News & Views from County Cllr Carolyn Thomas Tel: 01352 770946 Carolyn.thomas@.gov.uk

Area Community Beat Manager, PC Darren Jones, Tel: 07896172064 Non emergency Police number 101. Crime stopper number 0800 555 111 (anon info) Flintshire County Council: 01352 752121. Housing Officer: 01352 701633.

Change of Electoral Boundaries – The Local Government Boundary Commission for have presented draft proposals of a review for Flintshire. For our area, it is proposing to link , Llanfynydd and with a representation of two County Councillors. They have proposed to give the new electoral division a working name of `Offa’. Offa’s Dyke runs along the B5104 Ffordd Llanfynydd from the Treuddyn Ward into the Llanfynydd ward. This is where the traffic lights are presently situated making the road single file. The Llanfynydd electoral division currently consists of Cefn-y-Bedd, , , (Nant-y-Ffrith), part of Pontybodkin and Llanfynydd. It was noted the divisions adjoin each other in the South Western corner of the County connected by the A541; B5101; and the A5104 across a 3-4 mile radius offering flexible communication. I understand they hope to have changes in place for the next County elections in May 2012.

A5104 Ffordd Corwen – Introduction of a speed limit through Treuddyn Community!

Thanks to Public Pressure ……………… Flintshire Highways Department are now working on the review and I am told they are hoping to soon be able to carry out the usual pre-order consultation with me as the local Member and the Police. Following these pre-order consultations, and positive responses, the order will be drafted and passed to the Legal department for advertisement, which will allow all interested parties to either support or object to the draft Traffic Regulation Order. This will be when the Community Council and you, as residents have an opportunity to comment. After this period, the actual implementation of any new speed limit is normally a minimum of 8 – 12 weeks from the date of the commencement of the advertising period.

Gritting and Grit Bins: I’ve been informed FCC Highways are not looking to replace the grit bins or grit piles at the moment and they are just gritting the priority routes. They are still under governance of Salt Cell who monitor amounts going to Authorities and the amounts have been limited. Highways are hoping to do a mapping survey of where all the grit bins are because some are going missing, being moved to different locations, or don’t belong to Flintshire County Council. No decision has been made whether they will fill any new ones funded by local Community and Town councils or if they will replace the stolen ones. If they do replace the stolen ones, it will be next Autumn. I have been able to get an arrangement in place for now to clear the paths of snow at the Sheltered Accommodation complex. Gritting or drainage issues - 01244 550213. Out of hours emergencies 01352 780812. Potholes - 01352 701234

Clwyd Alloys Site, Ffordd Corwen – I was invited to a meeting with the Head of Planning Policy to discuss this site, following contact from the owner to the Planning department. There are several issues relating to the culvert, land contamination, highways and conservation. Plus the allocation for the settlement area of Coed Talon and Pontybodkin under the UDP (Unitary Development Plan) which is soon to be adopted as the current policy is 10 – 15% growth. Under the current climate it was agreed that development which would be acceptable to both the owner/applicant and the planning department would not be reached but that it should be put on hold until considerations are being made under the LDP (Local Development Plan).

Treuddyn Festival date set Damaged and incorrect signs in the Treuddyn Community are to be replaced. An th inspector visited the sites and I’ve been informed new signs will be placed at Llys Saturday 10 July 2010 Degwm, Hafan Deg, Bryn yr Ysgol and one at Ffordd y Bont to be positioned at Please let me know if you would like to be the end of the unadopted road with an arrow pointing to the properties off the involved – all help welcome! lane. Pennaf Housing development, Ffordd y Rhos, Treuddyn – I was informed in passing by a Member who sits on the Land Disposal Panel that a piece of land in Treuddyn had been approved for sale to Pennaf. I was shocked at this news as I had not been consulted that a sale was imminent and was concerned as I am still researching issues with different departments. I immediately contacted the Legal department and Leader of the Council who were able to put a hold on the sale until I could make representation over my concerns and clear a few issues. These being: lack of mains sewerage provision, local housing need, cemetery provision and area not benefiting from commuted sums to play provision or traffic calming. The Welsh Assembly Grant available to Pennaf to purchase this site is only available to the end of March so pressure has been put on me. Any money made by Flintshire County Council from sale of the land goes into the Corporate Housing Revenue Account which funds improvements to the Councils housing stock. Examples of this are the new pathways for the sheltered accommodation bungalows along Ffordd y Rhos. Renewal for outline planning for the remaining area has to be resubmitted this Summer and they are proposing to allocate a much smaller area of land for the cemetery expansion which also raises some concern. If the sale goes through to Pennaf they do not propose to develop the site until 2013/2014 and a housing needs survey will be carried out to find out the type of housing need there is for the area, eg: 1 bedroom apartments, bungalows, 2, 3 or 4 bedroom houses. The proposed amount of affordable housing has been reduced to 18. It is proposed the remaining land would be sold to a developer as a whole and I believe the allocation for the whole area is for 35 dwellings but I need to confirm this. Allocation for outline development was given to this area under the old Alyn and plan and shown as a commitment under the UDP.

A resident asked if I knew anyone who could give Training Workshops at Treuddyn Village Hall a good home to a television she no longer needed. She has a 21” combi television, although the dvd Following the interesting Moneysaver workshop, player no longer works and a 28” Sony televison Flintshire Local Voluntary Council are offering on a stand. Please contact me if you are interested. places on other Workshops to be held May time. We thought `Food Hygiene’ and `First Aid’ would Coal Fires in Council Houses – I’ve been asked by several be useful. I first need to do some scoping to find residents about having their coal fires reopened. In the past, out if there is a need before they can be arranged. when the houses have gone through `Voids’ in preparation for a Please could you let me know if you would be new resident, the Council have closed the fireplace off as part of interested in attending a course on either of these the procedure, which seems ridiculous to have this policy if they subjects at the village hall? If you are over 16, not are up to safety standard. As Treuddyn is not on mains gas, many of the houses rely on oil boilers which have electrical starters or in employment and living in Rural Flintshire then electric heating. When there is a power cut or an electrical these courses will be FREE. problem with the starter then there is no heating. I’ve been told by the new Head of Housing that they are looking to review this policy and keep fire places open in certain areas where the chimney has been inspected to be in good condition but at the moment there is no money in the budget to reopen them and bring the chimneys up to standard with a lining if there is already a primary source of heating. To do this would cost approximately £2,000. If the chimney is up to standard then the tenant could pay for a new fireplace and surround to be installed. More successful grant funding for Treuddyn!

New Noticeboards - Treuddyn Community Treuddyn Community Association Council have been successful in a grant has been successful in a bid to the application to Cadwyn for 80% grant Welsh Assembly Government for a funding for new noticeboards. The one in grant from the Community Facilities Queen Street is a liability, I have to prop the and Activities Programme. Jenny lid open with my head to pin something up Smith worked really hard filling in the and the one in Coed Talon by the Railway huge application form and Jean Jones doesn’t like having pins put in it at all! We collected letters of support from hope to have interpretation and noticeboards schools, groups and members of the like the one in Pontybodkin in these two community, thanks to everyone who places to show information about the area contributed. Grants are monitored and have additional noticeboards placed in every step of the way so the hard work and Ffordd y bont, Pontybodkin. continues… to hear more, or get Please let me know asap if you have have involved, please attend the public any views on this. meeting on 26th March.