Housing plans to be ramped up

A council is planning to ramp up its housing plans in a bid to tackle the growing property crisis currently gripping parts of North Wales.

Anglesey Council has already committed to boost its own housing stock by over 1,000 properties between now and 2050.

The authority is one of 11 Welsh councils who still own and rent out properties.

But a report presented to councillors on Monday said that more homes were needed to cope with growing demand as some locals face being priced out of the property market.

The average price of a home on Anglesey was listed as £180,505 in January 2020 - a 3% rise on the previous year.

And figures published in September 2020 showed that some villages on the island have seen a 21.3% increase on property prices since lockdown eased, according to the report.

Cllr Alun Mummery, the council’s housing portfolio holder, said the report “highlighted the ambition of the department” in improving the situation across the island.

Between 2015 and 2020, Anglesey Council built 43 and acquired 65 council houses. Another 321 were provided by partner social housing landlords.

By the end of this financial year, the authority expects work will have started on at least 38 new council houses across the island with another 40 to be built during 2021/22.

The report also highlighted the importance of bringing empty homes back into use, with 666 properties on the island empty for six months or more as of April 1, 2020. Around 75 empty properties are expected to have been brought back into use by the end of this financial year and at least another 50 over the subsequent 12 months.

AMLWCH

HEAR TO HELP: The NHS Volunteer Community ‘Hearing aid Drop-in service’ is cancelled until further notice. Please contact Audiology if you have a problem.

CITIZENS ADVICE:Advice line Cymru Mon to Fri 9am-5pm 03444772020. You can also access www.Adviceguide.org.uk

BANGOR

RED CROSS: is looking for volunteer drivers and helpers to assist at Ysbyty Gwynedd and in people’s homes – contact Corinna on 01248 351103

ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE: is looking for new volunteers to join the team and help with its Community Transport, Good Neighbours and Positive Steps services in Gwynedd and Ynys Mon. If you have a few spare hours a week and would like to make a difference in someone’s life, the RVS would like to hear from you. Contact Gwenda Hughes on 01248 661915 or Gwenda.hughes@royalvoluntaryservice. org.uk

SSAFA GWYNEDD: Seeks new caseworkers in the Gwynedd area to help and support veterans and their families. If you can help, contact Andy Williams 07958524298.

CHURCHES TOGETHER: The Christian Church has responded with determination and resilience to countless crises over 2000 years. The current epidemic is no exception. Within a few days of the Prime Minister’s first press conference, all ten of the Bangor Churches Together were using combinations of Internet, social media, phone and post to worship Jesus Christ, to care for their congregations, and to serve the wider community of Bangor. Many of those congregations are over 70 or vulnerable to the coronavirus; and many have no access to the web. So pastoral care is now mainly by phone. Churches are streaming services via the Internet, for example the English-speaking Methodists are using https://www.youtube.com/ channel/UCUAUqhmhevz5sqhh72LIMxA; or delivering them by email, post or hand. Several Church groups have adopted virtual meetings accessed by web or mobile phone. Since 2011, Bangor Cathedral Foodbank has helped families who cannot afford enough food, supported by donations from individuals, businesses, schools, churches and other charities. For the last year the Cathedral has also run Caffi Deiniol in Deiniol Shopping Centre as a ‘fair price’ café that also provides subsidised meals to those in need. Once the Government told cafés to close in response to the virus, the Foodbank moved from the overcrowded Diocesan Centre beside the Cathedral to Caffi Deiniol, thus achieving much better social distancing. To complement the Foodbank, St John’s Methodist Church have for the past year delivered a Soup Run on Saturday evenings to support the homeless of Bangor. The enforced closure of Caffi Deiniol has led them to transform this to a safe afternoon run on the four days a week when the Foodbank is not open. Anyone who is fit and aged less than 70 is welcome to contribute to the Foodbank or the Soup Run by texting Ian Russell on 07 564 347 811. Thus Bangor Churches are responding to the epidemic with love and care. But they hope and pray that responding to the coronavirus will help to redefine the role and methods of the Churches in the 21st Century.

BENLLECH

BENLLECH 50+: To all our members and friends, just to let you know we are thinking about you and hope you are all keeping safe in these troubled times. We miss the happy atmosphere at our club every week and the shared laughter, the talks, games, music, luncheon club etc., The trips out. Let us hope it will soon be possible for us all to meet up again on Thursday afternoons.

BENLLECH AND DISTRICT GOOD TURN SCHEME: This is to report that due to the current Coronavirus crisis the Good Turn Scheme has to be suspended. The decision was taken very reluctantly and we sincerely hope that “Normal Service will be Resumed As Soon As Possible”. In the meantime although the monthly meetings are cancelled together with all lifts to shops and appointments, we are hoping to establish a telephone contact scheme where we can talk to people living alone to ensure that they are coping. If a service is needed such as shopping, prescription collection they will be referred to someone who is able to provide that service.

COEDANA

EGLWYS: Public worship in the Church in Wales has been suspended. Therefore there will be no acts of public worship in any of the Ministry Area churches or in the church hall until we are instructed otherwise by the Bench of Bishops.

HOLYHEAD

ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE: Seeks new volunteers to help with its Community Transport, Good Neighbours and Positive Steps services in Gwynedd and Ynys Mon. If you have a few spare hours a week and would like to make a difference in someone’s life, the RVS would like to hear from you. Contact Gwenda Hughes on 01248 661915 or Gwenda.hughes@ royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk.

LLANFIHANGEL T BEIRDD

EGLWYS ST MIHANGEL: Public worship in the Church in Wales has been suspended. Therefore there will be no acts of public worship in any of the Ministry Area churches or in the church hall until we are instructed otherwise by the Bench of Bishops.

LLANGEFNI

ANGLESEY DOLLS HOUSE AND MINIATURE SOCIETY: Have cancelled all future meetings until further notice. Contact Mike 01248 852654 or Jenny 01407 741047

ROYAL VOLUNTARY SERVICE: is looking for new volunteers to join the team and help with its Community Transport, Good Neighbours and Positive Steps services in Gwynedd and Ynys Mon. If you have a few spare hours a week and would like to make a difference in someone’s life, the RVS would like to hear from you. Contact Gwenda Hughes on 01248 661915 or Gwenda.hughes@royalvoluntaryservice. org.uk.

MARIANGLAS MENAI BRIDGE

MȏN AND ARFON STROKE CLUB: Due to the government’s advice with respect to Social mixing and Distancing arising from the Coronavirus emergency, the above club has suspended its monthly dinner at the Victoria Hotel Menai Bridge until further notice. Do keep safe and well and keep in contact by phoning one another. The club looks forward to meeting up again when the restrictions have been lifted.

MOELFRE

ST GALLGO’S CHURCH:Public worship in the Church in Wales has been suspended. Therefore there will be no acts of public worship in any of the Ministry Area churches or in the church hall until we are told otherwise by the Bench of Bishops.

NEWBOROUGH

EGLWYS BACH COMMUNITY HALL EVENTS: As a precautionary measure Eglwys Bach is closed to all activities until further notice.

PENRHOSLLIGWY RHOSYBOL

CYNGOR CYMUNED: Manylion cyswllt clerc newydd Cyngor Cymuned Rhosybol. Mrs Debra Griffiths, Coedlys, Rhosybol- e. byst: cc.rhosybol@yahoo.co.uk neu drwy’r wefan: www.ccrhosybol.co.uk

VALLEY

HEAR TO HELP: The NHS Volunteer Community ‘Hearing aid Drop-in service’ is cancelled until further notice. Please contact Audiology if you have a problem.