18 March 2008

This Week's Gwynedd Council Press Releases.

Help Gwynedd say “no” to irresponsible fly-tipping

Gwynedd Council is calling on members of the public who notice any form of fly-tipping to contact them immediately. This follows recent incidents of such anti-social behaviour in and around the Padarn Country Park in Llanberis.

The Council is working with the Environment Agency to tackle such environmental crimes, and have established procedures to tackle fly-tipping throughout Gwynedd. All of fly-tipping are recorded and measures are in place to investigate incidents.

Councillor R H Wyn Williams, who leads on the Environment on Gwynedd Council, said:

“There is no excuse for fly-tipping waste and the Council is committed to eradicating this form of environmental crime. We have held a number of events in conjunction with the Environment Agency to give advice to members of the public about how they can deposit their waste in a sensible manner.

“We thank those residents who act responsibly, and hope that those who continue to fly tip their waste will realize the damage they are causing our natural environment. Gwynedd Council aims to do away with such crimes, and with new powers which have recently come into force we have adopted a zero tolerance approach to such behaviour.”

Following recent instances of fly-tipping of  domestic waste in the popular attraction of Padarn Country Park in Llanberis, Gwynedd Council in conjunction with the Environment Agency will be increasing their monitoring the area to ensure that such behaviour does not continue.

Gwyn Morris Jones, Gwynedd Council's Head of Highways and Municipal Services said:

“We would urge members of the public to respect their local environment, and remind them of the numerous recycling centres located throughout the county where domestic waste can be recycled.

“In order to tackle environmental crimes such as fly-tipping, the Council, with support from a number of partners, will be establishing a new Street Enforcement service. These officers who will start on their enforcement work in the coming months will be responsible for ensuring that our streets are kept clean and tidy.

“This project will aim to deter environmental crime such as these recent instances in Llanberis, by raising awareness and instilling pride within Gwynedd’s communities. These street wardens will have powers to deal with those who choose to ignore the law, and offenders can expect to receive a fixed penalty notice.”

The Council’s enforcement service, which is expected to become operational in the coming months, is integral to the Gwynedd Together Community Strategy’s “A Quality Environment” project, which brings together agencies and local groups to improve the look and feel of Gwynedd’s communities.

The scheme has been developed with the support of the Welsh Assembly Government, North Wales Police, the Environment Agency, Keep Wales Tidy and other partners.

If you see any instances of fly-tipping in any area of Gwynedd, please contact the Council on 01286 679755.

Local Students Get on in Gwynedd

 Students from Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor, Glynllifon who have been making the most of their Llwyddo’n Lleol bursary in order to renovate a tractor engine - David Carwyn Morgan, Arwel Williams, Toby Humphreys, Liam Jones and Gruff Jones

Farm engineering students from Coleg Meirion Dwyfor, Glynllifon are making the most of the Llwyddo’n Lleol (Get on in Gwynedd) scheme designed to encourage entrepreneurship amongst young people in Gwynedd.

With support from the Llwyddo’n Lleol bursary, two groups of farm engineering students from the land based studies college near Caernarfon have developed special initiatives which have given them the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurship skills, working together to develop successful business plans. 

The groups won the Llwyddo’n Lleol bursary to design and produce a sheep and cattle sorting pen, as well a bursary to repair a tractor engine. The students intend to sell both items at a machine auction in Cambridge at the end of the financial year, keeping the profit so that next year’s pupils can have the opportunity to venture themselves.      

Councillor Dafydd Iwan, Gwynedd Council’s Senior Development Portfolio Leader said:

“Gwynedd Council is very pleased with the way our young people have responded to this exciting project. Llwyddo’n Lleol is a key project in our aim to offer young people the support they need to contribute towards the social and economic life in their local communities by giving them the skills and confidence to venture.  

“It is great to see this important project flourishing with exciting schemes such as the one in Coleg Meirion Dwyfor. It is obvious that the Llwyddo’n Lleol bursary has given them the opportunity to develop a very successful business plan.   

“By giving our young people advice and new opportunities, we are confident that a number of them will establish their own businesses locally, and put the new skills they have developed to work within their communities.” 

The group who are renovating the engine are following a First Diploma course in Farm Engineering, and the group who are producing the sorting pen are following a Bagma British Agriculture and Groundcare Machinery course.  Before presenting their application for a Llwyddo’n Lleol bursary, the students were given advice by the economic development agency, Menter a Busnes to develop a business plan.        

Gareth Eifion, one of the Agriculture and Groundcare Machinery students said:  

“We had never done anything like this before. We are learning lots by running this initiative, and it will be of great help to us if we start our own businesses in the future.”  

Gareth Williams, Lecturer and BAGMA Course Co-ordinator at Coleg Meirion Dwyfor, Glynllifon added: 

“Putting the individuals in a group situation to work as a team to solve problems and bring the business plan together was a very valuable experience for all the students.  Developing these ventures has also been a good opportunity for the students to use and improve their knowledge and develop new skills such as Health and Safety, and put the welding and mechanical skills they have been learning as part of their studies in the college to use.” 

For further information about Llwyddo’n Lleol, contact Nia Swann on 01286 679774.

The Llwyddo’n Lleol project is financed by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Rural Community Action fund; the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency and Gwynedd’s 14-19 Network.

Have your say on childcare in Gwynedd

Following recent success at the Excellence Wales awards, the Gwynedd’s Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership, the agencies who work together to promote the wellbeing of the county’s young people are keen to take their work a step further.

The multi-agency partnership who work to ensure the best possible services for Gwynedd’s children and young people are conducting a detailed assessment of current childcare provision within the county.

Gwynedd Council Leader, Councillor Richard Parry Hughes, Children and Young People’s Champion for the county said:

“Gwynedd’s Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership is very proud that our work has recently been recognised on a national level at the Excellence Wales awards, but it is essential that we continue to improve on the services we offer for our children and young people.

“As the nature of our society has changed a great deal over recent years, ensuring suitable childcare is one of the main priorities for young families. That’s why we are now very keen to hear the opinions of Gwynedd’s residents about the childcare provision which is currently available, so that we can review whether there are gaps and requirements in the market.

“We are very keen to hear from parents and carers so that we can identify their needs and secure the best possible childcare provision for Gwynedd’s young people.”

In order for us to obtain a complete profile of childcare for the assessment, the Gwynedd Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership need to hear the views and experiences of the county’s families. You can download a copy of the questionnaire from the Council’s website and an online version will also be available soon. All questionnaires must be returned by the closing date, 10 April 2008.

The name of each person that fills in a questionnaire will be entered into a draw and the lucky winners will receive one of a number of prizes such as £100 towards the cost of registered childcare, and family tickets to local attractions.

For further information contact the Information Service for Children, Young People and Families by telephoning 01286 675570.

‘A Quality Environment’ in your local communities

Porthmadog, Dolgellau, Nefyn, Morfa Nefyn and Tywyn are the latest of Gwynedd’s communities to benefit from an early “spring clean” or “Blitz”.

Gwynedd Council’s Community Gangs have recently been busy in these areas, working hard to complete those little jobs that go a long way to improving the look and feel of your community.

This important work is part of the “A Quality Environment” initiative, which is part of the Gwynedd Together Community Strategy which brings together a partnership of agencies and local groups together to improve the appearance of Gwynedd’s communities.

Councillor R H Wyn Williams, who leads on the Environment on Gwynedd Council, said:

“This popular initiative continues to deliver visible improvements to our towns and villages by blitzing key areas and carrying out those small but very important jobs that can make a real difference.

“The Community Gangs are to be congratulated for their hard work - they will revisit these areas on a regular basis to ensure that we deliver a quality environment for all Gwynedd residents.”

The programmes of work in these communities have been jointly agreed by Gwynedd Council and partners including North Wales Police, the Environment Agency, Town or Community Councils and Keep Wales Tidy.

Examples of the work in progress in each of the four areas includes repainting lighting columns, railings and other street furniture, trimming back overgrowth, removal and replacement of old road signs and posts, removal of fly-posters and graffiti, removal of illegally dumped waste and a general tidy up of central areas.

The Nefyn and Morfa Nefyn area’s county councilors recently visited the community gangs to thank them for their hard work.

"A number of posts and signs around the town of Nefyn had begun to look a little worse for wear. It’s wonderful that the community gangs can come in and undertake some minor improvement works. It lifts your spirit to see the small things getting done. Thanks to the workers for their dedication," meddai’r Cynghorydd Meinir Jones, Cynghorydd Gwynedd dros Nefyn.

Councillor Liz Saville Roberts, Gwynedd Councillor for Morfa Nefyn added:

“It's great to have skilled workers on call to deal with day-to-day problems in the villages. Improving old paintwork, clearing rubbish and washing away graffiti - these sort of things improve the community for everyone. Care counts.”

In Porthmadog, Scottish Power intends to significantly contribute to the initiative by repainting several electricity poles, which have also been blighted by fly-posters and graffiti.

Councillor Selwyn Griffiths, Gwynedd Councillor for Porthmadog (West) said:

“I am very supportive of the work of the community gangs and I welcome them to Porthmadog. A number of local residents have drawn my attention to the good work which is ongoing, and I look forward to see the workers returning to the town. Thanks to the workers for their efforts.”

Gwynedd Councillor for the Porthmadog (East) ward, Ieuan Roberts for added:

“It is very pleasing to see the community gangs doing such important work locally. They get to grips with work which can make a big difference to the look of the town.”

Contact your local community gangs:

Arfon (01286) 679548   Dwyfor (01758) 704090   Meirionnydd (01341) 424480

Gwynedd pays tribute to foster carers

 Sian and Andrew Dyke, with Helen and Philip Hayden enjoying the Annual Gwynedd Foster Carers Dinner

There are currently 156 looked after children in Gwynedd, with 64 families registered with Gwynedd Council’s Foster Service who offer a place in their homes for children who need a place to stay and someone to care for them.

At a special event recently held at Castell Deudraeth, Gwynedd Council paid tribute to these families at the Annual Gwynedd Foster Carers dinner.

Over 40 foster carers attended along with Council representatives to thank the families for their work throughout the year.

Councillor Dai Rees Jones, Gwynedd Council Social Services Portfolio Leader said:

“Gwynedd foster carers play a vital role in helping children to flourish, by giving them the best possible chances in life. I am delighted that we have the chance to thank them for their wonderful service, and we look forward to continue working with them in the future.”

Marian Hughes, Gwynedd Council Children’s Services Senior Manager added:

“The annual dinner is a wonderful opportunity for all Gwynedd carers to come together and meet up and share their experiences. It allows the Council the chance to thank the foster carers for their excellent work, and to welcome new carers.

“Indeed, over the past 12 months, Gwynedd Council has succeeded in recruiting more foster carers that any other north Wales Council. However, we are still very keen to hear from anyone who is interested in becoming a foster carer.”

If you are interested in finding out more about how to become a foster carer, call the Gwynedd Council Fostering Team on 0870 44 45 451.

Learning about the rules of the road

Keeping to some simple but important rules – that’s the message that the Kerbcraft road safety scheme is trying to share with primary school pupils across Gwynedd.

That was the key message in a specially arranged seminar held recently in Porthmadog to celebrate the joint working between Gwynedd Council and North Wales Police as they work to extend the Kerbcraft road safety scheme to more of the county’s primary schools.

Councillor R H Wyn Williams, Gwynedd Council’s Senior Environment Portfolio Leader said:

“The children of today are the drivers of tomorrow, and it is essential that we give our young people the best possible advice about the dangers that exist on the roads. I am delighted that Gwynedd Council’s Road Safety team is working with the North Wales Police to spread this important message to children throughout the county.

“This seminar has been an opportunity for us to come together to celebrate what has already been achieved as part of the scheme, and to reaffirm our commitment to work with our partners to teach Gwynedd’s children about the rules of the road.”

As part of the Kerbcraft scheme, children learn about the rules of the road, such as choosing a safe place to cross the road and learning how to cross the road at a junction. At the Porthmadog seminar, pupils from Ysgol y Gorlan, Tremadog, had a chance to show off the skills that they have already learnt as part of their practical lessons.

Get cracking with green gifts this Easter

As Easter approaches, many of us in Gwynedd will start to think about all things egg-shaped, indeed approximately 80 million chocolate eggs will be bought in the UK over the Easter period. 

This year, without wanting to deny Wales’ chocoholics their sweet treats, Gwynedd Council has teamed up with Waste Awareness Wales, and is asking Gwynedd residents to try and reduce the amount of packaging waste these chocolate eggs create.

Whether it’s buying eggs wrapped simply in foil, or even making your own chocolate treats, there are plenty of ways we can all help reduce the amount of extra packaging waste this time of year often creates.

Councillor Emyr Pugh, Gwynedd Council’s Highways and Municipal Services Portfolio Leader said:

“With Easter can come a large amount of Easter egg boxes and packaging which can all too often head straight to landfill. So this year, we want to encourage people across Gwynedd to buy chocolate eggs with the least packaging possible or even showing off your baking talents as well as indulging your inner chocoholic.”

Waste Awareness Wales’s tips on how to banish additional packaging this Easter:

·       Plan an Easter egg hunt. Hiding small foil wrapped chocolate eggs around the house and garden isn’t just fun – it also cuts down on the additional packaging which often comes with larger eggs. Clean foil can be recycled through the blue box.

·       Try and purchase eggs or chocolate with the least packaging possible – whether it’s a foil wrapped egg or a simple foil-wrapped bunny, there are plenty of alternatives to an egg wrapped in a combination of foil, plastic and cardboard.

·       If you can’t resist those big boxes though, make sure you reuse the cardboard and plastic – for example the plastic shell can be used as a mould for next year’s homemade Easter eggs or the foil packaging can be used in a colourful collage. Gwynedd Council accepts clean foil in the blue box, and any cardboard or the plastic shell can be taken to any of Gwynedd Council’s Recycling Centres.

Caernarfon Record Office

Because of necessary maintenance work on the lift, the Caernarfon Record Office will be closed to the public throughout June 2008. The Record Office staff will use this time to continue with their cataloguing work.

For further information about the services available at the Caernarfon Record Office, contact the Research Room on 01286 679095. We apologise for any inconvenience.

GOOD PROGRESS ON GWYNEDD’S GIANT COMPOSTER

Good progress is being made on the building of Gwynedd Council’s new £1.6million in-vessel composting facility at Ffridd Rasus in Harlech.  When it is completed in a few months time, the state of the art facility - which will be the first of its kind in North Wales- will enable Gwynedd to start collecting kitchen waste as part of the county’s brown bin collection service.  

Once the new £1.6 million European funded facility is up and running, the Council will be in contact with residents to explain the kinds of kitchen waste that can be put in the brown bin for composting.  It is foreseen that that kitchen waste composting collections will start during June 2008.

Gwynedd Council’s Environment Leader Councillor R H Wyn Williams said:

“It is good to see work on this pioneering facility moving forward at a tremendous pace. 

“A real team effort by the people of Gwynedd has meant that county has a recycling record we can all be proud of, and once it is up and running, the in-vessel composter will help us to further increase the amount of rubbish we recycle and to meet the Government’s target by recycling or composting 40% of our waste by 2009/10.”

Explaining how the new facility will work, Gwynedd Council’s Head of Highways and Municipal Services Gwyn Morris Jones said:

“When kitchen waste arrives in Ffridd Rasus, it will be chopped up and emptied into the in-vessel composter for processing.  This accelerates the composting process and turns kitchen waste into high quality natural fertiliser within a fortnight.

“The compost will then be left to stand for about six weeks, and occasionally turned, until it is ready to be used.  In the first place, this compost will be used by the Council for various purposes, but our hope in the long run is that we will be able to produce compost that meets the necessary standards to be able to sell on the open market.”