“I’m also very pleased that the council has agreed to look again at the issue of speeding on the approach to the roundabout from the A483, which is another issue Dana and I have raised previously on behalf of residents.” 

Cllr Davies first raised the issue with Wrexham Council earlier this year – months before the recent crash reported by local media. 

She said: “I’m pleased the council is now taking action to make the area safer. The roundabout has become a nightmare and I hope this will remove any confusion for drivers around what lane they should be in. 

“I also hope the promise to look at the speeding issue results in something permanent being done on that front, as it would go a long way to reducing noise pollution for nearby residents as well as further improving road safety.” 

With the support of local residents, Mr Skates and Cllr Davies were previously successful in helping to stop ‘boy racers’ congregating on the Aldi car park late at night after the company agreed to install a security barrier restricting out of hours access.

 

Llangollen Twenty Club returns to Dibley for its next show

Llangollen Twenty Club has announce its November 2022 production of Vicar of Dibley Christmas Special.

The show will be performed in Llangollen Town Hall from Wednesday-Saturday, November 16-19, including a matinee on the Saturday. 

The society is holding open auditions in the RAFA Club, Llangollen next Tuesday, August 9 and audition material, including characterisations, general information and the all important audition pieces are available, either online via the email address: contact@twentyclub.co.uk, or by contacting Sian Glynne Jones at Courtyard Books, or Chrissie Ashworth on 07970 449843.

A Twenty Club spokesperson said: "This very funny, beautifully written play brings out the best of the eccentric, frankly dysfunctional folk who live in the rural fictional setting of Dibley, led by the fun loving, curvaceous, bubbly vicar, Geraldine Granger.  

"Nothing ever quite goes to plan however hard she tries, hampered by the wacky villagers!

"Do come along to audition, if you are interested in learning more. The last time the club staged a Vicar of Dibley play was way back in 2017 when we played to full houses.

"Covid has delayed this production and the society welcomes a return to putting on two plays per year."

Latest Citizens Advice column

Here is the latest column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice:

Q: I’m due to fly to Spain during the school summer holidays. After hearing about all the problems at airports, I’m really worried. My family have been looking forward to this and it’s cost us a lot of money. What do we do if our flight is cancelled or delayed? 

A: A lot of people will be worried after seeing the recent news about flights. If you face issues, the Citizens Advice website has lots of information about what to do when your flight is delayed or cancelled. 

If you’re already at the airport when they announce the delay, the airline should give you food and drink, access to phone calls and emails. You should also get accommodation if you’re delayed overnight (including journeys to and from the airport). 

Your airline might offer you vouchers to pay for these or advise you to keep receipts to claim back expenses later. They will only refund ‘reasonable’ expenses, not expensive meals or luxury hotels. 

What counts as a long enough delay to get this help depends on how long your flight is. A short flight only needs to be delayed two hours, whereas a flight of more than 3,500km needs to be more than four hours. Full details are on the Citizens Advice website. 

It’s worth knowing that if your flight is delayed for more than five hours, you don’t have to take it. The airline legally has to give you a full refund for that flight (and any onward flights and return flights if you’re part-way through a connecting journey). Talk to someone from the airline as soon as you decide you don’t want to fly. 

If your flight is cancelled altogether, you’ve a legal right to either a full refund or a replacement flight to get you to your destination. The refund includes any onward flights and money for a return flight if you’re part-way through a connecting journey. Ask about this at the airport if you can. 

Don’t just rebook another flight yourself - check with the airline first because it’s their responsibility to sort out your replacement. If you do have to rebook it yourself, keep any receipts and evidence of why the airline couldn’t do this for you, for example screenshots of live chats. If the cancellation ends up delaying you getting to your holiday by two or more hours, you’re entitled to help with costs. 

Check if you’re entitled to compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight. Again, this will depend on how long the delay was, the distance, and whether it’s the airline’s fault.

The Citizens Advice website has details on claiming compensation for delays or cancellations from the airline. You might also be able to claim from your travel insurance – check if your policy covers this. 

If you have a problem with an airline and you’re not sure what to do, call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline 0808 223 1133 or talk to an adviser online through the Citizens Advice website.

Llangollen organisations back regional Borrow Bus project

* The North East Wales Borrow Bus.

Organisations in Llangollen are backing a scheme to help households across North East Wales help save money and to reduce local levels of waste. 

The Lottery-funded Borrow Bus project is led by reSource, a community interest company based in Ruthin, working in partnership with Drosi Bikes  of Llangollen.

Also involved are the Pengwern Community Hub and Friends of the Earth Llangollen.

According to the scheme's sponsors, the aim is for the bus to travel around North East Wales making it easy for people to share and borrow household and garden items that are used infrequently, so encouraging a local circular economy. 

Over time it would increasingly attend complementary events such as repair cafés, community festivals etc.

To learn more about how the local community and how they could benefit from the project organisers are asking people in the areas involved, including Llangollen, to take part in a survey.

They say this will only take five minutes to complete with responses needed no later than August 19.

All entries registering for a mailing list will be entered into a draw for a £50 voucher.

Organisers add: "All responses are confidential. No individual named person or data is shared without their explicit agreement."

* The survey can be seen at: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/BorrowBus-BaselineSurvey/?fbclid=IwAR2BoZ2jSREkv4z0NjJ6p6A2Hbm0Z0-7CgzMOopoRLC87zgbz_Ms_d6qles

* For further details, contact: Bws.Benthyg@innovas.co.uk 

New bench is installed at popular viewing point

* The new bench at the viewing point.

A popular view point from which to see the mighty Pontcysyllte Aqueduct has been given a new lease of life at Trevor Basin.

The vegetation in the foreground has been maintained at a lower height so that the view of the aqueduct is revealed in all its glory and a rustic bench installed.

The bench is made from the trunk of a mighty elm tree that had to be felled for safety reasons at Plas Newydd in Llangollen 3 years ago.

Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund through the Our Picturesque Landscape Project the volunteers that took part were taught the skills involved and can now proudly sit and absorb the views.

Councillor Win Mullen James, Cabinet Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said:  “Many visitors and local people stop to look at the stunning view from this point and now they can sit and spend time enjoying the picturesque landscape. We would like to thanks the National Lottery Heritage Fund for making this possible”.

Our Picturesque Landscape Project centres on the landscape of the Dee Valley and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site. It takes the theme of inspirational journeys that have been, and continue to be, a feature of the area which is cut by the canal, Telford's A5 and the River Dee. Visitors have drawn inspiration from this beautiful valley in art and poetry since the 18th century and it continues to draw tourists in search of the sublime.

This landscape is under growing pressure with high numbers of visitors drawn to what are often our most fragile sites. The communities on its doorstep, born from the industrial endeavours that shaped it, are now less connected to the benefits the landscape offers. The five year project will invest in the resilience of key visitor sites and engage communities in its appreciation and management while reinterpreting this rich landscape for a new generation.

Projects have been developed under 3 themes -Conserving the Picturesque Landscape, Accessing the Picturesque Landscape and People and the Picturesque.

Our Picturesque Landscape Project is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. It is a partnership project developed by theClwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Pontcysyllte Aqueductand Canal World Heritage Site, Denbighshire County Council, Wrexham County Borough Council, Shropshire Council, The Canal & River Trust, Natural Resources Wales, Cadw,Cadwyn Clwyd, Aqueducks (Friends of the World Heritage Site) and the Friends of theClwydian Range and Dee Valley.

http://www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk/our-picturesque-landscape-project/

Denbighshire calls or hosts for Ukrainian refugees

Denbighshire County Council is calling on people living in the county to get in touch with the Welsh Government if they can offer a home for those resettling in the UK as a result of the atrocities in Ukraine.

The council has worked closely with Welsh Government to welcome families and individuals to Denbighshire and teams from the Council have been working to carry out checks at properties put forward as a sanctuary. 

Teams are also working to support people’s health and well-being needs, as well as supporting families to find places in school for their children.

Welsh Government has now renewed its call for more hosts that can offer a home to come forward and Denbighshire County Council is supporting them to share information and reach local communities.

To offer a home in Wales for refugees from Ukraine you must:

1. live or own residential property in Wales
2. have not been matched with guests from Ukraine
3. be able to offer a spare room or separate home for at least 6 months
4. have leave to remain in the UK for at least 6 months
5. not have a criminal record

Councillor Rhys Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and Communities, said: “Denbighshire has a long history of accommodating and supporting refugees and over the last five years the Council has resettled 25 families, made up of 95 individuals, predominantly in response to the refugee crisis in Syria and Afghanistan.

“We are pleased to have been able to welcome families and individuals arriving in Denbighshire from Ukraine over recent weeks and that work continues.

“The Council is working to ensure the relevant support is available for families once they arrive in Denbighshire, this includes our education team processing applications for school places.

“Through Home Office funding, we are well placed to provide the necessary support and have a working group to manage the programme, as well as a dedicated team working directly with families, and additional support from partners in the third sector and from local volunteer groups.

“A number of Denbighshire residents have come forward to offer accommodation to those who have been forced to leave Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict and on behalf of the Council I would like to thank them for their generosity.

“However, we need those individuals or families who can provide a home to get in touch with the Welsh Government

* If anyone has any enquiries, or would like to offer accommodation, they should visit: gov.wales/offerhome

Llangollen company pledges support to veterans' charity

* Jason Rickwood and Hugh Luckock.

An outdoor adventure and activities company in Llangollen has pledged its support to veterans’ charity, Launchpad.

Bearded Men Adventures provides accommodation, catering, adventure and activities such as white water rafting, coasteering, river tubing, mountaineering and paddleboarding.

The company has agreed to donate 1% of their annual income from activities to the charity.

The business, which was set up in 2018 by two friends who just so happen to have bushy beards, Jason Rickwood and Hugh Luckock, caters for families, groups and individuals as well as schools, corporate businesses, stag and hen groups.

Passionate about giving back to good causes, both Jason and Hugh selected Launchpad as their chosen charity and said they admire the work that Launchpad provides to veterans.

Launchpad provides vital accommodation and support for up to 100 veterans across three houses in the North of England and helps residents to transition from military to civilian life. Bearded Men Adventures invited staff and residents from Launchpad’s Speke House in Liverpool to experience a day of outdoor adventure activities, which included white water rafting.

Jason, 36, a veteran himself, served 12 months with the Royal Engineers and most of his family have a connection with the Army including his two brothers and father. In addition to Bearded Men Adventures, he is also a Level 4 snowboarding instructor and teaches the Royal Navy snow board team during the winter months.

Hugh, 34, said: “We’ve been going for four years now and despite Covid-19 having an impact on our business, we’re really starting to see the business taking off. Supporting veterans is a great thing to do and when we found out about what Launchpad does to support those veterans who may be struggling with the transition, we wanted to support them and be part of a charity that is doing positive things.”

Jan Buckley, acting activities co-ordinator at Launchpad’s Speke House who also attended the white water rafting day last week with seven residents, said: “We are very grateful to Jason and Hugh to committing to supporting Launchpad. We had a great day out and all residents really enjoyed it. It has given everyone a boost and was good to see residents bonding together.

“Being outdoors and keeping active provides a positive and stimulating experience for our residents and is a good way for them to manage their mental health and wellbeing. Everyone who attended has been talking about it and commenting on how much fun they had.”

Bearded Men Adventures and Launchpad are exploring the possibility of a camping trip in September for residents. This will be a two-day adventure activity programme led by Bearded Men Adventures and will include wild camping and bushcraft skills.

Launchpad’s Speke House includes 50 self-contained flats and communal areas such as a lounge, kitchen/dining area, IT suite and garden. Staff work with multiple partners to support each resident on their journey to living independently.

* For more information on Bearded Men Adventures and their activities, please visit their website as: www.beardedmenadventures.com/outdoor-activities-north-wales/