Month: January 2019

January Planning Updates

Planning updates. The following planning application have been approved.

• 5, Old Port Road, Wenvoe. Proposed demolition of rear single storey flat roof extension and rear conservatory. Construction of rear, single storey flat roof extension, single storey front extension and rear flat roof dormer. Erection of rear store and enclosed courtyard with change to door and window arrangement throughout

• 3, Seaview Cottages, Twyn Yr Odyn. Free standing balcony.

• Dyffryn Springs, St. Lythans Road, Dyffryn. Construction of a two storey building with a wedding venue function. Conditions applied on the use of the building. 

The council received a local crime report update from the police at their January meeting. A new PCSO Sion Summers has been appointed for the community working out of Penarth. His duties include policing at Culverhouse Cross retail park but he will be seen around the area in future.

The finance committee’s recommendations for next year have been approved by the council. The local

precept will remain virtually unaltered but there will be an average 3% increase in charges.

The new library final design work continues and is expected to be completed by mid February when it will go for tendering.

Water main improvement work at Chapel Terrace, Twyn-yr-Odyn is expected to commence in the very near future. Permission has been granted for Dwr Cymru to use a small area of the playing field for a site office.

Report received of fly tipping of electrical equipment near the television mast. Discovery of any such dumped rubbish should be reported directly to the Vale or the council clerk. The restriction of two black bags per household has seen no increase in the level of such fly-tipping incidents.

The council agreed to co-opt Mrs K Jones, Port Road to fill the vacancy formed by the death of Cllr. E. Jervis.

 

 

January Planning Applications

Planning applications.

• The Croft, Burdons Hill Lane, Wenvoe. Construction of a garage adjacent to the road. No objection

• Poundfield Farm, Pound Lane, Wenvoe. Change of use of existing garage/store into proposed grannie annex. The council objected to this application. This construction is a separate building from the existing property and hence would constitute a new residential building in the countryside contrary to the present Vale’s policies.

• St Lythans Park, Culverhouse Cross. Adjacent to plot 43. Work to a mature oak tree covered by a TPO. No objection to the proposed work.

• Land at St. Lythans Road, Twyn Yr Odyn, Wenvoe. Proposed demolition of stables and outbuildings and erection of 7 new detached dwellings. This is greenbelt land in an area of special landscape value and was objected to by the council.

• The Hide Away, St. Lythans Road, St. Lythans. New stables on site of the existing. This being a replacement of an existing building there were no concerns.

• Countisbury, St. Lythans Road, St. Lythans. Proposed two storey side and rear extension. A very substantial extension but no objections were raised.

• Land at Lydmore Mill Farm, Dyffryn. Construction of a ménage and fencing. The council raised no objection.

• Valegate Retail Park, Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff. External refurbishment, including removal of existing entrance structures, with replacement entrances, new signage zones and with all other associated works. No objections.

 

 

IT’S ALL HAPPENING IN FEBRUARY

February of course, is known for St Valentine’s Day, Shrove Tuesday 9 but unusually it’s in March this year) and every four years the 29th or leap day. The month however, has some other notable and often less well known associations.

In Wenvoe in addition to our many groups and community activities, on Saturday 16th we have the St Mary’s Church annual fun quiz.

In Wales, The Crickhowell Walking Festival begins on February 24th and features 89 guided walks. There is something for everyone, from short and level walks in the Usk Valley, to harder routes which take walkers through some of the most magnificent scenery to be found in Wales.

February is also Black History Month. This is observed annually in the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands and the United States (where it is known as African-American History Month). California and Missouri take this further, celebrating Rosa Parks Day in honour of the civil rights campaigner. The day is celebrated on her birthday, February 4th, while in Ohio it is celebrated on the day of her arrest in December.

 

Among the less celebrated dates is Rare Disease Day, held on the last day of February. Established in 2008 by ‘The European Organisation for Rare Diseases’ this aims to raise awareness of the issue and to promote access to treatment and research.

International Stand Up to Bullying Day on the last Friday of February, takes place in schools, workplaces, and organisations in around 25 countries. Participants sign and wear a pink ‘pledge shirt’ to take a visible, public stance against bullying.

International Polar Bear Day is celebrated every February 27. It is organised by ‘Polar Bears International’ to raise awareness about the impact of global warming and reduced sea ice on polar bears. The day encourages people to reduce their carbon output by turning down their thermostat, driving less or getting energy efficient insulation in their houses. On the day, zoos encourage conservation and visits to polar bear exhibits.

Ending on a lighter note is Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, on the first Saturday in February. It was invented in 1966 by Florence Rappaport in Rochester, New York. The mother of six created it on a snowy February morning, when her children complained there was nothing to do. Not surprisingly perhaps, her off-spring loved the idea and reminded her of it the following year. A tradition began which spread across the world thanks to Florence’s grandchildren, who travelled extensively. As a result celebrations have been recorded as far and wide as China, New Zealand, Nepal, Israel and Honduras.

 

 

January Garden Tips

 

THE VILLAGE GARDENER

Happy new year. Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas. January is usually the coldest month, so wrap up warm when you start getting the garden ready for the year ahead. We start as usual with the RHS tips for January. I would really like to hear about your ideas on how we can all improve our gardens.

  1. Recycle your Christmas tree by shredding it for mulch.
  2. Clean pots and greenhouses ready for spring.
  3. Dig over any vacant plots.
  4. Disperse any worm casts on lawns.
  5. Inspect stored tubers of dahlias, begonias and canna lilies.
  6. Prune apple and pear trees.
  7. Start forcing rhubarb.
  8. Plan your vegetable rotation for the coming year.
  9. Keep putting food and water out for the birds.
  10. Make a polythene cover for outdoor peaches and nectarines to protect against leaf curl.

It may seem early but with a propagator you can sow begonia, pelargoniums and lobelia seeds. Sweet peas can also be sown this month. Sweet peas that were sown last Autumn can be re-potted but be careful not to damage the roots. From the middle of the month seed potatoes and onion sets will be available. These days most things can be bought online but these really ought to be seen before purchasing.

Cut the old leaves off hellebores to expose the flowers. Once the winter grasses have started to look scruffy, they can be cut back.

Still a good time to move trees and shrubs as long as the ground is not frozen. You can still plant bare root plants, making sure that the support stake goes in first so as not to damage the roots. Wisteria can be pruned now by cutting back to 2 or 3 buds. Check all other plant supports to avoid wind damage.

Mr Darlington in Larchwood has a lawn to be envied. One of his winter tips is to stay off the grass in freezing conditions. Walking on the fine grass can lead to it being scorched which leaves black marks that won’t recover quickly.

Garden centres will be selling off stock now that Christmas is over. There are bargains to be had, especially pots planted up with the odd decoration thrown in. These planters will last for months and I still have one from last January.

Cut flowers in the home especially at this time of year can really brighten up a dull day. To keep the flowers looking good for longer, a mixture of 1 litre of water, 1 teaspoon of thin bleach, 2 teaspoons of sugar and 4 teaspoons of lemon juice works a treat.

If last year was anything to go by some of the village gardens ought to be shown off on an Open Day, perhaps to raise money for one of your favourite charities.

Take care and good health.

 

 

Clyne Valley

Clyne Valley

We parked in lower Sketty, Swansea near the recycling centre and headed generally northwest through Clyne Valley Country Park. The land near the path was once a rubbish tip and before that a spoil heap from the Clyne Valley Colliery (closed 1921). Coal mining was the first industry in the valley starting as early as 1305.

Fallen leaves covered the path at our feet and sunshine brightened up the day occasionally.

We walked along the route of an old railway and passed under a bridge. Meandering through Clyne wood we found a stream and the sealed entrance to a mine. We spotted a fallen tree covered in frilly bracket fungi and another long tree trunk covered in ferns.

As we neared Clyne park magnolia trees with huge leaves occasionally appeared. A few trees retained their autumnal colours. At Black Pill we saw Clyne castle (built by a millionaire in 1860 by extending a house) and entered the park. Walking to the top of the park, we sat on benches in an open area facing the sea. There was a cold wind blowing and in the distance we could see the wind whipping up the surface of the sea. Several of us jumped up quickly to catch sandwich wrappers and even hats before they disappeared. What a fabulous spot to sit on a warm day but we ate quickly and moved on.

Streams meander through the park and the planting is similar to Cefn Onn in Cardiff but more extensive. A red Italian bridge sits across a stream. We arrived at the seafront and then made our way back to the cars. The castle and grounds are owned by Swansea University.

Our walk was 6.75 miles, 650ft climb. Map 164.

 

 

Clytha Park and River Usk.

Clytha Park and River Usk.

The notice board at the National Trust car park in Clytha Park offers two walks 2.5 or 5.5 miles. Combining them created a walk of 7.75 miles with a 500ft climb.

We set off on a late autumn morning; the weather was grey but dry. A path led us into farmland where two vehicles were ploughing the land, one turning it over the second producing tilth. Footpath signs were good and at one point giant arrows were painted on two trees where the path went between them. We crossed a couple of fields of mangel-wurzels and passed a white house with a veranda. The path followed an avenue of beech trees and an area of parkland with cows grazing.

Southeast of the car park is Clytha castle with its circular corners and squat towers.

We continued past a wood towards Clytha Hill with distant views of Sugar Loaf. The trees glowed with their glorious leaf colours.

At Coed y Bwnydd secreted atop the hill is possibly the best preserved Iron Age hill fort in Monmouthshire with human activity stretching back 2000 years. The fort’s defensive banks and ditches are clearly visible. They helped to protect the inhabitants from attack by other tribes and animals such as wolves and bears. Roundhouses have been excavated here. The main sounds today are birdsong but 2000 years ago you might have heard axes chopping, people chattering (there was some of that today as we passed through), sheep and hens and the clunk of metal being worked. Wild boar or deer might have been roasting on wood and charcoal fires, their aromas filling the air.

We continued to the village of Bettws Newydd, finding a fascinating wall with large chunks of stone of different sizes in amongst horizontal flat stones. The church porch had a coffin stretcher on its rafters. A piece of wood had a poem written on it (by N.N. in 2009):

‘The Bettws Yew

The star which shone on Bethlehem shone on this noble tree

It stood here still in Norman times when knights claimed their victory

As King Charles lost his head this tree made growth anew

Thanks be to God that we still have our Bettwys Yew.’

We headed west towards the river Usk, passing through farmland where we saw calves, trees heavy with mistletoe (common in Monmouthshire) and an old tree which had grown around a piece of metal fencing entirely engulfing it. After passing Trostrey Lodge we came to the riverside and followed it back to the car park. Map OL13.

 

 

Behind-The-Scenes of the RNLI

 

The story in last months WWO about our local lifeboat crews and stations was just to whet your appetites about the local RNLI. Most of you will have viewed BBC2’s programme “Saving Lives At Sea” about the day-to-day work of the RNLI but I thought it’d be a bit more interesting to find out about what goes on behind-the-scenes of the RNLI. How does it operate? What equipment does it use? Where are our local stations? What have they recently responded to? And more importantly who are those volunteers who press ‘pause’ on their lives to respond in times of need.

So firstly a pen picture of the RNLI – it was formed in 1824 by Sir William Hillary and since that time has saved an incredible 142,200 lives. It is 100% a charitable organisation receiving no support whatsoever from either the UK nor Irish governments and is wholly dependant on voluntary donations. It costs over £177 million to run the RNLI including its 238 stations strategically located around the entire coast of the UK and Ireland and its UK HQ base in Poole. It is staffed by about 4,600 people mostly volunteers from local communities who undertake a multitude of tasks within and across the RNLI and keep the ‘oils wheeled’ and the propellers turning!

Locally there are 3 RNLI lifeboat stations; Barry Dock, Penarth and Porthcawl and each has its own allocated jurisdiction broadly covering the western coast of the entire Severn Estuary. However they all support one another whenever needed so geography is largely irrelevant. Each RNLI station is equipped with boats; equipment and staff according to its specific role. Those stations covering large expanses of ocean and unpredictable, turbulent seas are provided with the larger boats like the Mersey and Trent class whereas those covering inland coastal areas are equipped with smaller, more agile RHIB’s (Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats) like the Atlantic 85 or inflatable such as the D Class. The RNLI also uses craft specifically for unique waterways such as hovercraft for large mudflats and estuaries and the very fast E Class on the Thames. More on those in future articles.

Locally Barry Dock uses a large Trent class All- Weather Lifeboat named “Inner Wheel II” which is moored permanently afloat alongside a floating pontoon in Barry Dock. Penarth and Porthcawl are both equipped with an Atlantic 85 RHIB and a D Class Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) which are kept in purpose built lifeboat stations on their respective seafronts. Recently however Barry Dock has also been upgraded to a two boat station with the allocation of a further D Class ILB. Again, more of that in future articles.

So, that just starts to paint the picture of what is a fascinating organisation with an amazing history staffed by incredible people and brilliantly capable equipment. If you want to find out more feel free to visit the excellent RNLI website at www.rnli.org

where you can read about everything RNLI.

Looking ahead I will hopefully provide photos and updates on rescues (or “Shouts” as they’re called) and pen pictures of our volunteer crew members who live in our communities here in the Vale Of Glamorgan

 

 

1 2 3 4 5