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Children keep an eye on architectural heritage
Local schoolchildren became designers for the day with artist Tim Denton.
Pupils at Ysgol Deiniol, Marchwiel created patterns using stencils made by Tim of details on buildings in Wrexham town centre. The children had fun trying to identify where in Wrexham the buildings were. They then produced their own imaginative take on the designs.
The workshop resulted in patterns which could be incorporated into the furniture Tim will be making with local groups for the Food Hall at Tŷ Pawb when it opens next year.
In the meantime, the activity provided an eye-opener for the pupils on the architectural heritage that can be found around the town.
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Tim will be running further workshops with Coleg Cambria, Caia Park Partnership and UnDegUn.
For further details contact Oriel Wrexham on (01978) 292093.
Read more about Tim’s work in Wrexham here
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October 24, 2017
Plans for growth bid for North Wales
Proposals for a region-wide “growth bid” which could draw more than £200m in funding to North Wales will be discussed by senior members of Wrexham Council next week.
The growth bid will be worked on by all six North Wales authorities, with the aim of giving the area the funding and powers needed to boost the economy region-wide.
Tomorrow, senior members of Wrexham Council will discuss the regional growth deal at a meeting of the Executive Board.
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As well as the bid itself, this will also outline how all six of North Wales’ local authorities will work together on the bid, with the aim of putting it to governments in both Cardiff and London.
Full details on what will be discussed at the Executive Board are available here.
What is a growth bid?
With the amount of investment they bring and the amount of work that has to be done to satisfy them, growth bids can look quite complex.
But boiled down, the aim of such deals is to provide regions with the funds, freedom and powers they need to give them a co-ordinated boost.
They see areas given more responsibility for the decisions that affect them, along with funding provision from the government.
Similar projects, which have already gained attention nationwide, include the Northern Powerhouse, the Swansea Bay City Region Deal and the Cardiff Capital City Region Deal.
“Fantastic opportunity”
Cllr Mark Pritchard, Leader of Wrexham Council, said: “The growth bid is a fantastic opportunity for North Wales, and for us in Wrexham.
“While there is a lot of excellent potential, more investment is needed before we can really unlock that and take advantage of it. Giving us the extra powers we need, and helping us to achieve what would be equivalent of £200m in funding for the area, would of course be a very positive boon to Wrexham.
“I look forward to discussion of the growth bid at Executive Board.”
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October 23, 2017
The Wrexham We Want’ – A Plan for Wrexham
We’ve been working on a plan that we hope will shape the present and future of the county borough of Wrexham. It’s really important we get it right. That’s why we’ve worked hard to involve you every step of the way, and now it’s time to ask for your views on the plan that we’ve drafted.
There are lots of plans. Does Wrexham really need another one?
Well, yes. The Wrexham We Want is about creating a place where we all want to live – both now, and in the future.
Along with the rest of the UK, we’re facing some big challenges in Wales. Things like poverty, economic issues, an ageing population and climate change.
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So the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act is a new law that aims to get public services and communities working together to tackle these challenges and improve the long-term future of Wales.
It covers things like employment, the environment, health, equalities, communities, culture, Welsh language, and our impact around the world.
Making it happen
Wrexham Public Services Board (Wrexham PSB) is the driving force behind this plan.
We’re a partnership made up of lots of organisations that provide services across the County Borough. For example health services, fire and rescue services, Natural Resources Wales, the Council, the police, probation services, Glyndwr University, Coleg Cambria, AVOW and Welsh Government.
We want to work with local people to develop this long-term plan for Wrexham, and help put the Future Generations Act into practice.
Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Communities, Partnerships, Public Protection and Community Safety, said: “Some of the things involved are very far-ranging and cover a lot of important areas, many of which are only going to get more important in the future as demographics change and pressures shift.
“We want to set out an idea of how those developments will be guided, to make sure that as things change, the viewpoints of the people of Wrexham don’t get lost in the mix.
“And it’s with that in mind that I’d encourage people to take part in the The Wrexham We Want consultation.”
Cllr Paul Rogers, Lead Member for Youth Services and Anti-Poverty, said: “The Well-Being of Future Generations Act sets out some fairly wide-ranging responsibilities on us and our partners in other authorities and services, and the Well-Being Plan will set out how we come to answer those responsibilities, and how services in Wrexham will change to meet them.
“But as Cllr Jones notes, the public’s views on this will be incredibly important, and as such I’d recommend that anyone who wants to help us guide those changes take part.”
Find out more about what the PSB is doing and why, visit www.wrexhampsb.org
To take part in the consultation, visit www.yourvoicewrexham.net – or request a paper copy of the consultation by calling 01978 292000.
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October 23, 2017
Looking for something to do this half term?
With half term almost upon us the Wrexham Family Information Service (WFIS) has once again put together a booklet of activities that will give you information about the many activities going on in and around Wrexham to keep our young people busy.
From events in our country parks to events at Wrexham County Borough Museum and at our Libraries there’s plenty to do across the county borough and many are free or cost just a small amount.
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If you want your own copy just email fis@wrexham.gov.uk and they’ll email you one back for free.
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October 23, 2017
Plans for new parking charges – read more here
We’re looking at changing the tariffs at our town centre car parks.
We want to see what we can do to encourage more people to park in the town centre, and to give them the incentive to park in the town for longer.
In January, we upgraded our car parking machines to attract more people into the town, installing new machines which take Chip and Pin payment.
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We’ve also had a lot of feedback from members of the public and town centre traders on what we could do to encourage more shoppers into town – with many asking that we offer 1 -3 hour parking at some of the largest car parks, extending it from the current 1 – 2 hour ticket.
A set of changes will be put to the council’s Executive Board tomorrow.
If approved by the Executive Board, the move would introduce a new range of streamlined charges, bringing all car parks across the town centre in line with one another in terms of price and times.
The proposal involves:
- introducing a 1 – 3 hour parking tariff of £1.80 at all car parks, from Monday to Sunday.
- a reduction in all-day charges at Waterworld and Crown Buildings between Monday and Friday to £3 from the current price of £4, and an equivalent reduction is six-month parking permits for Waterworld and Crown Buildings from £350 to £300.
- an increase in all-day charges at Crescent Road to £2, and an equivalent increase from £168 to £200 for a six month parking permit.
- an increase in the one-hour parking charge to £1, and an increase in the all-day car park charge in Ty Pawb to £2.50.
- removing free after three parking at Ty Pawb and extending standard charges until its 7pm closing time
- introducing a charge of £1 for parking between 6pm and midnight at Crescent Road.
Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “If approved, these new tariffs would bring all of our car parks in the town centre into line with one another, and arrangements would be more equitable across all car parks.
“It would also ensure 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.”
And don’t forget – parking will be free at all council-owned town centre car parks across December, so get your Christmas shopping done in Wrexham!
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October 23, 2017
Disruption for Kingsmills Road Users
There’s going to be disruption on the A525 Kingsmills Road from 29 October as works to improve the road surface and footpath takes place.
Works are expected to take 7 days and will include the closure of the outbound lane of the A525 Kingsmills Road from its junction with Salisbury Road through to the junction with Albert Street. Drivers will be diverted via Salop Road, Eagles Meadow and Darby Road through to Kingsmills Road past the roadworks.
Pedestrian access and access for inbound traffic towards the town centre will be maintained at all times.
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Monday the 30 October will see the closure of Salisbury Road from its junction with Bennions Road through to the A525. This closure will be in both directions.
Diversions will be in place via Salisbury Road, Chapel Street, Pen y Bryn and St Giles Link Road.
Access to properties located within the areas will be maintained at all times for traffic following the diversion routes.
We hope to keep the disruption to those living in the area to a minimum and the works will not continue after 7.00 pm each evening.
Cllr David A Bithell, lead member for the environment and transport, said:
“This work is part of our improvement work leading into the Town Centre, there will be disruption to road users and those living in the area as these works are necessary to bring the roadway up to an acceptable standard.”
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October 20, 2017
Get into gear this half term
There’s a really great event coming up for children over 7 who have a BMX bike.
Professional BMX coach Martin “Oggy” Ogden will be at Ponciau Park on Tuesday 31st October to help young people get new skills and enjoy the fantastic BMX track that’s available there.
Martin has been in BMX for many years and has always been at the top of his game with many number one spots and titles over the years.
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The sessions run between 10.00 am and 3.00 pm and costs £7.50 per child for the whole session. Booking is essential as places are limited.
All you will need to send with your child is a packed lunch and a BMX bike. If you have helmets and knee pads bring them along but there are some available for use on the day.
To make sure of your child’s space ring now on 01978 822780.
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October 19, 2017
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.
Organised by local musicians, Andy Jones and Neal Thompson, the event attracts over 2,000 applications from artists across the globe who want to come and showcase their talent here in Wrexham.
“8,000 people who flock to Wrexham from all over the globe”
Since it began in 2010 it has gone from strength to strength and is now attended by over 8,000 people who flock to Wrexham from all over the globe to see what’s happening here for three days in May. Who’s playing, who’s new and who’s the one to watch. It’s not just music that brings in the crowds, there’s also spotlights on the arts, film and comedy. Many book accommodation and take advantage of local eateries and tourist attractions – all bringing revenue to Wrexham’s economy valued at £330,000.
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We went to meet Andy and Neal, both musicians who met at the former Yale College in Wrexham, to find out just why their event is so successful and what they hope for the future.
They told us that they see what they do as showcasing Welsh talent and helping them get ahead with their careers. It’s a good time to network with others in the music industry and to meet the world’s media. They’ve also forged international partnerships that they see as invaluable to the future development of FOCUS Wales.
We asked why Wrexham? If this is an all Wales event – why not the capital Cardiff?
“Wrexham is a great location”
“Wrexham is a great location for this all Wales event. It has some brilliant venues that are all relatively close to each other and are as diverse as St Giles Parish Church and Central Station to a teepee on Queen’s Square and the arts venues of Oriel Wrecsam and Un Deg Un. It’s also ideally located for international travellers who can use Liverpool and Manchester airports and of course the main road links to the rest of the UK are just minutes away.”
“Wrexham people are very warm and appreciative and visitors always comment on how great a welcome they have received here. Focus Wales is also giving Wrexham a reputation as “the destination” to be for the arts and music in the region.”
“Artists from over 30 different nations”
This year’s event saw international musicians and artists from over 30 different nations as far afield as Canada, Korea, Europe, Madagascar, Brazil and Australia perform to packed venues right here in Wrexham. Next year’s event will be bigger but both have been careful over the years not to grow the event too quickly that way it keeps its professionalism and reputation for quality artists and events.
Before we left we asked them what they thought of the arts scene in Wrexham especially with the opening next year of the £4.5 million arts and markets facility – Tŷ Pawb and they were very clear – “there’s a thriving arts scene in Wrexham and Tŷ Pawb will work if everyone gets behind it. It will be a regional facility and is a bonus for Wrexham.”
“200 bands and 20 venues”
The pair stay busy all year with organising the event and with over 2,000 applications expected again for next year’s event – we left them to get on with what they do best – organising a brilliant music festival with 200 bands and 20 venues.
If you haven’t visited FOCUS Wales yet – we recommend you give it a try and tickets for the May 2018 are already on sale and selling like hot cakes. The first wave of performers will be announced on 24 October so keep an eye on their website at http://www.focuswales.com
Feature photo shows, centre – Andy Jones, Sarah Jones, and Neal Thompson of FOCUS Wales, Amanda Davies, left and Joe Bickerton, right from Wrexham Council who presented FOCUS Wales with an Outstanding Customer Services Award earlier this year on behalf of Destination Wrexham.

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October 19, 2017
Funding nod given for Brymbo Heritage
There’s great news as a major heritage project draws down more than £800,000 from a nationwide fund.
The Brymbo Heritage Trust’s first-round application for funds to progress its massive project, making use of Brymbo’s amazing historical features in the regeneration of, was approved by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) earlier this month.
We’ve already detailed the Heritage Trust on the blog before – including recent support given to it by Wrexham Council by way of a £170,000 loan.
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The Trust’s aim is to see the remaining industrial buildings and the nearby Brymbo Fossil Forest restored and excavated as a visitor attraction, learning centre and vibrant local space known as Brymbo Heritage Area.
The Heritage Lottery Fund’s Board of Trustees considered the Trust’s application last month, and chose to support it in the face of stiff competition from across the UK.
The award will allow the Trust to grow and to bring in the full range of design, engineering and legal professionals it needs to put together fully costed proposals, before a second stage application in late 2019.
If that application proves successful the building work will get underway in 2020 with the facilities opening a year later.
The Trust has been set up by members of Brymbo Heritage Group to take the project forward, and it gained charitable status in August this year. The Trust has already been awarded nearly £2m by another of the National Lottery’s arms – the BIG Lottery – to develop a series of ex-industrial landscapes in and around Brymbo, and has just submitted a bid for £1.1m to progress the refurbishment of its steelworks Machine Shop building next year.
Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Communities, Partnerships, Public Protection and Community Safety, said: “This is excellent news, and congratulations are certainly due to Brymbo Heritage for having achieved this.
“The historical and archaeological importance of the assets up at Brymbo really can’t be overestimated. The fossil forest alone is of global significance – and that’s notwithstanding the obvious signs of the area’s industrial heritage, including Brymbo Steelworks.
“The opportunities posed by regeneration through heritage are very promising, and I hope this marks just the start of what will prove to be a very successful and rewarding project for the Brymbo area.”
Cllr Paul Rogers, Lead Member for Brymbo, said: “This is absolutely fantastic news –everyone at the Heritage Project has put in a lot of hard work on this over the past few years.
“This isn’t just something that’s started up recently and a lot of work went into preparing this bid to ensure its success – and all those at the project deserve to be congratulated for the effort they’ve put in.
“I’m sure this project will be a huge benefit to Brymbo.”
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October 19, 2017
How would you save £13million?
NOTE – This consultation has now closed (01.12.17)
How would you save £13million?
You might soon get the chance to tell us.
Plans to ask local people for their views on how to save money will be discussed by councillors next week.
Wrexham Council has to find the savings over the next two years, as it continues to grapple with less funding from central government.
So a range of ideas are being looked at that could help us cut costs and generate income.
And if the council’s Executive Board gives the green light to consult on the ideas when it meets on Tuesday, October 24, a consultation will be launched to give local people a chance to have their say.
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Don’t do it for us – do it for yourself
If the consultation is approved at Exec Board, we’ll be encouraging as many people as possible to fill-in the questionnaire online.
The more responses we get, the better we’ll understand how people feel.
And it’ll be your chance to influence what happens.
Other people will fill it in, so why let them have all the say?
Councillor Mark Pritchard, Leader of Wrexham Council, says: “Since 2008 we’ve saved £52 million, and the views of local people helped us decide how to make those savings.
“But councils all over the country are still in a very difficult place. We’re still having to find ways to save and raise money to balance the books.
“If the proposed consultation is approved next week, I’d encourage everyone to take part.
“Don’t leave it to others to have all the say. Make sure you’re heard.”
The proposed consultation will be discussed at Wrexham Council’s Executive Board on Tuesday, October 24.
The meeting starts at 10am. You can watch it on the council’s webcast page.
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October 19, 2017