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Featured posts

Love music? It’s all happening in Ponciau Banks
The park will come alive to the sound of music on Tuesday, July 18 as schools from the area hold their annual Choirs in the Park event between 10am and 12.30pm.
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The event is organised by the Community Council and is free. Refreshments are available.
And there’s no need to worry if the Wrexham weather takes a turn for the worst, as the event will be moved to the popular Stiwt Theatre.
Ponciau Banks to rock on July 22
On Saturday, July 22 the annual music night takes place.
This year the ever-cool ‘5 past 40′ will be taking to the bandstand, and in-between sessions a disco will keep you dancing.
It starts at 6.30pm and the Friends of Ponciau Banks have managed to put it all on for free – so hats off to them for their huge efforts.
Refreshments will be available to buy on the night.
If you’re going, just take a blanket and a chair and enjoy the atmosphere.
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July 11, 2017
4 reasons your TIC ain’t just for tourists
Tourists Information Centres are just for tourists. Right?
Wrong. TICs are for everyone…including local people keen to enjoy activities and visitor attractions on their door-step.
Wrexham TIC – which opened in 1992 – has some cracking things to offer in its 25th year.
The staff are really friendly, and enjoy helping Wrexham residents just as much as tourists from as far as Japan and Australia.
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“…we’ll take a shot at any question…”
Anne Salmon, whose worked there for 24 years, says: “The sign over the door might say ‘tourists’, but TICs are for everyone – people of all ages and from near or far.
“Some of our best customers are local people, and although it’s great helping visitors coming to North East Wales for the first time, building a rapport with regular customers we see week-in week-out is a really nice part of the job.
“We’re willing to take a shot at any question about the area, and we also have some lovely gifts and produce on sale – many of them from local suppliers and producers.”
So if you live locally, what can you get from Wrexham TIC?
Try this for starters…
4 reasons the TIC is for you
1. Tickets
You can book tickets for all kinds of fun stuff. Visiting Chester Zoo? Heading to the theatre? Fancy a local festival or concert? Need a bus ticket?
Give the TIC a shout and get your tickets.
2. Goodies
The TIC sells lots of local produce, including locally-made jewellery, Aballu chocolate created in Rossett, local books and postcards showing the beautiful Welsh countryside.
It’s a smashing place to pick up goodies and gifts for friends and relatives. Or just treat yourself 😉
3. Info
Want to know more about your area?
There’s loads of stuff to do in Wrexham and the rest of North East Wales, and the TIC staff know all the hottest places to eat, the best activities for little ones, where to find that shop your friend told you about, and much more.
4. Travel
You can get loads of travel info from the TIC – including bus and rail timetables – and you can even book National Express coach tickets.
“…enjoying the attractions on our door-step…”
Councillor Terry Evans, our lead member for the local economy, said: “It’s not just visitors who support the tourism industry in North Wales…it’s also local people getting out and about and enjoying the things our door step.
“I’d encourage everyone to pop into the TIC next time they’re in the town centre.
“The staff know everything there is to know about the area, and it’s one of the best places to pick up information and book tickets for local events.”
Wrexham TIC is based on Queens Square and open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm (apart from bank holidays).
To get in touch call 01978 292015 or email the team.
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July 11, 2017
Park at the Peoples Market? Read this…
Do you regularly park at the Peoples Market in Wrexham?
Do you park there while at work during the week? Or while nipping into town to do weekend shopping?
Either way, you’ll be interested in these upcoming changes.
From July 24, a new “pay on foot” system will be in place at the Peoples Market
The machines will accept both cash and card – and will also accept the new £1 coins.
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What is “Pay on Foot”?
“Pay on Foot” is fairly straightforward, and users will likely have seen it used at a number of other car parks.
The new system will provide car park users with tickets when they arrive at the barriers, and users will have to redeem their tickets before leaving using payment machines located in the north and south malls
Door readers in the stairwells will scan the tickets provided at the barriers, meaning only those who have a parking ticket will be able to access the stairwells.
Season parking passes are available for those who park in the Peoples Market on a regular basis.
“More convenient for drivers…”
Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “The new parking arrangements at OW Peoples Market will be introduced as smoothly as possible.
“With the new chip and pin and card payment coming into line, the car park at OW Peoples Market will be more convenient for drivers and will save those looking to park from having to hunt for change.
“It will also make the car park more secure, as less cash will be held in the machines, so they’ll pose less of a target for vandals.
“And only those who’ve parked in the car park will have access to the stairwells, which will add another element to security.”
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July 11, 2017
Fancy a career in social care? Apply for an apprenticeship
There’s a fantastic opportunity to gain an apprenticeship in social care with us here in Wrexham.
There’s an information morning at the Memorial Hall on Wednesday, July 12 between 9.30am and 12.30pm when you can find out more details about it.
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We’re looking for someone over the age of 18 who is caring and understanding, and who likes every day to be different and often challenging.
Does this sound like you? Then read on…
You’ll be paid while you get learn and will gain skills and knowledge in social care to help you achieve a successful career.
We’re working in partnership with Wrexham ITEC who are offering a range of relevant training and experience to allow you to become fully qualified in the social care sector.
Feel free to pop along to the event at the Memo Hall and have a chat with people already working in the social care sector.
You never know…it could be your first step to a successful career in social care.
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July 10, 2017
5 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.
Here are five common myths cleared up (at least we think they’re common myths)…
1. They own all the shops
In Wrexham (and most other towns and cities) the vast majority of shops – including the big ones – are owned by commercial landlords. They set the rent and decide who to rent them to.
Unless there’s a legislative reason like planning or building regs, councils have very little say in what commercial landlords do with their premises.
2. They own all the car-parks
In Wrexham, the council owns a lot of car parks – mostly in the town centre – but some are privately managed.
We only decide the parking rates for our own car parks, which include Waterworld, Wrexham Library and St Giles.
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3. They’re in charge of business rates
Nope. It’s easy to understand why people think councils control business rates, but they’re actually set by the Valuation Office – a national government agency.
In Wales, councils collect the money from local businesses and pay it into a central pool. Central government then shares it back out among councils to help pay for public services.
4. They do all the roadworks
In most places, motorways and major roads like the A483 (Wrexham bypass) are maintained by the regional or national trunk road agency.
We kid you not…councils usually don’t manage these big arterial roads. But they do look after most of the others in their patch, including A and B roads.
5. They love red-tape
Well…this one is open for debate.
It’s probably true that councils can be very bureaucratic, but sometimes they don’t have any choice.
Legislation and other obligations mean they have to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s.
And some-times ‘red-tape’ just means ‘doing things properly.’
On the other hand, there’s no doubt councils could be quicker and leaner with some of their processes, and we’re always working hard to try and make things easier for our customers.
So there you go – five common myths about councils…busted.
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July 10, 2017
Goals set out with plan for Welsh education – read more
Wrexham Council will unveil its aims to help as many people as possible to become bilingual, with its draft Welsh in Education Strategic Plan to be discussed next week.
The WESP outlines how Wrexham Council’s Education Department and its partners will continue to answer the seven outcomes set out by Welsh Government around Welsh education.
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The seven outcomes cover areas including provision, standards of Welsh first language and Welsh second language including opportunities for learners to use Welsh socially, and workforce training and development.
“Far-ranging and ambitious”
The plan will be discussed by members of the Executive Board at their monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 11.
Once approved, the draft plan will be subject to change following feedback from the Welsh Government.
Cllr Phil Wynn, Lead Member for Education, said: “The Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) is a far-ranging and ambitious document, which sets out our visions and objectives as we continue to deliver and provide for Welsh language education.
“As the vision outlined within the WESP states, we want to enable all children and young people to be confident bilingual speakers through education provision, and to be able to live, work and socialise through the medium of Welsh.
“We aim to increase capacity for Welsh medium places within our schools, with an additional further 401 spaces to be developed across the county borough.
“Supporting learners at all levels”
“We want to support learners, at all levels, to develop their Welsh language skills so they can converse and work bilingually confidently and comfortably.
“Work on the WESP has been undertaken through continued consultation with a number of stakeholders and partner organisations, and I would like to thank all of them for the work they’ve put in to its drafting.”
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July 10, 2017
Balsam bashing to bring back the native wildflowers
Himalayan Balsam is an invasive plant present in Wrexham and damaging our natural wildflowers.
Every year our country rangers at Ty Mawr and Alyn Waters work with volunteers to “banish the balsam” from our river banks.
They’re beginning to have an impact, as our native wildflowers are starting to recover and are making a comeback on our riverbanks.
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You can join the rangers at Alyn Waters Country Park on Tuesday, July 18 between 9:30am and 12pm for some Balsam Bashing. Due to the location of this event, it’s only suitable for ages 16 and above.
The park rangers and volunteers will also be getting together at Ty Mawr Country Park on Wednesday, July 26.
You can meet with them at the Visitor Centre at 1pm or join them down at the river bank up until 3:30pm. Due to the location the event is suitable for 8+ and all under 16’s must be supervised by an adult.
For more information about the event visit our main website at www.wrexham.gov.uk
You can also get involved by monitoring and recording sites where non-native plants and animals have been seen.
For more information or to record a sighting please visit www.dinns.org.uk
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July 10, 2017
2,022 new kitchens…and counting
Wrexham Council is on course to achieve the new standard for social housing in Wales according to latest figures.
The council is modernising its 11,200 homes to ensure they meet the Welsh Government’s Welsh Housing Quality Standard by 2020.
A recent report to our Homes & Environment Scrutiny Committee says progress is ‘extremely positive.’
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Record-investment
Many tenants are receiving new kitchens and bathrooms. Other improvements include new central heating systems, reroofing, garden paths, fences and external wall insulation where required.
Work carried out over the past year includes:
- 2,022 new kitchens
- 2,039 new bathrooms
- 563 central heating systems
- 981 electrical rewires
- 868 properties re-roofed
- 79 properties given external wall insulation
- 540 properties given garden paths, fencing and other external improvements
A £163m funding programme (to be invested up until 2020) was approved by the council’s Executive Board in 2016.
A record £52m was invested between April 2016 and April 2017, including a £7.5m major repairs grant from Welsh Government.
Added benefits
The local economy has also benefited, with over 60 apprentices – including a number studying at Coleg Cambria – being taken on by council contractors.
You can learn more about the Welsh Housing Quality Standard on our main website, including a timetable to see when work is due to be carried out in your area.
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July 10, 2017
Plans on Welsh primary schools up for debate – read more
The views of residents could be sought as Wrexham Council looks again at the provision of Welsh language education in Glyn Ceiriog.
Wrexham County Borough Council could launch a fresh consultation on a federation of three schools in the Ceiriog Valley.
In December last year, councillors approved the start of consultation on changing the language medium at Ysgol Cynddelw, Glyn Ceiriog, from dual English/Welsh medium to solely Welsh medium.
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The consultation, which was requested by the Board of Governors at Ysgol Cynddelw, took place from January, and involved a public meeting with stakeholders at the school towards the end of February.
Having received a number of responses from consultees, the council has now decided to re-examine provision across all three schools within the Glyn Ceiriog federation: Ysgol Cynddelw, Ysgol Pontfadog and Ysgol Llanarmon.
Options
The new consultation will ask stakeholders and parents for their views on three different options:
- Maintaining the status quo and keeping all three schools as they are currently.
- Changing the language designation at Ysgol Cynddelw to Welsh medium alone, and relocating English medium pupils to Ysgol Pontfadog.
- Retaining dual-stream status at Ysgol Cynddelw, closing Ysgol Pontfadog and relocating pupils to Cynddelw.
A report outlining the options will go before Wrexham Council’s Executive Board on Tuesday, July 11.
“…wider consultation is needed…”
Cllr Phil Wynn, Lead Member for Education, said: “Having gone through the first round of consultation on Ysgol Cynddelw in particular and having examined the views of consultees, we believe that a wider consultation is needed so as to properly assess educational provision within the area.
“Current arrangements don’t make the best use of resources within the federation, while an increase in numbers at Ysgol Pontfadog – if it were to take more English medium pupils – would improve efficiency in terms of resources.
“The new round of consultation, if approved by the Board, will provide us with more detailed findings, which will support improved school provision in Glyn Ceiriog in the future.”
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July 7, 2017
Thunderbug are taking the spotlight…and it’s going to be AMAZING
Music in the Park has already begun! And the Edwardian bandstand at Bellevue Park is being put to good use yet again.
Thunderbug – a four piece – will be making an appearance at tonight’s concert (Friday, July 7).
They cover all the hits and are up for playing just about any classic. Such as The Who and The Killers.
Like Elvis? It’s your night. Their brilliant covers would do fans of the King proud 🙂
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Thunderbug will take to the bandstand at 7pm, so gather your smiles, all of your friends and a picnic…and bring them to Bellevue Park.
The concert is open to any age, so it makes for a great family evening out (and it’s free, so it’s a win-win).
So make a group-chat, phone a friend, and get ready for this one-night-only gig.
Upcoming gigs
Cover-band Dinosaur will be playing songs from the 80s, 90s and 00s on Friday, July 14.
Other bands being lined-up for the bandstand include Billy Thompson, Gypsy Style and Wall St Krash.
For further details please contact Bellevue Park on 01978 264150.
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July 7, 2017