Latest news with #Landscape
North Wales Live
13 hours ago
- Business
- North Wales Live
Closure warnings during 30-week upgrade of Loggerheads Country Park to cope with visitor surge
A 30-week scheme to revamp one of the busiest visitor sites in northeast Wales is to get underway this month. Main buildings at Loggerheads Country Park are being upgraded to cope with rising visitor numbers. The project will include refurbishing the visitor centre and café, with an enhanced seating area, as well as improving the toilets and carrying out external landscaping. Traditional porches will be installed over the shop entrance and a large sail canopy will be located near the park entrance to act as a meeting point for groups. Denbighshire Council said the project complements improvements also planned at nearby Moel Famau. A spokesperson said: 'The main aim of these improvements is to help manage the challenges linked to a growing number of visitors – currently exceeding 200,000 visitors per year – and meet their increasing expectations.' Initial works will focus on the toilet block, lasting around 10 weeks. A temporary toilet facility will be available on site during the closure. Improvements to the meeting room and café will then take place in the autumn, followed by the visitor centre and outdoor landscaping early in 2026. As these will also need to close temporarily, an 'exciting' pop-up catering facility will be established instead, showcasing produce from northeast Wales. The new canopies are a response to the site's "inadequate" covered outdoor spaces for socialising, eating and drinking. Solar panels will be installed to improve the site's sustainability. Flood mitigation works at the site were completed earlier this year. Like the building upgrades, the flood defences were funded by £1.4m of UK Government Levelling Up funds. Council Leader Cllr Jason McLellan said: 'We have seen an increase in visitor numbers at Loggerheads Country Park in recent years and projects such as these, once completed, will help future-proof the park and meet the ever-increasing expectations of visitors. 'These sites are much-loved National Landscape areas, and it is important that we continue to maintain and develop sites such as these as their popularity grows to ensure that they can continue to be enjoyed by all who visit.' ParkCity Multitrade Ltd, based in St Asaph, has been awarded the contract. Work will start in mid-August and is expected to continue until early March 2026. Listed buildings at Loggerheads will not be affected by the work. The site was the location of Pentre Mill, an early 19th-century corn mill powered by a waterwheel. The wheel ceased operation in the 1940s but was later restored in the 1990s. In the 1920s, Crosville Motor Bus Company acquired the land, establishing tea rooms and gardens for visitors who mainly arrived by bus. With a bandstand, boating lake and refreshment kiosk, Loggerheads thrived. After a post-war decline, the site was bought by the old Clwyd County Council for conversion into a country park. Sitting below the dramatic limestone cliffs of the Alyn Valley, where the river enters steep wooded gorges, Loggerheads is now a gateway site for visitors wanting to explore the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley. A long-stay car park offers 90 parking spaces.
North Wales Live
5 days ago
- General
- North Wales Live
Plans to turn farmland into private dog exercise facility submitted
A couple from Llangernyw are seeking planning permission to turn part of their farmland into a private dog exercise facility. Dewi and Iola Roberts have submitted an application to Conwy 's planning department for a change of use at their small agricultural field northeast of their property, Plas yn Trofarth. The proposal, which is set to be discussed by councillors next week, would see the grazing land converted into a secure dog exercise field, complete with a small shelter, dedicated parking area, and landscaping works. If approved, the facility would operate daily between 6am and 10pm, closing at 8pm on Sundays and bank holidays, and would be accessible by pre-booked sessions. Each 50-minute slot would allow use by up to two dog owners at a time, with access managed by a weekly code-lock system. The plans include parking space for up to three vehicles, new boundary fencing around the site, and a 2.4m timber shelter for users. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox. According to planning officers, the site is 'well screened' by existing trees and shrubbery, with the nearest dwelling over 100m away and most others located more than a kilometre from the field. While situated within the Elwy and Aled Valley Special Landscape Area, the site is considered too small for viable agriculture. Officers also noted the presence of a nearby watercourse and potential flood risk. Due to the applicants' relationship with a serving councillor, the proposal has been brought before the planning committee for transparency. Planning officers are recommending that members be "minded to grant" conditional approval. A planning statement reads: 'The proposed development will not negatively impact the character of the local area, with particular consideration given to the fact that the site is within a Special Landscape Area. 'The only structure being erected on site would be a moveable shelter, which will be wooden cladded and designed to integrate well into the character of the local area. Additionally, views of the site will be screened considerably by the existing woodlands and vegetation surrounding the site, mitigating the ability to see the site from nearby and from distant views.' The plans will be debated at Conwy's Coed Pella HQ at the council's next planning committee meeting on Wednesday 13 August.
Wales Online
5 days ago
- General
- Wales Online
Plans to turn farmland into private dog exercise facility submitted
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A couple from Llangernyw are seeking planning permission to turn part of their farmland into a private dog exercise facility. Dewi and Iola Roberts have submitted an application to Conwy 's planning department for a change of use at their small agricultural field northeast of their property, Plas yn Trofarth. The proposal, which is set to be discussed by councillors next week, would see the grazing land converted into a secure dog exercise field, complete with a small shelter, dedicated parking area, and landscaping works. If approved, the facility would operate daily between 6am and 10pm, closing at 8pm on Sundays and bank holidays, and would be accessible by pre-booked sessions. Each 50-minute slot would allow use by up to two dog owners at a time, with access managed by a weekly code-lock system. The plans include parking space for up to three vehicles, new boundary fencing around the site, and a 2.4m timber shelter for users. Sign up for the North Wales Live newslettersent twice daily to your inbox. According to planning officers, the site is 'well screened' by existing trees and shrubbery, with the nearest dwelling over 100m away and most others located more than a kilometre from the field. While situated within the Elwy and Aled Valley Special Landscape Area, the site is considered too small for viable agriculture. Officers also noted the presence of a nearby watercourse and potential flood risk. Due to the applicants' relationship with a serving councillor, the proposal has been brought before the planning committee for transparency. Planning officers are recommending that members be "minded to grant" conditional approval. A planning statement reads: 'The proposed development will not negatively impact the character of the local area, with particular consideration given to the fact that the site is within a Special Landscape Area. 'The only structure being erected on site would be a moveable shelter, which will be wooden cladded and designed to integrate well into the character of the local area. Additionally, views of the site will be screened considerably by the existing woodlands and vegetation surrounding the site, mitigating the ability to see the site from nearby and from distant views.' The plans will be debated at Conwy's Coed Pella HQ at the council's next planning committee meeting on Wednesday 13 August. Public notices in your area
The Hindu
04-08-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Workshop highlights Integrated Landscape Management to achieve sustainable development goals
Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) is one of the most practical ways to localise the UN Sustainable Development Goals said Madhuri Nanda, Director - South Asia, Rainforest Alliance, at the inaugural of a four-day Global Environment Facility (GEF) ILM workshop here on Monday (August 4). The workshop is being held under the SABAL Project (Sustainable Agricultural Biodiversity Across Landscapes), supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and led by the Rainforest Alliance, in close partnership with Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), and the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Ms. Madhuri said that by bringing together communities, institutions and ecosystems into a shared planning space, ILM helps move beyond siloed solutions, towards landscapes that were productive, equitable and resilient in the face of climate and ecological challenges. She said that ILM was a multi stakeholder approach that encourages joint planning and action across sectors such as agriculture, forestry, water and rural development. It brings together diverse players from farming communities, forest departments, women's collectives, civil society groups and state agencies to agree on a shared vision for how land and resources were used and restored. Delegates from Ghana and Indonesia are also attending the three-day event, which highlights efforts to restore degraded lands, protect biodiversity and improve rural livelihoods through a landscape-level approach. The workshop is particularly relevant for regions such as the Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) district, where land degradation, forest loss and climate change were deeply affecting tribal communities and small landholder farmers. Through SABAL, several local initiatives from natural farming and nursery development to women-led processing units and eco-restoration models were already demonstrating the potential of ILM on the ground. P. Mallikarjuna Rao, Advisor to Government of Andhra Pradesh on Environment and Forests, said that the stakeholders must ensure that while planning interventions, a balanced and inclusive approach was maintained. The participants of the workshop will visit project sites in ASR district to see how ILM is taking shape in Andhra Pradesh. The agenda includes experience sharing from India's project landscapes, technical sessions on sustainable land practices, and insights from visiting delegates from Ghana and Indonesia.
Nylon
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Nylon
LOEWE presents the Landscape series inspired by natural topographies
Since making its debut as part of the Fall Winter 2024 precollection, LOEWE's Landscape series is known for showcasing the House's unique leather savoir-faire through inspiration borrowed from natural topographies to transform them into tactile expressions of craft. Image courtesy of LOEWE. This season, the iconic Puzzle bag is reimagined in the stylings of the series for the first time, featuring layers of colourful leather that enhance its geometric construction. Also included in the collection is a new iteration of the Flamenco Clutch and a selection of small leather goods such as cardholders and wallets, with meticulous, undulating gradations of colour and texture. In order to craft the Landscape series, LOEWE's artisans have to employ a suite of intricate leather techniques to achieve the gorgeous results. Image courtesy of LOEWE. Image courtesy of LOEWE. Image courtesy of LOEWE. Image courtesy of LOEWE. Image courtesy of LOEWE. At the atelier, contrasting leather sections are cut and compressed with precision into rippling forms that echo rock strata or topographical illustrations. Each panel is then skived to remove thin layers of leather and reveal those beneath. The process ends in a rich interplay of depth, texture and tone, that mirrors the beauty of coastal landscapes and the land's natural striations — a reflection of the House's ongoing commitment to material excellence and innovation in craft. The Landscape series is now available at LOEWE boutiques in Singapore and online at
