PMCF Projects

Plas Madoc Communities First (PMCF)

PMCF Projects

PLAS MADOC EXTRA CARE FACILITY

The £8 million scheme is being developed by The Pennaf Housing Group
in partnership with Wrexham County Borough Council, which secured a
£4 million Social Housing Grant from the Welsh Assembly Government. There will be approximately 50 apartments in the scheme and the hope is that local people aged over 55 years will be interested in moving in.
For more information or to discuss further please contact Andrew Harradine on 01978 813910.

(These plans are in a PDF format . See Home page to download PDF Viewer)

RUABON GATEWAY

LIBERTY PROPERTIES GIFTS FREE CHILDCARE CENTRE TO PLAS MADOC COMMUNITIES FIRST

http://www.libertyplc.co.uk/index.php/home

The developers behind the proposed £17million Ruabon Business Park today revealed they will provide a free childcare centre worth just under a half a million pounds that will be used to provide much needed children's day care in the area.

Liberty Properties has made the commitment to Plas Madoc Communities First (PMCF) after discussions with the community initiative to discover ways in which the proposed business park could best serve local people and to maximise the potential benefits of the project to the whole community.

The 4,000sq ft childcare unit, which has a value in excess of £400,000, based on land value and construction costs, will be handed over to PMCF upon completion, at no cost to the organisation whatsoever.

A planning application has been submitted for Ruabon Business Park, which if approved, will be built over three phases, eventually creating more than 4,000 jobs for the area. Phase one would create over 400 jobs and would include a 33,000 sq ft Sainsbury's food store and petrol station and a state of the art office village. The next two phases would see the construction of 410,400 sq ft of employment space, which equates to a further 3,835 potential jobs.

Miriam Beard, Co-ordinator at PMCF said:

“This pledge by Liberty Properties is excellent news for the communities surrounding Ruabon and we are extremely grateful to them for this extremely generous gesture that will save PMCF almost half a million pounds. Having seen that the developers had clearly researched the PMCF Strategy & Action Plan, we took the opportunity to propose to them that a new children's day care service be considered as part of the scheme. PMCF already operates childcare services on the Plas Madcoc estate and has formed one of the most highly qualified childcare teams in north Wales, all of whom live on the estate.

“Liberty Properties has firmly embraced our proposal, appreciating that it adds value to the scheme as a whole as employees on the site can leave their children in safe hands and close to their workplace. This new facility will be very important to the wider area as the local authority has already established that day care services are much needed in this location through its Wrexham's Childcare Sufficiency Assessment.

“The Ruabon Business Park project will undoubtedly by significant in terms of job creation, potential for additional services and, of course, shopping opportunities. In addition, the feel good factor that inward investment can create will have a knock-on effect in terms of community confidence especially in the current economic climate.

“It is a particularly exciting time with a number of projects all coming together. An £8million Extra Care Facility is going to be built in 2010 and work has started to ensure that a £4million Health Centre is also built on the estate. To be able to say that a further £17million is to be invested into Ruabon Business Park means a great deal to an area that has for so long received so little.”

Emyr Williams, Director, Liberty Properties, commented:

“Liberty Properties is delighted to be able to make this pledge to Plas Madoc Communities First. When putting together our proposals for Ruabon Business Park, we placed great importance on the PMCF Strategy & Action Plan, which has recognised that local people had already identified better shopping opportunities, job creation and inward investment as priorities.

“Our proposals directly address all three of these concerns, at a time when communities elsewhere are having to deal with the effects of the credit crunch, and the job losses which are being announced every day. An inward investment of £17 million, creating more than 4,000 jobs will breath new life into Ruabon, creating a brighter future for all residents, young and old.

“Having opened discussions with PMCF, it was clear that there was a need for childcare services in the local community, so it is the natural progression for us to be able to deliver a suitable unit as part of Phase One of Ruabon Business Park. We look forward to working closely with PMCF as we look to turn these plans into reality. By providing the land and building at no cost whatsoever, we are allowing PMCF to divert a sizeable amount of funding that would have been spent on this project into other areas where it will make a huge difference to the local community.”

The proposed site for Ruabon Business Park is to the south of the town centre on the Wynnstay Estate, adjacent to the A539, which links to the A483 running between Wrexham and Oswestry. Sainsbury's investment in the scheme will provide the required funding needed by Liberty Properties to build the essential infrastructure to support the long awaited business park.

For more information please contact Natasha Fulford at MGB PR on 01792 460200.

Support Letter for Development ( Please feel free to download this letter to support this development and send to WCBC Planning Department )

PLAS MADOC ADVENTURE PLAY PROJECT

FUNDING BOOST FOR PLAS MADOC PLAY!!

Young people in Plas Madoc received a boost with news of a massive funding success. Youngsters taking part in the popular Get Out and Play project and The Venue Youth Club were informed that £125,000 had been awarded to Plas Madoc by WREN, which awards grants to community projects from environmental taxes paid by Waste Recycling Group (WRG).

Plas Madoc Communities First applied to WREN for funding to enhance play facilities on the estate and recently received notification that its project had been chosen from a shortlist of 9 projects from across Wales to receive the £125,000 available.

The funding will be used in two ways to improve the opportunities available for children and young people to play in Plas Madoc. Firstly the old play area between Tegid and Gwynant will get a face lift, with brand new equipment and a fresher, more attractive look.

Then over the next few months work will begin on an adventure play ground on the edge of the estate.

“We are delighted to have secured this significant funding from WREN through the Landfill Communities Fund.” said Miriam Beard, Co-ordinator at Plas Madoc Communities First. “It is fantastic that WREN can make funds like this available to communities and with a relatively simple application process the opportunities are open to everyone. We are very pleased our project was selected by 3 different panels across Wales and look forward to delivering the two play projects within the next 12 months.”

Plas Madoc Communities First has run the Get Out and Play Scheme on the estate for the last 4 years; every day during the holidays the scheme sets up in a different location on Plas Madoc and unpacks a play pod, containing different games and activities. For the last two years the intention has been to enhance this scheme by creating a new fixed play area, which will be designed and built by young people.

“We have taken young people from the estate to Blacon and Caia Park to see the range of different facilities out there” said Claire Pugh, Early Years Participation Officer and Get Out and Play Leader. “Now we are able to put all their ideas and experiences together and design a facility that meets their needs and further improves the start in life of Plas Madoc youngsters”.

Mike Snell, General Manager of External Affairs for Waste Recycling Group (WRG), commented “WRG and our friends at WREN are committed to funding projects that have a real impact on communities. Play facilities are such an important part of building community spirit and can really help families build connections and friendships in their neighbourhood. And of course they're a great way of getting children outdoors to burn off some energy and have fun! We're delighted to support Plas Madoc and look forward to seeing the new play areas take shape over the coming months.”

Gift Aid is effectively the financial interest generated from the Landfill Tax Contributions paid by companies who run landfill sites across the country. To try and offset the environmental impact of landfill operations, communities located close to a landfill sites are able to apply for funding for projects that improve the environment or enhance local amenities. For Plas Madoc the nearest landfill site is Pen-y-Bont, near Chirk.

GUNJUR TRIP

Following the success of the visit to the Gunjur village in The Gambia earlier this year Plas Madoc Communities First are offering 7 young people the chance to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity again. This trip will take place in Feb 09 and the young people have already been through the selection process and have been working hard on various fundraising projects including a variety of stalls and activities at the Summer Fair including the popular stocks activity where some of the group and staff got very wet!!!

The young people who will be visiting the Gunjur in Feb 09.

TWL kindly donated £300 worth of football kit to the Gunjur staff team which the young people were able to hand over to staff from the project whilst helping to load a container full of donated items such as clothes, toys and classroom/ teaching equipment which are all headed out to The Gambia. Some of these items had been kindly donated by Plas Madoc residents and so a very big thankyou to you all. The container was set to arrive late October and the items will be donated between local schools and families.

Gunjur group climbs Snowdon

Ten Plas Madoc youngsters hoping to travel to The Gambia on an educational/cultural programme in January, completed a sponsored walk up Mount Snowdon on Saturday September 8th . All ten succeeded in climbing to the highest point in England and Wales , raising money towards their trip. The group are hoping to organise other fundraising activities over the coming months, in order to make their dream a reality. Anybody willing to donate should phone Ben Leather on 01978 813910.

Operation “Glasshouse”

A group of young volunteers spent the day out and about on the estate removing bricks, concrete blocks and boulders from the streets and footpaths. This Operation was arranged by Plas Madoc Communities First, North Wales Police and Wrexham County Borough Council following a recent Environmental Audit in Plas Madoc, which identified that there were numerous rocks and bricks lying around. There was concern that these items posed a safety risk to both property and the community as they could easily be used as missiles. Communities First invited youngsters to step forward and take positive action and the team of volunteers rose to the challenge. The volunteers were joined on-site by PCSOs Chris Cheshire and Jenni Morris who congratulated them on a job well done.

Back row: PCSO Chris Cheshire, David Gittins – Environmental Officer, Plas Madoc Communities First, PCSO Jenni Morris Middle row: John Gale, Kai Jones and Morgan Jones Front: Anthony Gale and Damon Hatfield.

Plas Madoc Environmental Action Day

Wednesday 6th June 2007 saw Plas Madoc's first Environmental Action Day. The aim of the day was to improve the environment and conditions in the area in order that residents can have an improved quality of life. Other objectives included a demonstration that different agencies, departments and organisations can work together to improve the environment, reduce crime and anti social behaviour, improve public safety, provide reassurance to the public and improve their confidence in the ability of the agencies to deal with issues that cause them concern. It was not possible to offer this event to the whole estate due to restrictions on available resources; Glaslyn, Gwynant, Alwen, Dinas and Ogwen were included this time around. There are plans to offer the same in the remaining areas of Plas Madoc in the future.

The Environmental Action Day was arranged locally by the Plas Madoc Community Safety Group, which is part of the Communities First Programme on the estate. The Community Safety Group is a mixture of tenants and officers from partner agencies and conducts annual consultation with people on the estate to identify their concerns and priorities. The Environmental Action Day has been designed to address the key issues that have been raised.

The day was supported by the Community Safety Partnership's Joint Action Group and agencies including Wrexham Council including; Housing, Environment / Streetscene, Public Protection, Recycling Education, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, North Wales Police, Arson Reduction Team, Youth Offending Service, North Wales Probation Service, Learning Skills Wales, Ysgol Rhosymedre and Keep Wales Tidy, Victim Support, Cllr Blackwell, Cllr Rowlands and Leader of WCBC – Cllr Aled Roberts. Significant contributions were made by tenants Arthur Hopwood and Sue Charles.

The outcomes of the event were as follows:

212 houses visited 100 people opened the door
64 requested Home Fire Safety Checks
44 were provided with Fire Safety Advice
24 referrals made to North Wales Police
24 referrals made to WCBC Housing
3 x 8t skips emptied 4 times each = 96t equivalent in waste removed
3 caretaker van loads of larger items removed – sofas, fridges, chest freezer
8 gas cylinders removed
100 staff and volunteers from 18 different departments / agencies working on site
4 instances of graffiti removed in the area (7 more to be revisited)
Fly tipping site near railway line addressed

Plas Madoc Safety Group

The Plas Madoc Community Safety Group came into being in 2004 when tenants from Peris came together demanding safety measures following a dangerous incident involving a stolen car. Communties First brought these residents together along with representatives from North Wales Police and Wrexham County Borough Council. The group worked together to make the area of Peris safer and their efforts resulted in a new fence, which aimed to provide better protection to pedestrians in the area.

Since then the Plas Madoc Safety Group, as it now is known, has grown to include a wider range of members. At its heart are tenants and residents from the estate, North Wales Police and a variety of departments from Wrexham County Borough Council. Also involved are groups such as North Wales Fire & Rescue, Victim Support, Cefn Community Council and the local elected member.

The group is responsible for the annual Safer Living Better Living Consultations, which allow the community of Plas Madoc to raise their own concerns and issues. The results of this consultation form the basis of the Neighbourhood Policing Plan for the estate, which the Community Beat Managers and PSCOs work to. The group has overseen the Safe Routes to School project involving Ysgolion Rhosymedre, which has seen nearly £40 000 invested in making the area in and around the school site safer for child pedestrians. The group brought Smart Water, a high tech way of potectively marking property, to the estate with funding from the Communities First Trust Fund. Most importantly the group works to ensure that agencies responsible for safety issues are aware of their role on the estate, and strives to ensure that they deliver services that improve quality of life for all.

The main project for this year is the planning and implementation of an Environmental Action Day on Plas Madoc. This will involve a multi-agency event in order to improve the physical and environmental impact of the estate. There will be the opportunity to have large, bulky items removed; crime prevention advice from the Police and home fire safety advice from the Fire Service.

The Plas Madoc Community Sensory Garden

In 2005 PMCF completed an application for the People's Millions Competition run by The Big Lottery and ITV. The prize on offer was £50 000 to develop an environmentally themed project that would make a difference to people's lives. Following a public vote and lots of TV coverage Plas Madoc's Community Sensory Garden was announced as the winning project.

The ‘ Garden of Senses ' took a year to create and it was opened in November 2006 on the anniversary of the announcement from The Big Lottery. We are now 6 months on and the garden has come on in leaps and bounds as the seasons have changed.

The garden is open to the public between 9am and 5pm during the week, and by appointment at the weekends. Please contact us at The Opportunity Centre for more information.

The ‘Garden of Senses' has generated a vast array of side-projects involving young people and the environment; £12 000 has been awarded from WREN, a landfill tax distributor to enable Plas Madoc Communities First to covert the garden to run in a sustainable manner using renewable resources such as wind and solar power. A system will also be installed to collect rainwater from the roof of The Opportunity Centre to use for irrigating the garden. Another project developed out of the interest in the garden is the Wildlife Explorers Group, where youngsters get the opportunity to get out and about visiting wildlife site and taking part in practical projects. This project received £5000 from the Communities First Trust Fund.

If you would like to see the plans and other photographs of the Community Sensory Garden please click here.

Smart Water
The Plas Madoc Community Safety Group applied for funding from the Communities First Trust Fund to provide Smart Water Packs for households on the estate. The consultation in 2003 showed that burglary was an issue for people on the estate and subsequent work by the Safety Group had highlighted that the fear of crime was a significant factor. Nearly £2500 was awarded to fund the project, which consisted of purchasing Smart Water packs.

Smart Water is a hi-tech paint that is used to mark property. The microscopic particles in the paint carry a unique code, which is specific to each pack. When Smart Water is issued the householder registers their details against the unique code number. As well as the paint each pack comes with special warning stickers which are placed inside doors and windows of the property. The Safety Group also received £250 from the Police & Community Trust (PACT) to buy special signs which will be erected on lampposts around the estate. This provides households on the estate with increased protection against burglary by putting off potential criminals before they act. Should a burglary occur the Smart Water's unique coding increases the chances of having property returned and also improves the chances of the Police being able to secure a conviction against the burglar.

The Plas Madoc Remodelling Project

This year has seen the launch of a new remodelling project. The aim is to bring back into use some of the derelict sites on the estate, many of which are the result of demolition. These sites are an eyesore and have been mentioned regularly in consultation. PMCF is working in partnership with Wrexham County Borough Council's Housing, Engineering and Landscape departments to work out what options are available for the sites. Advice is also being sought from the Crime Prevention Officer at North Wales Police to ensure that any developments are safe and secure. Once this is complete the community will be asked to offer its views as to what could be created on each of the sites. The hope is to be able to secure enough funding to deal with one site every year for the next 4 years. The project will start in Glaslyn, where the housing department is looking to create new car parking spaces on 2 of the derelict sites. This leaves other areas where landscaping can greatly improve the look of the area. If you would like to see some of the ideas that have been put forward for the Glaslyn site then click here.