Ladies Fellowship to hold coffee morning

Llangollen Ladies Fellowship is to hold a coffee morning at the Memorial Hall in Market Street on Tuesday April 23, from 10am-noon.

Town council agrees to seek more information about toilet takeover

* Fate in the balance: the public toilets in Market Street, Llangollen.

Llangollen Town Council members have voted to seek further information about taking over the running of the public toilets in Market Street from the county council.

Denbighshire plans to divest itself of almost all its public conveniences - including the one in Llangollen - to help balance its budget.

This has so far sparked a storm of local protest, with the area's Senedd Member Ken Skates, North Wales Tourism SEO Jim Jones and former GP Dr Rhys Davies among those backing the fight to save the toilets.

County chiefs are hoping that the running of some of the toilets can be taken over by town or community councils.

And Llangollen Town Council discussed the issue at its monthly meeting tonight (Tuesday).

In a report to members beforehand, town clerk Gareth Thomas said: “The town council must be cognisant of the financial implications that transfer of the facilities as initial figures indicate that the current public conveniences run at a loss in excess of £23,000.

“Should the town council be minded to consider an asset transfer then clearly these costs would have to be passed on to the precept [the amount added to the local council tax specifically to finance the town council] and would put additional pressure on local council taxpayers in that there would not be any reciprocal saving reflected in the county council’s charges.”

At the meeting, which was attended by a dozen members of the public a number of whome strongly opposed the loss of the Market Street toilets, the town clerk said: “We have to be mindful of the effects a takeover of the toilets would have on our budgets, bearing in mind the £23,000 deficit they have. We would have to increase our precept to cover this cost.

“If we are going to go down this road we will need independent expert advice. All in all, we need to approach this very carefully.”

Former mayor, Cllr Jon Haddy, said: “We are in the dark as to the financial situation. Unless we have all the relevant information we are not in a position to proceed.”

The deputy mayor, who had earlier made it clear that agrees with people who said the toilets needed to be retained, said: “This needs to be done on our terms.”

Cllr Katherine Susanthan said: “We don’t want to take on an asset that may be a money pit. I suggest that town clerk should look at the kind of grant assistance that may be available to us if we do decide to take them on. It is also important that the public feel their voices have been heard on this very important issue.”

Members agreed to authorise the town clerk to contact the county council’s principal catering and cleaning manager to enter into an “open exchange of information” for future consideration by the town council.

One member of the public present who argued strongly against the loss of the toilets was Rod Holt who also handed in a petition to the town clerk containing 144 names calling for them to be retained.

He also pressed for a public meeting on the issue to be held at the Town Hall, chaired by the mayor and attended by county councillors and officers to answer a series of questions he wants to raise about the proposal.

The town clerk said a meeting could be held but stressed that county officials could only be invited and did not have to come.

In her update on the situation Llangollen county councillor Karen Edwards stressed: “The retention of the public toilets has to be a top priority.”

She added that was still awaiting the analytical report on the situation she had requested from county officers some weeks ago.

Update on Bridge End facelift work

The Denbighshire Free Press is reporting that a Llangollen pub has confirmed it will remain closed for four-months as it undergoes refurbishment.

Owned by Robinsons Brewery and Country Village Inns LTD, the company will be investing over £1.5 million into the Bridge End.

* For the full story see: https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/24255096.llangollen-bridge-end-pub-receives-1-5m-refurbishment/

Kia Sorento: big car which handles like a small one

Kia Sorento drive by Steve Rogers

Take a look at the Sorento, a giant of a car but with small car manners.

Seven seater SUVs have become a rarity, too often the third row best suited for children, but here is one that can seat seven adults in relative comfort.

There is no sitting with knees tucked under the chin; here legroom in the back row is more than adequate, and you do not need to be a contortionist to get in and out.

The second row powers forward leaving enough room to get in, and a touch of a button does the same for ease of exit.

So that's it then, job done for this seven seater. Not quite, there is a lot more to this Sorento than a couple of extra seats.

Sorento was a big car even before the fourth generation model hit the road. At 4810mm (15ft9in) it grew 10mm in length but gained extra cabin space from a longer wheelbase. Sounds like a recipe for slack, sloppy handling except it is anything but.

This is where the small car manners come in because it does not drive like a cumbersome old school SUV. Body roll is not eliminated but kept under control as long as the driver is not over enthusiastic, Handling is impressive on twisting roads where you might expect things to get a little unruly. Ride quality is top notch as well no matter what pot holed road is being tackled.

Kia has had plenty of time to get the make up of the fourth generation model right and covered all bases.

Crucially the technology was updated so there is no delay when files are selected from the central 10.5in touch screen. If a driver wants to keep eyes trained on the road then voice control is a quick and easy option for changing radio stations or selecting an address through the navigation system.

If you share my views on heating controls then you will be pleased to hear that everything is neatly laid out with swithces rather than fiddling with the touch screen.

Likewise the driver has a clearly laid out digital binnacle with enough information to fill an encyclodpedia but let me reassure you that this is not info overload because everything is easily accessed using steering wheel buttons.

With a choice of just two models the entry Vision gets a generous kit list so expect such luxuries as heated seats front and back, heated steering wheel, auto dipping LED headlights, power operated front seats and tailgate opening. Third row passengers are not left out with heating conrols and the latest mobile charging ports which are also scattered around the cabin.

The Sorento has a sizeable boot as a five seater and with the second row folded flat becomes cavernous with all but two metres of length. I easily transported a single bed, in fact there is so much space two adults could comfortably sleep on a thin mattress.

New to the model is plug-in hybrid, a 13.8kWh battery providing 35 miles of electric driving. Not as much as the 50 claimed by Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav4, or the 60 promised by Skoda for the new Kodiaq, but you do get the full 35.

It does mean short journeys can be covered on electric power but once spent the 1.6 litre turbo engine kicks in providing spirited acceleration through the six speed auto box. With all wheel drive there are modes for mud, snow and sand driving.

Keeping the battery topped up (just under four hours for a full charge) boosts economy to what seems like improbable heights but it will be mainly engine power on a long drive where a good ball park is stick to sixty and get 40mpg. It worked for me on a 340 mile round trip where Sorento returned 43mpg.

Is £51,000 good value for this plug-in Sorento? Post Covid has seen car prices rocket and sadly this is the going rate. Honda and Toyota rivals are around the same price but the Kia has the two extra seats and it is well equipped with a full suite of safety features so my verdict is yes.

But there is good news if buying new. The fourth generation model is getting a mid term facelift with a wide screen style dashboard display and restyled vertifcal headlights. The price of the base diesel model has been reduced by £3,030 to £41,995 and the range is increased to three models.

Fast facts

Sorento Vision PHEV AWD

£51,525

1.6 T-GDI; 262bhp

0-62mph 8.7secs; 120mph

176mpg combined

38g/km. 1st tax £10 then £190

Boot: 604-1988 litres

Insurance group 32

Repair Cafe to host get-together for helpers this Saturday

A get-together for anyone interested in helping in any way with the Llangollen Repair Cafe will be held this Saturday at St Collen’s Community Hall, off Regent Street, starting at 11am.

An organiser said: “It’s for people who have already volunteered and anyone who wants to know more. You don't have to be able to fix things, but of course if you can, we need you.

“We’re also looking for anyone that can make drinks, talk to people, input data or do admin, meet and greet people, organise things, or be around to sort out little practical things.

“If you don't have any skills or experience, come along and gain some. It’s great for your CV and will build your confidence.

“We are all going to be equal and work together to make this happen. This is a community venture to help each other, save money and help the environment.

“Come and find out what, when and how this will work. All are welcome and I guarantee you have value to us.”

PCSO Karl says 'let me entertain you' at the Town Hall this Friday

* PCSO Karl Joseph as Robbie Williams.

Limited tickets are now available to see popular Llangollen PCSO Karl Joseph swap one type of beat for another when he takes the stage at Llangollen Town Hall this Friday.  

Karl, who last year impressed Queen front-man Adam Lambert, Canadian Superstar Shania Twain and soul sensation Beverley Knight, will be supporting a highly-acclaimed Robbie Williams tribute act endorsed by the man himself. 

The event is the latest in the Live in Llangollen Town Hall fundraising gigs to raise money for the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.  

Karl Joseph, who serves with North Wales Police, is a familiar face across Llangollen and is fondly nicknamed "the Laughing Policeman".  

As well as providing a reassuring police presence on his beat in Llangollen he also loves to knock out the odd song.  

This time last year he appeared on ITV’s Starstruck with his own tribute to Robbie Williams.  

Karl cites his influences as Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and many of today's Country Music stars.  

He is also a massive fan of Bryan Adams, who will himself be singing at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod on Tuesday June 18.

Karl said: “I can’t wait to take the stage at our splendid Town Hall this Friday. I love my job patrolling the streets of Llangollen but anyone who knows me will tell you how passionate I am about performing.  

"That’s why swapping to the Town Hall stage from the streets of Llangollen is so great. I’ll be performing a mixture of Rock, Country, Pop and Indie songs, from the 70's through to modern songs. I can’t wait to entertain you.” 

Also performing will be Mike Andrews - “Robbie To the MAX’ – a highly acclaimed tribute act.  

Mike, from Denbigh, is one of the most accurate Robbie tributes currently available in the UK and is the only one in the world to be endorsed by Robbie Williams.

The show covers all of Robbie’s hits, starting off with some of his earlier hits like as Let Me Entertain You and Millennium and continuing all the way through to his more recent hits such as Love My Life, Candy and many more. 

Robbie to the MAX with support from Karl Joseph is on Friday, April 19 from 7.30pm.   

* Tickets priced £10 are available from Llangollen Tourist Information Centre on Regent Street, Llangollen or from https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/events/live-april/ Please use promo code LIVE24 to remove the booking fee.  

Limited tickets will be available on the door on the night.

Clerk outlines implications of town council taking over public toilets

Town councillors are being advised by their clerk to give careful consideration to all the implications of taking over Llangollen’s public toilets in Market Street before making any decision on the issue.

Denbighshire County Council plans to divest itself of almost all its public conveniences - including the one in Market Street - to help balance its budget.

This has so far sparked a storm of local protest, with the area's Senedd Member Ken Skates, North Wales Tourism SEO Jim Jones and former GP Dr Rhys Davies among those backing the fight to save the toilets.

County chiefs are hoping that the running of some of the toilets can be taken over by town or community councils.

And Llangollen Town Council is due to discuss the issue at its monthly meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) evening.

In a report to members, town clerk Gareth Thomas says: “The Town Council must be cognisant of the financial implications that transfer of the facilities as initial figures indicate that the current public conveniences run at a loss in excess of £23,000.

“Should the Town Council be minded to consider an asset transfer then clearly these costs would have to be passed on to the precept and would put additional pressure on local council taxpayers in that there would not be any reciprocal saving reflected in the County Council’s charges.”

Mr Thomas suggests councillors pay particular attention to the position regarding the existing three staff, and whether legislation that protects employees, and their benefits when their employment changes hands would apply.

He adds: “These factors would have to be clearly defined as there would be considerable implications of taking on staff contracts and responsibilities, including training, management, and compliance with employment regulations and pension arrangements.

“In relation to the regular maintenance and management of the building structure a complete breakdown of all the current and historical operating costs will be required to provide a detailed analysis of the projected costs necessary to determine the budget required for ongoing maintenance and operation.

“The decision to agree to an asset transfer of the public toilets in Llangollen requires careful consideration of various factors, including financial viability, operational implications, community impact, legal and regulatory compliance, and long-term planning for the management and maintenance of the public toilets, considering factors such as population growth, changing demographics, and evolving community needs.”

And in his recommendation he says: “If Members are minded to consider the transfer of this asset to the Town Council, they authorises the Town Clerk to contact the County Council’s Principal Catering and Cleaning Manager to enter into an open exchange of information, as outlined in this report, for future consideration by the Town Council.”

Tomorrow’s town council meeting is online at https://msteams.link/G7VO and starts at 6pm.

* Meanwhile, organisers of the popular Old Railway Trail parkrun have written to county council chief executive Graham Boase outlining the impact on its runners if the toilets are lost.     

Co-event directors Dr Michael Clarke and Mike Edwards say in their email: “Our parkrun has taken place since the 17th June, 2023 and last Saturday’s was our 43rd event since we launched.

“We regularly get a hundred or so runners attending (105 last Saturday) and at our launch event we had 249 attendees.

“So as Event Directors Michael Clarke and I together with our Core Team of Volunteers are extremely concerned about the proposal to possibly close the Public Conveniences in Llangollen. 

“You will appreciate that participants attending our Community Event need to use toilet facilities. We currently direct them to park and use Denbighshire Council’s available facilities at Market Street. 

“We would therefore ask you to ensure the Council are aware of our concern about this proposal and it’s likely impact on an extremely important Community Event which enhances the health and wellbeing of participants whether they are local volunteers, walkers, joggers or runners from wherever they visit.”

Graham Boase replied: "Thank you for your email and for the excellent work you and colleagues do in regard to the parkrun in Llangollen.  I’m also glad to hear that you receive excellent support from Dave Shield and our Countryside Team. 

"I understand your concerns regarding the potential closure of the public conveniences in Llangollen.  I can confirm that no decision has, as yet, been taken as we are still considering all options.

"I have forwarded your email to Paul Jackson the relevant senior manager regarding this matter."