News

Second round of Placemaking Plans Drop-in sessions to be held in Corwen and Denbigh

After a successful first round of engagement sessions, a second round of Placemaking Plans Drop-in sessions are planned in early September for Denbigh and Corwen.

Placemaking Plans aim for the improvement of a place and ensures that all aspects that make a place great for living, working and visiting are considered. Successful Placemaking Plans are shaped by the knowledge of local people and how they live their lives.

CORWEN

Corwen’s Placemaking Plans Drop-in session will be held on 10 September at Corwen Library between 12pm and 5pm and in Corwen Memorial Park Hall between 5:30pm and 8pm, with residents urged to drop in at any point during this timeframe to have their say.

DENBIGH

Denbigh’s engagement session will be held on 11 September at Denbigh Library between 2pm and 8pm and again residents are urged to drop in between these times.

Staff from the Council will be in attendance to capture people’s thoughts about the vision and interventions for Corwen and Denbigh. We want to ensure the feedback captured to date is accurate and continue to collect local views and perspectives on the draft strategy and proposals that have been prepared.

The first round of sessions held back in June saw residents come and voice their opinions on the future of their towns. These latest sessions will discuss the changes made which were informed by the summer engagement sessions.

Jason McLellan, Leader and Lead Member for Economic Growth & Tackling Deprivation said:

“Our towns are shaped by the people who live, work and visit them, and their opinions will help define the future vision of these plans in their respective towns. I would urge residents to come along to voice their opinions on the Placemaking Plans, and to see how the previous sessions’ feedback has shaped them”.

Our citizens help breathe new air into Community Mental Health building

Local citizens who access Mental Health Support via the Council and Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board have recently taken part in a project to transform their local Community Mental Health building in Denbigh, Tim Dyffryn Clwyd.

The idea stemmed from citizens sharing feedback with staff, with the takeaway being that the building was too formal and clinical, which hindered the way that they engaged with the service.

Both services wanted to ensure that citizens felt that their opinions were heard and valued, and felt that it would be beneficial for citizens to take on some ownership of the space they use.

During ‘Well-being through Art’ sessions, funded by the Welsh Government’s Connected Communities Loneliness and Social Isolation grant, citizens developed pieces of art to decorate the rooms, using a variety of art mediums including inks, cyanotypes and even making weaved plant pots.

Two rooms have had feature walls painted in warmer, calming colours and the citizens were also given the opportunity to rename some of the consultation rooms in the building to ensure they fit with the nature theme of the project. The rooms are now named after three local mountains, Moel Famau, Moel Arthur and Foel Fenlli.

Funding has also been secured to purchase new furniture for the rooms, which will help modernise these spaces.

The process of taking part in this project has enabled citizens to implement the 5 ways of Well-being, which helps them to maintain mental wellness by Connecting with others, To Give, To Take notice, Be active and to Learn something new. It is hoped that it will help to change citizen’s perception of the building and reconnect them with the service in a more positive way.

Ann Lloyd, Head of Adult Social Care & Homelessness Service said: “The citizen-led transformation of Tim Dyffryn Clwyd is truly inspiring, showcasing the remarkable impact of empowering individuals to help shape the local services they use. This project is yet another wonderful example of engagement and collaboration bringing about positive change in the community.”

Works begin to improve former village school in Bryneglwys

Cymdeithas Canolfan Ial Association (CCIA) have appointed a contractor to undertake improvement works on a former school building, to become a community hub in Bryneglwys.

On the 19 January 2023, the Council received confirmation that they had secured £10.95m from the 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.

This project was one of the 10 included within the Council’s application to UK Government, and as a result Cymdeithas Canolfan Ial Association (CCIA) received £327,000 of this UK Government funding to renovate the former village school and secured a further £65,000 from the Clocaenog Windfarm Fund towards the project.

After the closure of Ysgol Bryneglwys in 2014, a group of volunteers came together to ensure that a once valuable community asset could become integral to the community again.

The group of residents formed Cymdeithas Canolfan Ial Association (CCIA) and obtained a charity status in April 2020, with the aim to convert the old school to a much-needed community hub.

Adever Construction was successful in their tender for the project, and preliminary works have begun to remove existing asbestos within the building, conduct clean air tests and render the exterior of the community hub.

Further improvements to the interior of the building will enable future community events to be held within the community hub and provide a warm hub facility for residents.

Pat Downes, Chair of Cymdeithas Canolfan Ial Association (CCIA) said:

“Cymdeithas Canolfan Ial Association (CCIA) was formed as a one issue charity to turn the old school into a much-needed community hub. It has been a lot of hard work and so many people have helped us over the years. There has been a real team effort around this project.

“It’s an exciting time, not just for CCIA, but hopefully the whole village will be looking forward to having this amenity. It will offer an opportunity for residents to get together on a regular basis in the new café and will provide a space to host events such as concerts. It will also be available to hire once the work has been completed”.

Councillor Jason McLellan, Lead Member for Economic Growth and Tackling Deprivation said:

“We are pleased to hear that a contractor has been appointed to complete these much-needed improvements to create a community hub in Bryneglwys.

“It is exciting that Denbighshire County Council has been able to support this community to achieve their aspirations. Hubs such as these play a vital role in bringing the residents together and we are sure that when the renovation is completed, it will become a valuable asset to the people of Bryneglwys”.

Denbighshire residents benefitted from £215,000 in Pension Credit Campaign

The Council has been running a campaign over the last few months to encourage pensioners to find out about the Pension Credit they may be missing out on. A total of £215,000 has been identified so far, with residents being supported by Citizens Advice Denbighshire to claim the benefits they are entitled to.

Over £58,000 has been Pension Credit claims however, other benefits including Attendance Allowance, Council Tax Reduction and Housing Benefit have also been identified as a result of full benefits checks.

On 29 July 2024, new changes were announced regarding eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments. They will now only be provided to individuals receiving State Pension Credit.

During Pension Credit Week of Action, 2-6 September, more people are being urged to check whether they qualify for the benefit worth, on average, £3,900 a year and unlocks additional support including Winter Fuel Payments, Council Tax, healthcare and if you’re aged 75 or over, a free TV licence.

It’s estimated that around 80,000 pensioners across Wales are entitled to Pension Credit but are not claiming it. Two letters have already been sent to eligible pensioners in Denbighshire to highlight the support available and encourage applications as well as follow-up telephone calls and partnership engagement.

Pension Credit provides crucial support to older people on low incomes, topping up their income to a minimum of £218.15 a week for single people or £332.95 for couples. For people who have reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, they may be entitled to extra money if they have made some provision towards their retirement such as savings or a private pension. This is called the Savings Credit and could be up to £17.01 for a single person or £19.04 for a couple.

Liz Thomas, the Council's Head of Finance & Audit said:

"I’m delighted the campaign has already resulted in thousands of pounds of unclaimed benefits being identified to help pensioners in Denbighshire. This is welcome news, and I would urge friends and relatives to start a conversation with an older person to find out what financial help may be available.

Claiming Pension Credit is important because it can provide access to a range of other entitlements. Some people may only be eligible to claim a few pounds in Pension Credit so feel it's not worth claiming, but they should consider the bigger picture as it opens the door to a lot of further support including the Winter Fuel Payment. Ensuring residents are maximising their household incomes can make a real difference to people’s lives.”

You can initiate your application up to four months prior to reaching State Pension age. You're allowed to claim any time after you reach State Pension age, but your claim can only be backdated for three months. as long as there is entitlement during that time. This means that the latest date to apply and still qualify for a Winter Fuel Payment is 21 December 2024.

You can find out if you’re eligible for Pension Credit and how much you could get by using the pension calculator - www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator.

Graham Kendall, Chief Officer at Citizens Advice Denbighshire commented:

“The campaign has been really successful as we’ve been able to directly target those pensioners that may be eligible for Pension Credit by working in partnership with Denbighshire County Council.

“We deal with a lot of residents who are struggling to balance the books due to the cost of living but can be too proud to consider looking into what financial support they may be entitled to. We aim to break down barriers and encourage residents to open up and discuss their personal circumstances.

“We provide free, confidential advice and support including full benefits checks, complete forms, support customers to manage fuel poverty and provide housing advice.”

If you’re unsure if you are eligible, or would like help and support with your application, please contact Citizens Advice Denbighshire on 01745 346 775 or via their online form - www.cadenbighshire.co.uk/get-in-touch. Alternatively, claims can be made online at www.gov.uk/pension-credit or by calling the Freephone Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234.

North Wales Police Open Day

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. Being transparent and open about our performance is part of our core values and principles as a council.

Published online here, our executive summary for the year April 2023 to March 2024 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 six monthly performance reports.

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.

During the year 2023 to 2024, we have responded to the financial pressures all local authorities are facing responsibly. We have used our resources economically, efficiently, and effectively, our governance is functioning and effective, and our focus is on securing the best possible outcomes for our environment and communities in Denbighshire. Some achievements for the year up until March 2024 include:

We have secured benefits for the local economy and our communities through the procurements we have undertaken. The total spend via procurement, including grant funding, during the 2023 to 2024 financial year was £226,978,810 - £83,426,447 of this being spent within Denbighshire (35.2%). 56% of relevant procurements contained community benefits and work is ongoing to align these with the new Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023.

We've seen a growth during the year in the number of micro-providers delivering personalised, high-quality care and support in the community, from 30 to 57. Micro-providers support personal and community well-being by allowing greater access to services for residents. This helps people to stay safe and well at home and gives them choice and control over their care and support.

The support provided to promote the development of children in the early years has continued to strengthen, with excellent rates of children taking part in the childcare offer (772) and continued excellent support from Family Link Workers helping entry to nursery. Library services such as Bookstart were also popular, with 99% of parents feeling a positive impact from attending Bookstart and Rhyme-time, and 2,478 children took part in the 2023 Reading Challenge. The Oaktree Integrated Children's Centre was expanded during the year and by January 2024, the universal free school meals offer was made available to all primary pupils across Denbighshire.

At the end of 2023, our Electric Vehicle Charging Hub at Rhyl's West Kinmel car park reached its first anniversary. Since becoming operational it has provided over 250,000 miles of greener transport for motorists.

Coastal defence schemes continued in Rhyl and Prestatyn.

Work by the Energy Team has helped to improve building energy efficiency and also support the reduction of carbon emissions and usage costs over the longer term. Part of the Council's drive to address the climate and nature emergency declared in 2019, and to reduce its own carbon footprint, includes projects which have achieved a landmark of over a megawatt of installed renewable energy capacity (1099kWp). Most of this is generated from roof mounted solar PV panels. This installed capacity will provide around 1.05MWh per year (1,056,431kW), the equivalent to providing zero carbon electricity to run 364 homes. This will also reduce carbon emissions by 306 tonnes per year.

We’ve also seen a growing confidence amongst officers and members in using Welsh formally and informally in the day-to-day business of the council. This is a core part of our Corporate Plan so that we play our part in achieving one million Welsh speakers in Wales by 2050, making the Welsh language a living, thriving language within the council and our communities.

As with any organisation, there are areas where progress needs to improve. For the year April 2023 to March 2024, the following have been highlighted:

Perceptions about the council expressed through our annual stakeholder survey are not as positive as we would like.

There continues to be a high number of people on the housing waiting list, with challenges around homelessness.

Road and bridge infrastructure remains a challenging area of our work, with discussions with partners ongoing in respect of a replacement Llannerch Bridge.

Poverty and the vitality of our local economy remain concerning, as long-standing issues. We are also concerned about the number of Year 11 Leavers from schools known Not to be in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). Excellent support from Working Denbighshire aims to upskill and support people to gain experience and grow in confidence, for example by offering fully funded training courses.

Full reports and performance information can be found here.

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