Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates has said the reopening of Newbridge Road will prove "invaluable" after a frustrating four year wait.
* For the full story, see the Leader at: Newbridge Road reopening will be 'invaluable': Ken Skates | The Leader
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The creation of a new National Park in North East Wales provides an important and timely opportunity to build on all that is best about the existing Designated Landscapes in Wales and maximise the benefits of designation.
That’s the message from the Campaign for National Parks in a
new report focused
on the new National Park plan for North East Wales which includes Llangollen.
It has been produced by the Campaign, which is a registered charity, in conjunction with the Alliance for Welsh Designated Landscapes and a range of supporters including the Friends of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, North Wales Wildlife Trust, the National Trust, Ramblers Cymru, the World Wildlife Fund and the Royal Society for Protection of Birds.
The 27-page report says: “We believe that this new National Park, the first to be designated in Wales for over 60 years, should be an exemplar for nature, climate and people.
“This new National Park can build on the existing model of National Parks, whilst recognising the challenges of today and the opportunities to do some things differently that sets the standard for future designations.”
However, the report adds that delivering this ambition will only be possible if the right supporting framework is in place which supporters believe should include:
· * Increased funding: A commitment to new and ongoing funding at a level which will enable the new National Park to achieve its full potential whilst ensuring that there are no detrimental impacts on the existing Designated Landscapes in Wales.
· * Modernised governance arrangements which ensure that those involved in making decisions about the new National Park are representative of both the local population and the wider population of Wales and have the necessary skills.
· * A single planning authority: A dedicated National Park Authority (NPA) with responsibility for both plan-making and planning decisions across the whole of the newly designated area.
· * An emphasis on species recovery: A programme of support which focuses on reintroducing lost species and reversing the decline of vulnerable ones.
The report's narrative adds: “Whilst we recognise that some of the above will require legislative changes in the longer term, every effort should be made within the existing National Parks framework to achieve as much progress as possible without delaying this designation.
* The report is available on the Campaign for National Parks website here
One of a series of special consultation events being held by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) on the National Park proposals is planned for Llangollen Town Hall on December 10, from 3-7pm.
A game specially with youngsters in mind will be a key feature of this year's Llangollen Christmas Festival which takes place next Saturday, November 30.
Like last year, there will be lots of characters for the players in the Fun Trail to discover displayed in the windows of various businesses around the town.
There will be more windows than ever in the game this year and characters are all cuddly toys.
As some of the shops already display toys, to distinguish Santa Bear's friends from any other toys they'll all be wearing the special Fun Trail badge as modelled by Santa Bear himself in the picture above.
10am
Christmas Market – Approximately 30 Stalls
Market Street - The majority of stallholders will be local crafters
Centenary Square – Local community groups
Outside Tourist Information Centre – Local charity and community groups
Throughout the day - Treasure hunt around town
12am – 5pm
Musical entertainment and morris dancing in Centenary Square
1pm
Christmas Festival Parade, starting at the Pavilion and heading into town along Abbey Road, Castle Street, Bridge Street, Chapel Street, Oak Street and back onto Castle Street stopping outside the Town Hall.
1pm
Town Hall - Open children’s entertainment with Sion Corn’s Grotto, circus school, face painting, balloon sculpture, bouncy play, morris dancing. All free.
5pm
Switching-on of the Christmas lights (Town Council) Fireworks
Festival chair Austin “Chem” Cheminais, said: “Llangollen Christmas Festival is organised by volunteers from the community who freely give their time and expertise to organise and run the event. It is not a Town Council event, although they do support us.
“The festival is a not-for-profit community event aimed at local people. We aim to make the Christmas Festival a totally free event, with no charge for activities or entertainment.
“We are funded through fund raising events, donations, sponsorship, a raffle and grants when available. Annually the group has to raise about £4,000 to fund the event."
Bill to give local authorities the option to introduce a small visitor levy in their area to re-invest in local tourism, is today introduced by Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford.
The Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill proposes that people staying overnight in Wales and enjoying everything the country has to offer will pay a small charge. The money raised will support local tourism activity and infrastructure.
The introduction of the legislation marks the delivery of a key Programme for Government commitment and will help to invest in the future of Wales as all visitors staying overnight would contribute to the preservation of the country’s beauty and heritage.
It would provide local communities the opportunity to generate additional revenues. If all Welsh local authorities choose to introduce a visitor levy, it is estimated it could generate up to £33m a year.
The levy would be set at:
The legislation also includes a requirement to establish and maintain a register of visitor accommodation in Wales, which would – for the first time – provide a register of the broad range of visitor accommodation available across the country.
Local authorities will decide if they want to introduce a levy in their area, based on what is best for their communities. It is estimated the earliest this could happen is 2027 after a local authority has consulted their community.
Visitor levies are used successfully in many parts of the world, including Manchester, Greece, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and California. The funds raised are used to support a healthy visitor economy by protecting and investing in the infrastructure and services guests enjoy.
Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said: “This Bill is rooted in the principle of fairness. We know tourism makes an important contribution to the Welsh economy and to Welsh life. We want to ensure its long-term sustainability.
“That’s why we believe it is fair visitors contribute towards local facilities, helping to fund infrastructure and services integral to their experience. Visitor levies are common around the world, benefiting local communities, tourists and businesses – and we want the same for Wales.
“Money raised through a levy would be retained by local authorities and re-invested back into their local areas to support local, sustainable tourism. It’s a small contribution that could make a big difference.”
A statutory registration scheme for all accommodation providers is expected to start operating in 2026 to support the collection and administration of a visitor levy.
It will include details about who is operating in the sector, where they are operating, and how they are operating, and help establish a better understanding of the sector and support future policy decisions at a local and national level.
Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, WLGA Leader, said: "This Bill will give councils the option to introduce a visitor levy on overnight stays. It’s a way to raise extra funds to support local services and improve amenities that benefit both visitors and the community.
“Each council will decide how to apply the levy based on what’s best for their area, recognising that it may be suitable in some parts of Wales but not in others. Councils will carefully consider local circumstances and ensure residents are consulted before any decisions are made.
“We’re glad to have worked closely with the Welsh Government on this and look forward to seeing the draft legislation in the coming weeks, which will mark an important step forward for Wales' tourism and local economies.”
Llangollen's official tree is now taking pride of place in Centenary Square ready for this Saturday's annual Christmas Festival.
It was finally lowered carefully into its fixing point this morning (Monday) by members of the Tidy Town Team assisted by a crew from Pengwern Hall Farm using special lifting machinery. The exercise was arranged by the Town Council and Christmas Festival Committee.
This was actually the third attempt to put the 18ft tall fir tree in place.
Last Friday morning there was too much snow around the area of Glyn Ceiriog from where it was acquired to bring it safely back to Llangollen.
But following another technical hitch on Saturday it was all systems go this morning and much relief when it was finally put into position.
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* A computer-generated image of how one of the Eirianfa houses would look.
Nearby residents have been asked for their views on a plan to build 22 two-bedroom “eco homes’ for tourist accommodation on land off Berwyn Street in Llangollen.
The developers, who have put out the scheme to local consultation ahead of submitting a formal planning application to the county council, claim the proposed new Eirianfa Country Park, beside the river and close to the closed-down White Water Hotel, would attract up to 4,500 visitors a year and pump over £1m into the local economy.
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Denbighshire’s cabinet have been warned that the council’s services are currently facing a £2.8 million budget overspend.
* For the full story in the Denbighshire Free Press, see: https://www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk/news/24743864.warning-denbighshire-council-2-8m-budget/
