The Daily Post was reporting just before 2pm today (Tuesday) that A stretch of the A5 has been closed after a vehicle overturned, sparking major traffic jams on the A483. Traffic officers have warned motorists to expect delays.
The crash is affecting traffic between the A483 (Halton Roundabout, Halton) and B5070 Chirk Road (Gledrid Roundabout, Chirk). There is also congestion around Chirk as motorists seek alternative routes.
Member of the Senedd Ken Skates has slammed Barclays after the company confirmed that the only surviving bank branch in his constituency will close this summer.
He has accused the banking giant of not being honest about its future and promised to raise the issue with the Welsh Government as a matter of urgency.
The Clwyd South MS has previously criticised high street banks and the
UK Government for ‘opening the floodgates’ for the raft of closures in Wales –
with his constituency among the worst affected.
And this week Mr Skates accused Barclays of not being honest about its
intentions after it announced its Llangollen branch would shut on July 7.
He said: “The news that yet another high street bank has turned its back
on customers in our area is as unsurprising as it is disappointing.
“Over the years Barclays has repeatedly refused to guarantee the
long-term future of the Llangollen branch, so we knew this was coming at some
point despite the company’s insistence there were no plans to close it and
despite the best efforts of local people.
“The timing of the announcement was telling, too - just before the
Easter weekend when many people go away. People are right to be angry.”
Mr Skates added: “The floodgates were opened when the UK Government
scrapped an agreement with the banking sector which made it compulsory for the
last branch in a community to stay open. It has proved to be disastrous for
communities like ours, as the big banks wasted little time in cutting costs and
shutting down valued local branches in order to maximise profits.”
During his time as Economy Minister, Mr Skates launched plans for a
Community Bank of Wales to bring branches back into local communities.
This week he said: “It’s becoming clearer every day that people who want
to bank in-branch just can’t rely on the high street chains. I will raise this
matter urgently with the Welsh Government and urge them to do everything possible
to accelerate the rollout of the community bank, which will be the first of its
kind anywhere in the UK.”
Audi Q5 Sportback drive by Steve Rogers
The SUV has become the nation’s favourite choice of
car but the boxy shape can be a bit of a turn off.
Some companies have decided to spice them up, trimming
the roof line to give a sharp coupe look.
What do you think of this one? It’s an Audi Q5
Sportback which is a Q5 but with a roof that has had some pretty drastic
surgery. Actually the Sportback has been given a new body which is a tiny bit
longer and a tiny bit lower at the mid point than its sibling. Face on the cars
look identical but there are a couple of subtle changes for Sportback, notably
the grille design, which is a sort of mesh effect, along with redesigned air
intakes.
The first thing that occurred to me, viewing the car
side on, was a serious lack of headroom in the back given that swooping
roofline. Not the case at all. I am about average height but still had 13cm of
headroom, that’s five inches to us old ‘uns, so unless you need to carry the
likes of six foot whatever Peter Crouch (he’s the lanky footballer) then there
is no need to fret.
Boot space is compromised but not by much. Ten litres
less than Q5 with the back seats up and 40 litres less with the seats down
which is no more than a medium sized bag. You will have noticed the use of the
word ‘less’ so are we going to be paying less for Sportback? Nope, less is
going to cost more to the tune of £2,450. Sorry to burst your bubble.
That aside, Q5 Sportback is a seriously nice car.
Let’s look at driving first. It’s an Audi with quattro drive so it is bound to
handle well, and this car handles very well, one of the best in its class. Be
careful because it gives the feeling of invincibility barely putting a tyre
tread out of line in the tightest of quick corners and that is before switching
to the sports setting.
This holds on to the revs under hard acceleration,
weights up the steering and stiffens the dampers but not by a lot, and at any
rate the car feels so secure in the standard setting it is hardly worth the
bother.
Performance is brisk
thanks to the S tronic seven speed automatic gearbox where changes are
super fast although Audi has missed a trick by going for a 12 volt hybrid
electric motor rather than a 48 volt which is becoming the norm and provides
more punch when accelerating in the mid range.
Running costs are likely to be heavy because drivers
will be luck to get more than 30mpg and that is with a fairly light foot on the
fast pedal.
Let’s get back to an area where Audi always excels. I
have been saying for decades that no one in the premium class trims a car to
Audi standard and I stand by that but the finishes are all very dark and
although everything looks neat and orderly it is not as plush as the Genesis
GV70 reviewed last month.
Nearly a decade ago Audi raised eyebrows with a
radical dashboard layout. Instead of the traditional two clock binnacle the
driver looks at a 12.3in high resolution LCD colour screen that can display a
number of combinations and with Google Earth sat nav filling the whole screen.
It started a trend that others followed and is still a
standout feature. The wide screen infotainment centre dominates the dashboard
but it is a shame Audi has ditched the rotary controller although the
touchscreen responds instantly and the definition is as good as it gets. At
least the heating controls are arranged in a neat strip with good old fashioned
switches.
So to the big question. Is it worth spending an extra
two and a half grand for a sloping roof? You could put the money to a couple of
worthwhile packages to spec up your Q5, or you could spend it on a holiday. I’d
go for the holiday.
Fast facts
Q5 Sportback 45 Edition 1 TFSI quattro
£56,705 (starts £47,875)
2-litre; 250bhp
0-62mph 6.1secs; 149mph
32.5mpg combined
197g/km. 1st year tax £1,565
Boot: 510-1480 litres
Insurance group 40
Towing capacity 2,400kg
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Llangollen International Eisteddfod's executive producer Camilla King has given an update on the debate which has been going on about its motto.
The motto "byd gwyn" comes from the first part of a verse composed by Welsh language poet, T. Gwynn Jones.
In the verse, the "byd gwyn" refers to "blessed world" but the literal translation in English is "white world".
When it was revealed the Eisteddfod was considering changing this for fear it might be misinterpreted as racist, a storm blew up amongst some of the festival's supporters which has raged on for weeks, with many writing to the Board expressing either their opposition or support for any change.
But in an email to Eisteddfod supporters sent out last night Ms King says: "Having considered the public response at length, the Board has voted to continue using T. Gwynn Jones’ motto.
"However, we are committed to a public discussion in the future, to ensure that the Eisteddfod motto is reflective of the world we live in today and the world we want to live in tomorrow.
"In discussing our approach to language as an organisation, and developing a new Welsh Language Policy, which we will be sharing soon, we believe it is only right to consider many different voices, and to question how language continues to evolve.
"We would like to thank those who have contributed constructively to this meaningful discussion; arguments have been made very powerfully both for keeping the Eisteddfod’s motto, and for commissioning new poetry.
"To ensure clarity of meaning to our audiences across the globe, the Welsh and English language versions of the motto will appear alongside each other wherever possible.
"Our focus now is on delivering an Eisteddfod which will bring together communities from around the world, in a joyful celebration of the power of music and dance to create understanding and harmony."
* Ken Skates MS chats with Ukrainian mum and daughter Natali and Alise about some of the issues they have faced since fleeing Kharkiv.
A Member of the Senedd said he was proud of the 'magnificent' efforts of volunteers to welcome Ukrainian refugees to the Ceiriog Valley.
Ken Skates, MS for Clwyd South, met some of those who had fled their homeland and settled in rural Wrexham at Glyn Ceiriog’s Christian Centre last week, where they have their weekly English classes.
He said: “It was a pleasure to meet our guests, and incredibly humbling. It’s fantastic to see how they have settled into life in the Ceiriog Valley and the efforts of the local volunteers have been magnificent. It makes me extremely proud to represent our area.”
The class Mr Skates joined has been run by volunteer tutors since last summer to supplement the refugees’ ESOL lessons (English for Speakers of Other Languages) at Coleg Cambria.
He said: “The network of help which has been created in the valley is amazing. The guests have not only been given a very warm welcome, but crucial, tangible and practical support too. So many people have helped, and residents have also donated their own time, expertise and a great deal of furniture and household items to refurbish and fully furnish a neglected empty property in Dolywern for one of the families to live in.”
Local businesswoman Jools Payne, who started the volunteer group, said: “The amazing support our Ukrainian friends have received stretches the length and breadth of the Ceiriog Valley. From hosts who have opened their homes, to local hospitality venues offering employment opportunities, to countless small acts of kindness that have helped them navigate their new life and language.
“It has been heart-warming. A volunteer described the valley as providing our guests with ‘a soft landing pad and a warm cwtch’. Equally, they have given us much in return, enriching our lives with their culture, warmth and humour.”
Earlier in the week, Mr Skates asked Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt how the Welsh Government is helping refugees from Ukraine to seek sanctuary in Wales. He was told the ‘Team Wales’ approach – working in partnership with councils and third sector organisations – has led to more than 6,500 being welcomed so far.
The Minister added: “As part of our 2023-24 budget, we're investing a further £40m in our humanitarian response.”
Mr Skates also expressed his concerns that cuts by the UK Government could have an impact.
Mr Skates said: “We know that local services are essential in ensuring that our guests feel welcome and secure here in Wales. I was pleased to see the additional money that the Welsh Government is providing for local authorities to deliver these essential public services including, of course, the continuation of free public transport.
“Have you any updates at all from UK Government Ministers providing clarity on what funding they will now be providing to support Ukrainian people here in Wales?”
Ms Hutt told the Senedd: “It is important that we made that commitment, that £40m package of funding. We made that commitment in consultation with our local authority partners, who have been so crucial – and the third sector – in delivering support for Ukrainian refugees in Wales.
“We're awaiting clarity from the UK Government in relation to funding. They’ve announced a £150m homelessness prevention fund, but we haven't heard what the allocation for Wales will be. I have written to seek urgent clarity on this. We need to see what our share will be, because the UK Government has cut the Year 2 integration tariff. So we lost £29m in that decision alone.”
The Welsh Government has also extended hosting payments into refugees’ second year after arrival and increased ‘thank you’ payments to hosts to £500.
Universal Primary Free School Meals are to be rolled out to Year 2 pupils in Denbighshire, following the Easter break.
In December 2021 Welsh Government (WG) announced plans to offer free meals to all primary school pupils. The phased delivery approach will see all primary pupils offered free school meals by 2024.
Since September 2022, the Universal Primary Free School Meals (UPFSM) offer in Denbighshire has been successfully rolled out to Reception and Year 1. The UPFSM offer will be rolled out to Year 2 pupils in Denbighshire from the 17th of April, 2023.
The authority recently gathered feedback from parents and carers of Reception and Year 1 pupils on their experiences of the UPFSM offer in Denbighshire. The results were extremely positive, with 70% of feedback received being comments of support and highlighting the benefits of the scheme for Denbighshire families.
A second allocation of £1.2 million of funding has been received from Welsh Government to support the roll out of UPFSM across Denbighshire. Further refurbishment works have been undertaken within school kitchens during the Christmas break and February half term. More refurbishment works are scheduled for the Easter break in preparation for the next stage of the rollout.
From the start of the Summer term, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils in Denbighshire schools will be asked on a daily basis whether or not they would like to access a school meal. They will be able to opt in or out without having to pre book and the meal will be provided free of charge.
Further information will be available on the Denbighshire website www.denbighshire.gov.uk/education. If pupils are already in receipt of free school meals and/or any other associated benefits, these will not be affected.
Gill German, Lead member for Education Children and Families said: “I am hugely supportive of the introduction of Universal Free School Meals for primary age pupils in Wales and I am so pleased that our rollout in Denbighshire is progressing so well.
"Every child of Reception age in Denbighshire has been able to enjoy a free school meal since September, and back in January, we were delighted to also be able to offer a free meal to every child in Year 1 ahead of our original schedule.
"A nutritious meal at lunchtime is essential to a child’s learning and development and ensures that every child can be well fed throughout the school day. It is fantastic news that the Authority will be able to extend the rollout of the Universal Primary Free School Meal offer."
Significant further refurbishment works to both kitchen and dining facilities are scheduled for completion throughout the Summer break, with a focus on ensuring that all Denbighshire Primary schools are able to deliver UPFSM to years 3 & 4 from September 2023.
