news.wrexham.gov.uk

Category: Featured

Featured posts

  • New Year – New Opportunities?

    New Year – New Opportunities?

    Looking for a new job for 2018? Why not take a look at taking up a caring role with one of our partners.

    We work with partners who provide social care services to provide care to older people or adults people across the county borough and there are job vacancies with those partners that may be just the opening you are looking for.

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    For most of the opportunities on offer you don’t need experience or qualifications and as an added bonus most jobs come with training to improve your CV. Hours can also vary and you can work part time or full time. For domiciliary support workers, travel time and mileage is also paid for.

    Cllr Joan Lowe, Lead Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: “Whilst it can be quite demanding, working in social care can also be very rewarding as we work with those of us who most need our care, help and support to live independent lives within their own communities. There’s opportunities to work in a range of environments from providing support in people’s own home or within 24/7 assisted living so if you want to get a job working with a large team across Wrexham take a look at our website today.”

    You can check out the opportunities available here

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  • Fitness the fun way

    Fitness the fun way

    Is your new year’s resolution to be fitter in 2018?

    If so why not visit one of our 11 country parks and walk, jog or even cycle yourself fitter.

    At Alyn Waters there’s a dedicated cycle route and at Ponciau Banks Park and Tŷ Mawr there’s a dedicated BMX track for everyone to use.

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    Not only do our parks offer some spectacular views of the county borough but they are full of wildlife and at Tŷ Mawr there’s farm animals who love to meet new visitors.

    For more information about the parks please visit www.wrexham.gov.uk/countryside or phone 01978 763140.

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  • New charges could come to Country Parks and Blue Badge holders

    New charges could come to Country Parks and Blue Badge holders

    Are you a Blue Badge holder who regularly uses council-run car parks in Wrexham?

    Perhaps you’re a dog walker or fan of the outdoors who frequently parks up at one of our Country Parks?

    If either of these apply to you, you should read this.

    Proposed introduction of car park charges for Blue Badge holders

    Currently, disabled Blue Badge holders may park for free at any council operated car parks.

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    New proposals which will be considered by senior members of Wrexham Council would see this change.

    The proposals recommend that parking charges be introduced for blue badge holders which would bring them  into line with all other car park users  across all car parks operated by Wrexham Council where charges apply.

    But Blue Badge holders would have an additional hour added to the usual tariff – for example, those paying for a three-hour stay would be able to park for four hours.

    £1 daily car parking charge for Country Parks

    Wrexham Council also manages a number of country parks, and these locations currently offer free parking.

    A second proposal recommends the introduction of a £1 all-day parking charge at Alyn Waters (Gwersyllt and Llay), Nant Mill and Ty Mawr.

    A £50 annual ticket would also be available for users looking to park on a frequent basis.

    New machines would be put in place at the country parks, allowing users to pay by cash and in addition car park users could use the mobile phone app or phone to pay, ensuring it’d be easy to use.

    Both of the above proposals will go to Wrexham Council’s Executive Board on Tuesday, January 9.

    If approved, the new measures would come into effect on April 3, 2018.

    Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “These initiatives were included in the recent Difficult Decisions consultation, which took place in the winter of 2017, and responses received from the public for introducing these new measures were supportive.”

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  • Back to Business for Executive Board

    Back to Business for Executive Board

    It’s back to business at the Guildhall next Tuesday when the first Executive Board of 2018 takes place.

    On the agenda is the Revenue Budget for the next financial year and Cllr Mark Pritchard will update members of the Board on the recommendations to be made to Council on the 21 February. This will also contain the recommended Council Tax for 18/19.

    Nant Silyn, the former site of the elderly people’s home is also up for debate and the Board will be asked to move the site from the General Fund to the Housing Revenue Account to be used for social housing.

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    If all goes ahead it is planned to apply for Welsh Government funding to deliver new, council owned social housing which would focus on units of specialist and adapted housing for older people and people with additional needs to meet specific demand currently on the local housing waiting lists.

    Next up will be the forward work programme which gives us all a heads up on what’s due to be discussed in the coming months – it’s worth keeping an eye on this if you have a particular interest in a subject.

    “Proposals to charge for Disabled Parking and Parking in 3 Country Parks”

    This will be followed by proposals to charge for Disabled Parking and car parking in Tŷ Mawr, Nant Mill and Alyn Waters country parks. These proposals follow the recent Difficult Decisions consultation and the responses received were generally supportive of them. The proposals are for a daily charge of £1.00 at the three parks with an offer of a concessionary annual parking permit of £50.00 and offer disabled parking charges in line with non-disabled charges across all council operated car parks. If this proposal is approved blue badge holders will be given an extra hour’s parking beyond the normal time paid for.

    Finally, the Board will  look at updated policies for Adult Social Care following the introduction of the Social services and Well-being Act (Wales) 2014 and the Mental Capacity Act which has highlighted the need for new policies to be introduced to support work in a number of areas.

    The policies being submitted for update are:

    Interim Adult Safeguarding Policy (Appendix 1)

    Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Policy (Appendix 2)

    Direct payment Policy (Appendix 4)

    Occupational Therapy Statement of Purpose Equipment (Appendix 5)

    Occupational Therapy Statement of Purpose Adaptations – (Appendix 6)

    If there’s anything urgent brought to the attention of the Board it will be discussed at the end of the meeting.

    You are welcome to attend the meeting which starts at 10.00am or you can watch the proceedings on the webcast here 

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  • Wrexham Gets Snappy

    Wrexham Gets Snappy

    We try to share information as far and wide as possible across Wrexham County Borough – and this week we’ve launched our very own Snapchat account to help us do that.

    Now, at a click or swipe of your mobile-phone screen, you can have immediate visual updates by photo or video to keep up-to-date with our news, community info, arts, leisure, events and more.

    We’re already on Twitter and Facebook, and if you’re all over Snapchat then give us a follow.

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    What is Snapchat?

    Snapchat is very visual. It’s kind of the opposite to a lot of other social media platforms, in that it uses pictures with some words sprinkled on top (instead of the other way round).

    It’s a mobile only app and it’s been growing in popularity year on year since it was launched in 2011.

    It is one of the largest growing social media platforms in the world and with 200 million snaps sent a day and has some of the most active web users online.

    You can follow and add your friends and send messages accompanied by photos, video and text with loads of features and filters to keep you entertained.

    How to Add Us

    Add our username ‘WrexhamCouncil’ – it couldn’t be simpler! You can also add our ‘snapcode’ and instantly gain access to some great daily content.

    And make sure you share it with your friends and colleagues so they don’t miss a thing either.

    If you haven’t got Snapchat yet and want to give it a try, download the app from Google Play or the App Store.

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  • Do you use Town Centre car parks? If so, read this…

    Do you use Town Centre car parks? If so, read this…

    As the New Year starts, changes to council car parking charges and tariff bands start too.

    Having implemented free parking throughout the entirety of December – which has been a great success  – the new charges and tariff bands come into action on January  1, 2018.

    With key aims to increase footfall and to keep shoppers in the town for longer, short stay parking has now been extended by an hour, with a 1-3 hour tariff costing £1.80. This will be in place at all Wrexham County Borough Council operated car parks.

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    Meanwhile, we’ll be reducing the cost of parking at Waterworld – our largest car park – to £3 for all-day parking for Monday to Friday. Furthermore, there will be a reduction from £350 to £300 for a six-month parking permit at that car park.

    However there will be increases at Crescent Road, with all-day parking rising to £2 and a six-month parking permit up to £200.

    The free after 3pm provision at Crescent Road as well as Tŷ Pawb (formerly the People’s Market) is being replaced, with charges applying up to 6pm, and then parking after 6pm to cost £1 up until midnight.

    Tŷ Pawb, the exciting new project on the site of the People’s Market, opens in April 2018. Parking at the site will be £1 for a 0-1 hour stay, from the turn of the year.

    Changing demand for town centre parking 

    We’re putting these changes in place to make sure we have a tariff and charging structure which reflects demand for town centre parking.

    Having already made vast improvements to our car parks in recent months with brand new machines which accept card payments, and the ability to now pay via your mobile phone using the Just Park App, Wrexham Council is striving to improve parking in the town centre and its surrounding area to bring more and more people in to the town.

    Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “These new tariffs will bring all of our car parks in the town centre into line with one another and arrangements will be more equitable across all car parks.

    “It ensures that we have a parking pricing structure in place which reflects the demands for parking in the town centre, and will address the needs of residents, visitors and local businesses.

    “The new 1 – 3 hour charge at £1.80 will allow shoppers to spend more time in the town, and the reduction in the all-day price at Waterworld, our largest car park, will allow them to stay for longer”.

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  • North Wales Councils Launch Multi -million Pound Growth Bid for North Wales

    North Wales Councils Launch Multi -million Pound Growth Bid for North Wales

    The six North Wales Councils have formally submitted a Growth Bid to the UK and Welsh Governments. Negotiations on the submission will commence in the New Year of 2018.

    The Councils have formed a new body, The North Wales Growth Board to finalise the Growth Deal and manage its delivery once agreed with the two Governments. The new body is a Local Authority Joint Committee with representatives of key partners: the North Wales and Mersey Dee Business Council, universities and further education colleges.

    The proposals would enable investment of £1.3billion in the North Wales economy from growth deal monies of £328m capital and £55.4m revenue, totalling £383.4m, a return of £3.40 for every pound spent.

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    Over 5,000 jobs will be created. Other outcomes are being estimated and will include the creation of new businesses, housing units built, including affordable housing and placing workless households into work.

    The funds for the Growth Bid, if approved, will be provided jointly by the UK and Welsh Governments.

    Cllr. Aaron Shotton, Chair of the North Wales Growth Board said: “I am delighted to announce the formal launch of the North Wales Growth Bid with my fellow Council Leaders and the representatives of our key partners in Business, Higher Education and Further Education.

    “We have delivered our outline proposals to Guto Bebb MP, UK Government Minister for Wales and Ken Skates AM, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport in the Welsh Government.

    “We have set up a Shadow Joint Committee which will be called the North Wales Growth Board. The new board thanks the members of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board for their contribution to building the platform for a credible and ambitious Growth Bid over the past 18 months.

    “We are in the process of appointing a bid development team to work up detailed business cases to the standards required by effective delivery. We mean to do what we say.

    “Our proposals have been developed in partnership with the private sector, our universities, (Bangor and Wrexham Glyndwr) and our Further Education Colleges, (Cambria and Grwp Llandrillo Menai). We have had support and encouragement from the UK and Welsh Governments, our Assembly Members and Members of Parliament. It has been a genuine team effort to get to this point.

    “North Wales is a united and ambitious region. We aim to develop a new, more prosperous, innovative and productive economy that is smart, connected and resilient and provides opportunities for better employment across the whole region”.

    Cllr. Dyfrig Siencyn, Vice Chair of the Growth Board said: “The Growth Bid is only one part of our Growth Vision. We will continue to press for improved transport links outside of the Growth Bid. We will campaign for the Department of Transport to fund improved rail infrastructure and the Welsh Government to fund improved rail services.

    “We will work with the Welsh Government to deliver a North Wales Metro and an improved road network.

    “Our proposals will also sit alongside UK and Welsh Government programmes to improve digital and wireless connectivity in the region.

    “The Growth Bid taken together with support from governments to improve transport and digital connectivity will drive economic growth, ensure a fair distribution of benefits across the region and help retain young people in the region.

    “There is a lot of hard work and tough negotiations ahead of us before we can finalise a growth deal with the two governments.

    “The work we have done so far through the Bid Process has given us momentum, unity and a determination to succeed”

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  • Festive gifts top off improvement work at sheltered housing scheme

    Festive gifts top off improvement work at sheltered housing scheme

    Council tenants at Tir Y Capel sheltered housing scheme have had a few extra Christmas presents to enjoy this year!

    The scheme contains 20 self-contained properties. Homes here have recently received new kitchens and bathrooms as part of our huge housing improvements project.

    The work is being carried out to ensure we achieve the Welsh Government’s Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

    As with all properties receiving this work, tenants were given a selection of colours and designs to choose from for their new kitchens and bathrooms so they could add a personal touch to the finished product.

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    Seasonal treats for the tenants

    As an extra Christmas gift, three hampers, packed with all sorts of festive goodies, were donated to the tenants by the contractors who carried out the work, Novus Property Solutions.

    The hampers were used for Tir Y Capel’s Christmas raffle, the profits of which are used to fund activities and days out for the tenants.

    Tir y Capel tenant, Barry Cupit, said: “I’m very pleased with the improvements. They’ve redesigned my kitchen area so it’s more open than it was previously and it’s good quality. The bathroom looks great too. Sadly I didn’t win the hampers in our raffle though!”

    A huge step forward for council housing

    Local Member for Llay, Cllr Bryan Apsley, said: “I’m delighted that council tenants in Llay are now seeing the benefits of the housing improvements project. Many properties here have received new kitchens and bathrooms now and other work such as re-roofing and external wall insulation has also been carried out.

    “You can see the difference it’s made to the properties as you look around the streets. We’ve made a huge step forward with the quality and condition of council houses in this area which is very encouraging.”

    Fellow Local Councillor for Llay, Cllr Robert Walsh, said “Having a new kitchen and bathroom installed can cause some upheaval but it is essential work which needs to be done and I’m pleased to see that many of our tenants have taken up this offer to have their homes modernised and made fit for the future.

    “We’ve had a huge amount of work carried out here in Llay and we’re not quite finished yet but it’s been very encouraging to see the quality of the improvement work that’s been carried out and the difference it’s made to the properties and for our tenants.”

    We’re bringing homes up to a higher standard than ever before

    Council homes across the County Borough are receiving all sorts of internal and external improvement work, including new kitchens and bathrooms where required, to ensure we meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard by 2020.

    We’re investing a record £56.4m on this work in 2017/18. This includes a £7.5m Major Repairs Allowance grant, which the Welsh Government awards to local authorities to help them achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

    Lead Member for Housing, Cllr David Griffiths, said: “Thousands of properties have now received vital improvement work and I’m delighted to see that we are on track to meet the standard. It’s about ensuring all our tenants are able to live in homes which are safe, attractive, comfortable and fit for the future.

    “We’ve carried out a huge amount of work to get to this stage but I’m very pleased with how we are progressing and with the quality of the work being carried out. We’re bringing homes up to a much higher standard than ever before and that is great news for our tenants.”

    If you’d like to know more about the housing improvement work being carried out to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard take a look at the council website

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  • The goodwill gifts that had these tenants smiling this christmas..

    The goodwill gifts that had these tenants smiling this christmas..

    They say Christmas is the season of goodwill and that was definitely the case at Erw Gerrig sheltered housing scheme in Rhos recently!

    The Erw Gerrig scheme is made up of 22 self-contained properties. Tenants here have recently received new kitchens as part of our extensive housing improvements project.

    The tenants took it into their own hands to welcome the workers from contractors, CLC.

    Every morning, they would prepare bacon baps for the workers to make sure they had been well fed before letting them crack on with the important work of installing the new kitchens.

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    A special way to say thank you

    The breakfast bonus treats must have done the trick, because as well as completing the improvement work, the workers from CLC devised their own way to show their appreciation.

    In return for the tenants’ heartwarming hospitality, the workers clubbed together for a £60 voucher for the tenants.”

    They also presented the tenants with a colourful bouquet of flowers to say thank you.

    Left to right – Joan Parry (Erw Gerrig tenant), CLC staff, ‘Darren and Baz’, Gwenda Edwards (Erw Gerrig tenant)

    Making the workers feel welcome

    Erw Gerrig tenant, John White, explains where the idea came from: “I got the idea after I’d seen something similar done at St Michael’s sheltered housing scheme in Ruabon. I thought it would be nice if we could extend it to all the CLC workers here at Ewr Gerrig so I suggested it to our warden and the tenants and we all agreed it would be a kind gesture.

    “We’re all very pleased with our new kitchens. They are top quality and they are such an improvement on what we had before.

    “We’re also very grateful for the vouchers and the flowers we received from the CLC workers. We’ll be using the vouchers for our new year’s eve buffet so we are all looking forward to that very much!”

    Local Member for Pant, Cllr David Maddocks, said: “I’m very pleased that the improvement work here has gone so well and it is wonderful to hear of the acts of generosity between the tenants and the contractors. John and the tenants here have gone to great lengths to make the workers feel welcome and they’ve thanked them for this hospitality in a very touching way.

    “It is also very encouraging to see that council tenants here and in the surrounding area have been able to benefit from new kitchens and bathrooms and that homes are being made fit for the future.”

    One of the new kitchens at the Erw Gerrig scheme

    We’re on track to achieve the new housing standard

    Housing improvement work is progressing all over the County Borough as we continue to modernise homes and ensure they achieve the Welsh Government’s Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

    We’re investing a record £56.4m on this work in 2017/18. This includes a £7.5m Major Repairs Allowance which the Welsh Government awards to local authorities to help them achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

    Lead Member for Housing, Cllr David Griffiths, said: “We’ve carried out an enormous amount of work this year with thousands of properties receiving improvements such as new kitchens and bathrooms, electrical rewires, new central heating systems, re-roofing, External Wall Insulation and fencing and paving work.

    “We are well on track to achieve the standard and it’s great to hear that tenants, such as those in Erw Gerrig, are so pleased with the work we’re carrying out to their homes.”

    If you’d like to know more about the housing improvement work being carried out to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard take a look at the council website

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  • Did you read our top 10 stories in 2017?

    Did you read our top 10 stories in 2017?

    It’s that time of year, when blogs, newspapers and magazines are full of ‘list articles’ looking back at the past 12 months.

    Well…we’re not above all that. So here’s a quick rundown of some of our favourite articles from 2017.

    If you didn’t catch them the first time, take a peep. They’re still worth a read…

    1. Use this neat trick to get your favourite magazines for free

    If you regularly buy magazines, you could be spending a small fortune. But the fact is, you could be getting them for free.

    via GIPHY

    2. The ‘safe space’ that helped over 300 people last Saturday night…and why you need to know about it

    Hopefully you’ll never have to use it, but if your night out goes a bit pear-shaped, there’s a place you can go for help.

    3. Watch the buildings come down as a local council estate gets a major makeover…

    Unpopular houses on a local council estate have been demolished as part of a huge modernisation project.

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    4. Five myths about councils…busted

    When it comes to public services, it’s not easy to know who does what. Which means people sometimes think their council is responsible for stuff they have no control over.

    5. Town centre footfall breaks 100,000 mark in the summer

    Wrexham town centre saw its visitor count reach more than 100,000 people during a week in August.

    6. Respite for Rachel

    No wages, no sick pay, no annual leave – if you’re a carer, you’ll know what we mean!

    In Wrexham, however, there is a rare example of creative thinking and practical action changing the lives of Rachel Harry, her daughter Freya and Rachel’s mum Karan.

    7. Own your own little piece of Wrexham history…the Acton Dog

    Here’s a chance for you to own your own little piece of Wrexham history in the shape of the Acton Dog. It’s been re-created using new 3D technology, thanks to engineers at Glyndwr University.

    8. What brings £330,000 to Wrexham every year?

    You may be surprised to know that it’s one of the biggest international music events in Europe…it’s FOCUS Wales, and it takes place here in Wrexham every May.

    via GIPHY

    9. Young people…“you can make a difference”

    Are you aged between 11 and 25? Do you feel more could be done to ensure young people have their views taken seriously, and are represented?

    10. Want to start a business in Wrexham? Get free support

    Entrepreneurs interested in starting a business in Wrexham can tap-into loads of free support.

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