Llandegla bus service axed earlier this month to be reinstated

Arriva Buses Wales had confirmed that from January 14, it would no longer serve the Tweedmill or the village of Llandegla via its services 51 and X51, Rhyl to Wrexham.

The decision was made after the company reviewed its timetable and service provision in North Wales due to the new 20mph blanket speed limit introduced by the Labour Welsh Government.

A public meeting was held in Llandegla and a petition launched to save the route.

Today, Clwyd West MS Darren Millar welcomed the news that the Llandegla bus service is to be reinstated.

Clwyd West MS Darren Millar and Cllr Terry Mendies raising the Llandegla bus service with the FIrst Minister earlier this month.

Residents were up in arms over the changes to the X51 service and Mr Millar, along with local Cllr Terry Mendies, raised it with the First Minister during his visit to rural Denbighshire.

Mr Millar also registered his strong objections to the changes directly with Arriva and raised the matter in the Senedd, when he called on the Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister with responsibility for transport to make a statement on “the action he is taking to address the adverse impact of the reduction in the default speed limit in built up areas from 30mph to 20mphh on bus services”.

He has now received an email from Denbighshire County Council this afternoon stating that the service is to be reinstated.

The council have had approval from all North Wales authorities to use a portion of this year’s Bus Transition Funding to assist with the change made to this service.

Arriva have agreed that they could operate the first and last journey of the X51 in and out of Llandegla, and Denbighshire Council can now look at providing a temporary minibus to run the timetable in between.

Welcoming the news, Mr Millar said: “Residents of Llandegla will be thrilled that a solution has been found and that this service will resume.

“This service is a lifeline to many and I am pleased that this has been recognised.

“Obviously it is a concern that the service will run until May 31st only, when there will be a further review of services. I will be pushing to ensure that when this review takes places, the genuine concerns that I raised on behalf of residents will be fully considered and that this service will continue indefinitely.”

Carolyn Thomas, MS for North Wales, said there was still work to do to secure the service for Llandegla.

She said: "It is an interim solution with funding in place until 31st May 2024, after then there will be a further review of services. I hope by then, working with Arriva and the councils some of the arterial routes can be made back up to 30mph, regaining some minutes that can be traded for returning to Llandegla.

"I would like to thank all the stakeholders and those involved for making this happen, and although not ideal, and a sticking plaster, it is still a positive step forward.

"Arriva will need to finalise the timetable and put it forward to the traffic commissioner, as well as the two weeks it will take for Denbighshire to commission the minibus, it may take three weeks in total, I will keep residents updated."