Royal Mail answers on future of public counter at sorting office

* The future of the public counter at the Llangollen sorting office has been questioned.

The area's Senedd Member has questioned Royal Mail about the future of the public counter at its Llangollen sorting office.  

And an official of the organisation has admitted the counter is part of a general review of similar facilities which follows a drop in footfall.

Clwyd South MS Ken Skates recently received a query from a constituent which said: "It has been brought to my attention (in confidence ) that there is a possibility that the Royal Mail plan on closing the Caller Office Facility based in the sorting office in Berwyn Street, Llangollen.

"Obviously if this is indeed the case then that in effect would mean that the residents having received a ‘non delivery' would no longer be able to collect their parcels and would be expected to travel to Wrexham. This would include the Ceiriog Valley, Llangollen Rural, Llantysilio and Pentredwr.

"Could I please ask that you make enquiries with the Royal Mail for clarification as to what their intentions are."   

In response to an enquiry from Mr Skates, a senior Royal Mail official replied: "Royal Mail has commenced a review of the Customer Service Points (CSPs) to determine the right number of sites as it steps up its drive to ensure more first-time deliveries with higher level of convenience for customers.

"The review comes as customer footfall has fallen by around 47% at Royal Mail CSPs compared to pre-pandemic levels. This drop reflects customers' growing reluctance to travel to CSPs to collect missed parcels, as well as their growing preference for free redeliveries to their doorstep.

"Royal Mail has additionally introduced a range of new delivery options designed to further improve its first-time delivery rates.

"These initiatives include a scheme where postmen and postwomen are able to leave parcels in what they consider to be a safe place, as well as 'in-flight' redirections through either the Royal Mail app or www.royalmail.com.

"Research suggests 90% of customers prefer delivery to a safe place or neighbour, or a redelivery option if they are not home to accept a delivery." 

Police operation targets illegal off-roaders

The Denbighshire Free Press has a story about a police operation to target illegal off-road driving in the Llangollen and Corwen areas.

* For the full story, see: https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/23239776.police-target-off-road-drivers-corwen-llangollen/ 

Fron Bache closed for urgent repairs

One.Network reports that Fron Bache, Llangollen, has been closed to facilitate urgent works to restore the supply of water to a property by Hafren Dyfrdwy.

 

Views sought on town's Four Major Highways project

 * Please note: Because of a problem with the email link provided by the county council to join the online consultation meeting a fresh link has been provided within the story below and here: levellingup@denbighshire.gov.uk

* A plan of the Four Great Highways project.

The views of Llangollen residents and businesses are being invited on a scheme to improve links between the four famous ‘highways’ that run through the heart of the town.

And a local county councillor is urging as many people as possible to get involved.

Following a successful application to the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund (LUF) Denbighshire County Council wants to enhance the public spaces that connect Llangollen Canal, the old Ruabon to Barmouth Railway line, the River Dee and A5 Holyhead Road. 

Some key priorities of the Four Great Highways project, as it is known, are improved accessibility, signage and better materials with the aim of improving the visitor experience and increasing the amount of time they spend here. 

Proposals include:

* Better access between the Llangollen Canal, River Dee and town centre

* Inclusive and safe access for a range of users

* Opportunities to incorporate play and exercise

* Strengthened biodiversity and climate resistance

* Enhanced views and rest points

As part of the consultation process three separate online engagement sessions are planned for next week when the contracted designers, Burroughs & The Urbanists, will invite residents, businesses and visitors of Llangollen to discuss the project.

The county council says views and comments shared during the event will inform the design now being worked on. 

The meetings, being held via Microsoft Teams, are all on Thursday January 12 - for Llangollen businesses between 6 and 6.30pm, for residents between 6.30 and 7pm and for everyone else between 7 and 7.30pm.

* To arrange to attend one of the sessions, or for further information, e-mail: levellingup@denbighshire.gov.uk

Llangollen county councillor Karen Edwards said: “This is part of the South Clwyd Levelling Up Fund project. Wrexham are the leading authority and the Four Great Highways project is Llangollen's share of the pot. 

“County Councillor Paul Keddie and myself are due to have a Teams meeting next week with the designers, so we will have a  comprehensive discussion with them.” 

She added: “This is the start of the wider consultation process, so let's hope that the residents and businesses are interested because it's their voices that matter and certainly from my perspective it's important that there's thorough engagement with everyone who has a vested interest and that they  have an opportunity to input into the scheme in order to have an acceptable outcome.” 

Landslide affects A5 between Llan and Corwen

The Denbighshire Free Press is this morning (Tuesday) reporting that a landslide has partially blocked the A5 between Llangollen and Corwen.

* For the full story, see: https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/23239546.landslide-partially-blocks-a5-llangollen-corwen/

First Responders send vital medical supplies for Ukraine

* Clive Knowles and Alice-Rose Langford of the British Ironwork Company, Terry Brownlow and Effie Cadwallader of Wrexham Rural Community First Responders. 

Members of Wrexham Rural Community First Responders recently visited the drop-off point run by the British Ironwork Centre near Oswestry which sponsors the collection and onward transportation of medical consumables to Ukraine.

This is the Wrexham Rural CFRs` second donation, with additional kit contributed by other CFR teams across North Wales. 

The first load was transported directly to the front line in Ukraine earlier in the year by British military veterans based on the Wirral. 

The Wrexham Rural CFR Team has donated a significant amount of specialist resuscitation and trauma kit, plus associated response bags which will help to keep medical equipment in a clean and serviceable condition, providing much needed support to both civilian and army medics. 

British Ironwork Centre is gathering donations together ready for transport to Ukraine early in the new year.

Latest Citizens Advice column

Latest column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice is: 

Q: As the weather has turned colder, I’ve noticed mould and damp in our flat. It’s mainly
in our bedroom, including some black mould on the carpet. I’ve been chasing our
letting agency, who say they’ll speak to our landlord. I’m really worried about how this
might affect our health. Our tenancy agreement isn’t up for eight months, what can I
do?

A: It’s good that you’ve already raised the issue with your letting agency. Unfortunately, it isn’t
always easy to work out the cause of mould or damp This can make it difficult to work out if your landlord is responsible, unless there’s an obvious cause, like a leaking roof.

There are many causes of damp that properties can get. The most common are rising,
penetrating, construction and condensation damp. On our website there is information that
may help you work out what type of damp you have, who is responsible and what you can
do. Check your tenancy agreement too for mentions of repairs and damp, and reach out to Citizens Advice on anything you’re unsure about.

A landlord will have to act in relation to damp if it makes the property unsafe for someone to live in. This could be for example, if it is making the tenant or a member of their family ill. The landlord will also be responsible if the damp is related to repairs they should have carried out, like if heaters are broken. If the damp has damaged items that the landlord is
responsible for, such as carpets and window frames, they’ll likely have to cover the cost of
repairs.

One of the most common causes of damp is condensation. To prevent this, it’s important to keep homes well-heated and well-ventilated, but for a lot of people this will be trickier to do given the colder weather and higher heating costs. You may be eligible for help to insulate and heat your home, and should visit our website to find out more.

On our website we also have advice on things that can make damp worse and may impact the landlord taking responsibility for repairs. These include drying clothes on heaters or blocking air vents.

If your landlord is responsible for the damp in your property but doesn’t act, there are steps you can take, such as reporting them to the local authority. If you’re in social housing you might also be able to use the landlord’s formal complaints procedure. There is more information about this on our website. If it reaches the point where you want to get out of a fixed term tenancy agreement early, do speak to an adviser first, as there might be better ways to approach the issue.

* Contact your local Citizens Advice or call our Adviceline on 0800 144 8848 for personalised support.