Oakleigh House about to go on market

* Oakleigh House is about to go on the market.

Oakleigh House, the now-empty former mental health resource centre in Abbey Road, Llangollen, is about to go on the market.

Llanblogger has just been contacted by agents Legat Owen’s Chester office to say they have been given the job of selling it off by its owners, the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB).

The company’s director, business space, Stephen Wade, e-mailed us to say: “Just thought you might be interested to note that Legat Owen have been formally instructed to market Oakleigh in Llangollen.

“A brochure, boards and adverts are in the process of being prepared and we expect to start marketing in the next two weeks.

“Planning permission has just been granted for the conversion of the property to a residential dwelling.”

County council records show that permission for change of use of the building from a mental health resource centre to a residential dwelling was granted on November 20.

In September, llanblogger submitted a Freedom of Information request to the health board to try to discover its intentions for the property, which has frequently been mentioned in connection with proposals for a general health shake-up in the area.

Unfortunately, the very guarded responses to our eight questions, did not shed much light on what the board’s intentions were.  

The board did say it was about to put Oakleigh on the market but did not reveal what the asking price might be.

However,it did answer that the cost of security for the property was running at £500 a year. 

See our original FoI request story at http://llanblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/llanblogger-questions-future-of.html

Free advice clinics for community groups on offer

Business Supporting Communities is encouraging community groups to take advantage of their free one-to-one advice clinics in Llangollen later this month.

The Big Lottery funded project, set up by the six North Wales Voluntary Services Councils, will be hosting the free advice and guidance sessions to community groups on November 30.

Community groups will be able to glean insurance advice courtesy of Daulby Read insurance brokers and legal advice courtesy of Gamlins solicitors as part of the forthcoming Denbighshire Voluntary Service Council AGM.

Advisers from Daulby Read will be on hand to provide advice and guidance on topics such as trustee indemnity, liability and abuse, fundraising and fidelity, PR and crisis management as well as health and safety and professional indemnity.

Gamlins’ legal experts can cover subjects like legal structures for charitable organisations, trustees and their duties, asset transfers and leaseholds.

Sarah Thomas, Project Manager at B2C, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for community groups and volunteer organisations to grill experts from Daulby Read and Gamlins on a variety of insurance and legal matters that may affect them.

“As part of our B2C Professionals initiative, both companies are giving up their time and the one to one advice and guidance surgeries are completely free of charge.”

The B2C advice surgeries take place at Llangollen Pavilion on Friday, November 30, as part of Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council’s AGM and Funder’s Fair.

Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

For more details on how to book visit the B2C Project website (www.b2cwales..co.uk) or contact Sarah Barker, B2C Admin Assistant (Conwy & Denbighshire) on 01492 523847 / sarah.barker@b2cwales.co.uk

Llan asked to play part in supporting National Eisteddfod

Llangollen Town Council has been asked to help stimulate local support for next year’s National Eisteddfod.

Two representatives from the eisteddfod attended the council meeting on Tuesday night to give members a presentation on the festival, which will take place in Denbigh for the first time since 2001, between August 3 and 10 at Kilford Farm.

It was explained that a network of local support committees have been set up across Denbighshire to raise cash towards the total of £3.4 million needed to stage the event.

While quite a number of areas are proving successful in their money-spinning efforts, others have raised nothing and do not even have a support group – among them Llangollen. 

And councillors were asked to consider helping to drum up support.

Nick Parry, who chairs the eisteddfod’s finance committee, said: “At the moment Llangollen has been left out of supporting what is Wales’ leading festival, which attracts 160,000 over the course of one week.

“The event will cost £3.4 million next year and Denbighshire has been set a fundraising target of £300,000.

“We have already crossed the £200,000 mark but Llangollen is one of three or four areas with no activity.

“Its target was £6,000 – and Rhyl’s was £13,000 – but both are still untouched with 90 per cent of the other committees up and running.”

He added: “The message has to be that in other areas of the county the eisteddfod has generated community activity, brought local societies together and awakened dormant societies.

“There has also been an important boost where town councils have been a contribution.”

Arwyn Roberts, the eisteddfod’s deputy organiser, said the festival provided the opportunity to welcome thousands of visitors, attracted TV and radio coverage and had been estimated to bring £6.8 million into the local economy.  

He added: “We hope the town council here will encourage a local effort or appeal so that Llangollen can be part of this success.”

Cllr Tim Palmer questioned why Llangollen should lend its support when the National Eisteddfod received half a million pounds in subsidy while the locally-based International Eisteddfod did not do so well for outside financial backing.

The mayor, Cllr Jon Haddy, said he was unaware Llangollen did not have a local support committee and added: “Maybe we can have a word with some local organisations.”

Llan author roots out a jubilee mystery

llanblogger book review

*  Why was Coed Uchaf planted?

It has been said that the beech tree is a symbol for the written word, the innate wisdom contained within it and for ancient learning.

And all can be applied to the latest edition of the book Coed Uchaf by Llangollen author Simon Collinge.

As with the first edition, this centres on a copse of around 100 trees – mainly beech – in the Upper Conwy Valley.

Contained within its 40 pages of stunning, high quality photographs and sparse yet highly descriptive text is the mystery of why the wood, known as Coed Uchaf, came to be planted on a lonely hilltop overlooking the town of Pentrefoelas.

Tradition has it that some individual trees or small clumps of Scots pine – popularly called ‘Charley Trees’ - are the survivors of those planted in Wales after 1745 by supporters of Bonny Prince Charlie to commemorate the Jacobite Rising.

Another tradition is that pine trees were deliberately planted in prominent places in order to mark the line of the ancient routes along which the drovers of old led their cattle out of Wales to the markets in England.

But, appropriately for this year of Elizabeth II’s celebration of 60 years on the throne, the author suggests the answer to the mystery could relate to a jubilee occasion, albeit the jubilee of an earlier monarch.  

In the first edition, he concluded that Coed Uchaf could not have been planted to mark the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 because a 1906 postcard he saw showed trees overlooking Pentrefeolas and, quite simply, he believed Coed Uchaf could not have grown so quickly.  

However, after further research, he discovered beech trees can grow rapidly, at the rate of up to 10 metres in 20 years.

This fact, he believes, makes it distinctly possible the wood was actually established in 1887.

The latest incarnation of Coed Uchaf itself may have only appeared just years ago, but Collinge believes it is one of many small woods whose roots grow deep in the rich soil of our region’s past.

The Upper Conwy valley is rich in history, a key route between England and the North Wales Coast, and some earlier version of Coed Uchaf could have been a lookout post as the Iberians, Celts, Romans, the Medieval Welsh, kings and queens who all passed by.

The author says, quite rightly, that with his book one can “experience the visual power and unique atmosphere and remember the brief moment, when you see a world which has long existed and will remain after you have departed”.

Simon Collinge is a freelance media producer with over 35 years media production and teaching experience.

Assistant director of media at Yale College, Wrexham until 2008, he trained as a graphic designer. and then taught animation, film and TV production, graphic design and photography.

He also works as an educational consultant for Edexcel, ESTYN and Protocol National.

This is the first in a series of projects by him exploring identity and space.

All photographs are available as prints of various sizes.

The book is available from Courtyard Books in Llangollen, hardback at £29, or direct from

http://www.blurb.co.uk/bookstore/detail/3682502, where there is a choice of a cheaper soft cover version at £23.

"Growing concerns" over new waste service, says council

Denbighshire County Council has just issued a statement about problems with the new  x2 waste and recycling service which was introduced in a number of areas including Llangollen this week.

It reads: "Concerns have been growing among members of the public regarding the changes to their waste collection and recycling services but Denbighshire would like to reassure people that the roll out is almost complete.

"Cabinet Lead member for Public Realm, Councillor David Smith. said: 'The expansion of the service is the largest we have ever carried out in one go and we would like to thank people for their patience during this time.

'We know there have been problems in several areas, where deliveries of wheeled bins have not coincided with the new collection timetable and we apologise to anyone who has been inconvenienced in any way by this.

'Our teams are working flat out to rectify any problems as well as finishing off setting up the new service.'

'Some older people are contacting us with concerns about moving the wheeled bins and we are trying to resolve their concerns as quickly as possible. They may be able to get assisted collections and I urge them to contact us. Customer Service Centre 01824 706101 (English) 01824 706100 (Welsh)

'Officers are out now meeting residents of all ages and trying to resolve issues and we are getting to these people as quickly as we can.'

'I would also ask anyone experiencing any problems to contact Denbighshire's Customer Services Centre so their issues can be properly logged and resolved.'"

Avoid travelling says Assembly Member

Heavy rain and high winds across the North have caused mayhem for travellers and people going about their everyday business.

Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru’s Assembly Member for the North, said: “It’s been an awful day of weather and anyone who can avoid travelling should do so.

 

"My thoughts are with those who have been affected by the flooding and let’s hope emergency defences are sufficient to deal with any problems.”

Road impassable due to flooding

The A55 is currently impassable due to flooding between J11 and J12 in both directions. The A5 is also blocked between Llandygai and Bethesda. Due to the heavy rain and winds roads in the surrounding area have also been affected.

Traffic Officers, working with North Wales Police and the North Wales Traffic Management Centre, have closed the A55 between J11 (eastbound) and J18 (westbound) (at the Conwy tunnel). Diversions are being organised by the North& Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency (NMWTRA) - the main diversion route (the A5) is also blocked therefore local routes will undoubtedly become very busy. NMWTRA/North Wales Police are working on this and will be positioned on the A5 at Betws y Coed. North Wales Police are warning the public not to travel unless absolutely necessary and to monitor local radio stations and the Traffic Wales website/information line for updates.