Ceredigion County Council have presented the Llangrannog Community Council
with options for running the public toilets in Llangrannog, or there is ‘a
strong possibility they will close’.
The toilets are clearly essential but
our small Community Council does not have the time, skills or resources to
pay for and/or manage them. Residents are paying more to the Council and
seeing less. Tourism is being ignored.
The Community Council has thus far said they will not take on the toilets
because they have not been given time or enough information to do so, and
do not have the ability. The options from the Council (see below) were
presented without any consultation with Community and Town councils.
We are now asking the public to sign our petition, which we will present
to the Council in three months’ time (October 2025).
See below the notes for copies of the mentioned documents.
Why the toilets
cannot close:
– Extremely negative publicity
– Urdd Camp children will not be able to visit the beach
– Loss of Blue Flag
– No disabled toilet provision anywhere in the village
– Negative impact on businesses being used by non-customers
– People will use the beach/sea as a toilet
Non-statutory
service
– Page 6 of CCC’s Toilet Strategy: ‘There is no
particular right to access a toilet in public and it is no longer
a duty or requirement for Local Authorities to provide Public
Conveniences.’
We feel it is, however, an essential
service that the Council must run because of the below points:
Public
Protection, Health and Safety:
Public toilets are a fundamental aspect
of public health and safety, particularly in a popular tourist
destination like Llangrannog.
Lack of access to public toilets can
lead to hygiene issues, health problems and safety concerns, impacting
both residents and visitors.
CCC has a responsibility to ensure the
provision of adequate sanitation facilities for the public.
Wellbeing of
Future Generations Act:
The Act aims to improve the economic,
social, environmental, and cultural well-being of Wales.
It places a duty on public bodies to
act in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
This includes taking a long-term,
integrated, and collaborative approach, and involving diverse
communities in decision-making.
By ensuring access to public toilets,
CCC can contribute to the well-being of both present and future
generations in Llangrannog.
Options (from the
Council)
– 1. Lease: We don’t want to be employers, so Option 1 is a no
– 2. Lease/SLA: lease to CC, cleaned by Council, maintained CC
– 3. Asset Transfer: CC/business buys and runs
– 4. Saying ‘No’ to the Council
Integrated Impact
Assessment:
– There is no data for Llangrannog’s usage; average data won’t work here
– Ecological impact – there will be, as people use the beach/sea/street if
toilets are closed
– Health and Wellbeing of Future Generations Act – not fully discussed
here. It IS discussed in the Toilet Strategy p13 and there it is shown
they are very necessary.
– ‘they may be able to operate them at a lower cost than CCC’ – no
evidence for this statement, which is repeated throughout the report. We
find this extremely unlikely, as the Council bulk-buys, streamlines
employees etc.
May 2019 CC Public
Toilet Strategy – see graph images below
This was supposed to be re-done five
years later but has not been.
The graphs below show very
clearly how the public felt about the issue
This survey should be re-done before
the Council decides to go against its own findings regarding provision
of public toilets
What is unique
about Llangrannog’s situation:
– Popular year-round
– Flagship beach of the county, often on tourist brochures/OS map
covers/VisitWales marketing
– Gwersyll yr Urdd brings 100s of children down every week including
summer holidays
– No other disabled facilities
Cost reductions
possible:
– Fewer cheaper lights
– Closures during certain months (liaison with Gwersyll etc.)
– Solar panels (grant money)
– Rainwater collection system (grant money)
– Cleaning reduced
– Cleaners not paid extra for weekend/Bank Holiday work
– Closed when there is not enough money to keep open
Money (these are
just possibilities the Welfare and Community Council have discussed)
– Raising (doubling) the Community Council precept (£23.92 p/a for Band D
currently) which is part of homeowners’ Council Tax bill
– Payment gateways (unpopular and easy to bypass)
– Honesty box
– Sponsorship by businesses
– Contribution from Pwyllgor Lles Llangrannog
– Grant money
Costs that cannot
be estimated:
– Repair costs e.g. pipe bursts. This may mean toilets close short-term if
repairs cannot be paid for
– Vandalism (although we have not seen any before, it doesn’t mean we
won’t, especially if people are frustrated)
– Fly-tipping (a recent issue)
– Exact rise in utility prices etc.
– SLA £9,000 25/26 but may rise
Notes from the
Community Council
The Community Council and Welfare Committee continue to meet and discuss,
and we hope visitors, residents and homeowners will help us take action.
A few stats from the Council’s own survey:
Provision of Public ToiletsOptions for Community and Town Councils
Option 1
Lease (
CCC
Preferred Option)
Commence from 01 April 2025
Term of lease to be agreed with Estates. All costs involved with
operating the Public Toilets will become the responsibility of the
Community / Town Council.Cleaning Staff (if
applicable)
Utilities
Service Charges
Repairs & Maintenance (including any works caused by vandalism)
Cleaning Equipment & Consumables
Insurance –option to remain under Council's Policy to form part of
lease negotiations. The annual premium will be recharged to the
Community / Town Council.
Option 2
Lease / SLA
Commence from 01 April 2025
Term of lease to be agreed with Estates
The following costs and responsibilities will be transferred to
the Community / Town Council:
Utilities
Service Charges
Repairs & Maintenance (including any works caused by vandalism)
Insurance –option to remain under Council's Policy to form parts
of the lease negotiations. The annual premium will be recharged to the
Community / Town Council
Service Level Agreement (SLA) for cleaning of the public toilets
to be agreed with CCC to include:
Cleaning Staff
Cleaning Equipment & Consumables
Option 3
Asset Transfer
Cleaning Services will assign to Estates.
Transfer to Community / Town Council by 01 April 2025 and will
remain as an operating public toilet.
Transfer to Community / Town Council by 01 April 2025 who may want
to develop (rebuild, refurbish) the facilities, but there must still
be a public toilet provision.
Once transferred all costs responsibility of Community / Town
Council.
If the Community / Town Council do not consider any of the above
options, then due to budgetary constraints there is a strong possibility
that the public toilets will close as of 01 April 2026.
Sad news reported on Facebook 12 May, with
the passing of Jan Dobson. Our thoughts and condolences to
Pete and the family.
It is with an
extremely heavy heart that my brothers, my dad, and I share the passing of
our beautiful, kind, and amazing mum,
Janet Dobson.
She left us
peacefully yesterday evening, surrounded by the love of her family.
Mum faced her
recent ovarian cancer diagnosis with incredible strength and determination,
but sadly, it was not to be.
Despite this,
she remained the warm, generous, and loving person we all knew her to be.
Llangrannog
held a special place in Mum’s heart, and she was privileged to serve the
community for nearly 30 years.
The Siop was
more than just a business - it was a way for her to connect with people, to
brighten their days, and to be a part of something truly special.
Seven years
ago, Mum embraced retirement with Dad, settling into their new home in
Sarnau, where she was able to spend precious time with her wonderful friends
and family. Those years gifted us all with beautiful memories—moments of
laughter, love, and togetherness that we will cherish forever.
Mum’s
kindness, warmth, and unwavering love touched so many lives. She will be
deeply missed, but her spirit will live on in the hearts of all who knew
her.
We would like
to thank everyone for their help, support, and kindness during the past 5
months.
It has been
very heart-warming to know she was loved by so many.
Rest
peacefully, Mum. You will always be loved.
Friends Of
Llangrannog
Llangrannog is unique: stunning natural
beauty, rich culture, language and heritage, award-winning
eateries, and a strong sense of community that extends from the
heart of the village and its residents to those who own businesses
or work here, were born and brought up here, have connections
through family, participate in one of our community groups or
projects, spent time as children at the Urdd, own homes here or
visit regularly
Friends of Llangrannog is an initiative –
operated on a volunteer basis by Llangrannog Welfare Committee –
dedicated to raising funds to ensure that our village remains the
amazing place that we all love. We are hugely grateful to everyone who
donates, whether in one-off or regular gifts. The funds raised help us
to ensure: the upkeep of communal spaces, clean beaches, activities
and opportunities for our young people, thriving Welsh language and
culture, celebrations of our past, present and future, a sense of
connection for our older residents and much else that keeps
Llangrannog special.
Mae Llangrannog yn unigryw: harddwch naturiol
syfrdanol, diwylliant, iaith a threftadaeth gyfoethog, bwytai arobryn,
ac ymdeimlad cryf o gymuned sy’n ymestyn o galon y pentref a’i
drigolion i’r rhai sy’n berchen ar fusnesau neu’n gweithio yma, wedi’u
geni a’u magu yma, sydd â chysylltiadau trwy deulu, yn cymryd rhan yn
un o’n grwpiau neu brosiectau cymunedol, wedi treulio amser fel plant
yn yr Urdd, yn berchen ar gartrefi yma neu’n ymweld yn gyson. Mae
Ffrindiau Llangrannog yn fenter – a weithredir yn wirfoddol gan
Bwyllgor Lles Llangrannog – sy’n ymroddedig i godi arian i sicrhau bod
ein pentref yn parhau i fod y lle anhygoel yr ydym i gyd yn ei garu.
Rydym yn hynod ddiolchgar i bawb sy’n rhoi
rhoddion, boed ar ffurf rhoddion untro neu rai rheolaidd. Mae’r arian
a godir yn ein helpu i sicrhau: bod mannau cymunedol yn cael eu
cynnal, traethau glân, gweithgareddau a chyfleoedd i’n pobl ifanc,
iaith a diwylliant Cymraeg yn ffynnu, dathliadau ein gorffennol,
presennol a dyfodol, ymdeimlad o gysylltiad i’n trigolion hŷn a llawer
arall sy’n cadw Llangrannog yn arbennig.
Cardigan Walks is back again for 2024 with our
audio walking tours, helping people explore and discover the heritage
found in communities through Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
We have 17 audio walking tours. Our self-guided
tours incorporate 6-7 landmarks in a community with around 45 minutes of
audio, sharing stories about the buildings/ features, people, and history
shaping that community.
Users rent the tour from
cardiganwalks.com for 24 hours and listen as they go - nothing to
download.
Thursday 18
April at 7pm, the Beach Hut Nos
Iau, 18 Ebrill am 7yp, Y Caban
Darlith/PresentationProsiect
Perthyn – Canolfan Crannog
Preliminary
feasibility report
• What is happening witthe Capel
Crannog site? Beth
sy’n digwydd gydasafle Capel
Crannog
• Who owns it? •Pwy sy'n
berchen arno?
• What are the issuessurrounding
redevelopment?
• Beth yw'r materion sy'nymwneud agailddatblygu?
• What are the options? • Beth yw’r dewisiadau?
• What would it cost? • Beth fyddai'n ei gostio?
• Is it possible to make the
site work for thecommunity?
• A oes modd gwneud i'rsafle
weithio i'rgymuned?
Bydd y darlith yn cael e ddilyn gyda’r Cyfarfod Cyffredinol
Blynyddol 2024
The presentation will be followed by the Welfare Committee AGM
Mae gan holl drigolion yr hawl i fynychu'r cyfarfod ac fe'ch
gwahoddir i wneud. Mae'n bosibl
penodi dirprwy, gofynnwch am fanylion. All village residents
are entitled and invited to attend
and/or join the Committee.
A proxy may be appointed; for details
please ask.
Os ych chi’n moyn ymuno’r Pwyllgor, ofynwch yr Ysgrifenyddes
am fanylion.
If you wish to jointhe Committee, please contact the Secretary for
details: llangrannogwelfare@gmail.com
Tafarn y Llong |
Ship Inn
Llangrannog : Community Ownership?
Attached is a survey that has been
prepared to establish if there is Community interest in
preserving Tafarn y Llong | Ship Inn Llangrannog
as a local asset,with the view to the potential creation of a new
Community owned pub and social enterprise
HOPES have been raised that a new parking
machine will end the reputation of a car park making a west Wales seaside
village ‘no-go’ zone.
In the last few years, a privately-owned
car park at the Ceredigion village of Llangrannog’s beachfront made
national headlines, with fears £100 fines were making the village a
‘no-go’ zone.
A malfunctioning pay and display machine
has meant users had to phone a number to arrange payment or download and
use an app to register payment – options often thwarted by poor
internet.
Some motorists who managed to pay for a ticket after struggling to get a
signal have subsequently been fined for over-running a 10-minute period
of grace at the car park, run and managed by Worthing-based One Parking
Solution Ltd.
At the height of the car park chaos, Dr Kathryn Dawes, secretary of the
Llangrannog Welfare Committee, said: “The community feel helpless and
horrified at the bad press and bad feeling this is generating.
“It’s so upsetting when people declare they will never come to
Llangrannog again, all because of a small square of car park in the
middle of the village.”
The plight of motorists caught out by slow connections was previously
taken up by Sara Powell, a retired barrister from nearby New Quay, who
had called on anyone receiving such a fine to fight it.
Earlier this week, Dr Dawes said it was hoped new machinery – using a
simpler old tech method of parking payments – would now solve previous
problems.
“The Llangrannog beachfront car park has a new parking machine which
takes coins and cards. You can also use JustPark to pay (but wifi is
very slow).
“The rule that you must pay within 10 minutes of entering the car park
remains in place. There are new signs which clearly state the conditions
of parking.”
She warned: “It should be noted that vandalism of the new machine or any
car park property will be on CCTV.
"Please do not tamper with the machine; this means others cannot pay and
is counter-productive.
“We hope that the new machine will alleviate the problems with the car
park over the last few years.”
One Parking Solution Ltd has been contacted for a response.
Recently-published report by Phil Cope on Ffynnon Fair well near the churchyard. The Welfare Committee hopes to revive it further in
There is a large free
car park field five minutes up the road. In high season and
guidelines permitting, the village-run Park & Ride scheme will be running
again. Please do not park blocking access to the toilets, on double
yellows, where the cones indicate the Cardi Bach bus has to turn round, in
the boatyard, or on the hatched areas at the beachfront.
If you are unhappy
with the verdict, you can appeal via POPLA, an independent appeals service
for Parking Charge Notices issued on private land. https://www.popla.co.uk/
It is very important
that you reply and defend the claim, otherwise you will automatically get
a default CCJ after 14 days and the court will order you to pay the full
amount within 30 days. If you don’t pay in full, the CCJ will be
registered on your credit file, and you might also get bailiffs from the
court.
The first thing you
need to do, within 14 days of the claim date, is to do an Acknowledgement
of Service (AOS).
Log on to www.moneyclaim.gov.uk using
the password on the claim form and acknowledge receipt of the claim,
denying all the debt. Do not submit a defence yet. This will give you a
total of 33 calendar days to submit your defence online.
Here is a guide
to doing the AOS. You could get a CCJ if you don’t do anything. You
only have 14 calendar days to do the AOS, from the issue date on the claim
form.
See this post on
MoneySaving Expert which explains the claim form procedure.
At the beginning of last year we were trying to
think of something to uplift folks and enhance the environment, a permanent addition to our village that can
benefit everyone and the wildlife.
One of our villagers had the great idea of a Community Orchard so all
could enjoy the Spring blossom and share the fruit inthe
Autumnand those with green fingers can help
plant and maintain the trees.
We would like to plant about 20 trees, Welsh Heritage fruit trees where
possible and these will be mixed with Cherry treesand hopefullysome young grafted trees from
local stock.
If you would like to support us in establishing our orchard any
contributions would be fantastic (on average 1 tree, stake andguard
= £25.00)but any amount we would be very
grateful for.
Diolch yn fawr – Many thanks, and happy scrumping to all! Any planting
will take place when appropriate and safe to do so.
UPDATE:
Thank you all so far in supporting this project. We’ve decided to change
our target as many more people would liketo contribute.
Our plan was to
eventually site some benches and have name/information plates for all the
trees. We will now use therest of the
monies for those purposes.
Carannog, who founded the village of Llangrannog,
also went to Brittany and other places.
The connection between Llangrannog and Carantec
in Brittany was recently
celebrated when the
local Council there named a very pretty square 'Square
Llangrannog'. Martin Greig (representing Pwyllgor Lles Llangrannog)
and the Rev.
Trevor Copeland (representing Llangrannog Church) went to
Brittany for the opening ceremony,
which was attended by the Mayor of
Carantec and many local people. The ceremony
was timed for the day before the celebration of St. Carannog, which in
Carantec is in
July while in Llangrannog it is in May.
Picture 1
shows the Square with the Breton and Welsh flags intertwined; on the
right is Anne Dumas,
an authority on Saint Carannog and author of
books about him.
Picture 2
shows Martin Greig (left) and the Rev. Trevor Copeland (right) standing
by the
After a request from the
Committee for a bottle bank in the top carpark, the Council have kindly
provided one on a trial basis. As long as there isn’t a problem with
general rubbish being put into the bin, it’ll stay. Note that there is
also still a bottle bank in the Urdd Camp carpark. The Council have also
responded to another request and put 10 reflective posts in place around
the Rhiw Gam bends (the hairpins into the village by Ysgoldy), which will
help drivers who are unfamiliar with this difficult bit of road,
especially in bad weather.
Over the last twenty
years, Roy Tarbutt (pictured below, with his partner Jan Larcombe) has
worked
tirelessly on behalf of the village of Llangrannog.
He has undertaken just about every job on the village Welfare Committee,
but more important was the
enormous amount of
voluntary work he undertook around the village,
in many cases helped by Jan, and always
supported by her. It would be difficult to describe what he did, and
easier to say
what he didn't do, but all the time he felt he was
merely being a public servant and doing nothing special. On his
retirement
from the Welfare
Committee in April this year, he didn't receive the usual farewell gift
of
a meal out in a local hostelry, but
it was felt appropriate to invite members of the local community,
villagers and holiday-cottage owners alike, to make a contribution to
a farewell gift; a presentation was made to Roy and Jan
immediately before the
June meeting of the Welfare Committee, when many local people
were also present.
Along with flowers, cards and a cheque, Roy was given a copy of the Nant
Gwrtheyrn brochure, with the Welsh language
courses for 2013,
as Roy, a Welsh learner, has expressed a desire to do a course at the
National Welsh Language Centre
in order to take his
knowledge of the Welsh Language further.
Garden Waste
Please note that arrangements for garden waste collection have
changed. Bags can still be purchased at Council Cash
Offices (at £1 each, to cover the collection charge now) or
from Tourist Information Centres. However, should you use
these you then have to phone the Council to arrange
collection (01545 572572). An alternative way of dealing with garden
waste is to fill large bags to transport material to the
tip at Pen Parc, and re-use the bags.
Do you like local news?
If you have an interest in news that's local to Llangrannog, and
have email, would you be interested in information-gathering
with a view to
sending news in to the Tivy-Side? There are time issues for the person
currently doing this task, and it would
be a great help if someone could
take over the job. Please contact Anne by email:
anne@bodawen.org.uk
or ring 01239 654257.
