Vandals wreck school garden again

13 July 2011 Last updated at 14:17 GMT An award-winning garden at a Denbighshire primary school has been wrecked in a new attack by vandals.

All the flowers were stolen from the garden at Ysgol Mair Catholic school, Rhyl, in the latest attack.

On previous occasions, containers and tyres have been thrown into the pond and bird tables have been smashed.

The garden has won awards at the Wales in Bloom and Rhyl in Bloom competitions.

"The children have worked so hard on this garden," said Gail Lavery, chair of the school PTA, which has provided much of the material used in the garden.

"It's hard to believe that someone can do this to a children's garden.

"I'm just hoping that someone will come forward and say we know who's doing this."

The theft of the plants means the garden can no longer be entered in the Rhyl in Bloom competition.

It is now planned to hold a number of gardening days during the school holidays so that some of the children from the school, which has about290 pupils, can help to restore the site.

The school has also had offers of help from local people and Ms Lavery has vowed to keep the garden going.

"If we stop, they will have won," she added.

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Pavilion demolition back on again

7 July 2011 Last updated at 15:17 GMT Denbighshire council wants to give the land to a group to raise funds for a new centre community Denbighshire council says it hopes to start demolition work soon on a community centre that residents have been fighting to save.

Supporters of Corwen Pavilion won a temporary court injunction in April to stop the planned demolition.

The council said the building was no longer financially viable to repair but agreed to be bound by the court order.

Opponents were asked to submit revised proposals but the council said Wednesday's deadline has now passed.

'Challenge'

Earlier this month campaigners said an independent surveyor had costed repairs at ?66,000, rather than the ?2 to ?3m Denbighshire said it would cost to rebuild the centre.

In a statement the council said campaigners had "failed to provide information that was specifically requested by the court".

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The council is in the process of applying to the court for a declaration that it can now proceed with plans to demolish the building”

End Quote Denbighshie council statement It said a further extension was granted by the court to allow the group to present their costs and also provide other details to support their challenge.

"The deadline of Wednesday 6 July has now passed and although the group provided some costings they did not include in their report any sums to meet statutory requirements relating to health and safety and building regulations.

"This gives a false impression that the building could be re-opened for as little as ?66,000.

"The council is in the process of applying to the court for a declaration that it can now proceed with plans to demolish the building."

A representative from the Friends of the Pavilion said he did not want to comment about the latest development until taking legal advice.

The pavilion closed in March 2010 due to health and safety concerns.

Since then, the council says officers helped form a working group to create a charitable company to have the flattened land transferred to them, and help them obtain funding to build a new pavilion.

But in April, the Friends of the Pavilion obtained a temporary injunction restraining the council from "demolishing, damaging, deconstructing or otherwise degrading Corwen Pavilion".

Denbighshire agreed not to begin demolition until the group's own structural engineer could assess the pavilion and provide the council with costs associated with refurbishment.

It now says the group has "failed to comply with the undertakings of the injunction and provide the appropriate information and subsequently the injunction was dismissed".

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