Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

Ysgol Maes y Gwendraeth has enjoyed an official opening to celebrate its £18.4million investment. Council Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole unveiled the plaque as part of the ceremony which included entertainment from school pupils and speeches from dignitaries. The scheme included a new two storey design and technology and science block, linked to the existing building. A new sports hall houses four badminton courts, together with an adjoining classroom and changing rooms. An energy centre has been constructed, and external work included a new school entrance, hard play areas, car park, bus parking area and games courts. Various areas within the existing buildings have been refurbished together with re-modelling of playing fields. The investment at Ysgol Maes Y Gwendraeth was made through Carmarthenshire County Council’s Modernising Education Programme , delivered with funding from the Welsh Government Education executive board member Cllr Gareth Jones said: “Ysgol Maes y Gwendraeth is the lat...

Carmarthenshire County Council is working with Aspect Developments to regenerate a key Ammanford gateway site. Ammanford’s old police station and former magistrates court is set to be transformed through a mixed use development, with plans that include retaining the Court House and conversion into office suites, together with the construction of an extension to provide retail space on the ground floor, and residential accommodation above. Aspect Developments is to submit an application for planning permission. The College Street site was recently discussed at the Ammanford Regeneration Taskforce, set up earlier this year by council Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole. He said: “This is a key gateway site to Ammanford and its redevelopment is part of our aspirations to regenerate the town. I’m really pleased to see the plans getting underway to transform this site into a development which will create jobs and housing.” Hywel Richards of Aspect Developers said: “We are looking forward to bringing t...

People can have a bird’s eye view of the new Ysgol Maes Y Gwendraeth with aerial footage taken of the site. The film of the £18.4million investment has been unveiled for the official opening of the school taking place this week. Council Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole will unveil the plaque as part of the ceremony taking place at the school on November 30. The scheme included a new two storey design and technology and science block, linked to the existing building. A new sports hall houses four badminton courts, together with an adjoining classroom and changing rooms. An energy centre has been constructed, and external work included a new school entrance, hard play areas, car park, bus parking area and games courts. Various areas within the existing buildings have been refurbished together with re-modelling of playing fields. The investment at Ysgol Maes Y Gwendraeth was made through Carmarthenshire County Council’s Modernising Education Programme , delivered with funding from the Welsh Gover...

An official opening is taking place to celebrate the £18.4million investment at Ysgol Maes y Gwendraeth. Council Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole will unveil the plaque as part of the ceremony taking place at the school on November 30. The scheme included a new two storey design and technology and science block, linked to the existing building. A new sports hall houses four badminton courts, together with an adjoining classroom and changing rooms. An energy centre has been constructed, and external work included a new school entrance, hard play areas, car park, bus parking area and games courts. Various areas within the existing buildings have been refurbished together with re-modelling of playing fields. The investment at Ysgol Maes Y Gwendraeth was made through Carmarthenshire County Council’s Modernising Education Programme , delivered with funding from the Welsh Government through its 21st Century Schools programme. The official opening will include performances from school pupils, and add...

Children across Carmarthenshire are being promised that their rights will be honoured and considered in decision making. Senior councillors and officers have signed a pledge that will ensure the council meets minimum standards when making decisions that affect the lives of children and young people. It also means that decisions will be scrutinised by trained young people on an annual basis. Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole, Education Executive Board Member Cllr Gareth Jones, Chief Executive Mark James, Director for Education and Children’s Services Rob Sully, and Carmarthenshire Youth Council Chair Brittany Alsop-Bingham all signed the promise in advance of Children’s Rights Day, November 20. It was adopted by the county council last year and has been a strategic priority since, with a three-year strategy and action plan being developed. It included establishing a new Participation and Children’s Rights team, a growing Carmarthenshire Youth Council and more opportunities for young people to be...

Scarlets players Ken Owens and Rhys Patchell are supporting International Walk to School Month. Pupils from Brynteg School were invited to Parc y Scarlets to start their ‘walk to school’ where they were met by Captain Ken Owens and fly-half Rhys Patchell. They were also joined by Council Leader Emlyn Dole, as well as local councillors Sharen Davies (Llwynhendy) and Deryk Cundy (Bynea), and not forgetting the council’s road safety mascot Gary GoSafe. Every October, International Walk to School Month sees primary school pupils from across the UK join forces with children in more than 40 countries worldwide to celebrate the benefits of walking to school. Cllr Dole said: “I was delighted to go along and walk to school with the children from Brynteg. Walking to school has a number of benefits for both pupils and parents, as well as the wider community. “It is good fun, and a great way of getting regular exercise. It reduces traffic congestion and pollution, helps develop pedestrian and ro...

Free wi-fi has been introduced in Llanelli Town Centre thanks to a partnership between Carmarthenshire County Council and Llanelli Town Council. An external wi-fi access point outside the Hub covering Stepney Square is now up-and-running. The Town Council has paid for the installation of boosters which enable access to the County Council system on Stepney Square. Town Mayor, Cllr Bill Thomas said: “I'm delighted that we have been able to introduce free wi-fi in the town centre. My colleague Winston Lemon suggested this idea some time ago and after considering a number of options we have finally been able to deliver. I'm sure it will be appreciated by residents and visitors alike.” Carmarthenshire County Council Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole said: “This is exactly the kind of initiative I want to see provided through the Regeneration Task Force. "The County Council already provides wi-fi in the Hub and so it seemed a sensible idea to install the boosters so that people ca...

An official ceremony is being held to celebrate the opening of Ysgol Bro Dinefwr at Ffairfach, Llandeilo. It will take place on the morning of Tuesday, October 4, with a programme of events including the unveiling of a plaque. Pupils will welcome guests to the ceremony and perform musical items; dignitaries including county council Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole, education Executive Board Member Cllr Gareth Jones and Chair of Governors David Dyer will give addresses. Cllr Dole will also unveil a slate plaque to commemorate the occasion, and Rev Ian Aveson, Vicar of Llandovery, and Rev Michael Sadler, Vicar of Llandeilo, will give blessings. The opening of the new £30million school, which is being sponsored by contractors Bouygues UK, includes the presentation of a ceremonial key and a Secure by Design certificate. Headteacher Julie Griffiths will compere the proceedings and give a speech, plus a short tour of the new school. Bro Dinefwr caters for 1,200 pupils in the area, including a 200 pu...

Carmarthenshire County Council has bought seven properties in Llanelli Town Centre as part of its ‘Opportunity Street’ project. More than half of the properties in the town centre’s main shopping streets, including Stepney Street and Vaughan Street, are owned by private landlords who lease out the buildings and set their own rents. Buying some of these properties from the private owners was identified as one of the key priorities of the Llanelli Town Centre Taskforce, chaired by Leader of the Council, Cllr Emlyn Dole. It means that the council now has more control over the buildings, and the aim is to bring them back into use with a mixed retail and residential offer. It also means that the council is able to set the rent at an affordable level. The council secured money through the Welsh Government’s Vibrant and Viable Places fund to bolster the council’s own funds in order to purchase the buildings. Cllr Dole said: “Opportunity Street is all about bringing more town centre properti...

Up to £750,000 is being made available to help bring vacant, derelict or underutilised properties in Llanelli town centre back into economic use. Carmarthenshire County Council has secured funding via the Welsh Government Town Centre Loans Fund, and will be making loans available to eligible applicants who wish to regenerate properties and redundant development sites within the Llanelli Town Centre boundary. Interest free loans of £25,000 and over will be offered on the basis of 75 per cent Loan to Value, repayable over five years. It is hoped that the loan will support private sector led initiatives and improve the vibrancy of Llanelli town centre. Cllr Emlyn Dole, Leader of the council and Chair of the Llanelli Town Centre Taskforce, said it is a good opportunity for businesses, landlords and developers to kick-start regeneration projects for the benefit of the town. “We would ideally like to see the regeneration schemes funded by this loan scheme enable the creation of town centre...

Four priority themes and actions have been set by the Llanelli Town Centre Taskforce. Led by Cllr Emlyn Dole, Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, the group has agreed the main issues that need to be addressed in efforts to regenerate the town and attract more shoppers. The first priority is to address buildings and premises – bringing key commercial units back into use and reducing the number of derelict premises in the town. A list of property landlords in the town is being compiled in order to open discussions over possible future development opportunities. Grant funding is also being sought to bring the former YMCA building back into economic use. The Taskforce also wants to improve the commercial offer within the town centre and also the mix of development, including residential, to increase footfall, job opportunities and productivity. Environment and access is the second priority – keeping the town centre in a good condition, making a pleasant place to visit and creating ...

It's not quite climbing every mountain – but Carmarthenshire’s Leader is taking on the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for local charities. Cllr Emlyn Dole is also welcoming people to join him – or set themselves their own challenges. He was spurred into action after attending an awards ceremony for participants in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, now in its 60th year. To mark the anniversary, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Diamond Challenge has been set up, which is open to all ages. People are asked to take on their own adventure, personal, or skill challenge, which can be anything from learning to knit to kayaking the Zambesi. Cllr Dole has chosen to take on the Three Peaks Challenge – Snowdon in North Wales, Cadair Idris in Mid Wales and Pen y Fan in South Wales. He will start with Snowdon on May 29, at 1085metres the highest mountain in Wales, a walk of around 10km. On June 1, Cllr Dole will climb Cadair Idris, a four to five kilometre walk, and a height of 893m. The last peak ...

Carmarthenshire's Leader has shown his support for the Syrian refugees crisis. Cllr Emlyn Dole is taking part in the #withSyria national campaign being led by Oxfam. Today marks the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict which has seen four million people flee Syria, and another 6.8million currently displaced within the country. Carmarthenshire is preparing to welcome a small number of families that have sought refuge from Syria. A multi-agency partnership has been formed locally to ensure a full range of support is in place to help families coming to the county as part of the Home Office’s Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement (VPR) Scheme. Cllr Dole said: “As a council, we have already publicly pledged our support for Syrian refugees. “This is a huge humanitarian crisis, there is a human and moral requirement upon us to support in a welcoming and positive way this crisis and these refugees. “We voted as one to play our part and offer a home and security to people who ha...

The Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council has welcomed news that one of Carmarthen’s courts has been saved from closure. Cllr Emlyn Dole said the council had strongly objected to the Ministry of Justice ’s proposals to close the magistrate’s court at Guildhall and the civil, family, tribunal and probate court at nearby Picton Terrace, and had submitted a lengthy response to Ministry’s consultation. The council cited the likely impact the closures would have on local people – especially given the large area the courts cover, and the many rural communities they serve – and had offered a suggestion that the courts could be merged as an alternative to a total closure. This week, the Minister for the Courts and Legal Aid, Shailesh Vara, announced that the landmark Guildhall court in the centre of Carmarthen is to close, but that the original proposal had changed to include suitable alternative venues. It was further announced that the Picton Terrace court would remain. “Whilst we under...

Wales Audit Office has given Carmarthenshire a clean bill of health and praised the council for its ambitious vision. Auditors undertook a corporate assessment of the council at the end of last year which is aimed at providing a clear picture of the authority’s capacity and capability to drive continuous improvement. Their report stated: “Carmarthenshire County Council, demonstrating ambition in its vision, with collective leadership and more robust and transparent governance, is delivering improved outcomes for its citizens although some outdated approaches may limit the speed of progress.” Chief Executive Mark James said: “It is a good report for the council, giving assurance generally that the council is performing very well, and has a good vision and preparedness for the future. Officers are continuing to work hard in the face of declining budgets to ensure the council provides quality services and an exciting agenda to invest and improve further in future.” The report also recog...

Holidays are coming, Holidays are coming...  They certainly are in Llanelli which has been chosen as one of a select few locations across the UK to host the famous Coca Cola Christmas truck! Cllr Emlyn Dole, Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council, has exclusively revealed that the iconic 38-tonne truck has been secured for a one day show-stopper in Llanelli town centre on Wednesday, December 2. The truck - made famous in the magical TV advertisement which heralds the arrival of Christmas – is expected to attract thousands of families who will descend on the town centre for a chance to have their pictures taken in front of its illuminations. It will be parked at the junction of Stepney Street and Cowell Street, with other festivities planned in the adjacent Spring Gardens and the town centre. Families will queue for their turn to have photographs taken between 12pm and 8pm. Santa’s little helpers will be on hand to entertain the waiting crowds, amidst faux snowfall and festive ...