The Council’s catering service were nominated with five other local authorities for the award.

Following recent Cabinet approval, the Council has agreed to sell the authority’s office building in Denbigh to Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, subject to terms being agreed between both parties.

This move will allow the health board to develop a much-needed health and social care hub in the town which will be of significant benefit to the residents of Denbigh and further afield.

Plans for the site are still in development, but the new Hub is likely to include primary care, adult mental health services, a perinatal hub, midwifery service and space for the Community Resource Team.

As well as bringing valuable health and social care services to the town, this new wellbeing hub will offer significant social and economic wellbeing benefits to the area.

Councillor Gwyneth Ellis, Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets at the Council said: “Following an informal tender process a decision has been made to pursue the disposal of the Caledfryn building to the health board, subject to terms being agreed between both parties. It’s great to be able to keep this building in public ownership and even better that it will bring essential services to a local community.

“As part of the Council’s work to identify savings, the decision to close Caledfryn was made in December 2023, and since then, all staff have moved to remaining offices, which has already led to savings for the Council. I’m very much looking forward to seeing a new future for Caledfryn as a hub for the community in Denbigh and the surrounding areas.”

Councillor Elen Heaton, Lead Member for Health and Social Care at Denbighshire County Council said: “There are constant increasing demands on health and social care teams and the work that they carry out in the community is invaluable. This new hub will be a real asset to Denbigh.”

Gareth Evans, BCUHB’s Central IHC director, said: “I’m delighted to now be able to reveal this news, which I believe is extremely positive for people living in and around Denbigh.

“Most of our work takes place in the community, so I believe grabbing the opportunity to move from outdated premises to superior accommodation shows our long-term commitment to providing the services people need, closer to where they live.

“The development would mean we can relocate our teams in Trefeirian and Noddfa, which houses Tim Dyffryn Clwyd, to better, purpose-built accommodation once adaptations have been made.

“We are acutely aware this means Denbigh Men’s Shed will need to find alternative accommodation. We have made contact with the organisation ahead of this announcement and pledged any practical assistance we can give as they search for an alternative venue.

“We will keep all colleagues, partners and the public updated on the progress of the development. Following Ministerial agreement for Welsh Government to fund the purchase and subject to a successful planning application to Denbighshire County Council, the project is expected to be completed in the next financial year.”

The Local Planning Authority will be seeking to validate the recently submitted planning application and would then undertake a statutory consultation process.

The Council is excited to be expanding its Reablement Service in Adult Social Care, which helps residents do ordinary things such as dressing and cooking, by recruiting eight new reablement workers. This forms part of Denbighshire’s transformation to ensure a sustainable Social Care Service for the future, and also helps mitigate some of the financial pressures the Council faces.

The new staff will be supporting people who need a hand to regain the skills to do everyday activities like cooking meals, washing, dressing, moving about the home and going out.

There are a number of reasons why people may need this support, like following a period of illness or a hospital stay. This support can last for as little as one or two weeks, but can be offered for up to six weeks if it is needed.

In addition to this support, the Care and Support Team offer longer term domiciliary support when this is required.

Darylanne, a Senior Care and Support Worker at the Council said: “Our Reablement Service helps people to learn or re-learn the skills necessary to be able to engage in everyday activities, and to be as independent as possible. It is incredibly rewarding to see someone regain their independence and to start living their lives to the fullest.”

Ann Lloyd, Head of Service for Adult Social Care & Homelessness Service said: “Being able to live as they wish in their own homes is vitally important to our residents, and we want to do everything possible to help them with this. With the right support at the right time, we can help residents have a better chance of maintaining their wellbeing, as well as stay independent in their own homes for longer. We are looking for people who want to help residents gain skills, to help them to remain living independently at home, to come and join our team, and discover the rewarding role of caring for those who need our help”.

Councillor Elen Heaton, Lead Member for Health and Social Care said: “Residents who have just arrived home from hospital or treatment often need some support in adjusting back into domestic life, needing help with everyday tasks such as cooking, cleaning or maybe help with doing their shopping. A successful Reablement Worker has good communication skills, empathy and most of all a real commitment for helping those who need it. I’d urge anyone who feels this way to come and join our passionate and caring team.”

The full job description and details of how to apply can be found on our website. 

For an informal chat about these roles, candidates can visit Hafan Deg, War Memorial Court, Grange Road, Rhyl LL18 4BS between 4.30pm - 5.30pm on Thursday throughout January and February.

The Council were recently announced as runners-up in the Ystadau Cymru Awards 2024, following the completion of regeneration works in Corwen town centre.

The awards celebrated projects that displayed excellence in strategic management of the Welsh public sector estate by promoting collaboration and good practice.

The Council were recognised as runners-up for their collaborative works with Cadwyn Clwyd, Llangollen Railway Trust, Corwen Town Council and local members to deliver a range of projects that aimed to support local economic growth, job creation and support the sense of local pride to Corwen.

These projects were a part of a £13 million investment across the Dee Valley funded by the UK Government. The funding, which was secured in 2021 through a joint application between Denbighshire County Council, Wrexham County Borough Council and the Canal and River Trust, seeks to maximise the potential of the post COVID-19 visitor economy in and around the Dee Valley.

£3.8M of this funding was allocated for the investment of 9 projects across the Denbighshire communities of Corwen, Llangollen, Llantysilio and surrounding areas.

These projects included funding for the Llangollen Railway Trust to complete the new Heritage Railway into the town, funding for the social enterprise Cadwyn Adfywio to complete external renovations of the Canolfan Llys Owain building, and a range of public realm improvements delivered to the high street and car park in Corwen.

The public realm improvements consisted of the restoration and replacement of street furniture, a new bus shelter, the installation of ten new EV charging points and the refurbishment of the toilet block in Green Lane car park, which is now under the management of Corwen Town Council.

Officers at the ceremony were presented the award by Jayne Bryant MS, Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government.

Councillor Jason McLellan Leader of the Council, and Lead Member for Economic Growth & Tackling Deprivation said:

“It is really pleasing to see that the hard work of our officers and partners has been recognised for the great work that they have done in Corwen. We worked with a range of partners over the past three years to bring exciting improvements to the local area and would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work throughout the project. I’d also like to thank the community for their cooperation and patience over the last three years during the completion of the project.”

For more information visit our website.

During last weekend’s storm, which saw strong winds and rainy showers, the Council responded to a number of fallen trees, as well as other disruptions on the County’s road network.

The Council’s highways teams were stationed ready on Thursday evening, working out of hours in preparation to respond to call outs.

A total of 29 call outs were attended to from fallen tree reports throughout Friday and the weekend, with the Council’s highways teams working with local partners to quickly clear roads around the whole County. Along with the 29 call outs for fallen trees, a number of more minor reports were attended to where needed along the road network.

Paul Jackson, Head of Highways & Environmental Services said:

“The highways teams were prepared for this recent spell of bad weather, and worked in very windy and unfavourable conditions to ensure that our road network stayed open and safe throughout the weather warning period.”

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said:

“I’d like to thank our highways teams, as well as the multiple partners we work with for their quick response to a number of fallen tree reports throughout the weekend. They help keep our roads safe and secure, making sure our roads are passable.”

The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape Countryside Rangers are leading a series of guided walks in the Dee Valley.

Crossing parts of south Denbighshire, the Dee Valley is an iconic area of truly outstanding scenic and visual quality, featuring a diverse landscape of heather moorland, limestone crags, ancient woodlands and windswept hilltops, all cut by the sweeping River Dee.

The scenic landscapes, dramatic summits and historic towns and villages have inspired folklore, literature, painting and music over many centuries.

National Landscape rangers with support from Nature for Health and also Denbighshire Housing put on regular Dee Valley guided walks, showing the work they are doing to protect and conserve the area, and guiding people to embrace the landscape and heritage which makes it so special, all while enjoying the added benefits of being outdoors.

The next guided walk be discovering the snowdrops at St Tysilio’s Church on Thursday, 6 February from 1pm until 3pm. The meeting point will be at Llantysilio Green. Overlooking the Horseshoe Falls, St Tysilio’s is famed for its carpet of Snowdrops, thought to date from the thirteen century.

On Tuesday, 11 March, from 1pm until 3pm, rangers will lead a guided walk around Wenffrd Nature Reserve and Llangollen Canal. The reserve winds through a variety of habitats and offers beautiful views across the River Dee. The meeting place is Wenffrwd Nature Reserve.

Councillor Alan James, Denbighshire Cabinet Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said: “Getting outdoors is so beneficial for boosting physical and mental health and I would encourage anyone to join these fantastic, guided walks by the rangers to learn about the management and history of the Dee Valley area. “

For further details and to book on to the walks please email chloe.webster@denbighshire.gov.uk.

An historic Corwen monument is supporting work to help future generations of local nature and communities.

The Council’s Climate Change and Clwydian Range & Dee Valley National Landscape teams are working to provide a new area of support for nature and visitors to enjoy underneath the watchful eye of the Caer Drewyn Iron Age Hillfort monument.

Over 1,500 trees have been planted on the lower slopes below the hillfort to help create new diverse species-rich habitats to support local nature.

A 190-metre hedgerow has been created with the help of Ysgol Caer Drewyn pupils, containing over 1,000 whip trees including Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Hazel, Holly, Dog Rose, Guilder Rose, Wild Pear and Crab Apple.

The hedgerow also includes 19 standard size trees including Sessile Oak, Pedunculate Oak, Silver Birch, Downy Birch and Rowan.

Next to the hedgerow 2.4 hectares of land has been planted with 389 trees. This new site will include Rowan, Silver Birch, Downy Birch, Hawthorn, Dog Rose, Hazel, Blackthorn, Holly, Crab Apple, Sessile Oak, Elder, Aspen and Alder Buckthorn.

The trees were planted at six to seven metre intervals to create a woodland habitat area more favourable to local nature.

This development is part of the Council’s work to tackle the Climate Change and Ecological Emergency declared in 2019 and its drive to become a Net Carbon Zero and more Ecologically Positive local authority by 2030.

Habitat loss and fragmentation are major threats to biodiversity, and climate change exacerbates this by limiting species’ ability to access more favourable habitats.

For Caer Drewyn, woodland and hedgerow creation has been designed to improve connectivity between existing surrounding habitat as wildlife corridors.

Other development on the site includes the improvement of moorland areas and the development of a wetland habitat area. Footpaths at the site are being improved, alongside new fencing and access gates.

The woodland creation project has received funding from an £800,000 grant awarded to Denbighshire County Council from the UK Government and is being undertaken alongside other projects at Caer Drewyn, including a landscape enhancement initiative, funded by National Grid, and measures in the wider area to conserve curlews.

The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape ranger team will continue to manage the site in the long term as part of its role to ensure that the environment of the area of outstanding natural beauty is improved and protected and that the land is made more accessible.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Biodiversity Champion, said: “Thanks to the assistance of Ysgol Caer Drewyn pupils this work will help our county build stronger resilience against the impact of climate change and better help our nature as we move into the future. We need to continue to make the most of what we have to try to reverse the loss of natural habitats over the years to give local nature a vital chance to survive and thrive moving forward.”

Councillor Alan James, Lead Member for Local Development and Planning said: “This is a fantastic area overlooking Corwen, steeped in so much history that will provide such an improved supportive home for nature that is found on the hills.

“The rangers with the support of everyone who has dug deep on this land are doing a great job in also making this site accessible for walkers visiting the local area to help them enjoy the benefits of the land and I look forward to seeing the finished result.”

Sheep are shepherding support to boost wildflowers and wildlife on a Denbighshire hillside.

The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape has introduced a flock of sheep to Prestatyn Hillside to help maintain the variety of wildflowers and wildlife that gives the site its special character.

The hillside is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its nationally important limestone grasslands.

Using grazing animals reduces the need to mechanically manage sites using heavy plant and machinery and brings the land into a more sustainable management regime.

Fencing and water were installed in January 2022 with all material carried on site by hand due to the limited vehicle access. Kissing gates were also put in to ensure walker access was not limited along Offa’s Dyke Path.

The sheep are on site to support the high number of wildflowers and wildlife on the site. They achieve this by removing the dense rank vegetation and opening up the sward in the autumn/winter which will allow smaller flowering plants to flourish come the summer, providing a haven for butterflies and other wildlife.

The animals ae put out for short periods of time between October and March and members of the public are asked to keep their dogs on leads when walking through the areas that the sheep are grazing.

During February, sheep will be grazing an area on the Hillside that has not been fenced so a shepherd will be utilised to keep the area in favourable condition.

Councillor Alan James, Lead Member for Local Development and Planning said: “This another great example of ‘nature recovery’ that both the The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape and Denbighshire County Council’s Countryside Service as a whole, are involved in.”

Works to improve the flood defences in Loggerheads Country Park has recently finished.

The project, delivered by local contractors MWT and Waterco, is part of a larger set of building improvements and upgrades that are scheduled to begin at the country park later this year. The much-needed flood mitigation works were funded by the UK Government.

Denbighshire County Council secured £10.95m from UK Government for the former Clwyd West constituency to support the development of 10 projects aimed at protecting Ruthin’s unique heritage, wellbeing and rural communities.

The works consisted of reconstructing an existing stone river wall which had subsided, causing the country park to flood over recent years, as well as refurbishing the A494 wooden footbridge, which had been in place for over twenty years. A new community orchard and seating area was also introduced for future visitors to enjoy.

Further improvements including upgrades to the main visitor and café buildings, creation of an external canopy with additional seating and enhanced visitor access to Loggerheads Country Park are set to begin in 2025.

Councillor Jason McLellan, Council Leader and Lead member for Economic Growth and Tackling Deprivation, said:

“I would like to thank the Project Team for their hard work so far in finishing the much-needed flood mitigation work. These sites are much loved National Landscape areas, and it is important that we continue to maintain and develop sites such as these as their popularity grows to ensure that they can continue to be enjoyed by all who visit.

“We have seen an increase in visitor numbers at Loggerheads Country Park in recent years and projects such as these, once completed, will help future proof the park and meet the ever-increasing expectations of visitors.”

Plans for the Loggerheads improvement can be accessed on the Council's website.

A vital piece of life-saving kit has been reinstalled at a countryside car park after the original was stolen in 2023.

Run by the Clwydian Range Runners, a successful fundraiser has seen a replacement defibrillator installed at Coed Moel Famau toilet block after the original was believed to have been taken by thieves.

The Clwydian Runners funded the original equipment in 2018 and presented to countryside rangers looking after the location.

Following the alleged theft group member Gareth Jaggard started a GoFund Me fundraiser which raised £420 towards a new defibrillator. The Friends of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape donated £300, and the local council ward member also contributed to the fundraising.

The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape donated the rest of the costs, with advice and support from the Welsh Ambulance service.

Installation of the defibrillator has now taken place, and the equipment is ready to provide life-saving support if needed.

Councillor Alan James, Cabinet Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said: “We are really grateful to the Clwydian Runners for spearheading this drive to get this vital replacement lifesaving equipment at Coed Moel Famau toilet block and would like to thank everyone else who contributed to making sure a defibrillator was back at this location.”

A new wetland area is taking shape on heights of the Clwydian Range to help support local nature

An additional wetland creation is now under way at the Moel y Plas nature reserve site, near Llanarmon yn Iâl.

The Clwydian Range & Dee Valley National Landscape team, in conjunction with the Council, are developing an area at the hillside for both the benefit of local nature and communities.

Nearly 18,000 native broadleaved trees have been planted on the site to create diverse species rich habitats, hedgerows have been planted to improve connectivity across the site and also working with farming projects have allowed the beginning of restoration of the upland habitats such as Moorland and Friddoedd with the reintroduction of grazing animals .

Accessibility for visitors coming through the area has also been improved with new fencing, way markers and kissing gates added to make paths accessible and easy to follow.

The newly developed wetland area at Moel y Plas will help provide shelter and food for a number of animals and encourage a wide variety of plants to take root. This type of area will also store carbon which helps alleviate the impact of Climate Change and can act as a natural flood barrier absorbing water during heavy downpours.

A wide range of wildlife may use this type of habitat that is underway at Moel y Plas including Water Voles, Water Shrews, Common Frogs, Mallards, Herons, Egrets and even Kingfishers.

Insects including Pond Skaters and Water Beetles can also be found in this habitat alongside Damselflies. Wetlands can also encourage wildflowers to flourish, such as the Pyramidal Orchid.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Biodiversity Champion, said: “The loss of our land habitats are a huge threat to our local biodiversity and it’s important we do all we can to reverse this sad trend. This developed wetland area at Moel y Plas which is a fantastic site for nature and for visitors to enjoy, will really help encourage lots of species to once again thrive amongst the Clwydian hills.”

For the Moel y Plas development , woodland and hedgerow creation has been designed to improve connectivity between existing surrounding habitat as wildlife corridors.

The woodland creation project has received funding out of an £800,000 grant awarded to Denbighshire County Council from the UK Government.

The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape ranger team will continue to manage the site in the long term as part of its role to make sure the environment of the area of outstanding natural beauty is improved and protected and that the land is made more accessible.

Philip Burrows, Denbighshire’s Digital Officer said, “Some residents have slow or unreliable internet connections, and that’s where I come in. I can help by diagnosing the problem and then work with residents to fix it, with the aim of improving the quality of their internet connection.

“We find that people experience a range of issues, for example, some may be fairly straightforward problems that require a tweak to their home network. However, others may have more complex issues which will need to be resolved with a third party.”

Some communities may experience problems which require intervention by Openreach, the company which maintains and provides the major telephony and internet network system around the UK. However, individuals cannot contact Openreach directly, but the Council’s Digital Officer is able to do this on their behalf.

Philip goes on to say, “I can be the go-between to hopefully take the stress out of sorting these types of problems. I can also advise on how to source funding to set up fibre community partnerships if there are specific communities who are all experiencing similar problems. I’m happy to advise any resident or business in Denbighshire on any topic related to their internet connection.”

Councillor Emrys Wynne, Lead Member for Welsh Language, Culture and Heritage said, “Ensuring better digital networks is essential and supporting communities to achieve this is a key priority in the Council’s Corporate Plan. Denbighshire is committed to helping residents to understand the options and solutions for improved internet connectivity – crucial for the digital age we live in today. I encourage anyone who is experiencing difficulties with their internet to contact Philip who will be able to advise on the best course of action.”

If you’re experiencing slow internet speeds or have trouble connecting to the internet in your home, contact the Council’s Digital Officer on communitydevelopment@denbighshire.gov.uk.

Working Denbighshire, in collaboration with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Careers Wales, will be holding a Jobs Fair on Wednesday, 19 February, at the 1891 Bar & Restaurant, Rhyl.

The event, which will run from 10am to 4pm, is set to offer an opportunity for job seekers to connect with a wide range of local and nationally recognised employers across multiple sectors.

A quiet hour has been allocated between 10am - 11am for those who prefer a calmer atmosphere.

In preparation for the Jobs Fair, the regular Job Club session at Rhyl Library on Thursday, 13th February, from 10am to 2pm, will be tailored to help attendees get ready for the event. Job seekers will have the opportunity to finalise and print their CVs or cover letters, set a plan of action for the fair, and receive tailored advice to make the most of the event.

Following the success of last year’s event, which showcased over 50 employers and welcomed more than 400 attendees, this year’s Jobs Fair promises to be even bigger.

Attendees will have the chance to explore career opportunities, speak directly with hiring managers, and discover pathways into training and employment.

Employers attending will include Adferiad, Asda, GLLM, TG Williams Builders Ltd, and 2 Sisters Food Group, representing sectors such as hospitality, manufacturing, health and social care, and more.

Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader of Denbighshire County Council and Lead Member for Economic Growth & Tackling Deprivation, said:

“Events like this are vital for connecting people with meaningful employment opportunities and supporting the local economy.

Working Denbighshire’s Jobs Fair is a fantastic example of how we can work together to make a real difference for our communities.

I encourage everyone to attend and explore the opportunities on offer.”

The Jobs Fair is free to attend and open to all. Whether job seekers are looking for their first job, considering a career change, or seeking to develop your skills, this event has something for everyone.

Working Denbighshire is part funded through the Welsh Government Communities for Work Plus Programme which supports those most disadvantaged in the labour market to overcome the barriers preventing them from gaining employment.

Working Denbighshire is part funded by UK Government.

For more information and updates, follow Working Denbighshire on social media or visit.

Work has been carried out at a Denbighshire primary school to provide better energy efficiency for staff and pupils and lower long term building energy costs.

The Council's Energy Team has worked to tackle energy efficiency and lower costs at Ysgol Bodfari.

The team has managed a number of projects across Council owned buildings including schools, to help improve building energy efficiency, reduce emissions and also usage costs over the longer term.

The Council’s Energy team assessed the building to see what areas of energy use could be improved to increase efficiency.

Work at Ysgol Bodfari included the installation of a ( 7.47KW) solar panel system on the school roof. Each Kilowatt generated and used by the school will save around 22 pence and this capacity not only reduces substantial carbon it also reduces strain on the local grid infrastructure.

LED lighting was also installed inside the school which will help improve efficiency and drive down energy use costs.

The school has also had a new modern efficient boiler installed which allows further energy long term cost savings and better efficiency for the whole site.

All the work is expected to result in savings annually of around 18079kWh, over 4.5 tonnes of carbon emissions and over £2961 per annum in reduced energy costs, paying back what has been invested in a short space of time.

Martyn Smith, Property Energy and Carbon Manager, said: “We have brought together different strands of technology at the school to help improve the building environment for the pupils and staff and also drive down energy bills long-term.”

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, added “We are committed to reducing our buildings carbon emissions and thank the Energy Team for their proactive work and the support from pupils and staff at Ysgol Bodfari while the work was carried out.”

A project that ran through 2024 will provide stronger support for an under-threat bird returning to Denbighshire this year.

The Council’s Biodiversity Team last year launched a project to provide better protection for swifts nesting across the county.

Swifts visit the UK during the summer, flying nearly 3,400 miles from spending the winter in Africa to breed in the UK. They pair for life returning to the same site each time.

They like to nest in homes and churches, using small gaps in the roofs. However, as older buildings are renovated, roof gaps closed and new builds designed differently, swifts have fast disappeared.

Insects that the birds need to feed their young and refuel for their migrations are dwindling with the loss of habitat such as wildflower areas and freshwater. The Council is working to restore this loss through the management of its Wildflower Meadows Project which has so far created nearly 70 acres of suitable habitat to support the regeneration of insect and bird populations.

Despite local and wider work, the swift is currently on the highest conservation priority level in the UK

To provide more support for the swifts visiting Denbighshire, 114 swift boxes were installed by the Biodiversity Team last year across the county. These are a mix of boxes from single occupancy, double, quadruple and a couple with an occupancy of six.

Biodiversity Officer Evie Challinor explained: “These boxes went on schools, Council owned properties including County Hall and a few private residences in the Ruthin, Corwen and Rhyl areas. We focused on these three areas because Cofnod records showed us that swifts were still been found in these locations. We want to bolster these populations before helping them to expand throughout the county again”.

“A lot of our wildflower meadows are also found in these areas, and it ties in nicely giving the swifts habitats that supports the insects they feed on.”

“We ran swift walks in these key areas to help record swifts and foraging swifts as well as ‘screaming parties’. These loudly calling groups of the birds gathering in the skies at dusk indicate to us that this is an area which can support the birds as we take action to strengthen their dwindling populations.”

The Biodiversity Team is continuing to work with Denbighshire Housing, Council home residents, private residences, schools, North Wales Wildlife Trust, Bionet partners, local businesses and local groups such as the Chirk Swifts group (winner of 2024 Bionet award) to be able to drive the project forward.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Council Biodiversity Champion, said: “We are grateful to our colleagues in Denbighshire Housing their residents and everyone who support this project last year, as this will help in 2025 stabilise local swift populations.”

A Biodiversity project has breathed life into the future of a wildflower species during its 2024 season.

The Council’s Biodiversity Team has recorded an increase of orchid types across the county wildflower meadows following surveys carried out last year.

The team’s Wildflower Meadow Project started in 2019, aiming to restore and increase the amount of habitat available throughout the county for pollinators and wildlife.

This project includes just over 70 acres of meadows helping and protecting local nature and supporting community wellbeing across the county. It has also been funded by Welsh Government, through the Local Nature Partnerships Cymru ENRaW project.

In 2024 the team discovered a pyramidal orchid at the meadow outside County Hall in Ruthin which had never been recorded at the site before.

This was first of a resurgence of orchids across the county according to Liam Blazey, Senior Biodiversity Officer.

He explained: “Last year was a good year for orchids on our sites. We recorded pyramidal, common spotted and bee orchids across several of our sites that had no previous records of orchids. The distribution of these new records was spread from the north through to the south of the county.

Our meadows are managed to help bring back an important piece of biodiversity that we have lost over the years which helps nature to thrive and our pollinators to keep being able to support the food chain that we as humans rely on.

“It’s also really good for the local communities in these areas, as these meadows are bringing back plants that our future generations can enjoy once more alongside the positive support they are bringing for local nature.”

Since the project began the Biodiversity Team has recorded 17,716 individual wildflower records across the county meadows through carrying out 1,423 site surveys.

During the 2024 season 297 different species were recorded working out at 5,269 individual wildflowers logged.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Our meadows are crucial for supporting local nature that has been impacted by the effects of Climate Change. As more wildflowers such as the orchids return to sites they will help increase diversity and colour for communities to enjoy and better support pollinators at risk who help put food on our tables.

“Given the time they need to establish, all of our meadows will be for the equal wellbeing of residents and wildlife to both enjoy now, and most importantly, for our future generations in the shape of our younger Denbighshire residents.”

A new nature habit has been created by Ysgol Bro Dyfrdwy pupils to help local wildlife around Cynwyd.

Pupils joined with the Council’s Biodiversity Team and Countryside Rangers to help plant a new hedge row and standard trees on the school grounds.

Work has been ongoing across county schools in the last 12 months to help increase biodiversity and tree canopies across school grounds for supporting nature’s recovery and to provide an educational wellbeing outdoor area for youngsters. It has been funded from a UK Government grant.

Planting the trees at school grounds also supports the Council’s drive to reach net carbon zero by contributing to the amount of carbon sequestered (or absorbed).

Pupils helped create a 50-metre-long hedge full of a variety of thorny, flowering and fruiting species to support local nature.

The hedge row includes Crab Apple which through its leaves provides food for caterpillars of many moths. Its flowers provide an early source of nectar for pollinators including bees. Blackbirds, thrushes, crows and voles also eat the fruit/

Also included in the hedge row is Rowan. The tree’s berries are a rich source of autumn food for mistle thrush, redstart, redwing, song thrush, fieldfare and waxwing.

Other trees planted in the hedge by the pupils include Cherry Plum, Dog Rose, Field Maple, Hawthorn, Wild Pear, Hazel, Holly, Hornbeam, and Dogwood.

Standard size trees also planted on the school grounds included Wild Cherry and Sweet Chestnut.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Biodiversity Champion, said: “We are really grateful to Ysgol Bro Dyfrdwy for their fantastic support in helping our Biodiversity Team create this brilliant new area for Cynwyd’s local nature to enjoy and also for the wellbeing and learning of all the youngsters involved.”

A Rhyl nature reserve is opening up brand new views of its wildlife for this year.

Over the autumn and winter months, the Council’s Countryside Service has continued to work on developing Brickfield Pond Nature Reserve to support local nature and the surrounding communities.

Brickfield Pond Nature Reserve was recently honoured at the Wales in Bloom 2024 awards ceremony, receiving the class ‘Thriving’ under the Wales in Bloom It’s Your Neighbourhood awards.

Countryside rangers and volunteers supported by Nature for Health have carried out work that has seen a community orchard and pond opened up, improvements to the walkways, removal of dead trees and the tidying up of the viewpoints around the main waters.

Areas have also been improved around the nature reserve to encourage more water voles to make their home at the site.

During autumn and winter, work has taken place to clear bramble in the area next to the cycle path leading into the nature reserve from the Ysgol Tir Morfa side. Dead trees were removed to allow more light into the area to support the surviving nature, new spindle and lime trees were planted and a mix of yellow rattle, red bartsia and woodland wild flower mix seeds were sown to support pollinators.

Just off the path the team has also created a habitat pile to provide food and shelter for wildlife in the area.

New viewpoints of the pond have also been opened up along the path on the south side of the nature reserve through bramble and dead tree clearance.

Countryside Ranger Vitor Evora explained how improvements were made to the first sighting of Brickfield Pond as visitors start walking the south side path from the car park.

“We did work at this view over two stages, first we cleared the bramble and tided up the dog rose, you can see the difference as before there was no grass just bramble and now you can see the grass

“We aren’t cutting everything down, we want to stress that people visiting as our local nature needs a lot of the natural areas along the path. For example there is ivy along the path and we will leave that as that makes a very good habitat area. We are just looking to remove species have died off and cut back other areas to allow plants and trees to better flourish going forward.

“These new viewpoints we now have, especially in the spring and summer when the trees come to life will really make great places for visitors here to stop and enjoy the sights of the various wildlife Brickfield Pond has on its waters.”

Hazel hurdles, sustainable fencing made at the nature reserve will be fitted on to some of the viewpoints which will also include habitat piles to again support local wildlife

Work has also progressed on the community orchard site with the small pond opened up to visitors thanks to the removal of some of the bramble and a wetland wildflower seed mix sowed on the ground to help give a boost to insects in the area.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Council Biodiversity Champion, said: “This nature reserve plays an important role for projects and supporting local wildlife and providing a great spot for people to come and walk around for their own health benefits. We are grateful for everyone involved at the reserve for continuing to develop the area and I look forward to seeing the site in full bloom as we come into spring and summer this year.”

Work is underway to preserve the legacy of a beloved Ruthin park veteran tree.

At the end of last year, Storm Darragh caused damage to many areas across Denbighshire through high winds, bringing down a number of trees across the county.

At Cae Ddôl park, the storm brought down the much loved estimated 550 year-old Oak which has overlooked the nearby water for generations of Ruthin residents and visitors to enjoy.

To preserve the memory of the Oak for future generations, intricate work is now underway at the Council’s Tree Nursery at St Asaph.

The Council’s Tree Team and Biodiversity Team are leading the way to safeguard the legacy of the old Oak.

Cuttings from the Oak were taken to the tree nursery, which staff aim to propagate (grow on), on site. In time, it is hoped there will be an opportunity to plant the Oak’s progeny around Cae Ddôl and the local area.

A grafting technique has also been used in the hope of producing new trees from the linage of the memorable Ruthin landmark.

As the Oak tree was protected by the site Tree Preservation Order (TPO), the Council has a duty under the TPO legislation to plant a replacement Oak tree in the same (approximate) location, to ensure that the amenity value of the TPO is preserved for future generations. The Council will do this as soon as practicable, when plans for the fallen tree and site are finalised.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, and Biodiversity Champion said: “We know how much this old oak has given to many, many people across years, it provided lots of memories for those visiting the park. At the tree nursery we are working to make sure that although the main tree couldn’t sadly be saved after the storm, its legacy is preserved so possibly one day we can reintroduce its lineage into Cae Ddôl.”

The Council will look to carry out public engagement and information gathering to ensure that Ruthin is involved in deciding what the Oak’s future will be.

Some of the proposed ideas at this time include salvaging as much viable timber from the tree as possible, to be stored and milled for future projects in the park and surrounding area and to leave the tree stump in situ as valuable habitat for local wildlife, or to be carved into a commemorative sculpture at a later date.

Outdoor coastal care opportunities are providing benefits to both people and local nature.

Across the county coastline, volunteers have helped rangers reintroduce marram grass to the dune system around Rhyl harbour to support local biodiversity, repaired timber on the boardwalk and installed two new benches.

They have also supported the installation of new Wales Coast Path discs to signage and waymarkers around the harbour and Horton’s Nose and Barkby and Gronant Dunes.

Volunteers also help with the annual set up of the Little Tern colony at Gronant Dunes, and are a great help with the day-to-day running of the colony during little tern season.

Scrub clearance has been a priority during the winter months, with work carried out at the dunes at Barkby and Gronant, and Tower Beach. Volunteers guided by the rangers have also carried out important maintenance to the solitary bee boxes, giving them a good clean out and ensuring they are ready to go back out in the spring.

North Denbighshire Coastal Ranger Claudia Smith said: “Having the volunteers get stuck into the work with us is fantastic as you can see how much they enjoy being outdoors and doing something important to help local nature and their own community enjoy the area they are helping with.

“Countryside volunteering with us is a great way to boost your health, gain experience and also care for the environment you live in as well.”

Upcoming coastal work that people can attend includes:

Councillor Alan James, the Council's Cabinet Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said: “Stepping outside is important for helping physical and mental health and we are grateful for this continuing opportunity from the rangers for the volunteers to support their own well-being.

“It’s also vital we do all we can to protect our nature in these amazing environments we have on our coastline, and this will help preserve these areas and habitats for people to visit and enjoy.

Anyone interested in helping can contact Claudia on 07785517398 or email Claudia.Smith@denbighshire.gov.uk.