gwersyllt_cc_logo.gifWelcome

Welcome to the official website of the Gwersyllt Community Council which we hope will be a valuable source of information about the authority and the community it serves.

As work on the site progresses, all agendas and minutes of the Council, together with other associated documents about the workings, procedures and business of the Council, will be available.

 

Local News

Community council to save over £10k a year with greener street lighting project

A community council in Wrexham is on track to save tens of thousands of pounds and significantly reduce its carbon footprint after investing in a £81,800 LED street lighting upgrade.

Gwersyllt Community Council is set to save an estimated £10,000 a year on its energy bills following a street lighting replacement programme.

The council has upgraded all street lighting units across the community with more modern alternatives in a bid to reduce its annual energy usage and costs, while leading the way in limiting its effect on the environment.

Over 492 outdated lanterns have been replaced with highly efficient LED luminaires. The upgrades will significantly lower the council’s energy consumption, reducing its annual electricity usage by around 81,113 kWh, equating to almost 62%. The new LED fittings have a wattage of 25W, reducing the amount of energy used without compromising on the quality of lighting output provided.

The switch will also reduce the council’s greenhouse gas emissions, making annual carbon savings of approximately 31 tonnes of CO2e, in line with the council’s ambitions to contribute to a low carbon society.

As well as the financial savings made from lower energy bills, the upgrades have the added benefit of reduced maintenance costs. They will also provide better lighting quality across the region, helping to improve both safety and wellbeing for residents.

As one of the largest community councils in Wrexham, Gwersyllt hopes to inspire other local authorities to follow its example and move towards the provision of LED street lighting.  

The council was able to make the improvements thanks to a £81,800 interest-free loan from Salix Finance, an independent, government-funded organisation that provides interest-free funding to public sector organisations to help them reduce their carbon emissions whilst reducing their energy spend.

Councillor Arfon Jones, Chair of Gwersyllt Community Council, said “Our Councillors wanted to improve our street lighting provision. The project to install LED lights was a great success due to the enabling loan from Salix and the expertise of our contractor. The loan process was straightforward and advice from Salix staff was timely and accurate. We are already seeing savings from the project, both in terms of significantly-reduced electricity charges from our supplier and a reduced number of faults reported. Above all, our Councillors are pleased that the project is delivering environmental benefits in our community in terms of reduced carbon emissions, lower energy usage and a reduction in our carbon footprint”.


The Salix loan will be paid back over the course of seven years from the savings recouped from the reduced energy bills. Importantly, once the council has paid off the loan, it will be able to reinvest the savings in other areas.

The Government funded programme is supporting public bodies like Gwersyllt Community Council across the country to facilitate energy efficiency improvements by making finance available for such projects.

For more information on energy efficiency projects Salix has supported please see: www.salixfinance.co.uk

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Community Councillors Michael Wilde and Dennis Wynne, Clerk Peter Mullen together with representatives from Jones Lighting Ltd, the Council's specialist lighting contractor.

Abandoned Supermarket Trolleys

If you want to report an abandoned supermarket trolley just contact Trolleywise via trolleywise.co.uk or on Twitter @trolleywise and they will retrieve it.

Neighbourhood Watch - WARNING!

Trading Standards have made us aware of reports of persons targeting residents in their 80’s & 90’s in and around Wrexham neighbourhoods, claiming they are from the Water Board !

This is one of the common ruses used by Bogus Callers is to say that they are from one of the utility companies or “Boards” as they used to be known.

If a caller claims they are from the “Water Board”, “Gas Board” or “Electric Board” DO NOT LET THEM IN!  Those “Boards” do not exist anymore.

Bogus callers are conmen (or women) who use a variety of stories to gain access to a person's home in order to steal. They may pose as an official caller from a local authority or a utility company - Gas, Electricity or Water, with a plausible explanation for needing to enter the home.

Rogue Traders are people who pretend to be builders needing to do 'urgent' repairs or sales people offering bargain products. They often pressurise householders to pay in advance for materials or do poor work at highly inflated prices.

A common factor is that both Bogus Callers and Rogue Traders prey on vulnerable older or disabled people. Many offences go unreported. When a bogus caller uses a trick to enter a home and steal property it is called a 'Distraction Burglary'.

Bogus callers succeed because they sound believable, so don't be fooled. Make sure in your own mind that they are whom they claim to be by following these simple steps:

• Think before you open the door - use your door chain and spy hole or look out of the window to see if you recognise them.

• Ask callers for proof of identity. Check! telephone the company the caller claims to represent (use a number from the telephone directory and not any number they might give you). If suspicious report it immediately to 101

• Most utility companies now offer a password identification system.

Always follow this advice

LOCK – Is your back door locked? Always check it is as soon as someone knocks at your door or rings your bell. Be aware that bogus callers sometimes have an accomplice who may try to enter your home by the back door whilst you are distracted.

STOP – Do not open the door until you have looked through a window or used a door viewer to see who is on your doorstep. Remember, you do not have to open your door to anyone, especially someone you are not expecting or do not know. If in doubt, keep them out by keeping your door shut. Consider calling a friend or relative, if you have a warden call or community alarm press your button and call them. Please do not feel intimidated into opening the door.

CHAIN – If you feel that you need to speak to the caller, use a door-chain.
Do not open the door unless you put the chain on first so that you can see the person on your doorstep. Find out who they are and what they want. Close the door again while you do the following:

CHECK – Check their identity. Do not assume what they tell you is true, check by calling the utility company or if suspicious call 101 immediately

Remember, it is your home & YOU ARE IN CONTROL

Carer Information and Support Programme

Carer Information and Support Programme provides evidence based carer information in a group environment where carers are able to share their experiences and find out about local and national services that may be of help. CrISP is delivered by trained local staff.

 

CrISP aims to improve the knowledge, skills and understanding of people caring for a person with dementia, by providing effective support and up-to-date and relevant information. Each programme is delivered to small groups of up to 12 people.

 

The programme consists of two separate parts: CrISP 1 and CrISP 2:

 

CrISP 1 has been designed specifically for carers, family members and friends of people with a recent diagnosis of a dementia. It consists of four essential sessions, each lasting 2.5 hours, covering the following topics:


  • Understanding dementia
  • Providing support and care
  • Legal and money matters
  • Coping day-to-day

 

CrISP 2 has been designed specifically for carers, family members and friends of people who have been living with dementia for some time. It consists of three essential sessions, each lasting 2.5 hours, covering the following topics


  • Understanding how dementia progresses
  • Living with change as dementia progresses
  • Living well as dementia progresses, including occupation and activities.

 

If you know of anyone who would be interested in attending any of the sessions in the attached document please do not hesitate to get in touch.  Places are limited so booking is essential.