66 unpaid carers told us they had not been offered a Carers Needs Assessment

A number of unpaid carers told us they did not accept the offer of a Carers Needs Assessment;

A number of unpaid carers told us that their views have not really been listened to when discussing the needs of the person they care for

We were informed by some unpaid carers that Wrexham Council has not helped to improve their quality of life, and that access to support from Adult Social Care is still not straight forward

The findings within this survey highlight the need for WCBC Social Care and NEWCIS to adopt better systems to raise awareness on the definition of what, and who, is an unpaid carer, and to understand their experiences in order to provide the right support, at the right time, across Wrexham.

In view of the above responses from the Annual Carer Survey, Wrexham Social Care recognises that the unpaid carer agenda is a high priority. In response, Wrexham Council has secured funding and is developing a newly appointed Carers Lead Officer post who will take the lead role of working closely with unpaid carers, organisations and community groups across the Wrexham County Borough, to ensure the needs of unpaid carers are considered in current services, and in the development of future service delivery.

WCBC consulted with a number of unpaid carers, and partner organisations across Wrexham, on what needs to be considered in developing the job description and Person Specification for the role.

Since the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020, Wrexham Library Service has had to change how it delivers outreach library services to rural communities, where residents have little or limited access to a branch library and or public transport.

In autumn 2020 Wrexham Public Library Service has safely unlocked and gradually introduced a four week Outreach Library Service in partnership with some of our local communities, where by residents and library customers can order, collect and return library items. Priority for the Outreach Library Service has been given to local communities who have no branch library, and little or limited regular public transport. It is envisage that as this service expands, it will engage with all Community Councils and Community Agents

The big challenge we have is to reach more residents with Wrexham Library Outreach Service.

The findings from this consultation were included in a report to Customers, Performance, Resources and Governance Scrutiny Committee on Thursday 30th September 2021.

Please follow the link below to view and download the report.Customers, Performance, Resources and Governance Scrutiny Committee, Thursday, 30th September, 2021

It was agreed that the Committee:

1. Recommend that the Executive Board defer consideration of the proposed Library Outreach Service, to allow for an All Member Workshop to be held.
2. The Member Workshop be used to consider issues such as the identification of specific venues and their capacities to hold the Library Outreach Services in the future; funding implications, the availability and sustainability of these venues and the use of an alternative vehicle.

Denbighshire County Council in partnership with Flintshire County Council, Wrexham County Borough Council and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) are seeking views on a draft supplementary planning guidance note (SPG) for lighting in the AONB. This will provide advice and guidance for developers and others on good lighting design in the AONB.

Cllr Tony Thomas, Chair of the AONB Joint Committee, said: “The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB is one of Wales’ most cherished landscapes. The area enjoys some of the darkest skies in Wales and provides opportunities to experience the wonders of a dark night sky. The SPG will help to conserve and enhance this special quality by raising awareness of the issue and promoting dark sky friendly lighting design.  We want to know what you think, and I would encourage as many people as possible to take part in the consultation process and to have their say on the draft SPG before the deadline on August 9th.”

The AONB is designated as a landscape of national importance and the primary purpose is to conserve and enhance its natural beauty. One of the recognised special qualities of the AONB is its tranquil nature, which includes the opportunity to experience dark night skies. The AONB has some of the darkest skies in Wales and the draft SPG seeks to conserve and enhance this special quality by providing guidance for developers and others on dark sky friendly lighting design. When approved by each of the Local Planning Authorities the SPG will be a material planning consideration in determining planning applications and appeals.

Some of the language regarding how local planning authorities should apply the SPG was questioned and subsequently updated to allow the guidance to be applied more flexibly according to the size of application and type of site/building.

Undertaking consultation has resulted in a clearer, more useable document which will further protect the AONB as part of the planning process.

Housing Act 2004  Part 2 enables Local Authorities to designate additional licensing schemes for Houses in Multiple Occupation. Prior to doing so, the Authority must determine if the statutory conditions for introducing such a scheme are met and also undertake a public consultation with relevant stakeholders including Landlords, HMO Licensees, Managing Agents, Residential letting Associations.

The findings and impact of this consultation were included in a report taken to a meeting of the council's Executive Board on 21st September 2021.  Please follow the link Agenda for Executive Board on Tuesday, 21st September, 2021, 10.00 am | Wrexham County Borough Council to read the full report.

The findings and impact of this consultation were included in a report taken to a meeting of the council's Executive Board on 21st September 2021.  Please follow the link Agenda for Executive Board on Tuesday, 21st September, 2021, 10.00 am | Wrexham County Borough Council to read the full report.

Participation means listening to children and young people and taking their views meaningfully into account. All children and young people should be supported to freely express their opinion; they should be both heard and listened to. Their views should be taken seriously when decisions or actions are taken that affect their lives directly or indirectly (as guaranteed by Article 12 of the UNCRC).

To make sure that we have an excellent standard of participation in Wrexham, we need a plan (strategy) of how we are going to achieve this.

At the moment we have 2 plans one made by Children's Social Care and one made by the Youth Service. We would like to come up with a new plan, one that will really work!!

We only had 8 young people show an interest in this consultation.

We found out what name preferences young people wanted and what they might like in the Participation Vision.

We will use the results to inform the work of Wrexham’s next Participation Strategy

Wrexham Heritage Service is investigating the future of its two historic tramcars and would like to know your views.

These trams are the only known survivors of Wrexham’s fleet of 10 trams purchased from Brush Electrical Engineering Company. Built in 1903, they ran between Wrexham town centre and Rhosllanerchrugog until 1927, when they were replaced by buses and the tram fleet was sold.  

The trams are currently in open storage at Bersham Colliery.  They are in poor condition, and the Heritage Service has therefore appointed consultants to advise on their future preservation. 

A draft document has been produced which investigates the history of the trams, the impact they had on Wrexham and their historical significance, before describing their current condition.

The document has highlighted a number of different possibilities for the preservation and future display of the tramcars, as well as how these can be achieved.   

For further details of the options for preservation and future display of the tramcars, please see the attached document below.

A zoom seminar will be held on Wednesday 31st March, 7.00pm - 8.30pm where the consultants and museum officers will provide further information about the feasibility study and its findings, and the different options being investigated. To book a place please click on the link here:  http://www.yourvoicewrexham.net/survey/1238

The consultants for the project have carried out in-depth analysis of the consultation results. A summary of their main findings are below.

1. There is a lot of local interest in the trams and Wrexham’s heritage. 385 surveys were completed in total. This was a much higher number than anticipated by both staff and the consultants and shows strong interest and engagement with Wrexham’s heritage and the two trams.
2. There was a diverse response to the consultation.
3. There is a strong desire to keep the trams in Wrexham.  76% of respondents wanted the trams to remain in Wrexham.
4. The preferred option is to restore the trams as a static display.  
5. Respondents felt that professional restoration was the best option for how their preferred option could be achieved.
6. There is local enthusiasm to volunteer to support the work involved in restoring the trams. Whilst we received fewer responses to the second part of the questionnaire, there was strong enthusiasm to support the project through volunteering.

The consultants will be producing a feasibility study for the trams. The results from the consultation has been analysed by them and this data will be used to inform their recommendations for the future of the two trams.  

Depending on these recommendations, if appropriate, we will use the consultation data as vital evidence to show local support and engagement as part of future funding bids for the restoration of the trams.

Introduction

Thank you for finding the time to complete this consultation, your answers are important to us, they are confidential and will inform the work of Wrexham and Flintshire’s Public Service Boards.

Public Service Boards are a partnership of organisations that help provide public services.  They include the Council, the Health Board, the Fire and Rescue Service, Natural Resources Wales, the Police, The National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Company, Public Health Wales, Coleg Cambria, A.V.O.W, and Welsh Government. 

Young people across Wrexham and Flintshire have expressed concerns about the toll on their mental health, education, employment, and income during coronavirus restrictions. The Coronavirus pandemic has negatively affected social relationship for some young people with their friends and families. Young people feel the pandemic has affected their mental health greatly. This joint consultation indicates a general worsening for some young people’s mental health and wellbeing especially anxiety, loneliness and depression.depression. Bereavement and traumatic experiences have been mentioned, with young people experiencing feelings of isolation, boredom and uncertainty.  A couple of young people mentioning feeling suicidal and a lack of control has been a huge issue for many young people. Some have had concerns over whether their friendships would recover and a lot of young people are worried about the loss of education or their prospects of finding work and fears about the future. Members of young people’s family have lost their jobs or been furloughed and this has created long-term economic and social consequences for them all.   Young people are worried about a third wave of the pandemic or future lockdowns having an effect on their education, grades, always having to play catch-up with their education and businesses and organisations shutting down. 91 young people feel it will affect their future because of their education, mounting pressure relating to school along with a lot of anxiety around taking exams and what will happen with their course work, GCSEs and A-Levels.

Young people are worried about how are they going to catch up on missed work and what impact will it have on their grades. Young people attending university have concerns about finances and what lies ahead for their future, jobs and careers and not being able to achieve their dreams or goals. It’s important to point out that throughout the last 12 months, education, teachers and school staff have gone above and beyond to keep schools open for young people of key workers and deliver online teaching for young people. There are worries that the third wave could be more than covid but actually in respect of mental health as young people describe their mental health getting as worsening and with increased levels of anxiety. Due to services already being oversubscribed and waiting lists becoming longer, the challenge will be how to ensure young people are protected from a further decline in their health. 

The results from these findings are being used to inform the recovery and future work of Wrexham and Flintshire’s Public Service Board. They will be shared with organisations across Wrexham and Flintshire to support their recovery and work with Young People. If there is a need the consultation will be run again in 2022.

A smaller number of residents replied to the consultation than the one previously. As a response to some of the comments received some mitigating factors have been made.  The comments made by residents were reported in a report to the Wrexham Executive Board with proposals which were agreed on the 9th March 2021.

The findings of the consultation were reported to Wrexham Council's Executive board who on the 9th March made a decision to make the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) at all 8 locations proposed.

Consulting on our plans to reshape Council services to meet the financial challenge and the budget proposals for 2021/22.

In accordance with our consultation principles, we are feeding back to participants who’ve taken part in this budget consultation, so that they can understand the final decisions that were taken, and the impact that their involvement has made.  A report has been prepared in conjunction with the Senior Leadership Team and Lead Members.  The ‘You Said, We Did’ report and summary of consultation findings presented at Council on 24^th February 2021 have been uploaded to this consultation project and can be downloaded here.

In accordance with our consultation principles, we are feeding back to participants who’ve taken part in this budget consultation, so that they can understand the final decisions that were taken, and the impact that their involvement has made.  A report has been prepared in conjunction with the Senior Leadership Team and Lead Members.  The ‘You Said, We Did’ report and summary of consultation findings presented at Council on 24^th February 2021 have been uploaded to this consultation project and can be downloaded here.

The Safer Streets Fund is a £25m fund, available to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) in England and Wales in 2020/21.

PCCs were asked to work with partners, to design and deliver local crime prevention plans with the outcome of reducing acquisitive crimes through prevention, therefore making residents feel safer.

North Wales Bids

Following analysis of the areas in North Wales that met the criteria of being particularly affected by acquisitive crime, two bids were submitted to the fund, one being Queensway in Wrexham.

In July 2020 the Home Office announced that the North Wales bids were both successful, together with another 50 across England and Wales. The project for Queensway was awarded £550,000.

Queensway Allocation

The majority of residents who returned their views supported the proposals.  Some mitigation would need to be found to some of the issues raised and alternative routes highlighted.

Following the consultation and discussions with legal, advice received was to seek a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to Alleygate the proposed areas. So another round of consultation will follow on the proposals,  it was decided however to keep all proposed areas within the second consultation.