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

Two Carmarthenshire firms have been declared winners at the Local Authority Building Control All Wales Building Excellence Awards 2015. The ceremony was held at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay and the opening address was made by Carl Sargeant, Welsh Minister for Housing and Regeneration. Charles Church won the category for Best Large Volume Housing at Machynys East, Llanelli, and T.Richard Jones (Betws) Limited (TRJ) won the category for Best Public Building at ‘The Ffwrnes’ Theatre Llanelli. Both companies will now go on to the National finals in London this November. Charles Church’s The Links is thelatest phase of the much larger Machynys Bay development, and the two, three and four bedroom homes are adjacent to Machynys Peninsula Golf and Country Club. The homes ranging from affordable one bed apartments up to a spacious five bed detached family houses are all built to EcoHomes ‘Very Good’ Standard and striving for ‘Excellent’. TRJ’s winning project, the 'Ffwrnes ...

There is an open invitation to find out about the magnificent new £10-million Extra Care Housing development being created in Ammanford. An information day on Friday, April 24, is being staged by Family Housing Association Wales at the Pensioner’s Hall, Quay Street, Ammanford 2-6pm. The development being delivered by Betws company TRJ Ltd is at Gwynfryn, opposite Coleg Sir Gar on Station Road. It is planned to open early in 2016 providing 50 apartments for people over 55. There will be 37 one-bedroom flats – one double bedroom; 13 flats with two bedroom- a double bedroom plus a single bedroom The information day will be attended by advisers to offer advice on eligibility and the broad range of facilities provided by modern extra care housing. The Extra Care complex will have community facilities including a cafe and restaurant, community lounge, craft and therapy rooms. Residents will have individual apartments with privacy and security. Their accommodation will allow for a range of ...

The hot sunshine of an African summer is beckoning for one of Carmarthenshire County Council’s building cadets who’s preparing for a charity mission over 5,000 miles away in Uganda. Layton Davies, 23, will join other local tradesmen from TAD Builders Ltd and TRJ Ltd to oversee the construction of a new maternity unit for poverty-stricken families in Kachumbala. The project is being run by Engineers for Overseas Development (EFOD) Carmarthenshire , established by the local construction industry in 2012 to benefit communities in impoverished countries. Far from the cosy life he shares with his girlfriend Chynna in Llandybie, Layton is preparing to work long shifts on the building site in the scorching sunshine of Kachumbala. Staying in a ‘simple’ complex nearby, where electricity is intermittent, the former TRJ bricklayer and Ysgol Tregib pupil will spend two weeks on the project, where he will work with locals to pass on his trade skills and get hands-on with the build. This will be...

Thanks to the support of an EU backed employment project, 27-year-old Dafydd William Thomas, from Llanelli, has found a job with a local construction company. Having been out of work since May 2012, Dafydd’s struggle to find a job had landed a major blow to his confidence. It was thanks to a referral to the South West Workways project by Jobcentre Plus that things began to pick up. Dafydd said “I was unemployed for 12 months before signing up for Workways. I couldn’t find any jobs as I lacked qualifications and experience.” Workways helped Dafydd to search for job vacancies, to refine his CV and to complete site safety training. Due to his inexperience, the project also supported him to access a temporary job as a labourer with local company, TRJ Construction. Impressing over the course of his contract, TRJ were only too happy to offer Dafydd a permanent job. Len Gibbons, Site Manager, TRJ Construction said “Dafydd has learnt a lot since he’s been with the company. He’s doing a ...

An £8million investment at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman has been welcomed by Carmarthenshire Council’s Executive Board. Council Leader Kevin Madge arranged for members to visit the Ammanford comprehensive which is undergoing major refurbishment work. It includes a new extension, the refurbishment of one of the existing buildings plus two new buildings. Cllr Madge said: “We were given a tour of the school and were very impressed with the work being carried out. I am delighted that pupils in the Amman Valley area are to benefit from a new and improved; modern secondary school. “The council is committed to providing first-class accommodation and facilities for every child in Carmarthenshire.” The extension plus remodelling and refurbishment of the existing building will become the new science block. A Special Educational Needs facility - including therapy room, medical inspection, and hygiene room, will be located in one of the new buildings. The headteacher’s office, administration facilities...