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Cytun - Churches Together in Llangollen - says it wishes everyone a very happy Christmas season and welcomes you to any of its churches' Christmas celebrations.
Details of its various services can be found on the churches' individual websites or at the churches themselves.
Llangollen Museum is one of only two projects in Wales to receive a share of the UK government’s Community Ownership Fund.
It has been awarded £146,580 to undergo essential renovations to make it available for future generations to enjoy.
Once completed, the building will reopen as a museum and art gallery offering a range of educational programmes for schools and educational institutions.
Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes described the award as "very good news for the museum and for Llangollen."
A UK Government’s Levelling Up funded (LUF) project to further develop the Wenffrwd Nature Reserve has completed the construction of a path to connect the reserve to Llangollen Canal towpath.
During the first round of LUF, the Council was
successful in its joint application with Wrexham County Borough Council for the
Clwyd South Constituency, which was supported by Simon Baynes MP. Denbighshire
secured £3.8 million to invest in the communities of Llangollen, Llantysilio,
Corwen and surrounding areas.
Visitors can now benefit from safer access to the
World Heritage Site and surrounding countryside, including the Panorama walk
and Eglwyseg, which was previously only accessible by crossing a main road.
The new path zig zags up the canal embankment from
the woodland in Wenffrwd and is suitable for pedestrians, bikes, and mobility
scooters that are designed for the countryside. The nature reserve is
also linked to Llangollen along the new track on the disused railway line which
starts at Llangollen Health Centre.
The work was carried out by OBR Construction, and
was completed in November, 2023.
Cllr Win Mullen-James, Lead Member for Local
Development and Planning, said: “I am delighted to see that the new path
connecting the Wenffrwd Nature Reserve has now been completed, providing a
safer and more convenient route for visitors to and from the reserve.
“I am also pleased to hear that an Old Railway
Trail Park Run has been established and is regularly seeing around 100
participants as well as 15 – 20 volunteers taking part each week. This is a
fantastic initiative that has transpired as a result of the great work being
done at help improve this wonderful World Heritage Site.”
Cllr Jason McLellan, Council Leader and Lead Member
for Economic Growth and Tackling Deprivation, said: “It’s great to see that
improvement works at Wenffrwd Nature Reserve are progressing and that this
stage of the project has now been completed.
“The area already boasts a number of walking routes
with fantastic views across the River Dee and Eglwyseg that are popular with
both locals and tourists. The works taking place as part of this project will
help to enhance the Wenffrwd Nature Reserve for all who visit.”
Further Levelling Up funded work to be done at
Wenffrwd Nature Reserve includes building some child-friendly cycle challenges
adjacent to the paths, and improving the appearance and functionality of the
old compound, with a view to being able to hold community activities here in
the future. The estimated timescale for these works is March 2024.
* You can find out more about this project on the Denbighshire County Council website: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/community-and-living/community-development/levelling-up-fund/wenffrwd/wenffrwd.aspx
Latest information for Llangollen people from the South Denbighshire Community Partnership is:
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They followed his cortege - which included a motorcycle sidecar hearse - as it made its way along the A5 and through Llangollen to the funeral at Pentrebychan Crematorium.
The family had asked on social media for as many bikers to attend his final ride as possible.
* A full tribute to Mr Thomas appeared in the Denbighshire Free Press: Corwen man killed in crash in Llangollen will ‘never be forgotten’ | Denbighshire Free Press
* County Hall in Ruthin.
Denbighshire County Council faces a funding gap of almost £18m after receiving its 2024/25 provisional funding settlement from Welsh Government yesterday (Wednesday).
And its finance leader warns this will have to be bridged through savings and efficiencies, increasing charges for services, increases in Council Tax or by reducing or cutting services
The government announcement indicates Denbighshire’s
budget will go up by £6.7 million in cash terms, an increase of 3.6% for the
forthcoming financial year, compared with the current year 2023/24.
The latest estimate is that delivering day to day services which range from providing care to the most vulnerable in our communities, maintaining our roads, collection of household waste and provision of education to our learners in the county’s schools, in 2024/25 will cost an additional £24.5m compared with this year.
This is due to increases in demand
for services and the ongoing impact that high levels of inflation continue to
have on the costs of delivering services.
Council Leader, Councillor Jason McLellan,
said “The Council has been developing its budget for the next financial year
for many months. An increase of 3% in funding from Welsh Government had been
used in forecasts to date, whilst the increase above our planning assumption is
welcomed and is positive, it does not materially change the unprecedented
financial challenge we face. All options to reduce costs across the authority
continue to be explored.”
Councillor Gwyneth Ellis, Lead Member for
Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets, added, “Challenging times lie ahead
for us as a Council as we, like local authorities throughout Wales, face
unprecedented continuing pressure on our budget due to rising costs and a
sustained increase in demand for services.
“Despite an expected increase in funding of £6.7m (3.6%) by Welsh Government, this still leaves a funding gap of £17.8m. The settlement is not sufficient to meet the cost pressures we are facing. Like Local Authorities across Wales, the Council has a statutory duty to set a balanced budget and must do so through finding savings and efficiencies, increasing charges for services, increases in Council Tax or by reducing or cutting services."
Denbighshire County Council’s cabinet has approved the proposal to reduce library and One Stop Shop opening hours by 40%, together with associated savings in other parts of the service, to make an expected saving of £360,000.
Following a strong response to the public consultation which saw over 4,500 residents voicing their opinions, the council amended the original proposal.
The revised proposal has taken account of the consultation responses and has adapted the proposed opening hours to ensure that more libraries are open to accommodate children after school and that most libraries are able to continue to open on Saturday mornings, says the council.
No Denbighshire libraries will have to close their doors, and all of them will remain partially open so that key services can continue to be available for residents, albeit at a reduced rate.
The financial challenge currently faced by the council is "unprecedented", and all services will be required to deliver significant savings to meet that challenge.
It is estimated that delivering day to day services – including social services, waste collection and schools, will cost an extra £24.5m due to price increases, inflation, and pressure on demand.
Council officers will now work with Library staff, unions and stakeholders to implement this decision.
Councillor Emrys Wynne, Lead Member for Welsh Language, Culture and Heritage said: “As a Council, we are saddened that we have had to approve this proposal, but this is the harsh reality of the current economic climate that we are facing. This is the hardest proposal I have ever had to bring forward to the Council for consideration and approval as the library service is used by thousands of Denbighshire residents each year.
"Although this decision means cuts in operating hours, it ensures that vital services continue in all Denbighshire libraries and One Stop Shops and that no library has to close its doors. The Council hopes it will be able to return to a full service in future when the economic climate is more favourable.
"This saving proposal is unfortunately one of the many proposals that the Council will have to consider within the next 12 months given the economic climate and budgetary pressures.”
