BUCKLEY, FLINTSHIRE & BEYOND
A newsletter for Bistre East Ward residents from
Cllr. Arnold Woolley, Dip.IM, MCMI
Please do take time to read through my observations.
They are intended to keep you, the ratepayers and voters
of the Town and County up to date on current situations
At 12 pages this newsletter does take a bit of time to read through, but there is much to keep you informed about. So do please read it little by little and perhaps use it to fill time when the television programmes are not very interesting.
The organization called Audit Wales takes a periodic look at every council in Wales. When they looked at BTC earlier this year they suggested that the council really did need the development of a Vision, Mission and Values policy to steer us into the near future. Our councillors could see the sense in that, so we got together with One Voice Wales and tasked Gareth Kiddie, an Associate Consultant with that organisation, to undertake the work needed.
The work was broken down into sections which entailed us councillors engaging in some workshops, carrying out a survey of councillor and staff viewpoints and, most importantly, in arranging a Community Survey.
The final document recently submitted by Gareth Kiddie for consideration by council listed seven Strategic Objectives for your council to aim for in the near future. Those were:-
Revitalise Buckley Town Centre
Support local businesses and local enterprises
Strengthen Community Life
Improve Community Wellbeing
Celebrate Buckley’s heritage and identity
Protect & enhance local green spaces
Be a strong community leader.
The invitation to the community to participate was responded to online by 118 residents, with another 13 putting in responses on paper.
Common themes were that the Town Centre needs revitalising, that there are too many hairdressers, nail bars and charity shops, that there is little or nothing for the youth of the town to do except get up to mischief to entertain themselves and that there is a need for more nightlife. Also strongly felt was the matter of parking fees which many residents feel discourage residents from using the town centre shops and other facilities.
That latter item is certainly something which strikes a supportive chord with me. Just how much revenue is being lost anyway, because assorted parking fee payment machines are so frequently out of order. There is also the irritation of needing multiple coinage in order to deal with a fee of £1:80, because those who set the fee fail to keep it simple, such as £1:50 or £2:00. At least the parking area opposite the Spar Store on Brunswick Road gives drivers one hour of free parking time, which many of us do take up when shopping in the town centre.
One resident complained that a town the size of Buckley should have a toilet facility and also a Bank. That raises the question of improving signposting for the public toilets which do exist and are open daily. They are maintained and controlled by BTC. Also, although there is no formal Bank Branch in the town since Lloyds pulled out, there is a very useful and adequate banking facility in the library building.
It is open whenever the library is open, which is daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:40 pm, but it does close for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30p.m. The Banking Facility offers essential banking needs through a partnership with Principality Building Society and OneBanx. Cash can be deposited or withdrawn as needed and other transactions arranged.
Several residents berated town councillors for allowing the demolition of the Black Horse Public House, accusing councillors of having no interest in preserving the town’s history. On that score, I value our history and archaeology highly, having even been, for several months, a professional archaeologist on a dig in West Wales, before moving to Buckley. The decision over the Black Horse Public House was made within the Planning Department at Flintshire County Council and supported by members of the Flintshire Planning Committee, upon which I do not sit.
Several residents hope that something can be done to bring the now empty and disused Factory Shop back into meaningful occupation. On that item, a couple of years back, BTC and FCC got together for the purpose of buying that property from the owners, with thoughts of a weekly Youth Club Night, a weekly indoor market and so on. The price was agreed, the process was set in motion and then the owners, without stating any reason, just cancelled the sale.
Quite a few respondents called for “more evening-time activities,” with shops open, restaurants open and so on. All very thoughtful, but commercial enterprises require footfall – customers in through the door - which there is no guarantee about.
Please do remember what happened several years ago when there was strong public opinion that Buckley needed an open-air market on a weekday morning, just like the one in Mold. I and a majority of councillors of that time sought to do what our residents said they wanted. We spoke with the right people in the market trading activity and arranged for the Car Park opposite the Spar Store to be available for them. As good as their word, the Traders appeared once and then on a second occasion, but despite ample publicity that the traders were there, Buckley’s citizenry, except for just a few, failed to appear. The result was that the market traders stopped coming to Buckley on a weekday morning.
One of the common misunderstandings that appeared was the belief that your town council has the power and authority to act just as it wishes or just as the public wishes. Regrettably, that is entirely wrong. Your town council is far from a Free Agent in the broadest meaning of those two words. Written into the Laws of the Land here in Wales there is “The General Power of Competence” which allows eligible town councils – and Buckley is eligible – in Wales to act in the same way as an individual might act, enabling them to undertake a wide range of activities for the benefit of their communities, including commercial and discretionary services.
However, your town council must ensure that apart from matters of legality and propriety, there is the very important issue of affordability. In simple terms Buckley Town Council must balance its books each year, including holding adequate contingency reserves. Those few words bring to light the one problem that I see with this latest survey and report. It clearly sets out what residents would like to see or wish for, but it simply does not address the crucial issue of funding.
At long last, there is now a proposal which, while as yet still in its infancy, could well see that Old Baths Building brought into worthwhile usage. In outline the idea is to convert the building into a multi-use facility, with some definite majoring on it becoming a Pool Hall. The belief is that such a facility would attract paying customers from quite a distance around. Provision of a Café, tables and chairs would add a further income stream. It is at least something which might attract a high level of supportive funding. However, the issues of a building known to be strewn with Asbestos in its original construction and the need for some expensive structural repair work to make the building safe are serious issues. Clearly, it would be a number of years, rather than months, to see this latest proposal through to completion, but, as the only proposal on the table at this time, it certainly needs to be looked at closely and maybe progressed as soon as it sensibly can be.
The town council’s Municipal Year runs from May to May. In the meetings of that month, us councillors elect the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for the next year. This time around, the Mayor is Cllr. Julia Jones, who will be supported by her Consort, Mr. James Shone. This year’s Deputy Mayor is Cllr. Vivienne Blondeck. Being Mayor carries a serious weight of responsibility in attending a large number of time-consuming civic engagements all around the county, as this town’s representative. I am sure that all readers will join me in wishing those elected an interesting and enjoyable year.
From the various press reports and such, I suspect that most residents of Buckley know that the town does have a Community SpeedWatch team and that I co-ordinate it and lead its activities. Despite what the Mass Media often says about us, we are friends of every driver on our local roads. That is because our activities at the roadside do not result in points on your driving license or money lifted out of your pockets.
We function under supervision of North Wales Police and only appear where an official speed checking point has been established by NWP and given a Coded identification number and listed for insurance purposes. If we set down your details on our reporting sheets, which we pass on to NWP at the end of each roadside hour, what you will receive is a polite letter, which informs you that you were found to be exceeding the legal speed limit at such and such a location and asks you to kindly be a more attentive driver. We also recognize that all drivers end up a bit over the legal limit here and there, so to allow for that, in a 20mph zone we do not start writing down your car details unless you are recorded as doing 26 mph or more. In a 30mph zone it is a speed of 36mph or more which will set us scribbling. Our noted down vehicle details are checked by me via the DVLA and then again by GoSafe before any letter is sent.
Drivers who have received CSW letters do often claim that they were only doing the legal limit when they drove past us, which is quite likely as drivers do slow down on seeing us at the roadside in our yellow garb, but our radar guns are capable of recording a vehicle’s speed while it is a few hundred yards distant and it is that speed figure which goes down on paper, not your speed as you pass by us. While we do get the occasional abusive comments shouted at us, our small team is encouraged by the frequent requests which we get to appear on someone’s particular road because they are fed up with speeding vehicles making just getting out of their driveways dangerous.
Our efforts are aimed at making the roads in our town safer for both drivers and pedestrians. To that end, please do remember that, aside from any imbibing of Alcohol or Drugs, either in singleton form or in cocktail form as police checks are now finding, it is a truism that “Speed Kills!”
In any urban setting, with people of all ages all over the place, and domestic pets as well, an emergency stop for any driver can crop up at any moment, from another driver who ignores a Give Way sign, or a person who steps out from between parked cars without carefully checking for oncoming vehicles. Do please drive responsibly and safely.
BCUHB’s Self-Care Team offers a range of free health and wellbeing courses for adults who live with long term health conditions and carers in communities across North Wales. For more information please contact the team on 03000 852280 or 03000 852281 or by email at Eppccymru.bcuhb@wales.nhs.uk or visit the website. If the webpage is showing “No courses available” please contact the team so that they can register your interest in a course. The courses require a minimum of 12 participants to run, therefore the more interest generated (face to face or on-line) the more likely it will be that a course will be put on.
The Welsh Government wishes to be helpful to all residents. In order to do that, it has created a New Facebook page, WG Here to Help. From Cost of Living assistance to Home Ownership Schemes, Financial Support, Resources and Stories from communities all around Wales it is full of information. If you are IT equipped, do take a moment or two look up the link, which is:- https://www.facebook.com/people/Here-to-Help-Wales/61582989575411/ and for those who are not IT equipped, remember that you can ask the Buckley Connects staff at the Library on a Tuesday and Thursday to link you in.
We do hear a lot about how much the UK Government has borrowed, can still borrow and at what repayment rates. That affects us all, because how much of the total governmental income has to go towards repaying interest on borrowings does have an impact on how much it can afford to spend on items such as the NHS, the armed forces and Welfare. When looking at the borrowing figures, it is useful to note the overall population of the particular country. The latest figures across Europe appear to be:-
Government Borrowing Level Population
UK 96.4% of GDP 68.75 Million
France 113.2% ,, 68.51 ,,
Germany 63.5% ,, 84.01 ,,
Italy 137.1% ,, 60.92 ,,
Spain 100.7 ,, 47.34 ,,
Holland 45.15 ,, 18.04 ,,
You might ask, “What’s that got to do with me?” The answer is “Quite a lot!” That is because in the 2025-26 Financial year, the government
forked out £111.2billion, or 3.7% of national income and 8.3% of total government spending to those in the financial world who have loaned it money.
Just think how useful that £111.2billion might have been to help improve our NHS and other public services.
I am one of those people who supporst the above organization, which calls for a fairer taxation scheme within the United Kingdom. Currently, according to a recently published Sunday Times Rich List, the top 5 tax contributors to the nation’s finances hand over to HMRC sufficient funds to pay for 10,000 NHS Nurses, for a year, 6,144 HMRC tax specialists, 27,562 State Pensions, Training Courses for Teachers and 2,000 New Electric Buses. That is why they and everyone else who does pay their taxes should be proud of their personal contribution, because the money goes towards healing illness in our loved ones of all ages, educating our children and keeping the nation functioning.
However, that same list also raises some awkward questions, such as, “Why are 8 out of 10 of the richest people in the UK (As listed in the Times Rich List) not listed in the 100 highest taxpayers?”
It is not simply because every super-rich person is dodging taxes, although the notorious Off-Shore Schemes cost our Nation an estimated £12.5billion each year. The deeper problem is a structural one. That is because our tax system is structured so that the really super-rich simply do not pay their fair share, because work is taxed more than wealth.
If a modest 2% Annual Tax were to be placed on wealth over £10million, that would mean that aside from appearing in the Tax List, as they should, the additional income to government might also go some way towards closing the present £5billion shortfall on necessary defence spending
It certainly would not harm them financially, because the record shows that billionaire wealth in the UK grows by around 16% per year on average.
No, that does not mean listening to the birds. It is the far more sinister activity of the organized criminal gangs who descend upon older people
who live alone and by blandishments or threats take over that person’s property for the purpose of growing Cannabis plants and generally engaging in the unlawful as well as simply awful, supply of drugs among our society.
Please do watch out for your neighbours, those who might be vulnerable, due to age or infirmity, to this particularly nasty type of criminality. If reporting such activity directly to the police concerns you, do get in touch with me.
Your confidentiality will be safeguarded, that you can rely upon.
It was so pleasing to read in the Leader newspaper of Friday 26 June of the recent significant achievement of the Royal Buckley Band, one of the jewels in Buckley’s crown. At an event entitled the Whit Friday Marches, the band competed among 154 bands and in doing so achieved top placements, including winning the second section at Uppermill. They also secured second place at Scouthead & Austerland, third place at Diggle and fourth at Greenfield. All in all, according to members of the band, it was one of their strongest performances in recent years. Band members expressed their gratitude to their musical director Keith Jones for his leadership. A spokesman for the band told the Leader newspaper that it was “A memorable night for Royal Buckley – and one we are very proud of.” As a member of The Royal British Legion, who, along with my wife, Paula and other comrades, has marched behind the band on many occasions over the years, I personally am delighted to learn of their success and look forward to reading of more successes in the future. All of us residents in Buckley can be proud that the Royal Buckley Town Band has done so well.
That is the official name of what most of us refer to as the Buckley Little Theatre, registered charity number 1085209. Their small building at Hawkesbury has aged somewhat over the years and has now reached the point where the club needs to raise £30,000 in order to fund a replacement roof if the club is to be able to remain open and active. Over our 40 years of living in Buckley, my wife and I have regularly attended the assortment of presentations put on over that time by the cast and production teams who have kept the club open and active and, very importantly, encouraged the youngsters of the town to take an interest in amateur dramatics.
As their committee has set out on the internet:-
“A section of our roof has deteriorated and requires urgent replacement to prevent
further water ingress and damage to the building. This essential work will help protect the theatre while we continue planning and fundraising for the longer-term goal of replacing the entire roof (total cost 30k). After COVID-19 left us with no income for two years, essential maintenance had to be put on hold. As a result, the roof has deteriorated significantly, putting our costumes, props, equipment and the building itself at risk. We’re asking for help from our community, supporters of the arts, former performers, local businesses, and anyone who believes that small community theatres matter.
Your donation will help us:
• Replace the most affected section of the roof and prevent further damage
• Protect costumes, props, staging equipment, and seating
• Safeguard a vital community space for future productions
• Support ongoing improvements and our long-term goal of replacing the entire roof
• Keep theatre accessible and affordable for all ages
No donation is too small. £5, £10, or anything you can give will help us protect this special place for future generations.”
As supporters of the Little Theatre, my wife and I, both committee members of the Buckley Senior Citizens Association, put a proposal to that organization to help the Theatre Club members by donating £500 to their building repairs fund. A cheque for that amount was handed over at our Friday Morning Social Meeting on 26th June. My newsletter goes out to 2,200 properties in Buckley Bistre East Ward. If every household could find it in their hearts and wallets to make a donation of £5 or £10, it would go a long way to ensuring the necessary work could be started and that the Buckley Theatre Club could go on doing its wonderful work in our community.
For a quick and easy way to make your donation, visit “Go Fund Me” on the www.
https://www.gofundme.com
In 1996, when I was an active Management Consultant and had just joined Buckley Town Council, the Glendenning sisters had a quiet word with me about a worry they had over the above charitable entity which they had created in January of 1991. Basically, the finances were going down in leaps and bounds and the complete entity was in danger of folding, despite being popular among and well-used by elderly, incapacitated and vulnerable residents of Buckley Town. The result of that conversation was that I took a good, long look at the organisation’s operations, structure and finances. What I found was that the then manager, despite being well-paid in anyone’s terms at that time, had his fingers in the till.
When I reported my findings and showed them sufficient evidence to present to the police to initiate a Theft by Conversion inquiry, the two ladies were at pains to avoid any bad publicity. The result was that I had a private conversation with the then manager and gave him the choice between resigning or facing a police investigation. His response was to walk out right then and there.
His departure did not cause the scheme to collapse, because everyone involved at that time turned to, pitched in and made sure that the scheme survived. To help it along I accepted the position of Chairman of the organizing committee and not long after that, my wife agreed to take on the role of Secretary, which she still holds. I remained as Chairman for a couple of years before passing the position on to another volunteer, but I have remained on the committee, along with my wife.
The scheme has grown steadily in operational size up to the present time. It now has some minibuses as well as the smaller vehicles. Those minibuses and their drivers do sterling work in providing transport for regular shopping trips for assorted disability groups. Meanwhile, the smaller vehicles are put to good use by volunteer drivers who are carrying out in excess of a score of journeys every day within Flintshire and the area around, getting disabled individuals to doctors’ surgeries, dentists’ appointments, hospital visits and the like by what really is a door-to-door service. The scheme has now reached a point where more volunteer drivers are needed in order to keep up with the rising demand created by an ageing population. In addition, Ian McDermot who has been the scheme’s dedicated and very effective Manager in recent years, has decided to retire in the near future. A replacement is needed for his full-time paid position.
So, if you are a person who is still driving, enjoys being sociable and have a morning or afternoon free here and there, please give a thought to becoming a volunteer driver with WBCT. Further, if you are looking for an interesting managerial position, why not give Ian a phone call on 01244 544474 so that he can explain what his job is all about.
As an Independent Flintshire County Councillor, I do enjoy being able to tell you all of some good news coming out of Ty Dewi Sant down in Ewloe. A while ago, Councillors and Officers in both Wrexham and Flintshire put their heads and their hearts into creating the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone, which was designed to attract funding from various sources to help develop small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses in both county authorities.
The Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone programme is supported by both the UK and Welsh Governments and is coordinated by an organization named Ambition North Wales.
Local manufacturers here in this county are already reaping the benefits of the scheme, with 15 local businesses securing a share of £898,461 in grants to fuel business growth and jobs creation.
That funding, provided by Flintshire County Council, is expected to unlock a further £1.2million in private sector investment, as businesses match-fund their growth projects, taking total inward investment in the county’s manufacturing sector to over £2.1million.
The scheme aims to help Flintshire county’s small and medium-sized manufacturers to invest sooner, grow faster and to compete more efficiently. Projects supported so far are set to create 79 full-time jobs, which also enables the SMEs to invest in new machinery, automation, building improvements, energy efficiency, industry accreditations and wider productivity improvements.
This most welcome financial support has already reached individual businesses across Greenfield, Saltney, Sandycroft and Mold, alongside key industrial estates right across the county, thus demonstrating the breadth and strength of Flintshire’s manufacturing base.
The current round is now fully subscribed and temporarily paused. However, there is an expectation that further funding availability under the scheme will become available in the autumn of this year. Cllr. Dave Hughes, present Leader of the council said among other things, that “We are already seeing businesses bring forward plans to modernize equipment, expand capacity and improve efficiency. These are projects that might not have happened without this support. Just as important, every pound of public funding is being matched by businesses themselves, unlocking significant private investment into Flintshire’s economy. The level of demand we have seen shows real ambition in our manufacturing sector and we are looking forwards to re-opening the scheme in the autumn to support even more firms.”
Way back in 2020 there were assorted rumblings from residents and traders all complaining that the main shopping street, formally Brunswick Road, which had been pedestrianized somewhat, with bollards at The Cross end, should be re-opened for traffic flow both ways. The Covid epidemic arrived and caused a halt to that thinking. Alongside and as a potential part of item 1 above, the thoughts of de-pedestrianizing the shopping area length of Brunswick Road, with two-way traffic flow resumed is once again being thought about. If you have strong feelings either way, do please let me know.
If you are gardening this summer and inclined to reach for the popular product called Roundup to control any weeds, please remember that it contains Glyphosate, exposure to which can be linked to potential health issues, including cancer, reproductive problems, and endocrine disruption, especially if safety measures are not followed. Direct contact with this herbicide, inhalation of spray, or contamination of produce can increase risk. Gardeners should wear protective clothing, gloves, eye protection, and masks when applying glyphosate, and ensure children and pets are kept away until the treated area is dry.
Do enjoy your gardening, but stay safe and well while out there.
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If you have any problems, troubles or worries and perhaps need a friendly word of support or advice, please do remember that I am a town and county councillor who is in position to do my best to serve and assist ward residents and the communities of Buckley and Flintshire. To that end, I am available 24 hours of the day and 7 days of the week, via my home phone number of 01244 549421. If I am out, please do leave a message on the answerphone. I will get back to you just as soon as I can. I can also be contacted by email at either arnoldwoolley@outlook.com or Arnold.Woolley@flintshire.gov.uk. You are also welcome to visit my website at www.arnoldwoolley.com.
Newsletter published by:- (Cllr) Arnold Woolley, 75 Bryn Awelon Buckley CH7 2QF