Town councillor's petition aims to save Market Street toilets

* The Market Street public toilets currently under threat.

A Llangollen town councillor is running an online petition opposing the controversial plan by Denbighshire County Council to get rid of the Market Street public toilets. 

As llanblogger has been reporting, the county aims to divest itself of all its public conveniences in a bid to save money. 

One suggestion it has made is that the toilets could be taken on by town or community councils but Llangollen town council has already said this is a non-starter in its case. 

The proposal has caused a storm of protest across the county and particularly in Llangollen. 

Now local town councillor Scott L Felton has started a petition at change.org,  which has so far attracted around 900 of its target 1,000 signatures. 

In the petition introduction he says: “Like most local authorities in Wales, Denbighshire County Council (DCC) has to find savings. It has targeted the entire public toilet asset within the county as, staggeringly, public conveniences are non-statutory. That means they aren't protected by law. They are thus an easy target for an authority with an appalling track record for abuse of the public purse itself.

“Llangollen is well known the world over as a day tripper and longer stay destination. It is home to the world famous International Musical Eisteddfod. The town sits within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is part of the Llangollen Canal World Heritage site.

“It regularly features in the top 5 destinations within Wales in a plethora of polls and surveys. The bulk of the town's economy is tourism based. Despite this, DCC is willing to sacrifice that by closing down the town's (and others elsewhere) public toilets to save some money, part of the losses which are of its own doing. This is barbaric , uncaring, cold, heartless and defies logic.

“DCC has planned to close or otherwise dispose of the county's public toilets by close of 2024.

“Coach operators bring thousands of visitors to the town and drop off aside the toilets, most of whom immediately head there. Disabled, infirm, pregnant visitors etc rely heavily on such a facility. If the toilets close, those thousands of visitors will be dropped off elsewhere and Llangollen's economy will suffer hugely. Who has ever heard of a major tourist destination without public toilets?

“DCC's shoulder-shrug attitude is that visitors will use the private toilets of local businesses and community councils will take over the assets. It beggars belief that any human being could even think this up and actually promote it is a suitable alternative.

“If you've ever visited Llangollen, you will know how precious a jewel this little town is in Wales' crown. Please sign this petition to help force Denbighshire County Council to reverse its decision and keep Llangollen's public toilets open. “

* To see the petition go to: https://www.change.org/p/save-llangollen-s-public-toilets-denbighshire-council-abandon-any-closure-plans

New waste recycling scheme starts today

From today (Monday June 3) Denbighshire County Council is introducing changes to recycling and waste collections, including new containers and weekly collections for recyclable materials. 

Residents on the Trolibocs service will have received a letter outlining their collection dates for the new service, including any changes to the day they will be putting out their recycling. 

If residents are still unsure, there is a link on the website, which once the address is inputted, will provide the updated collection date. The link can be found here.

The council says waste crews will continue to work hard over the weekend to deliver the last few outstanding containers to residents and adds it is confident that all deliveries will be completed. 

If for some reason a resident doesn’t have their container by Monday, June 3, they should continue to use the blue wheelie bin or single use sacks for recycling until they receive their new containers. 

The council has received a large number of calls regarding the new waste changes within the last few days and would like to remind residents that if they have already logged a query about the new waste and recycling containers, there is no need to phone again to follow up, as the query is logged into the system and is being dealt with. This allows the contact centre staff to deal with more queries, more quickly. 

If residents have been unable to get through to the contact centre to log their new waste change query due to busy phone lines, they can fill in the following form here.

Tony Ward, Corporate Director, Environment and Economy, said: “From our waste operatives, through to the contact centre staff, there are a number of teams working incredibly hard to ensure that everything is ready for the roll out of the new service on Monday, including delivering new containers through the weekend in time for the service changes. 

"Separating materials at source will improve the quality of recycling that we collect and will also mean more recyclable materials will remain within the UK and be recycled as new products. As well as helping to reach mandatory waste recycling targets set by the Government, this new waste model will save the council up to half a million pounds per year.

"The council would like to thank residents for their co-operation during this transitionary period and appreciate their patience and understanding.”

Town council intends to co-opt two new members

Llangollen Town Council intends to co-opt two members to fill two vacancies for councillors it currently has.  

The public notice says:

Roadworks alert from Pengwern to Tyn Celyn

Latest local roadworks alert from Causeway one.network is:

Road From Pengwern to Tyn Celyn

03 June - 03 June

 

Delays likely - Diversion route

 

Name: Diversion

 

Location: Road From Pengwern to Tyn Celyn

 

Description: Streetworks / License - Streetworks

 

Responsibility for event: Denbighshire County Council

 

Current status: Planned

 

Eisteddfod's free ticket goldrush leaves scores of happy people

 

        * And they're off! People dash onto the field to begin the treasure hunt.

Scores of local people had fun this morning hunting for golden envelopes containing coveted free tickets to all the evening concerts being held as part of this year’s Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

The big goldrush on the Eisteddfod field began at precisely 10am when scores of people who had been waiting patiently at both main gates were let loose to start frantically combing hedges, outbuildings and the “big tent” itself for 80 golden envelopes hidden earlier by volunteers.

They contained tickets to shows this month and next by everyone from Sir Tom Jones to Kathleen Jenkins and from Simple Minds to Madness.

The first set was discovered within just 20 seconds by a young lady who had the brainwave of looking underneath the first object she spotted inside the town-end gate – a plastic traffic cone – where she saw they had been taped.

This find was followed by a procession of claimants which continued steadily until lunchtime.

People beamed with delight as they discovered that the unique treasure hunt organised by the Eisteddfod team had saved them hundreds of pounds.

In some cases whole families, complete with children and dogs, took part in the proceedings, many staying on the field for hours until they found what they were looking for.  

Eisteddfod vice-chairman John Gambles said: “I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who came along to join in the treasure hunt, making it a huge success.

“It turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable occasion and I was delighted to see many people going away very happy with their tickets to some of our biggest shows this summer.

“It also turned out to be a real community event of the kind we love to encourage at the Eisteddfod.

“I’d also like to thank the team of our volunteers who made the event possible.”

       * The first tickets were found within 20 seconds.

* Another early treasure finder.

* Smiles all round as the tickets turn up.

* A game for all the family.

* The queue of happy claimants.

* The generation game.

* What a great way to spend a morning.

* A jubilant family have their picture taken by an Eisteddfod cameraman.

* Found one at last!

* Keep on looking.

Top women's bike race heads over Horseshoe Pass

* The route of stage 2 of the race, including the Horseshoe Pass on June 7.

The Tour of Britain Bike Race Women 2024 is to come through Llangollen and over the Horseshoe Pass on Friday June 7.

The race’s second stage will start and finish on Chester Street in Wrexham’s city centre and will take in some of the breathtaking scenery in Denbighshire, West Cheshire and Chester, with a further one sprint and two Queen of the Mountains segments along the way.

The peloton will travel north out of Wrexham, crossing into West Cheshire after just 20km, where the route ramps up alongside the Peckforton Hill Range, part of the Mid-Cheshire Ridge.

The route will then cross back into Wrexham, taking in the villages of Bangor-on-Dee and Overton, before the sprint will be decided in Johnstown. The race will then continue along a scenic stretch of the Llangollen Canal.

Riders will have less climbing to contend with on this stage However, big crowds will be expected on the iconic Horseshoe Pass, which arrives at a pivotal point of the stage with around 30km to go.

The ensuing descent will set up a fast run-in to Wrexham for the stage finish to conclude the race’s journey in Wales, passing through Minera and Rhostyllen, before a short hop back over the border to Warrington for stage three.

Stage two will start at 11:15, with riders expected to return to Wrexham for the stage finish at approximately 15:15.

#llangollen #Denbighshire #wrexham #northwales #britishcycling #cycling

Town Council advertises for deputy clerk

Llangollen Town Council is looking for a Deputy Town Clerk. 

The job advert reads:

Position: Deputy Town Clerk (Facilities and Organisation)

Employer: Llangollen Town Council

Hours: Part-time, 24 hours per week

Location: Llangollen, Denbighshire.

Salary: LC 1 (7-12) £24,294 - £26,421 (pro rata).

Llangollen Town Council is a busy local council supporting the town of Llangollen. As well as operating and managing the Town Hall it has responsibility for key heritage assets, open spaces and supports a full programme of local events.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced person to join our dedicated Council team as Deputy Town Clerk (Facilities and Organisation).

As the Deputy Town Clerk you will play a crucial role in supporting the Town Clerk to ensure that the decisions of the Town Council are effectively implemented, particularly in relation to facilities and operations. Your will possess good organisational and administrative skills with experience in facility and events management 

Having the ability to work independently, and as a team player, you will be able to make a positive impact on the local community, whilst working within a collaborative and supportive environment offering professional development opportunities.

Llangollen is a vibrant community that has a wealth of culture, heritage and local talent. It is a magnet for tourists situated as it is in the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site.

Why not join us to continue making Llangollen a better place to live, work, and visit. 

How to Apply:

An application form and further information is available from the Town Clerk, townclerk@llangollentowncouncil.gov.uk or call 01978 861 345 to talk through the details. 

The closing date for applications is 28 June 2024. Interview dates will be advised following receipt of applications, during early July.

www.llangollentowncouncil.gov.uk

Llangollen Town Council is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.