Latest from North Wales Live
North Wales Live
2 hours ago
- North Wales Live
Appeal after animal carcasses 'dumped' in Gwynedd
An appeal has been launched after animal remains were allegedly "dumped" in Gwynedd. Cyngor Gwynedd says the carcasses were found in the Penygroes area and such actions won't be "tolerated". In a statement the council stated: "We are appealing to the public for any information regarding fly tipping that has occurred in the Station Road near the entrance of Wynnstay, Penygroes. "A large amount of animals remains have been dumped near the entrance. If you have any information regarding the incident, or have seen any suspicious activity's within this area please report it here: Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter - sent every Tuesday The council adds that all information shared will be treated "sensitively and in the strictest confidence". It says: "Cyngor Gwynedd does not tolerate this sort of behaviour and WILL take FURTHER action against those found to have committed environmental crimes."
North Wales Live
2 hours ago
- Business
- North Wales Live
Starmer to warn of 'backroom stitch-up' in Welsh elections
Sir Keir Starmer will warn of a 'backroom stitch-up' between the Tories, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru ahead of key elections in Wales next year. In a speech to the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno, the Prime Minister is set to say that a coalition of those parties would be a 'return to the chaos and division of the last decade'. It would risk rolling back the progress his party is starting to make, he will claim. Welsh First Minister Baroness Eluned Morgan meanwhile will call next year's polls a 'moment of reckoning' and 'serious threat' as Reform UK is 'rising' and Plaid Cymru 'mobilising'. And Labour will announce funding to help those made redundant by the Tata Steel closure in Port Talbot. Reform UK is eyeing an opportunity to end Labour's 26 years of domination in the Welsh Parliament at the Senedd elections in May next year. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Labour performed poorly in this year's local elections in England, which saw Nigel Farage's party win a swathe of council seats. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out making deals with Plaid Cymru or Reform at the next Senedd election. Welsh Labour leader Baroness Morgan will say the election is not going to be a 'routine affair'. She will add: 'It will be a moment of reckoning. Reform are rising. Plaid are mobilising. "And across the country, people are asking big, serious questions about the kind of future they want for Wales. This is not a moment to look away. "This is the moment to look forward - a moment of maximum opportunity and, yes, also of serious threat. It's time to stand up. It's time to get involved.' The conference in Llandudno comes on the heels of Sir Keir's U-turn on welfare policy to avert a major backbench rebellion that will leave Chancellor Rachel Reeves facing a scramble to fill a potential hole in her budget this autumn. Ahead of marking a year in office next week, Sir Keir will point to moves his Government has made since the election that he says bring direct benefits to Wales, including international trade deals that give a boost to brands such as Penderyn whisky and legislation to bolster workers' rights. Wales Secretary Jo Stevens is set to announce a new £11 million fund for businesses offering skilled employment in Port Talbot as it seeks to help those left unemployed by Tata Steel's closure of the steelworks. The fund is made up of £6.78 million from the Government and £5 million from Tata Steel. 'The Tories abandoned our steelworkers. Reform want to cancel the Electric Arc Furnace, throw away 5,000 jobs, and send people back down the mines. 'We have the backs of our steelworkers, their families and local businesses,' Ms Stevens will say. Sir Keir will tout the advantages of having parallel Labour governments in Westminster and Wales, with Baroness Morgan leading the latter as a 'fierce champion'. 'This is the party that has got wages rising faster in the first 10 months than the Tories managed in 10 years. This is the government that is cutting bills and creating jobs. This is the movement that will rebuild Britain and renew Wales,' Sir Keir is expected to say. Labour is the party with the 'interests of working people at their heart' and 'it always will be', he will say. "Or, there's the other option. The risk of rolling back all the progress we're beginning to make. A return to the chaos and division of the last decade. 'A backroom stitch-up between the Tories, Reform and Plaid. And once again, it will be working families left to pick up the bill. "Whether that's with Reform, or with Plaid's determination to cut Wales off from the rest of the country – with no plan to put Wales back together.' The Conservatives have said that Labour has 'let Wales down for far too long'. Shadow Welsh secretary Mims Davies said: 'Divisions between a complacent Welsh Labour and Starmer's failing UK Government in Westminster have simply not improved Wales's outlook, despite the fabled benefit of two Labour Governments in Wales, which is absolute bunkum.' She also added: 'Labour has let Wales down for too long, taken people for granted and now the PM is making a mess of the entire United Kingdom.'
North Wales Live
3 hours ago
- Business
- North Wales Live
Major shopping centre redevelopment at seaside town submitted to planners
Colwyn Bay's shopping centre could undergo a major redevelopment as plans are submitted to Conwy council. Michael Treanor of owners Moorfield Contracts Unlimited has applied to the council's planning department, seeking permission to carry out work at the Bay View Centre. The shopping centre first opened its doors back in 1987, but the owner now wants to modernise the building. The plans include demolishing part of the storefront, bringing Morrisons to the fore, with plans for a restaurant, two cafes, and a gym. The developer wants to form new shopfronts at the shopping centre's eastern elevation, with the materials described as brick and glass. The application includes a change of use, allowing the sale of food and drink, and a new ATM in front of the southern elevation. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox. The plans also include the reconfiguration of the surface-level car park to provide 93 parking spaces, including six accessible parking spaces, connecting from Sea View Road. Colwyn Bay town councillor Tina Lee said: 'I think it will be a good thing. The building needs revamping and modernising. It really needs a good facelift, as it's been there for over 30 years. So that's a long time, and it hasn't had a facelift as far as I'm aware.' The plans will likely be discussed at a future planning committee meeting at Conwy County Council's Coed Pella HQ. Public notices in your area
North Wales Live
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Live
Sparky took over Rhyl bargain store and has created something very special
The seaside town of Rhyl has its challenges and many critics but there are also green shoots of recovery to show things are changing for the better. There's no surer sign of this than on the corner of Wellington Road and Windsor Street. It was Bargain Corner - a fairly typical budget catalogue store people would find in any town facing struggles and where average incomes are low. But in 2023 it was taken on by music loving electrician Gary Longworth. He has spent £250,000 refurbishing it into the venue of his dreams with a bespoke PA system - creating Deutch's Bar, the first custom-built dedicated venue in Rhyl for live music and creative arts. Gary, originally from Ashton-under- Lyne, Manchester, but now resident in Rhyl, said: "I first came to Rhyl as a child and had very happy memories of the town. So when I was looking for a venue I thought 'This is the place'. "I wanted to bring something different to Rhyl: a space to encourage creative people in all areas — not just singers and musicians but artists, writers and poets, of all age groups - to meet, and collaborate." It's early days for Deutch's but already the Open Mic nights are busy with performers of all ages and musical styles. The live music gigs and jam sessions are equally popular as are the karaoke nights. Gary, a keen musician, often gets up on stage and joins in, while encouraging and advising those who are just starting out making music. Professional musicians are on every Saturday and there are one-off events planned including a Bistro reunion night on Saturday August 16, which will recreate the sounds of the much-missed West Parade nightclub. "These premises needed a total refurbishment to transform it into what it is today," Gary said. "It took 18 months of hard work to turn it into a top grade music venue. "I chose the location for its long narrow shape and high ceilings. It's great for acoustics while playing music. The gallery shape is also perfect for displaying my late dad's artwork - he was a keen amateur painter." The story behind the bar's unusual name is an interesting one. "Dad's nickname was 'Deutch' as he worked as a plasterer in Germany (Deutschland) for a while. He also loved art and when he passed away he left a lot of his own artwork behind," said Gary. "This whole project started with me wanting to do something with dad's paintings and memorabilia. Which is why I named the bar after him." His father John Longworth's paintings cover the walls and the display includes a letter from Yoko Ono thanking him for a portrait he did of John Lennon after his death. Gary proudly displays them both in the bar, along with many more of his father's artworks. "I hope I've done dad proud,' he added "I couldn't bear to see his pictures rotting away. It's amazing to think that, after wondering what to do with them all those years ago, they are now here on display in Rhyl where everyone can enjoy them - and of course, the music too."
North Wales Live
4 hours ago
- Politics
- North Wales Live
'Create hard shoulders along large parts of A55 to relieve congestion'
A call for a 'hard shoulders' along large parts of the A55 has been made in a bid to cut congestion. The dual carriageway was developed in different sections over a number of decades by various UK governments, with the last part finally completed on Anglesey in 2001. While it transformed travel across the region, the road has been declared "not fit for purpose" by critics. Demands have been made for various investments - from a third Menai crossing to the removal of the roundabouts at Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan. There have also been calls for other changes along the route - from changing "dangerous" junctions to increasing resilience. Leader of the Welsh Conservatives and Clwyd West MS Darren Millar this week called on the Welsh Government to invest in the A55 trunk road. He told Transport Secretary Ken Skates that creating hard shoulders along large parts of its length and planning for contraflows to be enabled would alleviate congestion. He said: 'It's been raised by other colleagues in terms of the resilience of the A55 trunk road, and it is something that I have raised many times in the past too. 'You say that you can't plan for all eventualities, but what you can do is improve the road to the extent that there are hard shoulders available. 'You can also plan for contraflows to be enabled, to save diversions through some of our town centres and villages, which then become choked up with traffic. "What people want to see is investment in the A55 trunk road. It is the key artery for our economy, for people getting to and from the locations that they need to get to for work, for education, for hospitals, et cetera. 'Why can't you do a focused piece of work on resilience just on this one particular road, taking into account the need for contraflows, making sure that we've got a phased approach to improvements in terms of the delivery of hard shoulders, so that we can make sure that the A55 is fit for purpose and that it isn't frequently beset with regular traffic jams, which give a negative impression of Wales?" Responding, the Cabinet Secretary said: 'There are resilience issues that affect many of our trunk roads. We will be carrying out specific work in regard to the A55, but I believe that there is a broader piece of work required to look at all of our major routes.' Speaking after the meeting, Mr Millar said: "The A55 is the lifeblood of the North Wales economy, but sadly it has the unpopular accolade of being one of the worst congested roads in the UK. It is therefore vital that the Welsh Government make improving this trunk road a priority.' He told North Wales Live what the Tories would do if they came into power in Wales. He said: "We would get those roundabouts removed, extend the availability of hard shoulders, and ensure that central reservation changes are made to deliver the opportunity for contraflows to prevent unnecessarily choking up the road network in local towns and villages. "This could easily be part of a programme of rolling investment in the trunk road network that can be financed via investment models which offer value for money for the taxpayer." The Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates told North Wales Live: "We're continuing to progress improvements to the A55 including consideration of how connections to and from Ynys Môn can be made more resilient. "This includes improvements to the A55 junctions and carriageway alignments, introduction of wind deflectors to Britannia Bridge and improvements for walking cycling. This study is now nearing completion and we'll be making announcements on the preferred options and next stages shortly." He added: 'We are also working on transport improvements on the A483 in Wrexham to support economic growth and development including the Western Gateway. A public consultation was held during February and March and this will help inform a decision on preferred options during the summer.'
