A message from the Leader and Chief Executive

Hello everyone,

We hope that you, your families and loved ones are safe and well as we continue to live through the Covid-19 pandemic.

We’re writing today to thank and pay tribute to all of our staff, residents and volunteers who have been working so hard to see us through the biggest social and public health crisis in our lifetimes.

At the start of the Covid lockdown in the United Kingdom, as our services and the businesses of Denbighshire shut down for what ended up being a period of months rather than weeks, our entire operations as a Council turned to focus on keeping our residents safe, protecting our most vulnerable, supporting our businesses and communities and keeping our most vital services running.

Many of our staff switched to our community calling scheme, phoning everyone on the Welsh Government’s shielding list, plus many other older or more vulnerable residents, checking to see if they were okay and offering help with shopping and collection of medications, which local voluntary groups were able to provide. Many others took up other roles that were way outside of their normal jobs, such as working in social care or helping us to source Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for front line workers, and administering and paying grants to businesses. Many other members of staff simply continued to do their jobs, both at the front line and working from their home offices, all focussed on doing what our Council does best – supporting our residents and communities. As the lockdown began to ease, we set up the test, trace and protect (TTP) service, initially with volunteers within the Council and the service continues to perform well. We are really proud of what the Council has achieved, during the spring/ summer lockdown, the recent firebreak and all throughout this period. I would like to thank them, and recognise, all their hard work, whatever their role.

We would also like to thank those of you in our communities who stepped up too to help our more vulnerable residents. Existing community groups stepped forward to help people who were self-isolating with shopping and other essential help and support, including food banks and food parcels. Many of our residents volunteered to help - a big success, and one we would like to continue is our telephone befriending service, where volunteers, including some of our elected members and staff, gave up their own time to reach out to those isolated by Covid. We have had really positive feedback about our community work and we are very happy that we have been able to make a difference.

Sadly, we are not yet at the end of the pandemic and it seems there is still some way to go; however, it isn’t too early to think about what our Council might look like on the ‘other side’. Important priorities for us will be helping our businesses and communities to recover and in learning lessons from how we responded to Covid, looking at how we can work more closely with and alongside our communities and residents. We’ve also learnt that many of us can work in a completely different and more flexible way, and this will fit well alongside our forthcoming Climate Change Strategy, where we will set out how the Council will tackle this important subject and preserve the beauty of our County for generations to come.

We will end by thanking you all once again and wishing you, however you spend it, a peaceful Christmas and New Year, and the hope that that New Year will bring an end to the Covid pandemic

 Hugh Evans OBE - Leader / Judith Greenhalgh - Chief Executive      

Christmas and New Year Information

For information about our services over the Christmas and New Year period, please visit our website.

Denbighshire supports White Ribbon Day

Two Denbighshire landmarks were lit up in November in aid of ending violence against women.

Denbighshire Leisure Ltd lit up the Rhyl Pavilion and Rhyl Sky Tower in white for the Council in support of White Ribbon Day, the international day for the eradication of violence against women.

White Ribbon Day was held on Wednesday, November 25, and the landmarks were lit as part of the Council’s work to raise awareness of and to reduce domestic violence.

Jamie Groves, Managing Director of Denbighshire Leisure Ltd, said: “Supporting Denbighshire County Council in their work against domestic abuse is hugely important to us as a company. We are proud to light up our fantastic facilities for White Ribbon Day and to wholeheartedly provide our support for this life changing campaign.”

Councillor Mark Young, the Council’s lead member for Planning, Public Protection and Safer Communities, said: “Ending domestic abuse is one of the Council’s priorities in our Corporate Plan and as such we were pleased to support the White Ribbon Day by lighting these Denbighshire landmarks to raise awareness.

“Denbighshire is proud to support the wearing of the white ribbon, which stands for never taking part in, condoning or staying silent about violence against women.

“On White Ribbon Day, men were encouraged to wear the white ribbon to support and highlight that pledge.”

White Ribbon Day works to raise awareness of violence against women, encouraging men to support women’s groups and raise awareness in schools and workplaces, of violence against women.

The Council is developing a county-wide approach to reducing domestic abuse against women and men as part of its Corporate Plan as well as supporting the North Wales strategy to tackle all aspects of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Councillor Young added: “Work is now under way to raise awareness of domestic abuse with staff and service users; providing training and development for staff to recognise the signs of domestic abuse and support for children affected by domestic abuse. This project is expected to span the next two years and aims to contribute to the reduction of domestic abuse across the county.”

Open Space Commuted Sums 2020-2021

Applications for commuted sums are now open. The closing date for applications is 12:00 (midday) on Friday 29 January 2021.

A Commuted Sum is a payment by developers to a local authority when it is not appropriate to provide the required outdoor open space during a development. The funds are held specifically for the enhancement of open spaces and play areas, and are used for the same town or community council from where they came.

The Open Space Commuted Sums fund guidelines, application forms and further information are available on our website: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/commutedsums

The amount of funding available, and in which areas is listed below:

Bodelwyddan	£2,542
Cynwyd	£2,890
Trefnant	£800
Llangollen	£16,673
Rhewl	£10,223
Llanferres	£1,249
Rhyl	£31,004
Denbigh	£46,789
Ruthin	£3,729
Prestatyn	£16,351
Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd	£27,687

Those interested in applying can request individual telephone or videoconferencing appointments with the Community Development Team to discuss projects in more depth.

Please contact communitydevelopment@denbighshire.gov.uk  for more information.

Rural residents urged to apply for funding for improved broadband speed

Rural residents and businesses in Denbighshire are being remind to apply for funding towards the cost of installing gigabit broadband.

The Welsh and UK governments are now working together on the Gigabit Broadband Voucher scheme which covers part of the cost of installing new gigabit-capable internet connections.

Under the new partnership £7,000 is available for small-to-medium sized businesses and up to £3,000 is available for residential premises.

Gigabit-capable broadband connections offer the fastest and most reliable speeds available, and the scheme is open to rural premises with broadband speeds of less than 100Mbps.

Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, Leader of the Council and Lead Member for the Economy, said: “This scheme will help ensure more people and businesses have access to reliable broadband speeds. I urge all those Denbighshire residents in rural locations without decent broadband to check to see if they are eligible for these vouchers.

“Connecting communities is a priority for the Council under our Corporate Plan and improved internet connections ensure our communities have access to goods and services and help the county’s businesses provide services online.

“It is possible for residents or community groups to work together on applications and the Council is working to advise and assist them with their applications.”

The Council has also employed a digital officer to assist residents with their connectivity issues free of charge as part of its work to create connected communities.

As well as offering the Gigabit Broadband Voucher scheme, the Welsh Government funded Fibre Roll-out will see a total of 1,862 extra premises in Denbighshire enabled for Fibre To The Premise (FTTP) connection by June 2022 and Openreach has already enabled 201 premises in the county.

If you are concerned about your internet connection or would like to discuss the options available, you can contact the Council’s digital officer via communitydevelopment@denbighshire.gov.uk and to check eligibility for the Gigabit Broadband Voucher visit https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk

New Community Development Team newsletter and mailing list

The Community Development Team work across Denbighshire supporting communities to develop local projects, identify funding opportunities and connect those who are working towards similar goals.

Within the last year they have provided support to over 200 groups/community projects.

The team have developed a newsletter which will be updated regularly allowing them to tell you more about what the team has been up to and what is happening in communities across Denbighshire. They will also be sharing the latest community development news including upcoming funding opportunities, events and key dates/guidance to help you plan ahead.

Don’t miss out! Follow the instructions below to subscribe and receive all of the latest community development news and newsletters straight to your inbox.

We would like to keep in touch with you about future community development related events/workshops, funding news and information that we think you may find useful.

If you are happy for us to do so, please register to subscribe to the Council's Community Development Team’s mailing list by sending an e-mail to the address below, with the following information:

• Name
• Name of community group/organisation (if relevant)
• Preferred email address
• Language preference (Welsh/English)

You will be able to unsubscribe from the community development mailing list at any time by emailing them at: communitydevelopment@denbighshire.gov.uk .

A copy of the Council's privacy notice can be found online.

Replacement Local Development Plan Update

The best laid plans……..!!!

Progress on the replacement Local Development Plan (LDP) has not escaped the impact of Covid-19 but rest assured work is continuing. There will be a delay to the original timetable for getting the replacement LDP to adoption but the Council will keep you informed of every step along the way.

Covid-19 has impacted on the way we all live our lives and the Council needs to make sure that the LDP responds to this. Additional work is needed on things like how many and what type of new homes we may need, how much land for offices and other businesses and what role our town centres will have in the future.

The Council will have to revise the timetable, known as the Delivery Agreement, for preparing the replacement LDP. This will happen when there is a clearer idea of when the LDP can be progressed, and it will be consulted upon.

Many residents are interested in which candidate sites may be taken forward into the final plan. No recommendations have yet been made on any of the sites and this is not likely to happen for at least the next 6 months. This is frustrating for the Council as well as residents but it is important to be honest about the likely time frame.

The current LDP 2006 – 2021 will continue to be used past the end date of 2021. This will ensure that there are local policies in place to assess planning applications against until the replacement LDP is adopted.

All consultation stages will be well publicised but the best way of making sure that you stay in touch with what is happening with the LDP is to ask to be included on the LDP database. You can do this by emailing planningpolicy@denbighshire.gov.uk or by writing to LDP Team, PO Box 62, Ruthin, LL15 9AZ.

Additional funding secured to help Denbighshire residents with Rent to Own scheme

An extra £5million has been secured for an assisted home ownership scheme in Denbighshire.

The Council administers the Rent to Own grant for Welsh Government, a scheme which supports applicants who do not have the minimum five per cent deposit to buy a home, but are otherwise able to access a mortgage.

The scheme in Denbighshire, which is operated through Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), was initially allocated £1.8m over a three-year period between 2018 – 2021 and due to the success of the scheme in the county, an additional £5.8m has been secured from Welsh Government.

The funding is used by RSLs to build new homes specifically for the Rent to Own Scheme and currently includes new build sites in Rhyl, Rhuddlan, Meliden, St Asaph, Denbigh and Llanfair DC.

Councillorr Tony Thomas, the Council’s Lead Member for Housing and Communities, said: “Rent to Own provides a fantastic opportunity for Denbighshire residents to get on the housing ladder and contributes to our priority of providing homes that meet the needs of our residents.

“Securing an extra £5.8m to develop the scheme shows what a success this has been in the county and will make a real difference to the number of houses that can be created.

“The Council is also continuing to work with RSLs and private developers to ensure there is suitable affordable housing in the county, as well as progressing with our own programme of building council homes.”

Applicants rent one of the new build properties and after a period of up to five years they buy the property, with 25 per cent of the rent paid being returned to the applicant as a deposit for the home. 

The scheme has proved very popular in Denbighshire with a total of 99 new build properties being made available between 2018 and 2022.

These properties are in addition to properties secured for affordable or social housing through the planning process and also complements the 24 council houses being built on land above Tan y Sgubor, Denbigh, the first new council homes to be designed and built for the Denbighshire area in 30 years.

A total of 139 affordable homes were also provided in the county by private developers and RSLs including Cartrefi Conwy, Grŵp Cynefin, Clwyd Alyn and Wales & West between April 2019 and March 2020.

As part of the Rent to Own scheme there are two bedroom and three bedroom properties available under the scheme, applicants need to have a household income of between £18,000 to £60,000 to be eligible.

Those interested in the scheme should contact Tai Teg on 03456 015 605 or info@taiteg.org.uk. 

Carers Charter

The Council has launched its Carers Charter. The charter, produced in consultation with local adult and young carers and Denbighshire Carer’s Strategy Group, sets out the Council’s commitment to carers.

It sets out the Council’s pledge for carers to have the right to be treated with courtesy, respect and dignity as well the right to an individual assessment for the needs of the carer to be identified separately from the person for whom they are caring, as well giving carers a voice.

Councillor Bobby Feeley, the Council’s Lead Member for Well-being and Independence, said: “Carers play a pivotal role in our society and the Council values the important contribution unpaid carers play as part of our workforce, services and communities.

“This charter is our public statement of commitment to carers and we hope local businesses, third sector and community organisations will sign up and make copies available in their workspaces and offices to ensure the role of informal unpaid, carers are recognised and respected.

“It sets out the rights for adult carers and for carers under 18, recognising they are children and young people first and to be fully supported through their education.”

Across Wales 370,000 people are carers, supporting a loved one who is older, disabled or seriously ill, with 11,600 of those in Denbighshire.

As part of its Corporate Plan, the Council has committed to supporting carers by improving the services that exist and ensuring young, young adult, parent and adult carers are aware of the support available to them.

The Council has produced an information leaflet with North East Wales Carers Information Service (NEWCIS) to provide carers with a range of information.

You can find the Carers Charter on our website.

Keep well keep warm this winter

With the arrival of winter, we are urging people to be a good neighbour and keep an eye on the elderly and vulnerable.

Councillor Bobby Feeley, Cabinet Lead Member for Well-being and Independence, said: “We are asking people to take care of our most vulnerable by keeping an eye on them and making sure they are safe and well.

“If people have neighbours, friends or relatives that are unwell, they are encouraged to visit, making sure they have everything they need and to offer with any daily tasks such as shopping. It is also important to check they are eating properly and keeping their property warm.

“You may be the only visitor they will have so it is a question of being kind and considerate. The severe weather is getting closer and is likely to last for another two to three days, so we want to make sure people do not feel vulnerable or isolated.

“Showing care and compassion towards the elderly or vulnerable will really make a difference to their quality of life”.

“This message is very poignant at this time of day, especially around Christmas when it can be a lonely time for those living on their own.

If you have any concerns about a vulnerable person, please call the Single Point of Access, on 0300 456 1000, or for out of hours, the Emergency Duty Team, on 0345 0533116. 

Council reminds residents of self-isolation support payments

The Council is reminding the county’s residents that have been contacted by NHS Wales Test, Trace and Protect service (TTP) and told to self-isolate that they may be entitled to financial support from a package announced by Welsh Government.

The Self-Isolation Support payment is being administered by local authorities and the application process has now been implemented.

People are entitled to a Self-Isolation Payment of £500 if they meet all of the following criteria:

• They have been told to self-isolate by NHS Wales, Test, Trace, Protect service (TTP) on or after 23 October 2020
• They are employed or self-employed
• They cannot work from home and will lose income as a result
• They or your partner are currently receiving at least one of the following benefits:
  • Universal Credit
  • Working Tax Credit
  • Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
  • Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Housing Benefit
  • Pension Credit

A discretionary payment of £500 may be available if people meet all of the following criteria:

• You have been told to self-isolate by NHS Wales, Test, Trace, Protect service (TTP) on or after 23 October 2020
• You are employed or self-employed
• You cannot work from home and will lose income as a result
• You or your partner do not currently receive:
  • Universal Credit
  • Working Tax Credit
  • income-based Employment and Support Allowance
  • income-based Job Seekers Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Housing Benefit
  • Pension Credit
• You will face financial hardship as a result of not being able to work while you are self- isolating.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance and Assets, said: “We fully recognise that some people will have suffered financial hardship as a result of the covid restrictions and worrying about finances only adds to people’s concerns.

“The Isolation Payment has been made available by Welsh Government to assist those that have suffered financially and the scheme is open until the New Year. The Council has published the information on its website, on social media and through the local press, in the hope that people who may be eligible come forward to apply."

The Council is responsible for administering the scheme in Denbighshire and information on the criteria, as well as how to apply and the application forms themselves are available on the Council’s website and we would encourage people to take a look and consider whether they are eligible for the payments.

To apply, please visit the Council’s website.

Marine Lake retains its Green Flag status

Rhyl’s Marine Lake has retained its Community Green Flag Award for the ninth consecutive year and is one of seven locations in Denbighshire to be honoured this year.

The Marine Lake Users’ Forum (MLUF) has been successful in retaining the international award which recognises sites that promote health and wellbeing, are safe, clean and have good management processes in place for biodiversity and landscape with an emphasis on community involvement.

To celebrate their success MLUF invited the Mayor of Rhyl, Cllr Ellie Chard to officially raise the new flag.

Chairman Bill Newton said ‘’Achieving Green Flag Wales status has been a team effort, it is all thanks to our team of volunteers and Denbighshire County Council who own the site’’.

Councillor Tony Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Housing and Communities, said: “The Marine Lake is a fabulous attraction for Rhyl. The volunteers at the Marine Lake Users   Forum put in many hours to keep this asset in good condition and the Award of the Green Flag justifies their efforts. Many people use the area to exercise daily and keeping fit both physically and mentally is so important these days. It is great that this scenic area is so well looked after.’’

There were a number of other successful projects in Denbighshire:

• Ffrith Common Land, Prestatyn
• Woodlands Skills Centre, Bodfari.
• Maes Derwen Communal Garden, Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd
• Maes Ysgawen, Llanferres
• Llanferres Playing Fields.