Category: Featured

We are seeking proposals from Artists and Filmmakers to create a short film (5-6 minutes) celebrating the work to construct Maes Parcio Creadigol – Creative Car Park.

The film will be shown in the Horizon Garden exhibition during 27^th January – 21st April 2023.

Sign up to get Tŷ Pawb’s newsletters straight to your mailbox

The approach and content of the film would build on the successful partnerships created during the project, provide a legacy which documents the development of the garden as a physical space and provide an insight into and acknowledge the work of our creative collaborators as the project progresses.

We would also therefore also like to commission 8-10 large format portraits which will also appear in the exhibition. A separate materials budget of £1000, is available for printing these.

Fee

A fixed budget of £4,750 has been allocated for the artist’s fees, to include materials, translation costs, and any other costs. There is and additional £1,000 for production of 8-10 large format photographic portraits.

Commission Timeline

• Application closing date: 5pm Monday 23^rd August 2022
• Interview date: Thursday 25^th August 2022
• Start date:  Monday 29^th August 2022
• Completion date: 9^th January 2023

Submission

Proposals must include the following information and requirements –

• A current CV

• Up to 5 examples of previous work OR link to current website

• Proposal of no more than two sides of A4, highlighting your film concept

• An estimated budget

• Confirmation that you are available to undertake the work within the timescale provided

And be sent via email to Karen.whittingham@wrexham.gov.uk no later than 5pm on Monday 23^rd August 2022.

Background

Maes Parcio Creadigol is a collaborative project between Ty Pawb, KIM Inspire, Addo, and artists Marja Bonada and Owen Griffiths. The partners will explore how the sensibilities of co-production can be applied to artistic practice, in the context of developing an experimental new green space on the car park roof of Ty Pawb, to benefit the creativity and wellbeing of local people.

Initially, a group from KIM Inspire, a mental health charity, have worked with artists Marja Bonada and John Merrill to plan and design the garden space, which will include in the first instance a shelter/outdoor workshop and storage space. KIM Inspire are the core group and have led the design activity, however we are continuing to including other partners in this activity such as Bom Di Cymru, a group of Portuguese elders who are keen gardeners.

There are currently ambitions to thread this green strand beyond the roof and throughout Ty Pawb. This project therefore continues Ty Pawb’s ethos of collaboration and forms part of a wider enquiry into constituent-led methodology for cultural institutions, encompassing several strands of activity that are important within the programme. Namely:

• ‘Useful Art’ – adapting, responding and developing to cater to emerging and changing urgencies;
• Growing and building strong partnerships with local, national and international partners;
• Developing green, ethical and sustainable business practices;
• ‘Makers and Markets’ – fostering new commercial opportunities for artists, makers and traders.

The project is in receipt of Arts Council of Wales’ Connect & Flourish funding.

Sign up now

[button color=”” size=”large” type=”square_outlined” target=”new” link=” https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKWCBC/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKWCBC_112″ “] Sign up now
[/button]

A fascinating exhibition has opened at Wrexham Library to commemorate a man who made a significant impact on the town, and on the wider region.

Thomas Penson the younger was one of the most prolific architects working in Wales and Shropshire in the nineteenth century.

Get news and info from your local council – sign-up for email bulletins.

Anyone travelling along the Welsh border will have driven over Penson’s bridges: he was County Surveyor for both Denbighshire and Montgomeryshire and built many structures that are still in use, in both stone and iron. But that was just one aspect of his work.

Over a career spanning forty years Thomas Penson designed every kind of building in a variety of styles, and he pioneered the use of terracotta in architecture.

The exhibition is on the first floor at Wrexham library and is free to view throughout August.

Get our top stories by email.

[button color=”” size=”large” type=”square_outlined” target=”new” link=”https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKWCBC/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKWCBC_5″]SIGN UP[/button]

Every year we have to review of our performance across a number of areas where the council works – things like education, adult social care, the environment, highways, the economy and others.

The results of the reviews are published in our Council Plan Annual Performance Report.

This year’s report is now available here.

Get news and info from your local council – sign-up for email bulletins.

What’s in the Annual Performance Report?

It measures our performance against our 6 Well-being Objectives and Improvement Priorities in our 2021-23 Council Plan and provides an overall assessment of each:

• Developing the economy
• Ensuring a modern and resilient council
• Ensuring everyone is safe
• Improving secondary education
• Improving the Environment
• Promoting good health and well-being (with a focus on improving children’s social care)

Not surprisingly this year’s report highlights the significant work undertaken to recover after the pandemic and how we’re emerging stronger including building a resilient recovery and becoming a greener, more inclusive county borough.

The report sets out an overall assessment of each priority and shows the key achievements

Developing the economy – We secured city status and was the only Welsh finalist in the City of Culture 2025 competition. Although the pandemic continued to impact Business Support Team they have continued to work with businesses and given advice and helped them access government finance. Looking to the future the Levelling up Funding awarded £13.3 million for the World Heritage Site and £220,000 Community Renewal Funding half of which will support town centre property repurposing.

Ensuring a modern and resilient council – We have been working hard to deliver our ‘Modern Ways of Working’ programme which is transforming our working practices by providing improved working environments, adopting new technology and digital solutions, making our work more sustainable in the long term and challenging the culture around the way the council work. There’s been a significant increase in the number of services available online and the number of customers who feel it is easy to access council services has remained above 90%. There’s also been a 42% increase in the number of consultation and engagement activities undertaken through Your Voice Wrexham and the age of respondents is more closely aligned to the general population than in the previous year.

Ensuring everyone is safe – By prioritising the vulnerable we’ve secured homes for people fleeing countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine and used capital grants to bring more houses into use. We’ve achieved the Welsh Housing Quality Standard ahead of time. Thirteen new houses have been built in Plas Madoc with tenants moving in very shortly. The number of rough sleepers has reduced and we continue with outreach work to prioritise this group to keep the numbers at a minimum. Funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner and thirt sector organisations provided safe streets and a safer environment for women in particular by installing CCTV, pruning and removing overgrown areas in key public areas and opening Hafan y Dref on more occasions.

Improving the Environment – We’ve approved our Decarbonisation Plan which responds to new opportunities and challenges. We’ve secured grants of over £640,000 for several key projects including the Wrexham Industrial Estate Active Travel package and the Mold Road corridor. Our recycling and composting rates remain high and we comfortably exceed Welsh Government targets in this area.

Improving Secondary Education – We continue to work collaborately to support education improvement and those young people who are vulnerable in order to ensure they remain included within the school system. Transition between primary and secondary is being reviewed by three headteachers secondments and we continue to support schools in improving attendance. We have restructured our service to better support school improvement and to improve the outcomes for our children and young people.

Promoting health and wellbeing – We recognised that good health (both physical and mental) and well-being is one of the most important things a person can have and impacts on so many other areas of their life. We promised to focus on prevention and early intervention services. We prioritised improving children’s social care services as the most essential to ensure we maintain our improvement journey with the vision to provide the right level of care and support, where all children feel, and are, safe, and have the opportunity to reach their potential. We agreed the Prevention and Early Help Framework  and established the Prevention and Early Help Partnership and look to being developing our Strategy. We’ve renewed our Gold Corporate Health Standard and received positive comments about our work and approach in supporting wellbeing through a variety of initiatives.

Cllr Mark Pritchard, Leader of the Council, said, “There’s no doubt that the year has  been challenging as we emerged from the pandemic. But it has also been exciting with the award of City Status, being the only Welsh finalists in the City of Culture and Art Fund Museum of the Year awards.

“We remain positive that we have and will continue to improve and build a successful, resilient, inclusive and green county borough. There will be further challenges ahead but I am confident that with the help of our staff, partners and residents we will build a community to be proud of.”

During 2021/22 we’ve also published our plans for the final year of our Council Plan – we’ve revisited our priorities and the projects and activities that we have in place to deliver them.

Our Priorities for 2022-23

• Developing and Decarbonising our Environment
• Developing the Economy
• Ensuring Everyone is Safe
• Ensuring a Modern & Resilient Council
• Improving Secondary Education
• Promoting Good Health and Well-being (with a focus on improving Children’s Services)

Council Plan 2020-2023

Get our top stories by email.

[button color=”” size=”large” type=”square_outlined” target=”new” link=”https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKWCBC/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKWCBC_5″]SIGN UP[/button]

We all love our furry friends and take them for regular walks and runs to keep them healthy and in tip top condition.

So, in order to keep everyone happy – dog owners and non dog owners – we use a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to limit where dogs can go which we think is very fair and easy to understand.

Get news and info from your local council – sign-up for email bulletins.

The most important things to know are:

• Dogs are not allowed off the lead in car parks and visitor centres in all our country parks but they can be let off the lead for a good run round when not in these areas.
• They’re also not allowed on marked sports pitches, bowling green playing surfaces, in children’s play areas, skate parks, tennis courts and multi use games areas
• Your dog should also always be on a lead on a public road or pavement or if you’re asked to put one on your dog anywhere at any time by a council officer
• You should always carry a bag for dog poo and pick it up if they do foul

You could be fined up to £100 if you do not follow the restrictions.

The PSPO is in force until September 2023 when we’ll again review it to see how it’s working.

Darren Williams, Chief Officer Environment and Technical, said, “Across the county borough there are many responsible dog owners who care not only for their dogs but for their surroundings and others enjoying it. However, we do get reports of dogs fouling on sports fields which is obviously unacceptable and dangerous. We also receive complaints about dogs running lose, and sometimes causing distress, to others in the area. For this reason I ask that everyone stays up to date with the PSPO and what’s expected of them when walking their dogs.”

Get our top stories by email.

[button color=”” size=”large” type=”square_outlined” target=”new” link=”https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKWCBC/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKWCBC_5″]SIGN UP[/button]

Have you renewed your garden waste collections yet? You’ll need to do so before the end of the month if you want us to collect your green waste between September 2022-September 2023.

Simply visit wrexham.gov.uk/gardenwaste before September to make your payment online. It’s the quickest and easiest way, and you get to do it at a time that suits you. Just make sure you’re signed up by September to avoid missing any collections.

The charge for 2022/23 remains frozen at £25 per green bin per year, and the service runs from Monday, September 5, 2022 until Friday, September 1, 2023.

If you paid for garden waste collections last year (2021/22), your green bin(s) will continue to be collected until September 2.

Renew your green bin for 2022/23 now – collections begin from September!

“Help us spread the word”

Even if you’ve already renewed your own green bin, it’s worth checking in with your family, friends and neighbours to see if they’ve remembered to renew for the new collection year as well.

Darren Williams, Chief Officer Environment and Technical, said: “We’re asking residents to help us spread the word as we want to try and make sure everyone gets the best value from the service. You may have family, friends or neighbours who haven’t realised they will need to renew their green bin before September to avoid missing out on any collections. If you’re catching up with friends or relatives, or you see any neighbours in passing who use the service, please check that they realise they need to renew. Thanks.”

Please pay online where possible

The easiest way to pay for the service is online at wrexham.gov.uk/gardenwaste. If it isn’t possible for you to pay online you can call Streetscene to make a card payment, but you are likely to experience a wait if you do so. We highly recommend paying for the service online where possible.

New stickers for 2022/23

Everyone who signs up will receive a sticker pack with a new sticker, which should be displayed on your bin lid from September.

We’re asking residents to NOT put their new sticker on their bin lid until the new service starts in September. Please continue to display your 2021/22 sticker until that service expires on September 2.

No cash or cheque payments

In previous years, we’ve had a number of customers who attempted to pay for the service by sending cash and cheques to us. We must reiterate that we are unable to accept these payments.

I don’t want to renew the service – will you remove my garden waste bin?

Any unwanted garden waste bins can be removed on request. Once requested it may take a number of weeks for the bin to be collected. In the meantime, make sure your bin remains empty, accessible, but not left out causing an obstruction.

It may be worth keeping hold of your old garden waste bin for now because, if your garden waste bin has been removed and you change your mind in future, there is a charge for a new one.

What can I do with my garden waste if I do not want to pay for the collection service?

You can take your garden waste to one of our household waste recycling centres (free of charge). Alternatively, you could compost garden waste at home.

For more information, please visit wrexham.gov.uk/gardenwaste

Pay for your green bin to be emptied 2022/23.

[button color=”” size=”large” type=”square_outlined” target=”new” link=” https://wrexham.gov.uk/gardenwaste “] PAY NOW [/button]

We support the Leave Only Pawprints campaign by Keep Wales Tidy and once again we’re appealing to irresponsible dog owners to pick up after their dog has fouled.

If you don’t you could be liable for a £100 fine and nobody wants that so please always carry a bag to pick up the poo.

Dog poo can be hazardous to others, particularly if stepped in, it also isn’t pleasant to see in our country parks and on the pavements.

Get news and info from your local council – sign-up for email bulletins.

Darren Williams, Chief Officer Environment and Technical, said, “The majority of dog owners are responsible and pick up after their dog has fouled but there are still a few irresponsible individuals who prefer to leave it where it is. This is an offence and can harm individuals and wildlife. I would encourage everyone who sees it happening to report so we can target hot spot areas.”

Please report offences via email to contact-us@wrexham.gov.uk, online at http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/english/online/index.htm.

Get our top stories by email.

[button color=”” size=”large” type=”square_outlined” target=”new” link=”https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKWCBC/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKWCBC_5″]SIGN UP[/button]