Visitor levy Bill to go through Welsh Government

* How well would a visitor levy go down in the tourist town of Llangollen?

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:

• 75p per person per night for people staying in hostels and on campsite pitches.
• £1.25 per person per night for those staying in all other accommodation types. 

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.”

Town's Christmas tree is lifted into place ready for the festival

* The lifting operation begins ...

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.      

* The team gets the tree upright ...

* It's inched into place ...

* Adjustments are made ...

* Final fixing takes place and the job is finished.

Plan for Llangollen tourist development goes out to consultation

* 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.

The plan by Ledbury-based Herefordshire Dwellings Ltd, is to use the site of what they describe as a “failed” leisure development in the same location for their development.

* A plan of the site with Berwyn Street on the left.

 

They say the scheme will provide high quality, sustainable and premium accommodation, with the houses clad in black stained larch to match the neighbouring landscape.

 

Emphasising the development’s “green” credentials a design brief made available as part of the consultation process says the properties will feature thick insulation, air source heat pumps and solar arrays with battery back-up to reduce electricity use. A waste treatment and septic tank system would also be installed.

 

The developers add that the site layout, with enhancements to existing trees and planting on site, aims to ensure “minimal” impact of the scheme from Berwyn Street and from the towpath across the river.

 

The houses would be assembled off-site using a modular method to cut construction time from 18 to nine months.

 

The design brief claims £1.46m would be spent with local contractors during the scheme with the creation of 26 part and full-time jobs. Once under management seven part and full-time jobs would be created to run the site long term.  

 

The developers also claim the finished scheme, which would come with parking, would bring 4,500 visitors a year into Llangollen and they estimate that £1.144m would be spent with local businesses.    

 

In a letter to people living around the site, who have until December 20 to let the developers know their views on the plan, Andrew Brundan of Herefordshire Dwellings Ltd says: “We are a relatively young pair of developers who hope to create jobs in the town and boost the local economy by attracting tourists to the area with high-quality self-catering accommodation.

 

“We feel  the scheme is well designed to blend into the beautiful valley in which it sits.”   

 

* The design brief can be seen at: EIRIANFA   

Denbighshire facing £2.8 million budget overspend

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/

Ten people rescued following landslide in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, says report

As part of its general report about flooding as a result of Storm Bert. ITV Wales News is reporting this evening that five adults and five children had to be rescued from a house in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, near Llangollen following a landslide earlier today (Saturday).

* For the full story, see: Power cuts, flooding and travel disruption as Storm Bert batters UK | ITV News

New look for Llangollen Inner Wheel’s Christmas fundraiser

* Ukrainian pianist Anna Romanenko plays at last year's inner Wheel Christmas event.

The Inner Wheel of Llangollen have a new venue and format for their Christmas fundraising event.

For many years, the club has hosted the Christmas Cheer event on the second Saturday in December at the Town Hall. 

This year, they have decided it’s time for a change and the event will be a Festive Tea Party at St Collen’s Community Hall on Sunday, December 15, at 2.30pm.

There will be a Christmas afternoon tea with all the traditional fare, including sandwiches, sausage rolls, mince pies and Christmas cake. 

Tickets are £15 and, as well as the food, there will be a free glass of sparkling wine or a soft drink.

The entertainment will be provided by popular music hall artist, Philip Robinson, and members of the Llangollen Pantomime Society. 

The  event will end with the usual carol singing, led by Gethin Davies.

A club spokesperson said: "We hope to welcome old and new friends to this traditional social gathering. All proceeds from the event will help provide funds for a range of Inner Wheel charities. 

"Tickets can be obtained from any member of the Inner Wheel Club or by phoning 01978 861643."

Natural Resources Wales issues weekend flood alert

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is urging people to be alert for flooding this weekend as Storm Bert is expected to bring heavy, persistent rain and strong winds across Wales on Saturday (23 Nov) and into Sunday (24 Nov).  

Large swathes of Wales are expected to experience heavy rain, which could lead to surface water issues and cause rivers to rise rapidly – particularly as recent snowfall melts quickly. 

A yellow Met Office warning for rain is in place for most of Wales from 6am on Saturday until 6am on Sunday. A yellow wind warning is also in place spanning the North West and West Wales coastlines between 5am and 7pm on Saturday.  

NRW’s incident response teams are working with other emergency responders and local authorities, checking flood defences are in good working order and making preparations to help keep people and property safe.  

People are being urged to consider any steps they may need to take now to be prepared, and to take extra care if you need to travel this weekend: 

• Register for NRW’s free flood warning service at naturalresources.wales/flooding or by calling Floodline on0345 988 1188. 

• Check the flood warning pages on NRW’s website for local Flood Alerts and Flood Warnings. These pages are updated every 15mins. 

• Think about how you can prepare your home and business now. Move valuables and vehicles to a higher location and think about packing a flood kit. NRW’s website has a range of information on how people can prepare for flooding. 

NRW will issue Flood Alerts and Warnings if rivers reach trigger levels with our teams monitoring levels 24 hours a day.   

Flood alerts mean that flooding is possible, flood warnings mean that flooding is expected, and severe flood warnings mean that there is a threat to life and significant disruption is expected. 

Katie Davies, NRW’s Duty Tactical Manager, said: 

“The predicted heavy rain and strong winds from Storm Bert, coupled with snowmelt is likely to cause disruption across Wales this weekend. – We’re advising people to keep up to date with flood alerts and warnings issued in their areas. 

“Making sure you know what the situation is like where you live is really important. You can check your flood risk and the latest flood alerts and warnings on our website which is refreshed every 15 minutes. Keep an eye on @NatResWales on X (formerly Twitter) for the latest information, and listen to weather reports and local news for details of any disruption in your area. 

“Our teams will be doing all they can to reduce the risk for communities, but if there is flooding we want to make sure people are doing all they can to keep themselves safe too. We urge people to keep away from swollen rivers, and not to drive or to walk through flood water – it is often deeper than it looks and contain hidden hazards.” 

Flood alerts and flood warnings are updated on the Natural Resources Wales website every 15 minutes. 

Information and updates are also available by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188. 

As well as checking flood risk and signing up for warnings, people can also check our 5-day flood forecast for the local authority areas across Wales, and find practical advice on how to prepare for flooding, such as moving treasured possessions upstairs and having key items like important documents and medication easily to hand in a flood kit.