Category: Featured

The ever-popular Continental Street Market event, which has visited nearly 20 different locations as part of its 2018 tour, will be visiting Wrexham town centre for its final event of the year.

You can expect to find a mix of international themed traders featuring a host of street food options to tempt the tastebuds. The event will be open from 10am to 5pm Wednesday to Saturday, and will be set in the heart of the town centre on Hope Street, Regent Street and Queen Street.

A BAD DEAL FROM WELSH GOVERNMENT MEANS WE’RE FORCED TO MAKE MORE CUTS. HAVE YOUR SAY…

“Expect the area to be brought to life”

Traders from around the world will be on hand to display the best products that their respective countries have to offer. The event will have a wide array of products on offer, from unusual craft items, to food traders offering the best hot and cold produce from their native countries. Expect the area to be brought to life with the sights, sounds and smells of the continent.

The event is operated by RR Events, a Liverpool based Event Management company specialising in special event and themed markets. These themed events will have travelled the length and breadth of the UK as part of its 2018 tour, and is glad to be adding a new destination to its ever-ever-growing list

RR Events Managing Director Tony Walsh said: “Our team of staff and traders have been involved in events across Europe for over 10 years. We are particularly proud of our Continental Street Market events, as we know the atmosphere that they bring to the towns and cities we visit. We would like to thank Wrexham Borough Council for their hard work facilitating the event, and hope that it’s well received locally.

Cllr Terry Evans, Lead Member for Economic Regeneration, said:

“Excellent News”

“This is excellent news and a further boost to the town centre economy. The popular market will see many visitors whilst it’s here who will also be able to browse the markets and town centre shops and take a look at the refurbishment works that will be completed for the start of the market.”

From Wednesday 7th to Saturday 10th November around 20 traders will be present selling the best of the continent’s gastronomic delights and craft items. The food on offer will range from cakes and pastries for those with a sweet tooth, flavoured cheeses and olives for those who prefer savoury treats, as well as a host of hot food offerings such as Greek Gyros, Spanish Paella and Pad Thai.

What’s on information:
Wrexham Continental Street Market
Hope Street and Queen Street
Hours of opening: 10:00am – 5:00pm Wednesday to Saturday
Facebook: @CSmarkets
Twitter: @Continent_SM
Instagram: continental_sm

We have to make even more cuts…and ask taxpayers for more money. But before we do anything, we want to know what you think.

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Proposals are currently out for a new 20mph zone which will cover parts of Plas Madoc, Cefn Mawr, Acrefair, Newbridge and Rhosymedre.

The proposals, put forward by Cefn Community Council, are aimed at encouraging people travelling in and around the area out of their cars, meaning they won’t have to get behind the wheel if they want to travel from one part of the Cefn and Plas Madoc area to another.

The main focus of the plans is make sure parents and guardians can walk their children to and from schools in the area, rather than having to rely on driving to school.

A BAD DEAL FROM WELSH GOVERNMENT MEANS WE’RE FORCED TO MAKE MORE CUTS. HAVE YOUR SAY…

In order to help us towards that target, we’re looking at putting together a network of safe and convenient routes around Cefn and the communities nearby, linking communities and making drivers slow down on some key routes, making them safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

If you use any of the routes involved, we’d be keen to hear your views on whether or not you think the proposals are what’s needed – or what other approaches we should consider taking.

The plans are available to view here:

• Location Plan
• Plan 1
• Plan 2
• Plan 3
• Plan 4
• Plan 5

Any views on the consultation should be e-mailed to darren.green@wrexham.gov.uk,  and a drop-in session will be held at the George Edwards Hall, Cefn Mawr on Tuesday, November 6 between 6pm and 8pm.

Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Encouraging people out of their cars is one of our key aims in tackling carbon targets – but it can also help people stay healthier for longer, and help provide better links between communities.

“I’d encourage anyone interested in the proposals for the routes through Cefn Mawr, Rhosymedre, Newbridge, Acrefair and Plas Madoc to take part in the consultation.”

Cllr Tyger Benbow-Jones, Ward Member for Cefn and member of Cefn Community Council, said: “Being able to walk safely around our villages is so important for all people in our community, especially during school times.

“We live in such a beautiful area and there are health and wellbeing benefits to be gained by getting out of our cars and enjoying some fresh air and gentle exercise – whilst getting to explore some of the forgotten pathways lets us all discover more about our history.

“Please come along to the consultation and share your views.”

Mae rhaid i ni neud mwy o doriadau… a gofyn i dalwyr treth am fwy o arian. Ond cyn i ni fynd ymlaen, rydym ni yn eisiau’ch barn.

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Last week, we put out a piece which goes into some detail on our different committees, how they work and what they do.

We recently published our Scrutiny Annual report for 2017/18 so in this piece, we’re going to take a look at our scrutiny committees.

A BAD DEAL FROM WELSH GOVERNMENT MEANS WE’RE FORCED TO MAKE MORE CUTS. HAVE YOUR SAY…

What can scrutiny committees do?

Scrutiny committees don’t make decisions, but they have a very important role to play in looking in detail at issues that affect the council and the public.

Their key roles include challenging the performance of council services and departments, helping develop policies that affect the services we receive, and acting as a check on our Executive Board, even being able to call-in its decisions.

Ultimately, scrutiny is about bringing about improvement and the committees can look at anything that affects the people in the county borough.

It’s the members of the committees themselves who decide what these issues might be – as a result of requests from fellow councillors, officers or members of the public.

Committees don’t have any formal powers to challenge the work of other bodies, but they have developed good relationships with other organisations such as the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and Coleg Cambria, who meet with our scrutiny committees regularly to discuss their plans and performance.

We have five different scrutiny committees, each of which is made up of elected members.

Here’s a quick description of each of them.

• Employment, Business and Investment: This committee looks at those things which encourage the growth of Wrexham’s economy, such as business support, economic development, tourism, culture, regeneration and urban or rural development.
• Safeguarding, Communities and Wellbeing: This committee discusses social services for adults and children, health, public protection services, leisure services, community centres, crime and disorder.
• Homes and Environment: This committee examines affordable housing, our council housing stock, social housing, homelessness, Traveller sites, waste management, energy efficiency, Streetscene services and roads
• Customers, Performance, Resources and Governance: This committee reviews a lot of the work which we need to do in order to make sure we’re fulfilling our duties as an employer and a local authority. That includes things such as performance management, Human Resources, equality issues, health and safety, customer contact – including the Contact Centre – our finances and asset management arrangements, partnership/collaboration arrangements and the democratic services.
• Lifelong Learning: This committee would discusses things like education issues – for both children and adults – and libraries.

Scrutiny Annual Report 

As mentioned above, we recently published our Scrutiny Annual Report, which looks at some of the improvements achieved by each of the committees during the previous year.

There’s been a wide range of big, important issues covered by scrutiny during 2017/18, including:

• local speed limits;
• empty properties and how they can be brought back into use;
• monitoring contract overspends;
• education standards;
• budget proposals for 2018/19 and 2019/20;
• the Wrexham Town Centre Masterplan

and many more.

To look at some of the other areas covered by scrutiny in the last year, take a look at the full report here.

“Welcome public involvement”

Cllr Sonia Benbow-Jones, Scrutiny Champion, said: “Our scrutiny committees have done some excellent work in the last year, everything from reviewing our own work and projects to challenging outside bodies on the work they do in Wrexham.

“But scrutiny works best when members of the public get involved – be that through raising items for discussion or review, attending in person or following meetings when they’re webcast.

“As such, we welcome public involvement.  We have lots of information on our webpage about how the public can be involved in scrutiny, and anyone who wishes to contribute to scrutiny is advised to get in touch.”

We have to make even more cuts…and ask taxpayers for more money. But before we do anything, we want to know what you think.

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This year it will be a very special Remembrance Service as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

It will be held at the Royal Welch Fusilier Memorial on Bodhyfryd on Sunday November 11 starting at 10.55am.

At 10.59 a bugler will sound the “Last Post” and the two minute silence will be observed.

You are invited to attend this very poignant event to remember those who fought and lost their lives during WW1, WW2 and subsequent conflicts.

The Order of Service is available to download here, and copies will also be available on the day.

The public are advised that barriers will be put in place at 10.30am at the following locations to allow the parade to pass safely and to secure the surrounding area:

• Chester Street (adjacent to the former Feathers pub)
• Holt Street (by the Welch Fusilier pub)
• Chester Road (near the Chester Road/Powell Road roundabout)

Access to the Bodhyfryd Car Park adjacent to Waterworld will therefore be available until 10.30am.

Facilities will be available for elderly, infirm or disabled persons to follow the service from inside the Memorial Hall.

[button color=”” size=”large” type=”square_outlined” target=”new” link=”https://news.wrexham.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Remembrance-Day-Order-of-Service-2018.pdf”]DOWNLOAD ORDER OF SERVICE[/button]