Peter Harling

Just to let you know that the next meeting for the group is on Tuesday 23rd April at 7.15pm at the Methodist Chapel. We'll be looking for volunteers for this Summer's Community cafe, which will start on Saturday May 4th. Also updates on the community garden. Hope to see you there! All welcome.

It will be great to see you at one or more of the show and tells Lee, cant wait to see the pics and films you have, Just the sort of stuff we are looking for. The Living along the Cut project now has a dedicated web page built into the Aqueducks web site. We will post events and information as and when we get it, the site is being updated hourly so please keep checking in at . http://www.aqueducks.org/index.html We have just had a very kind donation of over 500 local slides from the family of local historian Neville Hurdsman. We are in the process of digitising the slides and will host them all on the Aqueducks website, Thanks Pete Vice chair The Friends of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Canal World Heritage Site (‘Aqueducks’)

I personally hope that they get the funding needed to make this work, a place were small businesses can set up, a cafe for local people to meet and a tourist info point. This really is what Chirk/Chirk bank needs. It is a fantastic opportunity to do something great with a beautiful old building instead of pulling it down and throwing up some more houses.

Sounds good Maggie, but think most of the clean up could be done by locals! Do like the idea of planters and wildflower seads. could we not get it match funded to get even more done?

Hi Guys, I have found a map on one of pages showing the route of all the UK so zoomed in to our area and took a screen shot. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=232318570164642&set=a.179543952108771.46957.168316099898223&type=1&theater

E-Bulletin October 2011 Please find below the first e-bulletin news of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal World Heritage Site, to give a snapshot of descriptions and headlines of delivery that is happening or has happened, rather than strategic pre-planning. Planning Public consultation is now underway on the draft supplementary planning guidance for the WHS. The Consultation period will run until Friday 16th December with public consultation events planned for Monday 3rd October at Chirk Parish Hall, Monday 24th October at Trevor Community Centre and Tuesday 15th November in Llangollen Town Hall where planning officers will be available to discuss the proposals. All the Consultation events will run from 3.00pm until 8.00pm. The document has been prepared jointly between the three Local Planning Authorities and is intended to aid developers, members of the public, Officers and Members of the Council. The guidance note amplifies development plan policies of the three respective Councils and will be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications that affect the World Heritage Site and its setting. Please see email link below which is from Denbighshire County Council website. http://denbighddms.wisshost.net/webfiles/SPG/Final%20Draft%20SPG%20for%20conusltation%20Sept%202011.pdf Aqueducks Chirk Bank Memories The podcasts and video produced by Audio guide Ltd and residents of Chirk Bank for the Aqueducks are now available via the internet. The slide show can be found on You tube http://youtu.be/Uu1XiYn24bw and this link takes you to the podcasts, http://mobile.audio-guide.co.uk/home/cb These will be used for blue tooth, QR codes and podcast distribution to 3G mobile phones, but until this is finished we thought local people might enjoy hearing them ahead of any launch! It is very fitting that we are going to use state of the art technology to interpret something (the canal and aqueduct) that was itself state of the art 200 years ago. Biodiversity As regards progress on biodiversity within the WHS: · Paul Roberts is continuing with the People’s Trust for Endangered Species Internship undertaking a water vole and habitat survey of the canal corridor. He has been liaising closely with Gareth Parry (Shropshire Council) and other members of the Shropshire Mammal Group.· British Waterways Ecologist has met with the Aqueducks again with regards to the works at Chirk Aqueduct. It has been agreed that the works should progress this autumn. The works are to include the removal of self seeding tree and shrub planting to open up views of the blocked archways from existing vegetation.· British Waterways has money to undertake safety related tree works throughout the canal network in winter 2011-12 which will include some works within the WHS. Only safety related works will be undertaken, although biodiversity issues will be taken into account through works. Chirk Bank local biodiversity survey Chirk Bank residents have been taking part in Shropshire Council’s ‘Your Natural Heritage’ project. The project provides training, equipment and support to help groups to discover their local biodiversity. In August the group helped to looked for signs of Water vole along the canal. They also joined the Aqueducks to take part in a bat survey organised by the World Heritage Site biodiversity group. Common pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle and Daubentons bats were spotted with particularly high levels of activity around historic structures such as the Chirk Aqueduct. For any more information please contact Gareth Parry - Community Biodiversity Project Officer on 01743 252543 or gareth.parry@shropshire.gov.uk. Conservation · BW is currently in negotiations with Denbighshire and Wrexham Councils and Sustrans regarding Taith funding for further towpath improvements. The following stretches are being discussed: Chain Bridge to Llangollen Wharf and Chirk area. Further improvements are also being discussed (just outside the WHS boundary) between the canal towpath at Lion Quays (where the A5 crosses over the canal) and Gledrid in Shropshire.· Principal engineering inspection is planned for Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in mid November 2011. This will be carried out from a boat using a boom mounted camera. Principal inspection takes place every 10 years to assess the condition of the structure and determine whether any work is needed.· Vegetation clearance from Pontcysyllte Aqueduct as part of the structure’s routine maintenance is being planned.· Tunnel safety signage to be installed at Whitehouses and Chirk Tunnels following approval from Cadw.· Engineering tunnel inspections of Chirk and Whitehouses Tunnels to be undertaken this winter by British Waterways. The tunnels will not be dewatered. Inspections will be carried out via a workboat.· Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal Management Agreement – Final draft has been prepared by Consultants, DPP, incorporating comments provided by Planning Landscape and Conservation sub group. Document has also been passed to BW’s legal department for comment· Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal Conservation Management Plan – Amendments are being undertaken to the draft document produced by Purcell Miller Tritton to bring the report up to date following WHS inscription. Ty Mawr Country Park Its all happening at Ty Mawr Country Park! Over the next few months exciting things will be happening at Ty Mawr Country Park in Cefn Mawr. The facilities at Ty Mawr are being improved thanks to funding from landfill tax credits. The barn area is going to be refurbished for use as an all weather, all year round school room, events room and volunteer base. The building will be extended to house the tractor and improve the animal care facilities, and provide a separate hay store. This work has been made possible by funding partly from WREN, a not for profit business that awards grants to community projects from funds donated by Waste Recycling Group to the Landfill Communities Fund. Further funding has been granted by CORY Environmental Trust in Britain, who support projects bringing environmental benefits and have a positive impact on the local community, again through the Landfill Communities Fund. Money for the project has also been donated by the Friends of Ty Mawr. The Friends group raise money by selling tea and cakes at the park on a Sunday afternoon. If you would like to support the Friends of the Park what nicer way then eating cake! Or if you want help out further, the Friends group are always looking for willing helpers and cake makers. The play area at Ty Mawr has also been renewed with new equipment which makes provision for less able children including a wheel chair accessible roundabout. The new play area was designed with ideas from the Junior Rangers and other local children. Funding for the new play area was also provided by WREN. It is hoped that the work will be completed in time for the Junior Rangers to have their Christmas Party in the new rooms.

Hi Lee, well done the forum runs very smooth.Still trying to find my way around it at the moment but very nice work.

I LOVE the history of this area, the great tales that you get told at local coffee mornings,there seems to be such a fantastic community spirit, where people are passionate about where they live and what happens to where they live. A truly beautiful place. (And whiskers on kittens)

Everytime I try to post anything on Wrexhams year of culture facebook page it gets removed, All postings are done to promote the 11 mile corridor but it seems that Wrexham don't want to play nice!!!!!!!! I/ we ( the Aqueducks) get about 5000 hits a month, shame we can't promote Wrexham when they wont let us on. If you want to take a look at some great pics then go to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pontcysyllte-Aqueduct/168316099898223