County Voice: September 2023

News

How is the council doing?

It’s time to have your say!

This September sees the launch of the council’s Stakeholder Survey for 2023 to 2024.

We want to know what Denbighshire residents, businesses, staff, elected members and partners think of the work we are doing here at the council.

The survey is a great opportunity for the council to learn and improve so we hope you’ll help us by answering a few short questions as soon as it’s up and running.

It’s also a great way for you to find out more about the themes that make up the council’s current Corporate Plan.

To take part and have your say, please complete the survey by visiting countyconversation.denbighshire.gov.uk from Monday 11 September.

Register for the new Absorbent Hygiene Product collection service

A pilot of Denbighshire’s new Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHP) collections will begin in September 2023.

The new scheme is initially available to residents with LL16 or LL17 postcodes but will be rolled out to the rest of the county at a later date.

Some of the things that constitutes AHP are nappies, nappy bags and wipes, disposable bed pans, incontinence pads, and colostomy and stoma bags (a comprehensive list is on the Denbighshire website). This free weekly service aims to reduce this type of waste in residents’ black bins, as currently, 20% of it is AHP waste. It is part of wider work the Council is undertaking to improve recycling rates in the county.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said, “We’re starting by collecting this waste separately now so that when a contract is in place with a recycling facility, we’ll be ready to recycle it straight away. In future, this waste could be used to produce a variety of new products, which might include fibreboards and acoustic panels for floors and walls, and as an engineering material used in road surfaces.”

He went on to say: “While it’s great that we’re looking at even more things we can recycle, we also encourage residents to consider other ways of reducing their waste. One way of doing this is using reusable nappies which is a cheaper alternative to disposable nappies. The Council offers a reusable nappy voucher scheme to help residents by providing £25 worth of vouchers to buy reusable nappies.”

Registration for the new AHP collection service is now open with collections starting from Monday, 25 September.

Further information about the new service, including how to register, is available from on the Council’s website.

Free play day held in Rhyl sees over 2,800 attendees

Over 2,800 people came to this year’s Denbighshire National Play Day event, held at the beginning of August.

Following on from a highly successful event last year, this was the seventh time that the hugely popular free play day event was held at Christchurch Playing Fields in Rhyl.

Rhyl’s Oak Tree Centre hosted the event, that was organised by the Council's Play Ranger service to help children enjoy their summer holiday.

The free event featured a number of activities including a circus skills session, Jurassic Live, den building, arts and crafts and a water slip and slide.

Dawn Anderson, the Council's Childcare and Play Development Manager said: “It was great to welcome families back for the seventh time to this year’s play day, this event is always so popular with local families.

"It is always lovely to see families enjoying themselves and the feedback we received from the attendees was positive once again this year”.

Denbigh Care Home start busy work on Memorial Garden

Dolwen Care Home in Denbigh are currently busy building a memorial garden, which will honour the memory of the residents lost during the covid-19 pandemic.

They hope to include more garden furniture, planters, plants and ornaments, all of which will feature in the new memorial garden.

The garden will provide a space for the residents to relax and remember.

A coffee morning was held earlier this year, helping with the funding of this new garden.

Pamela Pack, Care Home Manager at Dolwen said: “The garden is going to be a place where the residents can go and enjoy, as well as remember those who were sadly lost during the Pandemic.

"Spending more time in green spaces is shown to improve wellbeing and mental health.

"Our residents thoroughly enjoy building a green space where they can spend time in”.

A resident at the care home said: “It is lovely to go and sit outside and look at the flowers, especially when it is sunny”.

The Council publishes artist’s impressions for 4 Great Highways Project

The Council's 4 Great Highways project has published artist’s impressions for what parts of Llangollen will look like on completion of the works.

The project aims to enhance the landscape and improve accessibility, interpretation and signage in Llangollen.

The project is part of investment by the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund that was secured through a joint application between Denbighshire County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council for the Clwyd South Constituency. The application was supported by Simon Baynes MP. £3.8 million was allocated to Denbighshire to invest in the communities of Llangollen, Llantysilio, Corwen and surrounding areas.

In recent months, the Council has undertaken a number of consultation activities to gather feedback from the public about what improvements they would like to see as part of this project. These have included walkabouts in the project area to hear from residents about their thoughts on the plans, opportunities to submit feedback via County Conversation, the Council’s online consultation portal, a drop-in session at Llangollen Town Hall and an opportunity to express views on preliminary designs through a public display of the artwork at the library.

Based on this feedback, the Council have finalised designs and published the artist’s impressions for what the area will look like once the project is complete. The detailed plans are available on the Council’s dedicated 4 Great Highways webpage under the Gallery section.

The Council has recently begun its tendering process to find a contractor to undertake the work and hopes to appoint one by the end of September 2023.

A further public consultation will also be held soon to gather feedback on people’s preferred design options for the new signage that is due to be installed as part of the project.

The latest information about the Council’s 4 Great Highways project can be found here: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/four-great-highways

Exciting developments for Ruthin and surrounding communities thanks to Levelling Up funding

In January this year, the Council was delighted to receive confirmation that they had secured £10.95m from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund for the Clwyd West constituency to support the development of ten projects aimed at protecting Ruthin’s unique heritage, wellbeing and rural communities. The proposals were supported by the constituency MP David Jones and local elected members.

There are two main strands to the Clwyd West Levelling Up programme. The first will focus on protecting Ruthin’s unique heritage and wellbeing through public realm enhancements and revitalising historical buildings and landmarks to support local identity, promote pride of place and boost the image of the town.

The second will focus on protecting Ruthin’s rural communities and wellbeing through improvements to the AONB sites of Loggerheads and Moel Famau and new community hubs in the rural surrounding villages of Bryneglwys and Gwyddelwern.

The Council will be responsible for delivering eight of the projects, while Dyffryn Clwyd Mission and Bryneglwys Cymdeithas Canolfan Ial Association will deliver the final two projects.

These projects are expected to be delivered by March 2025 with construction work likely to begin later next year.

In July, an information event was held at Ruthin Gaol which welcomed dozens of local residents through the doors to find out more about these exciting developments.

The drop-in event provided an opportunity for Project Managers to share the aspirations of the projects and how they will help to ensure that the rich culture and heritage of Ruthin and the surrounding communities are protected.

Information on the project plans, including timescales for expected completion dates, will be shared with the public as they develop.

Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Economic Growth and Tackling Deprivation, said: “We were delighted to see so many local people taking an interest and coming down to the drop-in session at Ruthin Gaol to learn more about projects that are due to take place in the area soon.

“We are keen to ensure that the public are kept informed about the plans for Ruthin and the surrounding communities and promote the significance that these projects have in protecting the town’s heritage.”

Details about the ten projects that have received funding through the Clwyd West Levelling Up programme can be found on the Council's website.

Reviewing the Council's performance

Every year, the council produces a report to summarise its performance. The report is a core part of the way we evaluate our performance; to ensure we are delivering positive outcomes for people and places in Denbighshire, and to ensure our governance is effective.

Published online here, our executive summary for the year seeks to draw out the highlights of our performance against our functions and looks ahead to the challenges that we face. We have highlighted areas we should focus on to ensure performance can be sustained and where needed, improved. Also published online are our detailed quarterly performance reports. The January to March 2023 report is the first for our new Corporate Plan 2022 to 2027. As a first report, it is our baseline for judging our performance at the start of the new Corporate Plan. There are some significant issues we are trying to tackle through our Corporate Plan and these will take time to see improvement; particularly given the current economic climate.

For more information, contact us by email at strategicplanningteam@denbighshire.gov.uk.

Recycling and Waste

Name the Recycling Fleet

The Council is taking delivery of 21 new recycling vehicles, including three electric vehicles, and we want the county’s school children to name them.

The competition is running from 4 September until 30 September and Denbighshire school children are invited to submit their creative names for the recycling lorries in either Welsh or English. There are four categories:

Years 1-2
Years 3-6
Years 7-9
Special merit category for children and young people with special educational needs

The winning names will be printed onto the new vehicles, and pupils will have the opportunity to be photographed with the vehicle they named.

The new fleet has been bought to replace the old fleet and is part of a range of measures the Council is taking to reach the county’s recycling target of 70%.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said, “Denbighshire County Council declared a climate and ecological emergency in 2019 and aims to become a net carbon zero Council by 2030. The new electric recycling vehicles is one way the Council is tackling this goal.

“Children in our county are already switched on to the environmental crisis, and getting to grips with the current situation is crucial for their future. We now want their help to name the new fleet which will be much better than our old vehicles in terms of reducing emissions on our county’s roads.

“We want to see really creative names in both Welsh and English, and we look forward to the judging process in October.”

A spokesperson from Terberg Matec said, “We wholeheartedly support Denbighshire in the fantastic vehicle naming competition, an initiative that resonates deeply with our commitment to community engagement and sustainable solutions.

“Terberg Matec UK are delighted to have recently secured the order for one of the largest fleet renewals in North Wales over the past two years. This accomplishment is a testament to our dedication to delivering innovative and reliable waste management vehicles to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of local operations.

“The vehicle naming competition reflects our shared values in fostering community participation and environmental consciousness. It showcases our mutual dedication to creating positive impacts beyond the mere functionality of refuse collection vehicles.”

Schools can enter as many names as they wish, and individual entries must be submitted via the online form on our website.

Libraries and One Stop Shops

Denbighshire Libraries offering Data Poverty help

Working with the Good Things Foundation, Denbighshire’s Libraries help distribute free SIM cards and mobile data to local people living in data poverty through the National Databank Scheme.

The National Databank distributes free data to people through community organisations and is supported by many popular UK mobile networks.

Denbighshire residents can register their interest to take part if they meet the eligibility criteria. Residents can also register interest on behalf of other people if they know someone who would benefit from free mobile data.

To be eligible to access the National Databank, residents must be over 18 years old and come from a low-income household. They also need to meet one or more of the following criteria:

You have no or insufficient access to the internet at home.
You have no or insufficient access to the internet away from home.
You can't afford your existing monthly contract or top-up.

Councillor Emrys Wynne, Lead Member for Welsh Language, Culture & Heritage said:

“Internet access has become such a vital part of everyday life, with many essential services and schemes now moving online. I would urge anyone who may need some help in this area to contact or visit their local library for more information.”

For more information, go to our website or visit your local library.

Tourism

2023 Go North Wales Tourism Awards

Nominations and tickets for the 2023 Go North Wales Tourism Awards, sponsored by Harlech Food Service have now opened and the website is now live.

The seventh Go North Wales Tourism Awards will be held on Thursday 23 November at Venue Cymru, Llandudno to celebrate and recognise excellence and outstanding achievement by our businesses and individuals working in the tourism hospitality sector of North Wales.

If you are involved in our region’s tourism industry, then these awards are for you! Why not complete the online form and submit? There are 18 categories and nominations are now open! You can nominate your own tourism business, or the best tourism business which you think is a worthy winner.

The deadline for applications is Monday 9 October 2023.

For all details on the awards including how to join us on the Awards evening please visit https://gonorthwalestourismawards.website.

Working Denbighshire

Over 12 hours a week of free employment help available

A series of drop-in sessions are currently being hosted by the Council’s Working Denbighshire team, offering free employment support and guidance. The drop-in sessions offer free employment help at locations across the County on a weekly basis.

The support available at each session includes help to search for jobs, update CVs, prepare for interviews, basic IT support and filling in applications.

From Tuesday to Friday, Working Denbighshire’s staff will be on hand for guidance and support at the following locations each week:

Tuesday – Rhyl Library, 2pm-4pm
Wednesday – Canolfan Ni, Corwen, 11am-1pm
Thursday – HWB Dinbych, 9:30am-1pm
Thursday – Ruthin Library, 1pm-4pm
Friday – Prestatyn Library, 9:30am-12:30pm
Friday – HWB Dinbych, 9:30am – 1pm

Tina Foulkes from Working Denbighshire said: “These free weekly drop-in sessions provide an excellent opportunity for Denbighshire residents to access high quality employability support in their local communities.

"Residents can pop in for help to update or create their CV, find out the best ways to search for jobs and get hints and tips on how best to fill out application forms.

"At these sessions, attendees will also be able to find out how Working Denbighshire can help with funding for training, funding to remove or reduce your barriers to employment, as well as information on confidence, motivation, and resilience courses.”

Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Economic Growth & Tackling Deprivation said: “These sessions allow Denbighshire residents access to professional and informative employment support across the County.

"I would urge anyone who may need employment support to attend one of the many free sessions at a location near them.”

For more information, please contact workingdenbighshire@denbighshire.gov.uk.

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 has received £3,529,632 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Barod Project

The Barod project supports people over the age of 16, living in Denbighshire to prepare for their future by increasing confidence, motivation and improving life skills.

The activities delivered through Barod may include:

Confidence building sessions and activities
Motivation building sessions and activities
Resilience building sessions and activities
Specialist advice and support for improving wellbeing
Access to training courses to improve wellbeing

We hold an informal weekly social group, for people to meet new people and increase their confidence in social settings:

Held every Thursday
16- 24 years, 1pm to 2.30pm
- Alternating between Rhyl Youth Centre and Denbigh Hwb
25+, 3pm – 4pm.
- Alternating between Rhyl Library and Denbigh Hwb

People can drop into the social group to meet the staff and learn more about Barod and the support we can provide.

Please contact Working Denbighshire for further information: Tel: 01745 331438 or e-mail workingdenbighshire@denbighshire.gov.uk.

On the road with Working Denbighshire

Here are just a few places where we will be over the next few months.

Working Denbighshire’s Autumn Jobs Fair: Wednesday, 27 September

Where? 1891 Bar & Restaurant, Rhyl

After the success of our jobs fair at 1891 back in January, we want to replicate the amazing outcomes.

We again hope to play host to a wide range of 50+ employers and services from different sectors, giving you the opportunity to find what different jobs entail and what vacancies are on offer.

Working Denbighshire’s New Year Jobs Fair: Wednesday, 24 January 2024

Where? 1891 Bar & Restaurant, Rhyl

Shake off those January blues and join us at our New Year Jobs Fair!

You will get the opportunity to speak with representatives from a wide range of employers and services and discover what different jobs entail and what vacancies are on offer.

Introducing Working Denbighshire’s Work Start Scheme

Work Start is an employment led project which supports individuals to get back into employment.

Eligible participants are offered three-month paid and unpaid placements depending on their needs and a dedicated Working Denbighshire project officer will support participants throughout their placement.

Project Officers are on hand to give participants access to training courses, mentoring, advice, and will advise on next steps for after the placement. Support is tailored to each participant, depending on the person's goal, this could include developing new skills or increasing confidence, no ‘one size fits all’ approach.

At Working Denbighshire alone, we have facilitated several placements through the Work Start Scheme, including appointing Illia Chkheidze. Illia was enrolled onto the Work Start scheme as a Support Worker on a temporary placement, which led to a longer Fixed Term Contract as a Caseworker.

Here is Illia’s story -

My experience with the Work Start placement was truly remarkable. It provided me with an array of opportunities and allowed me to gain valuable experience in my desired field.

When I initially decided to apply for the placement, it was because I recognized the importance of gaining practical experience. During this placement, I was lucky to work with a team of highly experienced professionals who have guided me every step of the way. I have been exposed to a wide range of tasks, allowing me to develop vital skills such as time-management, problem-solving and effective communication.

What I really like about the Work Start Scheme is the structure of the programme. Throughout my placement I was supported by my placement Officer, Fatima. This support was important because I always had a person to talk to about any problems along the way. I felt the Work Start Scheme truly understood the importance of providing me with relevant and practical experience, which I can apply to real-world situations.

Undoubtedly, the Work Start Scheme has also made a significant difference in my career aspirations. Through this placement, I have gained a clearer understanding of my professional goals and have been able to refine them further. For individuals considering a placement, I would strongly encourage them to take advantage of this opportunity. A placement not only allows you to gain practical experience in your chosen field, it also provides networking opportunities. You will receive a unique insight into the reality of your chosen profession and develop skills that cannot be acquired solely through academic studies. The professional growth and personal development that can be achieved through a placement are truly unparalleled.

Overall, my experience with the placement has been remarkable, surpassing all my expectations. It has provided me with practical experience, enhanced my skills, and contributed positively to both my career aspirations and quality of life. I wholeheartedly recommend anyone considering a placement to seize the opportunity and embrace the growth and learning that it brings.

To sign up to current placements available visit https://www.denjobs.org/work-start-scheme/ or contact us on workstart@denbighshire.gov.uk if you would like to find out more.

Working Denbighshire has received £3,529,632 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Budget

New web pages to inform residents about Council funding

The Council has launched new web pages to inform residents about how it sets its budget to deliver local public services with a focus on providing value for money.

Local authority funding is complex and technical and while many believe that Council tax pays for delivering all the Council’s services, this is far from the case. In fact, only a quarter of the Council’s funding comes from Council Tax.

The Council gets its funding from a variety of sources with its net budget funded by three main sources:

Revenue support grant from Welsh Government – 62%
Business rates which are a property tax paid on business and non-domestic properties to pay for services – 13%
Council tax, which is the annual fee that residents pay to the Council – 25%

Councillor Gwyneth Ellis, Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets said: “We think it’s vital that residents understand how their Council, and therefore, its services are funded. There are lots of misconceptions about where the money comes from, and we want residents to understand how their money is spent.

“To address this, we have developed new web pages with information about how the Council spends its money. The aim is to set out in a clear way where we get our funding, how we spend the money, give an overview of the Council’s budget, and explain to residents how the council tax bill works.”

To find out more about Council spending, how the Council is funded and your Council Tax bill, visit our new finance pages on the Council's website on the link below.

How the Council is funded

You can also check how much you know about the Council by completing a quick quiz on the following link >>> Quick quiz

Climate Change and Biodiversity

Green Taxi project reaches final destination

A pilot project has helped give 68 taxi drivers a world travelling taste of greener transport.

The Council’s pilot Green Taxi Project has completed its final low emissions mileage, supporting taxi firms across the county who are looking to cut their own carbon footprints.

The Council was one of the select few local authorities in Wales taking part in the Welsh Government funded scheme.

Beginning during autumn 2021 the project initially included the use of four wheelchair-accessible Nissan Dynamo E-NV200 taxis to use as part of the ‘try before you buy scheme’.

Hackney licensed taxi drivers were able to try vehicle free of charge for 30 days, including free electric charging at specific locations in the county, vehicle licensing, breakdown cover and insurance.

Feedback from the taxi drivers regarding long distance work, saw a Kia EV6 added to the options.

The vehicle can cover up to 328 miles on a single charge to allow taxi drivers to confidently work a complete shift including airport transfers without the need for charging.

Final mileage for the project saw the taxis cover roughly the distance of three and a half times around the world at 88,086 miles.

The number of trips taken to support how greener taxi transport can help cut emissions finished at 12,760 individual journeys, operating across Rhyl, Prestatyn, St Asaph, Denbigh, Ruthin, Corwen and Llangollen.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “This pilot project has really helped taxi drivers across the county get a good experience of what it’s like to drive an electric vehicle (EV). It helped them all focus on their own carbon footprint and what they can do themselves to reduce their impact. Feedback has been really good from the drivers.

“The project has enabled us to source feedback on the use of zero emission tailpipe vehicles during taxi operations without compromising on service delivery and also show the fuel savings and impact against climate change that EVs can provide.”

“The pilot has also helped our fleet department as well look at how different EV vehicles can suit the urban and rural areas for transport that Denbighshire has.”

Community café cooks up approach to tackling food waste

A Ruthin café is making sure good food doesn’t go to waste to support the local community.

Seconds café on Well Street, has taken the innovative approach to tackling unnecessary food waste to reduce the impact on the environment.

The café, operated by ReSource, has been running for nearly four months and is situated in Crown House which is owned by the Council.

Council staff recently took part in the Design Council's, Design Differently programme focussing on the circular economy around reuse and repair in Denbighshire with other organisations including Reuse Wales who helped establish the café idea.

The Design Differently programme encouraged collaborative working which allowed the Council the opportunity to support ReSource with some of their design ideas and vice versa. Three ReSource staff then used design thinking to create a savvy food surplus using community hub.

Jade Lee is one of the team: “The main bit for the café is that we will always take in surplus of foods so our menu can change day to day for visitors. We have sourced local where possible as well and when we buy in, we try to keep that as local as possible.

“We don’t let anything go to waste so where we can, we will reuse it and as well it keeps costs down for us and café visitors. We keep our costs as low as possible to run this as a community café.

"Our Team here deals with the Co-Op, the market hall here in Ruthin, we use Pips Vegan Cheese and we have had donations from Patchwork Foods which have been amazing.”

Seconds café is currently trading from Wednesday to Saturday and has a real Cost of Living supporting scheme for those who may struggle to buy out at the venue.

Jade explained: “We also do the pay forward which a lot of people that come in think it’s such a fantastic scheme. Any tips for staff that we get we pop in the pay forward little tub; it just means that anyone who comes in that can’t afford or can only give so much… it just goes towards that.

It’s not just food surplus the café tackles, books and games are also on the menu.

Jade added: “We put little events on, we do days with a certain game, or we also have a book club just to bring people in. We have had one event where people could come in and learn 1960s hair styles. A few people event rent the café so they can come in and do a certain workshop, events for the community.

“We have even hosted our first children’s party, the family involved already come in quite a bit with their young ones."

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Creating a partnership approach is a great way to tackle the many challenges we all face in adapting to climate change. We were grateful to have this opportunity from the Design Council that has helped us move forward as a Council in working closer with our communities such as Seconds Café to better tackle issues such as the environmental impact of food waste together.”

Corwen pupils create new habitat to protect nature

Ysgol Caer Drewyn pupils joined with Denbighshire County Council’s Biodiversity team to create a new wildflower meadow

Corwen primary pupils have a new biodiversity boosting addition to their school grounds.

Ysgol Caer Drewyn pupils joined with the Council’s Biodiversity team to create a new wildflower meadow for the school to help local nature.

The new addition to the ground is part of the school’s recent KS1 category win in the Council’s Postcards from the Future competition which asked pupils to deliver a message back through time to help us understand how to create a better future for ourselves in the county and across the world.

Pupils Lily and Eleanor looked at how they could help both the oceans and rainforests and their inhabitants recover from climate and ecological change in 2050.

All winners received a selection of environmental books for the school, a talk from the County Council's Biodiversity Team and a collection of plug plants to help create or improve a wildflower area.

Year One and Two pupils rolled up their sleeves with the officers to plant the wildflowers which have been grown at the Council’s tree nursery at St Asaph on a corner of the school grounds to create a new meadow.

They planted red clover, red campion, birds-foot trefoil, yarrow, and self-heal.

Ellie Wainwright, biodiversity officer, said: “The pupils were really keen to do their bit to create the meadow as they all understand how these areas support a range of wildlife from ‘mini-beasts’ (invertebrates) like bees and butterflies to larger animals such as birds and hedgehogs. They were great and very enthusiastic about getting their hands in the soil to make a difference for their future.”

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “I’m really proud of the pupils for getting stuck in to creating this wildflower area. These areas are not just for boosting nature and local biodiversity, they are for us too, especially our future generations such as these children who I hope will see this piece of land grow and protect our species.”

Pupils at Ysgol Caer Drewyn were acknowledged for all their eco work and have had their Platinum status from Keep Wales Tidy retained for the ninth year this year.

The competition was also supported by the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) zero carbon Britain. CAT is an educational charity dedicated to researching and communicating positive solutions for environmental change.

Tree nursery grows roots for strong volunteering community

Denbighshire County Council’s local provenance tree nursery at Green Gates Farm, St Asaph

A vibrant volunteer community has formed from the roots of a growing biodiversity project.

The Council’s local provenance tree nursery at Green Gates Farm, St Asaph, aims to produce 5,000 native wildflower plants a year alongside 5,000 native trees.

This project has been funded by Welsh Government, through the Local Nature Partnerships Cymru ENRaW project and Local Places for Nature grant, is also fostering a growing group of volunteers who have become keen to watch their work grow into vital support for county biodiversity.

Trees and plants grown at the nursery eventually will head back out into the countryside to boost biodiversity. Already last autumn nearly 8,000 plants were added to a number of Denbighshire Wildflower Meadows.

Angela Mackirdy, who lives in Rhyl and formally of Shropshire, came to help and support the ambition of the tree nursery last year after contacting the Council’s biodiversity team about environmental opportunities.

She explained: “When I was in Shropshire I used to do a lot of environmental stuff. We had a small holding; we were high level environmentalists. I did bird surveys, nature surveys, plant surveys, we were really involved in the local wildlife group.

“I started coming last year when we were knee deep in mud. I just enjoy it, I enjoy coming out and meeting people and seeing how things have developed. It’s amazing isn’t it.

“When we planted the acorns and then oaks start growing, you just think well in 50 years’ time that tree is going to be growing somewhere.”

Simon Roberts, who runs an allotment at Prestatyn, cites the opportunity to learn as a great aspect of volunteering at the nursery.

“You meet different people that you wouldn’t meet normally and it’s a nice place. You learn a lot more about the wildflowers. We have got a bank down at the allotment, we’ve put stuff in and are trying to get as good as you see outside here.

“Neil (The Tree Nursery Officer) is very knowledgeable about stuff which I find helps me, stuff I can’t grow at home he talks about.”

Husband and Wife Roger and Sue Jones, of St Asaph, are glad not just of giving support to local biodiversity but being able to travel sustainably to do so.

Roger said: “We are quite green…Sue saw this one last week and I said we should go down and here we are.”

Sue added: “Its handy for us in St Asaph, we can walk or cycle.”

Clare Frederickson, travels over from Glyn Ceiriog in her electric vehicle, to play her part in helping boost the plants and trees for local biodiversity.

She explained: “I really wanted to come, it’s a good opportunity, it’s amazing what’s been done. Tuesdays are a really good day for me it just fell into place and I thought right I will come to see if I can do anything helpful.

“It’s incredible just been here… it’s really lovely, it’s just beautiful.”

Gareth Hooson, from Denbigh, explained his motivation for helping the nursery was part of the bigger picture of climate change.

He said: “I can’t think of anything more pressing than the need for trees right now, that’s primary motivation if you like.

I’ve always had an interest in horticulture, when I started when I was a student, working summertime jobs in horticulture… it’s never left me.”

Gareth started volunteering when the Biodiversity team appealed for help to collect acorns in autumn 2022 to grow at the nursery.

“It’s just seeing that through really. We collected them, we planted them, we potted them on and here they are. Once you get involved, well you’re hooked basically aren’t you because you realise the value in what you are doing.

“The next stage will be to get these out into the environment, to get them going on.

“It’s a valuable thing to be doing I don’t think many people realise the state that we are actually in, and we need to pull together and sort it out if we are able to.

“It’s quite a unique facility this I think and to be a part of it is definitely worthwhile. It’s a great project and I hope I’m here to see it in 10 years!”

All the volunteers are looked after by Tree Nursery Officer Neil Rowlands: “They have been brilliant; they are such a great group and so invested in what we are trying to achieve here at the nursery.

“It’s great having them here as it’s become a real vibrant community, and everyone is interested in learning how we are growing the plants and trees. Without the volunteers we would have not been able to reach the stage we are at, and I am really thankful for all their support.”

Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We are really grateful to all the volunteers who have come to the tree nursery to help out. Their efforts are really helping us make a big difference for local biodiversity and also, I am pleased they are really enjoying their time at the site.”

If you would like to volunteer to help at the tree nursery, please get in touch at biodiversity@denbighshire.gov.uk

Pupils power nature protection at school

Prestatyn pupils are creating a haven for nature to survive on their school grounds.

Ysgol Penmorfa pupils are looking after the biodiversity around their school to help tackle the climate and nature emergency.

The school has created multiple outdoor areas for wildlife to thrive, including their biodiversity friendly garden, wildflower areas and tree corridors. Over winter the school planted 400 trees from the woodland trust on their grounds and 15 heritage fruit trees with the help of Denbighshire’s Countryside service team, creating a wildlife corridor of saplings and long grass around the outside of their school field.

Through advice and support from the Council’s Biodiversity Team, pupils are moving ahead with increasing support for the nature on site by using what the school grounds are providing. Staff recently visited Ysgol Penmorfa to run a biodiversity session for pupils from the life skills gardening group. Pupils were given help by the team to collect seeds from their school grounds to help replenish and boost their existing wildflower areas, and hopefully create more in the future using this sustainable seed source. Staff also led a bug hunt around the school grounds to show pupils the value of these wild areas to invertebrates and other wildlife.

Ellie Wainwright, biodiversity officer, said: “It was wonderful to see how enthusiastic the children were about the different invertebrates living on their school grounds. It’s so important for them to learn about and interact with nature for both their health and the future health of the planet. The wild areas Ysgol Penmorfa have created are absolutely buzzing and every action like this helps to tackle the climate and ecological emergency, ensuring a future for these children.”

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Wales is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world with one in six species in Wales at risk of extinction and more than 97 percent of our wildflower meadows have been lost in the last 100 years.

“So what these pupils are doing here is amazing, their care and passion towards learning how to protect these habitats on their own school grounds is something we can all learn from.”

Denbigh allotments set for ‘incredible’ community food

Denbighshire Countryside Services staff have dug deep to help ‘incredible’ food grow on Denbigh’s doorstep.

Countryside staff and volunteers have linked up with Incredible Edible Denbigh to help prepare allotment spaces donated to the group for planting and growing.

Incredible Edible groups work to create kind, confident and connected communities through the power of food and welcome members of the public to be a part of growing fresh produce locally.

Denbigh’s group is aiming to grow food with help from the local community, allowing people to access locally produced fruit and vegetable.

Incredible Edible Denbigh also aims to provide the community with the skills to grow food at home. A series of workshops are planned to teach people these skills as well as healthy cooking and how to value surplus food.

Denbighshire Countryside Services has helped the group plan and build the infrastructure needed to achieve their local aims.

This includes a disability access stone and dust path to grant access to the growing space, two raised beds, and a shelter which will provide storage space as well as protection from sun or rain.

Countryside Ranger Brad Shackleton said: “It has been really good to support Incredible Edible Denbigh’s fantastic work here in the town by helping them prepare their site. Giving the opportunity for the community to source local food and have a go growing themselves is a brilliant initiative.”

Sue Lewis of Incredible Edible Denbigh, said: “Bwyd Bendigedig Dinbych / Incredible Edible Denbigh is one part of the wider Bwyd Cymunedol / Community Food group which was formed following the Denbigh People's Assembly on sustainable, local food held last year.

“We're so grateful for the support we've had from Council staff, and also from local Councillor Delyth Jones in helping to make the community allotment a reality. We hope many more people will be inspired to join us - all are welcome!”

Councillor Win Mullen James, Denbighshire Cabinet Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said: “Giving communities the chance to grow their own fresh food, learn and enjoy the benefits is so important in this day and age and I am pleased our Countryside Staff and volunteers were able to support the group.”

Bill comes up with a way to reuse old ash wood in a park

Brown and white cob horse pulling log at Loggerheads Country Park accompanied by his handler

A traditional horse powered method has helped resource wood to use following ash dieback work.

Denbighshire Countryside Services has had support from a four-legged friend at Loggerheads Country Park to clear up wood for reuse after recent onsite ash dieback prevention work.

The UK native ash tree is particularly common across Denbighshire’s landscape and unfortunately, many of these trees, including some at Loggerheads, have been struck by the fungus named Hymenoscyphus fraxineus which causes ash dieback.

Trees deemed a risk due to the disease were cut down at the park but the left-over wood will be getting reused to further support the park thanks to the efforts of 15-year-old Gypsy Cob Bill.

Kevin Taylor of Shire X Logging brought Bill to the park to help Countryside staff extract timber which they could not access with vehicles and was too heavy to move by hand. He has been working with Bill for 11 years and the pair have a very close bond.

Using Bill is a type of forestry management which has horses move trees from a felled location to a collection area. The technique is also more carbon friendly with the horse replacing vehicles and kinder to the forest ecology.

The timber collected by Bill will be milled into useable pieces to create benches to go park out into the park.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “It’s great that a traditional method has enabled us to reclaim this wood for reuse in the park that it came from after this important ash dieback work at the park and thanks to everyone for their support while Bill carried out his work.”

Team works to protect ancient history of local trees

An appeal has been launched to help preserve the lineage of ancient Denbighshire trees.

The Council’s Biodiversity team is preparing to carry out work to help safeguard history of long-standing trees across the region.

The team is appealing to all landowners across Denbighshire who have ancient or veteran native broadleaf trees on their property to step forward and help preserve the lineage.

If landowners are interested in contributing to conservation efforts in the county, all the officers need to do is collect seeds from the designated tree.

These will then be grown at the Council’s tree nursery at St Asaph which has already seen 11,500 trees grown on site for 2023.

Biodiversity Officer Liam Blazey explained: “We are on the lookout for these magnificent trees and their seeds to help preserve and increase our county’s canopy cover and would really appreciate the help of landowners to do this.”

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We have a great facility in the shape of our tree nursery which is really forging ahead to help us improve our biodiversity right across Denbighshire. It would be fantastic if we can use this to continue the legacy of those proud ancient trees out there in the county and I would encourage landowners to get in touch if they want to do their bit to help our local tree canopy thrive.

Contact the Biodiversity Team to learn more – biodiversity@denbighshire.gov.uk

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The Conference of the Birds: Curlew & Great Auk

Over the last two years the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) has been working with artist and animator Sean Harris in partnership with the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament), Ruthin Craft Centre, Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales and communities across the AONB and beyond.

Devised by Harris but evolved through many conversations along the way, the project gives voice to two iconic birds: one close to hand and viscerally familiar to older generations, the other more distant but an enduring symbol of the far-reaching consequences of our actions as consumers.

The Curlew – which may be gone from Wales in less than a decade – and the Great Auk – whose tragic demise is bookended by pioneering Welsh science – together raise stark questions of our capacity to learn from past mistakes. They speak of an unsustainable relationship with the ‘beyond human’ world born of society’s increasing disconnection from nature.

How do we remedy this? Where do we find hope? And how do we overcome the divisions that hold us back in undertaking the actions which are so urgently required?

Did You Know?

Cymanfa’r Adar – The Conference of the Birds takes place in the Senedd, Welsh Parliament from September 18th to December 14th.

For two decades Sean has used animation as a vehicle for exploring and expressing the diverse relationships between people and landscapes in Wales and beyond. Invariably adopting a resonant creature as guide – salmon, deer, butterfly, crane, bison – his inclusive way of working forges new networks.

His collaboration with the AONB is long-standing and pioneering activity undertaken within its landscapes has provided the blueprint for subsequent work with an array of conservation and research institutions elsewhere in Wales and beyond.

The current project aspires to recalibrate our connection with nature by questioning our contemporary perception of it. This entails journeys to other places reached via creatively-enabled travels through time and space – and through the landscape itself. These enable us to view our own time and place anew, perhaps even through the eyes of other species.

For millennia art and beast have combined to present a vital means to question, express our relationship with the land and ultimately to say, ‘this is us and this is our place’. Embracing this ethos within an animated travelling menagerie, Harris brings the birds to life so as to hold up a mirror to society and thereby help shape a better future for generations to come.

Countryside Services

A Prestatyn haven for nature is taking shape to craft support for local wildlife

The Council’s Countryside Services are continuing to develop land at Parc Bodnant to help and improve biodiversity in the area.

Work started on the land early this year as part of the Council’s Woodland Creation Project and commitment to tackling the climate and nature emergency.

Ffordd Parc Bodnant has seen nearly 1,500 trees, including hedgerow trees, planted at the site through the support of the Council’s Climate Change team, Countryside Services staff and volunteers who came out to support the work.

The trees include fruit trees, wildlife hedgerow and widely spaced native trees to help provide shade and keep the parkland habitat setting.

Work has carried on throughout the year and the site now includes new additions designed to boost nature.

A new pond has been added to the site which is designed to hold a low level of water to provide optimum conditions for many species to thrive.

Alongside the pond is a unique, locally crafted wooden outdoor classroom which has a bat roof to give the nocturnal mammal a place to roost.

Countryside staff have also continued work to improve an orchard at Parc Bodnant and also develop a wildflower meadow to allow native species to thrive at the site.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: It is fantastic to see this site grow and develop through the care and commitment of our Countryside Services. The growth would also not be possible without the support of the volunteers, some I met early this year during the tree planting and their dedication to the environment is really giving back vital help to local nature here.

“The outdoor classroom is also a fantastic asset to the site and I hope that residents of all ages can come and learn about and enjoy the site.”

2023: Another successful little tern season!

Denbighshire Countryside Service manages Gronant Dunes, which together with its satellite colony at Point of Ayr, is Wales’ only breeding colony of little terns. The little tern is the UK’s smallest species of tern. The colony is the second largest in the UK, and one of the most successful, with Denbighshire having managed the colony since 2005.

Little terns spend the winter in Africa, before making the journey to western Europe to breed every summer. They arrive in May, and breed on the shingle of a few select beaches, before returning to Africa in August. Their nests consist of just a scrape in the sand, where pairs will take turns in incubating 1-3 eggs. Little terns feed exclusively on a diet of sand eels, which they fish for out at sea.

Little tern chicks, which are fed a diet of sand eels, are very well camouflaged. Photo: David Woodfall

With the help of volunteers from North Wales Little Tern Group, staff from Denbighshire Countryside Service set up for the season in April. This involves constructing over 3km of electric fenced pens, further outer fencing, a visitors’ centre and a hide. Its purpose is to protect nests on shingle from predators, as well as disturbance from visitors.

Staff and volunteers constructing pens on the shingle to protect little tern nests

It was then over to Countryside Service staff, predominantly Little Tern Wardens Sam, Jonny and Jordan, to ensure a daily presence on site. Their role involved maintaining electric fencing, which is switched on at night-time to protect the terns from ground predators including foxes, weasels and stoats. The wardens were also on the look-out for aerial predators – mainly kestrels and peregrine falcons, as well as engaging with the many visitors who come to Gronant each year. The wardens keep track of the number of nests on the shingle, and later in the season, the number of fledglings, which gives an indication of the season’s success. This season, 155 fledglings were recorded at Gronant, which gather on the shoreline before making the journey back to Africa, at only a few weeks old!

Denbighshire have been working with licenced bird ringers, with over 35 years’ experience of working with little terns. The ringers are collecting valuable data which will build a more in-depth understanding of these birds. For instance, ringing at Gronant helped to discover the oldest known little tern, at over 25 years old!

Gronant is popular with groups of visitors, and I have taken a number of these out to the colony myself this season. One of the first visits was a group of Young Rangers from Loggerheads Country Park. School groups from Tir Morfa sixth form and Ysgol Bodnant primary also enjoyed their visit. Numerous groups of adults have visited Gronant this year, including the Prestatyn Walking Festival, Nordic walkers and KIM Inspire. The colony is popular with individual visitors: some experienced birdwatchers, and other beachgoers who are fascinated to learn about little terns! Visitors to the colony could view the little terns from the visitors’ centre and the bird hide, as well as from the beach, keeping outside of the fenced area.

A group from the Prestatyn Walking Festival enjoyed watching the little terns through the telescope!

Ysgol Bodnant birdwatching from the visitors’ centre

At the time of writing, we are just finishing the deconstruction of the setup for the year. Denbighshire County Council has a no-trace policy at Gronant, meaning all equipment is taken off for the winter. We’d like to thank the volunteers for their hard work this year and look forward to another successful season next year!

If you would like any more information on Gronant’s little tern colony, or to volunteer, please contact claudia.smith@denbighshire.gov.uk or 07785517398.

Highways

Surface Dressing success

As part of its ongoing commitment to improving the road network the Highways team recently completed this years’ Surface Dressing programme despite the need to battle with rainy conditions.

Usually, they target this work at the main roads but this year the decision was made to see how the process might fare in an urban cul-de-sac and Hammond Court in Rhyl was chosen.

Surface Dressing has two great advantages in that it seals up roads that are beginning to fail but it is also extremely inexpensive when compared to conventional resurfacing.

The photograph shows just how good this has worked out for us and we will certainly be looking to target other similar sites when the ‘season’ arrives again in Summer 2024.

Education

Denbighshire congratulates pupils on exam results 2023

Denbighshire County Council is congratulating all pupils in the county who have received their results this year.

Councillor Gill German, Cabinet Lead Member for Education, Children and Family Services, said: “On behalf of the Council I would like to congratulate all pupils that have received their A-level, AS level and GCSE results.

“This cohort has faced significant challenges over the past few years. They have made a tremendous effort to achieve their results, they have worked very hard to get here and have overcome a lot of obstacles.

“There has been some fantastic partnership working to ensure students achieved the best results possible and pupils have received support from their families and schools. I would like to thank all those who have supported our hard-working students this last year.”

“We would like to wish all learners the very best in their next steps.”

Our Picturesque Landscape

New Interpretation for the World Heritage Site

A series of new interpretation panels have been installed along the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Canal World Heritage Site, as part of a project to engage people with the rich heritage of the area.

The Our Picturesque Landscape project, a partnership scheme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, has been working with partners from the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Canal and Rivers Trust to develop the interpretation. It explores the feats of engineering and design that got the site inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2009 and tells the story of some of the pioneering engineers, artists, tourists, entrepreneurs, and canal labouring navigators who have helped to shape the landscape over the centuries.

The interpretation panels, produced by VisitMôr, have been placed at eight key sites across the 11 miles of the World Heritage Site, including Gledrid Bridge, Chirk Aqueduct, Froncysyllte, Trevor Basin and Llangollen, and will help provide visitors with a sense of place, sharing stories of local significance. This is the first phase of new interpretation, with further panels to be replaced along the canal between Llangollen Wharf and the Horseshoe Falls over the summer.

Hannah Marubbi, Our Picturesque Landscape Project Manager, said: “There are so many special places along the 11 miles of the World Heritage Site, from the Horseshoe Falls, Llangollen Wharf, Chirk and Gledrid as well as the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct itself. This project has been about telling the story of all these places and encouraging people to explore the whole site.”

Emrys Wynne, Lead Member for Welsh Language, Culture and Heritage, said: “There is a rich vein of history and culture in this wonderful area, and I am pleased to see it recognised through this fantastic partnership work.