Community Engagement Consultation – Glyntraian Community Council

05/03/202030/03/2020

Council Votes to Accept Ysgol Pontfadog Feasibility Study Recommendation

Glyntraian Community Councillors voted by a majority of 7-1 to endorse a recommendation to develop a small number of low-cost starter homes on the former Ysgol Pontfadog site in the village of Pontfadog in the Ceiriog Valley at its Council meeting last night [Wednesday 4th March].

The vote followed publication on Friday 28th February of a 38-page feasibility study and options appraisal. The report by independent community engagement consultant, Marc Roberts of Cynlas Cyf, is supported by a 58-page Appendices document. It comes eight months after the closure of the 110-year-old village primary school by Wrexham Council and six months of intense engagement with stakeholders and members of the local community.

Tasked with exploring the most viable, feasible and financially sustainable future for the site, Mr Roberts’s report concluded that affordable housing for young families, firmly tied into a local lettings policy and with a community benefit embedded into any development agreement, will best serve the wider interests of the Glyntraian community.

A postal survey of 323 households in the ward elicited an impressive 71% response rate. Affordable starter homes for young families earned the maximum highest perceived benefit score from 40% of all respondents – higher than any other option.

Cynlas Cyf, based near Caernarfon, was appointed to manage the community engagement project after a competitive tender and selection process. The project was co-funded by Glyntraian Community Council and Regional Development Agency, Cadwyn Clwyd through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme.

The meeting was attended by Wrexham Council Leader, Cllr Mark Pritchard and Cadwyn Clwyd Project Manager, Helen Williams, who both praised the integrity and quality of the process.

Glyntraian Community Council Chairman, Cllr Graham Barrow said: “We wish to thank Marc Roberts for his diligence and hard work in conducting a rigorous and thoughtful consultation. He has produced a balanced and extremely detailed report, thoroughly researched, soundly evidenced and which pays due regard to the desires of many in our community.

“The report will now be forwarded to Wrexham Council, owners of the site, for further consideration. We look forward to working closely with the Authority, potential developers and of course, Glyntraian residents in designing a scheme the village can be proud of and which duly acknowledges the much-valued history and heritage of the old school.

The Ysgol Pontfadog Feasibility Study project received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development from the Welsh Government

Marc Roberts is a Director of Cynlas Cyf. He spent over 20 years in the WDA and Welsh Government developing and delivering several business support and regeneration programmes and was Regeneration Manager for Conwy and Denbighshire before becoming the WDA Business Connect Manager for North Wales. He was subsequently appointed the Head of Business Engagement (All Wales) for Welsh Government. He was appointed by Glyntraian Community Council and Cadwyn Clwyd in September 2019 following a successful submission after invitations to tender were posted on the Sell to Wales website

The Ysgol Pontfadog Feasibility Study & Recommendation Report is downloadable from this website’s News blog or the dedicated Ysgol Pontfadog page. It can also be obtained in digital format by emailing the Clerk clerk@glyntraian.org.uk. A physical copy of the Report is available to view at the Pontfadog Post Office but may not be removed. The Appendices document in digital format is available upon request from the Clerk.

Please subscribe to this blog to receive accurate information on the consultation process, methodology and progress as WCBC take forward the Council’s recommendation. Simply enter your email address and hit the subscribe button half way up this page on the right to receive automatic updates direct to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.

28/02/202030/03/2020

Ysgol Pontfadog Recommendation Report

We are pleased to publish the Ysgol Pontfadog Feasibility Study Report today. This Report includes the recommendation on the future use of the Ysgol Pontfadog site from community engagement consultancy, Cynlas Cyf.

The Report and its findings will be the main item on the agenda at the next Glyntraian Community Council meeting on Wednesday the 4th March 2020. Councillors will decide whether to endorse the Report’s recommendation and approve the motion for its onward consideration by Wrexham County Borough Council’s Executive Board.

In accordance with the Council’s Standing Orders, members of the public are entitled to attend the meeting. Should you wish to speak at this meeting please notify the Clerk in advance. Permission to speak at the meeting is at the discretion of the Chairman.

The Report is downloadable by clicking the link below. A physical copy of the Report will be available at the Pontfadog Post Office from Saturday morning (29th March 2020). This should not be removed from the Post Office. The 58 page Appendices document accompanying the Report is also available to view at Pontfadog Post Office or by email from the Clerk at: clerk@glyntraian.org.uk

Pontfadog-School-Feasibility-Study-Final-Report.-1 Download

The project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

04/02/2020

Marc Roberts Adds Open Q&A Session Date to Ysgol Pontfadog Site Consultation Programme

Cyllidwyd prosiect hwn drwy Cymunedau Gweledig Llywodraeth Cymru – Rhaglen Datblygu Gwledig Cymru 2014-2020, a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru a’r Gronfa Amaethyddol Ewrop ar gyfer Datblygu Gwledig

04/02/202030/03/2020

Community Engagement Consultant Reports Progress on Ysgol Pontfadog Future at Public Meeting

Diolch yn fawr – thank you very much – to all who came to the Public Meeting with Community Engagement Consultant, Marc Roberts, on Thursday evening last week (30th January).

Around 40 residents of Glyntraian attended, as did Helen Williams from Cadwyn Clwyd, the Ceiriog Valley’s County Councillor Trevor Bates and recently elected Clwyd South MP, Simon Baynes, who congratulated GCC on running “an exemplary community engagement process to date”. We thank them all for taking such a close interest in the Consultation.

Attendees were given a presentation by Marc Roberts on the process and opinion gathering undertaken so far, and also the themes and preferred options that have emerged over more than 250 conversations, forums and 50+ 1-2-1 meetings with residents and stakeholders on the future use of the site.

The strongest themes on preferred options include, variously, low-cost starter homes, sheltered housing for older people, allotments, a Forest School, specialist and environmental education centres and a centre for youth service provision.

Marc’s presentation will shortly be made available as a download on this website. Please visit our News page, scroll to the bottom of the page and hit the ‘Subscribe’ button. Fill in your email address and this will then automatically drop all new posts regarding the Ysgol Pontfadog site (and other news from GCC) into your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Marc advised we have now entered the third and final phase of the Consultation. He took questions from the audience on the timescales and next steps, which include revisiting some key stakeholder consultees, a detailed analysis of the 225 completed surveys from Glyntraian households indicating residents’ priorities, and an options appraisal scrutinising the feasibility, viability, governance and financial sustainability of the options for future use presented to the consultant by mid-February.

The remainder of February is dominated by the preparation of Marc’s Final Report detailing the business case for the recommended option that he will deliver to Glyntraian Community Council (GCC) at the end of February.

GCC will meet as a full Council on Wednesday 4th March at which the Final Report will be discussed and a decision taken on whether to accept the recommendation for onward submission to Wrexham Council.

Wrexham Council’s Executive Board will determine its decision on the Report’s recommendation at a date to be confirmed.

Please direct all queries to the Clerk in the first instance clerk@glyntraian.org.uk.

L-r: Phil and Mandy Connor, Simon Baynes MP and Community Engagement Consultant, Marc Roberts

27/01/202030/03/2020

Simon Baynes MP to Attend Public Meeting

We are pleased to announce that the recently elected member of Parliament for Clwyd South, Simon Baynes MP, has confirmed he will attend the Public Meeting on Thursday 30th January. The meeting will be hosted by Glyntraian Community Council.

A presentation on the preferred options arising from Phase II of the community consultation exercise will be delivered by community engagement consultant, Marc Roberts of Cynlas Cyf. This will include an overview of the data analysis resulting from responses to the major survey of households undertaken in the Glyntraian area during January.

The presentation will be followed by a Question & Answer session. Welsh language interpretation is available.

Doors open on Thursday at 7pm. Complimentary refreshments are available. All interested members of the Glyntraian and wider valley community are welcome to attend. Meeting ends at 7:45pm.

The final Phase III of the consultation will also be outlined during the meeting. Please direct any queries to the Clerk: clerk@glyntraian.org.uk.

23/01/202030/03/2020

Public Meeting on Preferred Option for Ysgol Pontfadog Site

Glyntraian Community Council (GCC), in partnership with Rural Development Agency, Cadwyn Clwyd, has called a public meeting to discuss the preferred option to be taken forward by the Council for the future use of the redundant Ysgol Pontfadog site. The village primary school in Pontfadog was closed in July 2019.

The meeting will take place at 7:30pm on Thursday 30th January at the Oliver Jones Memorial Hall, Dolywern.

One-to-one stakeholder discussions, feedback forms and small forums were conducted by the Council’s community engagement consultant over the autumn and brought forth several emerging themes.

A comprehensive opinion survey asking householders to score their preferences on those ideas was delivered to the majority of households in the Glyntraian area in the first week of January. Responses are currently being analysed and the results will be revealed at the public meeting.

Further queries on the meeting should be directed to the Glyntraian Community Council Clerk in the first instance by emailing clerk@glyntraian.org.uk. Details of further updates will be posted on the GCC Facebook page and website www.glyntraian.org.uk.

NB. Register to attend here. You do not have to register but it is helpful to the organisers if you do so.

04/12/201930/03/2020

Community Consultation Continues into New Year

Statement from Glyntraian Community Council in Response to Inaccurate Information from the Forest School Group in December Issue of Glyn News

Glyntraian Community Council (GCC) is increasing the level of activity around its community engagement programme regarding the future use of the now redundant Ysgol Pontfadog site through December and into January 2020.

“There is a quite vocal minority group, with a special interest in the site, who are putting out information locally that their proposed option is something of a shoe in. I can categorically assure residents and businesses in Glyntraian that no one group or option over another is favoured at present,” said Cllr Graham Barrow, Glyntraian Community Council Chairman.

Engagement
A wide-ranging set of engagement activities are taking place throughout December and January. These include 1-2-1 interviews with key stakeholders, a household leaflet drop to homes across the ward of Glyntraian, a series of public meeting events and online as well as hard copy surveys.

Family Games Competition
An Interactive Family Games Competition takes place at the Oliver Jones Memorial Hall on Sunday 8^th December 2019 at which contestants can vie for a £50 cash prize whilst having fun taking part in board games, challenges and submitting ideas for the site on the Council’s ‘graffiti wall’. The event runs from 1pm – 4pm. Register through the Council Clerk, Events page on this website or Eventbrite.

Polling Day Presence
Councillors will also be in attendance at the Oliver Jones Memorial Hall park in Dolywern on Polling Day to meet face-to-face with members of the Glyntraian electorate and take questions and opinion on the future of the site as people leave having cast their vote in the General Election.

Comment Boxes
Comment boxes to receive opinion and suggestions have been placed in the Swan Inn and Pontfadog Post Office in Pontfadog and the Oliver Jones Memorial Hall in Dolywern. The comment form and FAQ document are also downloadable from the Council’s website at www.glyntraian.org.uk.

Cllr Barrow added: “It is extremely important that we reach out to as many people in the Glyntraian area as possible with accurate information on the consultation process, timeline and future use options, and equally importantly, that we are seen to be doing so.”

Fair and Equitable
“The consultation process we are currently engaged in is very far from concluded. We are being scrupulously fair and equitable in gathering and valuing all opinion on the site. The independent consultant appointed by this Council is actively engaged in that process now and will be continuing that work well into January. We expect a final recommendation to this Council in late February 2020.”

Anyone wishing to keep up to date with the Glyntraian Community Council consultation on the future of the old school site at Pontfadog is invited to contact the Council’s Clerk in the first instance by emailing clerk@glyntraian.org.uk or call 07948 214079.
-Ends-

21/11/201930/03/2020

Future of Ysgol Pontfadog Consultation Timeline

The future use of the former Ysgol Pontfadog site is the subject of a wide-ranging community consultation. Glyntraian Community Council is eager to seek as many views of residents in this ward as possible. To that end, many residents will know that a professional community engagement consultant was appointed by the Council in September 2019. These are the key phases and event dates to be aware of as the consultation progresses:

PHASE 1: On 11th September 2019, Marc Roberts, of Cynlas Cyf, an experienced community engagement consultant, was appointed jointly by Glyntraian Community Council and Cadwyn Clwyd after a stringent selection process from the Tenders submitted by the deadline. Marc Roberts began work on the consultation and feasibility study on Monday 16th September. Marc, together with this Council agreed the process and timeline of the engagement programme. This early establishment of the works programme phase is now complete.

Community Engagement
PHASE II: It is Marc Roberts of Cynlas Cyf who will predominantly engage and consult with local groups, organisations, individuals, Glyntraian residents, public bodies and private companies. Together we conducted a Public Drop-in Session at the Oliver Jones Memorial Hall on 9th October and Marc has also connected privately with several key stakeholders, residents and Wrexham Council during this phase. These include but are not limited to:

Glyntraian Community Councillors
Ceiriog Valley Wrexham Councillor, Cllr Trevor Bates
Wrexham Council Head of Assets
The Forest School Group
The Pontfadog Post Office
The Swan Inn
Glyntraian Community Agent
OJ Community Kitchen Lunch Club Members.

It is anticipated the community engagement elements will conclude in December 2019, after which all parties should have a clearer idea of the emerging themes/proposal(s) for the school site as indicated by the majority of Glyntraian residents and key stakeholders.

Key Dates and Activities
Thursday 27th November – Drop-in session at the Oliver Jones Memorial Hall 5:30 – 9pm. (PLEASE NOTE THIS HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED due to circumstance beyond Marc’s control).

Sunday 8th December – Interactive Family Games Competition at the Oliver Jones Memorial Hall, 1pm – 4pm. Fun for all the family. Come along, share your ideas for the school site and take part in a family games fun challenge where you could win £50! You must register in advance to gain FREE entry. Register here today.

Thursday 12th December – Polling Day Consultation Information Event at the Oliver Jones Memorial Hall 9am – 9pm. Polling day is an unmissable opportunity for this Council to connect with as many of our electorate as possible on the hyper local issue of the future of the school site. Councillors will be on hand throughout the day to speak to about your ideas, concerns and suggestions for its future. Mulled wine and mince pies with our compliments will be available. Please look out for us outside the hall when you come to cast your vote in the General Election. PLEASE NOTE: This is a non-party political information sharing event.

Feasibility Study
PHASE III: Marc Roberts will then work closely with those proposing a viable option(s); assisting in the development of the proposal(s) and providing support in the preparation of a sound business plan, provided such a proposal(s) meets Wrexham Council’s criteria for wide community benefit, financial sustainability, and fits within the Council’s wider strategic plan.

Glyntraian Community Council’s aim is that Marc Roberts will complete the feasibility study element and make his recommendation(s) to Glyntraian Council by the end of February 2020. Glyntraian Community Council will then discuss which (if any) proposal it is prepared to recommend to Wrexham Council for the future use of the site in the medium to long-term.

A full list of Frequently Asked Questions can be downloaded below. The PDF is also downloadable from the Council Information page/strategic documents drop down menu on this website.

Public Meeting Events
It is anticipated that two public meetings will be held in mid January – mid February 2020 in order for the community engagement consultant to gauge the community’s interest and appetite for pursuing any or all of the proposals put forward during the Phase II engagement process. The best way to keep abreast of when these events will take place is to subscribe to this news blog and submit your contact details. Alternatively you can follow the Council’s Facebook page or contact the Clerk for up to date information.

Online & Hard Copy Survey
It is anticipated that members of the community of Glyntraian will be offered the option of taking part in a survey to determine their priorities/preference for the option(s) deemed viable – and meeting the required criteria for sustainability – during January 2020. The Council’s aim is to deliver the surveys to as many households, either online or as physical hard copy, as possible.

FAQs-Public-Consultation-on-the-Future-of-Ysgol-Pontfadog-Site-updated-20.11.19-2 Download

02/10/201910/10/2019

Glyntraian Community Council Appoints Community Engagement Consultant

Public Meeting on Future of Ysgol Pontfadog Site First Task

Glyntraian Community Council (GCC) in partnership with Rural Development Agency, Cadwyn Clwyd, has confirmed the appointment of Marc Roberts from Cynlas Cyf to run a community engagement programme to determine the preferred potential use of the Ysgol Pontfadog site following the school’s closure in July.

“We look forward to working closely with Marc, Cadwyn Clwyd, Wrexham Council and most importantly, members of our community to explore options for a viable and sustainable future for this key site in the village,” said GCC Chairman, Cllr Graham Barrow.

The first of three informal drop-in sessions, at which all residents of Glyntraian ward and the wider Ceiriog Valley community are welcome, will take place on Wednesday 9^th October at the Oliver Jones Memorial Hall in Dolywern between 5:30pm – 9pm. Marc Roberts will present his findings to Glyntraian Community Council in February 2020.

“The initial drop in session for the entire community in October is just one of several face to face community engagement and stakeholder sessions Marc will be holding throughout the engagement process,” said GCC’s Chair of Communications Committee, Jools Payne. “Now the consultant is in place, we expect to release details of the full consultation programme of events as soon as possible.” Anyone wishing to learn more about the Cadwyn Clwyd consultation on the Ysgol Pontfadog site is invited to contact the Glyntraian Community Council Clerk in the first instance by emailing clerk@glyntraian.org.uk or call 07948 214079. Details of further updates will be posted on the GCC Facebook page and website www.glyntraian.org.uk.

Funding

Cyllidwyd y prosiect hwn drwy Cymunedau Gwledig Llywodraeth Cymru – Rhaglen Datblygu Gwledig Cymru 2014-2020, a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru a’r Gronfa Amaethyddol Ewrop ar gyfer Datblygu Gwledig.

This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.