One day reduction for Ruthin and Denbigh recycling park opening

The Council has announced that both Ruthin and Denbigh recycling parks will close one day a week each from April 2019, as part of cost cutting measures being introduced by the authority.

The proposals were amongst a £5.6 million package of efficiencies recently approved by the Council.

The Denbigh Recycling Park will close every Thursday but will remain open for the rest of the week. Householders needing to the use facilities at a Recycling Park on a Thursday can visit their nearest recycling park in Ruthin or in Rhyl.

The Ruthin Recycling Park will be closed every Friday but will stay open for the remaining six days of the week.

Councillor Brian Jones, Cabinet Lead Member for Highways, Planning and Sustainable Travel, said: “The budget position means that we have needed to look very closely at everything that we do and some difficult decisions are now needing to be made.

“We have looked at our recycling park operations and have agreed to close both Ruthin and Denbigh for one day a week. The closures will be on different days and on the days that will traditionally be the quietest for that particular location. However, both locations will be open for the remaining six days of the week (including the weekend days when all recycling parks tend to be busier).  The new way of working should not affect residents too greatly, as other facilities will be available in the county.

The opening days of the Rhyl recycling park are not affected.

Signage informing residents of the changes will be placed at both the Denbigh and Ruthin recycling parks in March to help residents plan their visits around the new opening times from April.

Details on recycling in Denbighshire can be found on the Council’s website: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/recycling

Council Tax matters

We have agreed the budget for the next financial year.

Councillors have agreed that council tax levels should increase by 6.35% in the next financial year.  This will address current financial pressures in Children’s and Education Services, social care, highways and environment.

The 6.35% equates to an additional £72.24 a year for a Band D property, or £1.52 a week.

Savings of £5.6 million were identified by services directly and these have been found through a wide range of cuts and efficiencies in functions that support the Council, with the services offered directly to the public being protected as much as possible.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance, said: “It is our duty as councillors to make sure that the budget balances at the end of the financial year and the uncertainty over the levels of settlements in recent years has made our jobs a lot harder.

“Significant real terms funding reductions to local councils in Wales have continued whilst costs continue to grow. Schools and social care represent the most significant elements of the Council’s budget and the costs of these is growing beyond the resources available.

“While the Council will always endeavour to be more efficient to save money, given savings of over £35m have been made in the last six years, it is no longer possible to address the funding gap through efficiency savings alone and a careful balance between service savings and local taxation has to be struck.

“The Council also expects to need to find £7 million in savings in 2020 and £4.5 million the following year.  That means that tough decisions are needing to be made and further cuts are predicted over the coming years. However, we are making a commitment to continue to provide the best services possible for the residents of Denbighshire."

Cleaning up West Rhyl’s community

Efforts to clean up the streets of West Rhyl are paying dividends.

The Council, working with its partners, had previously identified 10 locations in this part of the town where fly-tipping was a concern.

The rubbish ranged from bagged household waste, mattresses, sofas, chairs and other household items and furniture.  People were also putting out bags of rubbish, often including food waste, well before their refuse was due to be collected. This often attracted seagulls who ripped bags open, looking for food.

The Council has worked closely with property owners, residents and businesses to understand the issues behind the fly-tipping, to educate the public about the anti-social effects of fly-tipping and to provide larger bins for those individuals that needed it.

As a result, the area has seen a dramatic improvement, with the number of hot-spots reduced to one.

Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing, Regulation and the Environment, said: “We are delighted that the on-going efforts in Rhyl is working well. We are seeing a marked improvement in how the local community looks and feels and people seem to be taking more of a pride in how their property looks.  Our education efforts seem to be working.

“However, we continue to have properties or individuals here who think it’s acceptable to fly-tip and the message is still not getting through.  If we come across examples of people fly-tipping, we look through the rubbish to see whether any information that identifies the culprits.  

“We will continue to work with our partners to help improve the quality of life for residents and to clean up the town’s streets. With significant developments going on along the seafront and work progressing with the Rhyl Masterplan consultation, it essential that the close working relationship in West Rhyl changes perceptions and make living there a positive experience for residents."

Of course, fly-tipping happens in other parts of the county. This incident at Graianrhyd near Llanarmon yn Iâl saw a load of agricultural waste dumped on a bridleway, much to the annoyance of local residents.

If you see people fly-tipping, please report it to 01824 706000, providing as many details as possible of the offenders. You can also report a problem through the Council’s website: www.denbighshire.gov.uk.

 

No tolerance approach to abuse against council staff

The Council will not tolerate abusive behaviour towards its staff – that’s the message after two civil enforcement officers were subjected to abusive behaviour during an incident in Ruthin.

Officers had identified a vehicle at St Peter’s Square in Ruthin which did not display a ticket and officers waited five minutes before they could issue a Penalty Charge Notice for £50.  During this time, the vehicle owner made a number of threats against the officers, witnessed by a number of passers-by.

His behaviour persisted, despite the attendance of two Police Community Support Officers.

At Llandudno Magistrates Court the man was fined and ordered to pay costs after pleading guilty to a charge of Breach of the Peace.

Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing, Regulation and the Environment, said: “Neither officer was hurt but suffered verbal threats and intimidation. Officers behaved impeccably in this case. They refused to be diverted from their duty and dealt with the situation in a highly professional manner.

“Civil Enforcement Officers are deployed to all parts of Denbighshire on a daily basis.  They do not, and should not, expect this kind of verbal aggressive behaviour. It will not be tolerated and the Council will take legal steps against individuals acting in this manner."

 

Pupils given chance to create ‘buzzing’ logo

Schoolchildren can create a ‘buzz’ about their work with the chance to design a new logo.

We are offering children aged 5-14 the chance to design the Council’s ‘Bee Friendly’ logo.

Last year the Council was awarded 'Bee Friendly' status from the Welsh Government, a scheme which aims to make Wales a pollinator-friendly country.

The Council is working with schools and community groups to create bee and bug ‘hotels’, reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides and identify sites to improve for pollinators by planting wildflowers and sowing wildflower seeds.

Students are being asked to come up with a simple, eye-catching design to be used on all Bee Friendly sites and in publications and should include a pollinating insect like a bee or butterfly.

Councillor Tony Thomas, the council’s lead member for the Environment, said: “I’d like to wish all those who enter the competition the best of luck and I look forward to seeing the fantastic entries.

“Bees are vitally important to the eco system and as well as pollinating plants in gardens, parks and the wider countryside, they contribute to the wider environment. Denbighshire becoming a Bee Friendly county is part of our work to enhance and protect the county’s environment.”

There are three age categories, 5-7, 7-11 and 11-14 and a winner will be chosen from each category, before an overall winner is selected.

Schools attended by the category winners will be provided with assistance to create a ‘Bee Friendly’ area at their school.

The closing date for the competition is March 14 and to enter, send your designs to Denbighshire Countryside Services’ ‘Bee Friendly’ Logo Design Competition, Liam Blazey, Biodiversity Officer, Loggerheads Country Park, Ruthin Road, Mold, CH7 5LH.

For more information contact Liam on 07787 741763 or via e-mail at liam.blazey@denbighshire.gov.uk.

 

Reading group pilot to be launched in Rhyl

A reading group is being launched to help those living with dementia and their carers.

The Council and the North East Wales Carers Information Service (NEWCIS) are piloting the Read and Remember reading group at Rhyl Library and One Stop Shop.

The Library Services and NEWCIS will be holding the group sessions to encourage reading together, sharing memories and to meet new people in a relaxed atmosphere.

Other work being undertaken by the Library Service includes increasing the range of books of interest to carers, a housebound library service which brings books to people’s homes each month and clinically approved books to help people living with dementia, their families and carers understand the condition.

The reading group will be held on Wednesday, March 6 from 1.30pm at Rhyl Library and if successful more groups could be set up across the county.

For more information contact Rhyl Library on 01745 353814.

Council and advice organisations join forces in anti-poverty work

Efforts to reduce poverty and improve the financial well-being of Denbighshire residents remains a priority for the Council as it awards a new four year contract to Citizens Advice Denbighshire to carry out work on its behalf.

CAD were selected to provide an  independent, confidential and free consumer advice service for Denbighshire residents. This service will be effective in preventing and reducing issues around benefits and tax credits, debt, energy housing, fuel, employment, consumer and family / relationship issues.

The organisation already has a strong track record of working in Denbighshire, having delivered a benefits service after cuts were made to the service offered by the Council.

CAD will provide a specialist welfare service, looking at all aspects of the benefits available to residents. They will provide support to individuals with benefit reviews and appeals process, will help mitigate any issues arising from Universal Credit and will generally direct people to the correct advice at the right time.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance said: “We’re delighted to have CAD back on board to help with the work of providing a real benefits service, assisting residents to deal with financial concerns and making sure they are aware of all the support and advice that is available to them.

“We have already seen some ground-breaking projects happen in Denbighshire and we look forward to working closely with Citizens Advice Denbighshire, to make sure we build a community that is resilient”.

 

About Working Denbighshire

If you or someone you know is in, or at risk of poverty and would like help to get into or progress at work, we can help by providing support and guidance with:

• Motivation and confidence
• One to one advice and guidance
• Training opportunities
• Volunteering
• CV writing
• Work experience
• Interview techniques
• Applying for jobs
• Personal finances
• Caring responsibilities
• Anything else that is preventing you getting into education, employment or training

Working Denbighshire is our approach to tackling poverty through employment. Our aim is to co-ordinate support that helps people into work, removes barriers into work and gives children the best start in life. We want to reduce poverty by enabling people to access a network of services that supports them in their journey towards employment, and to maintain their position and progress once in employment.

If you or someone you know is 16 or over, in, or at risk of poverty and would like help to get into or progress at work, visit our ‘Help getting into and progressing at work’ webpage to find out how we can help.

Lets work together to tackle problems with seagulls

This year, we are again reminding residents not to feed seagulls.

Seagulls are a common cause of complaint for the Council and are seen as something of a nuisance, predominantly in coastal communities, but also inland.

Now the Council is looking at ways of tackling the issue and will focus its efforts on encouraging residents and visitors not to feed seagulls.

We are also asking businesses in the county involved in the preparation of food to make sure they have adequate bins in place for their rubbish and that these bins are safely secured. We are also asking them to encourage all of their customers to dispose of food in the proper manner and not discard it on the street.

Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and the Environment, said: “We fully recognise that seagulls are part of life in all coastal communities. They have been present for many years and continue to thrive.

"However, we do get regular complaints from residents in coastal communities, as well as some of our communities inland about the dangers posed by seagulls, especially when they are attracted to food.

“There are limited options to the Council as they are a protected species.  We have tried some scare tactics similar to the angry birds and netting/ bunting being provided in some areas and to a degree they have been successful.

“What we need is the public’s support. By not feeding the seagulls and making sure food waste is covered, we can greatly reduce the amount of opportunities for the seagulls to swoop on our town centres”.

Working Together in Rhyl

There has been fantastic progress with the regeneration work in Rhyl so far, we want to build on this by broadening our focus from regeneration alone to include community development. The goal of this community development work is to support residents to shape the future of their community and overcome the persistent factors of deprivation faced. To achieve this we are working together with key public sector partners including Health, Police, Housing and Education.

We are currently in the early stages of organising people and resources to begin this work which will include discussions with people living and working in Rhyl.

We’ll keep you informed of developments over the next few months and look forward to continuing our work to make sure every community in Denbighshire is a place where people can expect to live healthily and safely.

Landlord Offer

Do you have an empty property that's currently not in use?  If so, the Council would like to use your property for 6 months to help a homeless person or family.

Interested?

You will get:

• 6 months' rent in advance
• Deposit
• The council will manage the property for the first 6 months
• Incentive payment at the end of 6 months if the occupant takes over the tenancy
• Ongoing support via our tenancy sustainment and supporting people services
• 'Renting Ready' training will be offered to tenants

We will support the people we re-house in your property. After 6 months, we would like for the people that we have placed in your property, to enter into a 6 month assured shorthold tenancy with you. This will give you a chance to get to know the people before they become your tenants.   At the same time, you will be helping people in need of a home.

If you would like more information, please e-mail homeless.prevention@denbighshire.gov.uk or ring them on 01824 706354.