Richard Evans

Thorncliffe Building Supplies Ltd has applied to Denbighshire County Council for prior notification to demolish Phoenix Lodge on Station Road in Rhuddlan. The building is reportedly considered unsuitable for habitation, and the site would be cleared through controlled dismantling ahead of future redevelopment. If approved, demolition is scheduled to begin on 1 October 2026 and finish by 1 November 2026, with rubble sent for recycling and no trees removed or pruned. The application is expected to be considered by the council’s planning committee.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board was ranked worst among Wales’s seven health boards in nine of 20 national performance categories. In March 2026, 3,843 North Wales patients waited at least 12 hours in emergency departments, while only 51.9% of patients were treated, transferred or discharged within four hours, compared with a 64.2% all-Wales average. The board also accounted for 55.7% of Wales’s patients waiting more than eight weeks for diagnostic tests and recorded the lowest rate of cancer treatment within 62 days. The figures were released ahead of the board’s annual general meeting, as it remained under special measures.

Conwy County Council will consider adopting a zero‑tolerance risk approach to safeguarding when assessing taxi and private hire licence applications. Proposed revisions would place applications on hold during legal proceedings, allow use of safeguarding intelligence and non‑conviction information, and mandate enhanced DBS and barred‑list checks with continuous subscription to the DBS Update Service. The plans will be discussed at the council’s General Licensing Committee meeting on July 20.

Councillors in Denbighshire reviewed the latest performance self‑assessment, which highlighted low school attendance of around 90 percent and the lowest average GCSE results among Welsh local authorities. Opposition leaders linked poor attendance, particularly in deprived areas, to declining exam outcomes. Council officials noted slight improvement from the previous year and outlined plans to boost attendance while acknowledging persistent educational inequalities. Broader challenges included financial sustainability, climate goals and low staff survey participation, with the report ultimately approved by councillors.

Three Clwyd Senedd members called for urgent Welsh Government action following the sudden closure of Ruthin School, which affects hundreds of pupils and staff. The MSs stressed the need to support displaced students, particularly those nearing exams or with additional needs, and urged assistance for staff facing redundancy. They warned of wider impacts on local schools, including pressure on admissions and resources, and requested an emergency meeting involving the Welsh Government, Denbighshire County Council, nearby schools and administrators.

Conwy County Council’s planning committee is set to meet privately to receive legal advice on an appeal concerning a rejected plan for 277 homes in Abergele. The original application by A Clarke was refused due to the absence of a new link road, despite planning officers’ recommendations for approval. Councillors reaffirmed the refusal in December. The appeal has now been lodged with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales, prompting a confidential briefing on legal strategy to avoid compromising the council’s position.