Latest local roadworks alert from one.network is:
|
B5103 From Junction Of A5t To Junction With A542
Horseshoe Pass Road, Llangollen, Denbighshire 16 January - 17
January Delays
likely - Diversion route Name:
Diversion Location:
Access Road To Chain Bridge Hotel Description:
Streetworks / License - Streetworks Responsibility
for event: Denbighshire County Council Current
status: Planned |
Electric bin lorries have joined Denbighshire County Council’s growing non-fossil fuel powered fleet.
Two new Dennis Eagle e-Collect bin lorries have been purchased following a trial run in 2020 of the model around Rhyl, Prestayn and Ruthin with staff from Waste and Recycling.
The council
declared a Climate Change and Ecological Emergency in July 2019 and committed to becoming a Net Carbon Zero and Ecologically Positive authority by
2030.
Part of this work is growing the number of non-fossil fuel vehicles used by the council.
Examples of these currently in use are taxis, an electric mini bus used in the
Ruthin area, a mobile observatory van and EV ATV used by countryside staff, EV
vans used for goods transport by different services and EV cars supporting
social services staff.
Staff are
currently familiarising themselves with the new lorries and how they can
perform for the service. The vehicles will be brought into service before
March.
Cllr Barry
Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We are working hard
to reduce the miles produced by fossil fuels in our county by council staff and
the public to tackle climate change
“The initial
trial of the Dennis Eagle e-Collect went extremely well, it showed us that
after a shift there was battery capacity left and that it was safer and
comfortable for the staff.
“Above all
these two vehicles are another important part in the chain to reduce our fleet
carbon emissions and I look forward to seeing them enter service soon."
.png)
The team behind the scheme to improve links between the four famous ‘highways’ that run through the heart of the town explained the £1.25m plan to an online local audience yesterday (Thursday) evening.
Following a successful application to the UK Government’s Levelling Up
Fund (LUF) Denbighshire County Council aims to enhance the public spaces that
connect Llangollen Canal, the old Ruabon to Barmouth Railway line, the River
Dee and A5 Holyhead Road.
As the first phase of a public consultation
exercise four members of the project team – the council’s project managers Sian
Lloyd Price and Kimberley Mason along with design expert Daniel Smith and
landscape specialist Chris Brinnington from consultancy firm Burroughs & The Urbanists - held three separate half-hour Microsoft Teams sessions yesterday.
The first for local residents attracted around 10 participants, about
four businesses were at the second and the third, for everyone else, was
attended solely by llanblogger’s Phil Robinson.
The aims of the sessions, according to the team, were to Introduce themselves, give an update on what had been
done so far and detail the next steps.
Total budget
for the project, which has received substantial help from Levelling Up, is
around £1.25m and work is expected to be completed by March of 2024, they said.
They also
pointed out that this was a new project and not an extension of the Castle
Street works or any other on-going developments in Llangollen.
It is based
on an initial concept design developed several years ago, which includes lots
of ideas but is not a final design or plan, giving flexibility around what its
final appearance.
Although no
work has yet started, site information gathering has commenced, including conversations
with landowners and technical specialists to understand what may be possible at
each of the sites involved.
The team
explained that there will be public realm improvements covering a total of 960
square meters within the area around the Wharf, the Railway and Lower Dee Mill
Park.
Improvements
near the Wharf will include seating and signage along with aiming for better
access, which might mean improvements to the steep flight of steps up from the Abbey
Road side.
At Lower Dee
Mill Park, which the team said feedback from the public has shown to be an under-used
natural asset, the proposal is to provide new seating with, potentially, “other
activities such as play,” they explained. There will also be new signage.
Another aim
is to improve signage around the station area.
The team
stressed that details of the project’s design have not yet been finalised,
adding that “nothing is off the table”.
Residents,
businesses and other interested parties are being invited to share their ideas,
either online, in person or in writing
A face-to-face
meeting in the town centre with project managers is due to be confirmed in the
next couple of weeks for those unable to attend the online sessions.
A questionnaire
will be launched on Denbighshire’s engagement portal, County Conversations, and
will also be available from Llangollen Library from next week. This will be
promoted on our social media and information regarding the consultation will be
also displayed on a poster to be distributed around Llangollen from next week.
* Anyone with further questions, comments or concerns are asked to email Kimberley Mason and Sian Lloyd Price, Project Managers, at: fourgreathighways@denbighshire.gov.uk
Latest roadworks alert from the county council are:
OUTSIDE NUMBER 11 & 9 WILLOW STREET until 18/01/2023 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure
Outside 5 CHURCH STREET 20/02/2023 22/02/2023 Gwaith Trydanol / Electrical Works QUARTZELEC (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure
A Plaid Cymru MS has taken aim at the Welsh Government for axing a community hospital in Llangollen.
Llyr Gruffydd, who represents North Wales in the
Senedd, told Health Minister Eluned Morgan that the controversial closure of a
network of community hospitals in the region is “contributing” to the acute
crisis in the NHS.
The Minister has come under fire after the Welsh
Government told health boards that some patients may need be sent home from
hospital without care packages in place as demand for bed space soared.
In response to intense pressure to get to grips
with the crisis, which has resulted in ambulances sitting outside of A&E
for hours and incredibly low morale among staff, she announced that the Welsh
Government has secured an additional 500 community beds for step-down care.
In a speech on the floor of the Senedd, Llyr
Gruffydd criticised the Welsh Government for closing community hospitals in
Flint, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Prestatyn, and Llangollen and argued that it was now
trying to “recreate and rebuild” capacity that it had lost.
He told Senedd members that the Welsh Government
had been “warned” that it would “regret” closing the hospitals, and asked if
the Minister accepted that doing so was a “mistake”.
The closures, which were part of a shake up by
Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board, were fiercely protested by local communities at
the time.
In response Eluned Morgan said that the community
hospitals were “very expensive to run”.
Llyr Gruffydd MS said: “You say in your statement,
Minister, that 12% of bed capacity in the NHS is now full as a result of
delayed discharges, and in response to that, of course, you say that you've
secured an additional 500 community beds for step-down care. Clearly, that is
to be welcomed. It would be good to hear where they are.
“As a Member in north Wales, I would be interested
in hearing how many of those are in north Wales. But of course, we had a
network of community hospitals that used to provide exactly this step-down
service across Wales. That capacity was lost—the capacity that you are now
trying to recreate and rebuild—when community hospitals were closed in Flint,
Blaenau Ffestiniog, Prestatyn, Llangollen, and so on.
“A number of us warned you at the time that you
would regret doing that, because there's always a need for that step-down
provision within the system, or—as we're currently seeing—the system is going
to have blockages and we're going to end up with a situation where 12% of the
bed capacity has suffered as a result of delayed discharges.
“So, do you accept that it was a mistake to close
those community hospitals, particularly those across north Wales? Do you regret
that that happened? Because there's no doubt that that's contributing at least
in part to the crisis that general hospitals are now facing.”
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."
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/
