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

New walking and cycling schemes will be developed in Cwmamman and Whitland as part of the Safe Routes in Communities programme. The council has received funding from Welsh Government to carry out walking, cycling and road safety improvements in both towns. A grant of £180,000 was awarded for Cwmamman and £197,500 for Whitland. The scheme in Cwmamman includes a new footway along Folland Road; an off-road footpath for cyclists and pedestrians (Amman Valley Cycle Way/Riverside Walk); a zebra crossing, cycle logos and bollards; parent waiting shelters and cycle racks in the school; and footway improvements on Station Road, Tir Y Coed Road and the A474. In Whitland, the proposals are for driver feedback signs in West Street, Spring Gardens and the B4328 Tavernspite to Whitland Road; public right of way routes; raised plateaus with tactile crossing outside the primary school and on North Road; a proposed 20mph speed limit along Market Street near Whitland Primary School; and a kerbed pull ...

Residents in four Carmarthenshire communities are being asked for their views on proposals to create a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists. The council is consulting on Safe Routes in Communities schemes for Whitland, Cwmamman, Pencader and Rhos, Saron and Pentre Cwrt. Display boards showing the details of the scheme will be put up in each of the areas so that people can leave feedback. The comments will form part of a bid to Welsh Government for funding for the schemes to be carried out next year in 2016-17. The council is also consulting directly with local schools, town and community councils and the local members. The Safe Routes in Communities project has been developed to create a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists through the implementation of engineering measures such as cycle routes, cycle paths, traffic calming and educational road safety initiatives. The aim is to shift away from car use for certain journeys, which results in reduced levels of conge...

The Chair of Carmarthenshire County Council has officially opened an ice cream parlour on a Whitland farm. The Cowshed ice cream parlour & bistro has been established by the Bowman family at Penback Farm as a diversification venture. Penback farm is a family enterprise based at Cyffig, near Whitland which presently farm a herd of suckled cows. In the past few years they have developed the Cowpots brand of ice cream which is being produced on the holding. They currently produce over 20 different flavours and sell the product to businesses in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. Penback Farm Partnership have been awarded a grant under the Supporting Farmers to Diversify  grant scheme of £74,804 towards the total project costs of £152,401 for the conversion and fit out of a redundant farm building. The Supporting Farmers to Diversify grant scheme is funded through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European A...

The annual general meeting of Menter Gorllewin Sir Gar is being held on Monday, September 29, at 7pm, at the Hywel Dda Centre, Whitland. The guest speaker is Gwilym Dyfri Jones, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of Wales Trinity St David. About Menter Gorllewin Sir Gar -  We encourage and support community, linguistic and economic development for public benefit and create sustainable communities that are naturally bilingual and prosperous. We operate in an area that extends from Llanybydder to Newcastle Emlyn, to Carmarthen, St Clears and Whitland. The Menter has been operational in the current format since 2007 when Menter Taf Myrddin and Menter Bro Teifi were amalgamated to form one entity across the area. Whilst the head office is located in Newcastle Emlyn, the Menter has a second office in Carmarthen and we operate as part of a network of Mentrau Iaith (Language Initiatives) across Wales. We hold linguistic activities and events to: Encourage more families to use...

From the start of July through to September, the Hywel Dda Centre will be ready to welcome more visitors than ever to see the copy of the historic Boston Manuscript, a book containing the Laws of King Hywel the Good (Hywel Dda), King of all Wales, who ruled during the first half of the 10th century. The Boston Manuscript was returned to Wales recently after two centuries in America through the generous support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. The National Library of Wales presented a facsimile of this unique manuscript to the centre. Containing the ancient laws of Hywel Dda, it began life as a working reference book for a lawyer who travelled Wales dispensing the law. The Hywel Dda Centre, which has a delightful series of themed gardens and a magnificent visitor reception hall, is the only centre in Europe which is dedicated to the law. These laws, known as ‘The laws of Hywel’ were humane and generous in spirit and they led to a peaceful and well-ordered society. The laws a...

Llewellyn Davies Accountants have opened a new business consultancy centre in Whitland, with the help of an RDP Sir Gâr Redundant Rural Buildings Grant. They have converted a barn to the rear of Yelverton House that has been unused for decades into offices for the consultancy service. The company already have branches of their accountancy business in Whitland, Narberth, Tenby and Pembroke Dock and this new venture will service the needs of businesses throughout West Wales with regard to production of management information, business systems consultancy and assistance with grant and funding applications. Five new full time jobs and three part time jobs will be created as a result. Director Colin John said: “The invaluable support provided by RDP Sir Gâr has enabled us to bring a redundant building, situated in the centre of Whitland, back to life. “The property’s location, with its excellent transport links and a large car park, makes it an easily accessible and convenient destin...

Carmarthenshire’s Executive Board is hitting the road again and meeting in other locations for the first time in its history. On October 1, the board will meet at the Princess Gwenllian Centre in Kidwelly, and future meetings are arranged for Llandeilo, Whitland and Burry Port. Council Leader Kevin Madge has introduced the initiative with the aim of making the Executive Board more accessible to the public. He also wants to meet town and community councils in their own areas and take the opportunity to visit local businesses or schools. On each occasion, local groups and organisations will be invited along after the meeting to discuss their issues. The executive board started the move in Ammanford where representatives from the six Amman Valley town and community councils attended. Cllr Madge said: “I want to take the Executive Board meetings around the county and to work more closely with town and community councils. “It is important that we work with town and community councils and ot...

RDP Sir Gâr will be hosting Community Grants Open Evenings in Carmarthen and Whitland this month. Registered charities, voluntary organisations, town or community councils, social enterprises and not for profit organisations all stand to benefit from RDP Sir Gâr’s Rural Community Inclusion and Innovative Communities projects and expert Project Development Officers will be on hand to advise of the grants available for community projects for the afternoon. Both projects have received funding through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Rural Community Inclusion* offers a package of support that is designed to increase access to basic services and facilities in rural communities, and Innovative Communities* assists in the development of innovative ideas within the community. The events are free and all are welcome to attend: Mon 24th Sept – St Peters Hall, Carmarthen 4 - 7p...

Two pupils from Ysgol Gyfun Dyffryn Tâf are helping to prove the old saying ‘you’re never too old to learn’ having joined forces with clients at a Sheltered Housing complex in Whitland to help them improve their computer skills. The project is being supported by the Cryfhau Cymunedau (Strengthening Communities) project, part of RDP Sir Gâr’s  Innovative Hubs scheme*, which works with rural communities in Carmarthenshire supporting them to make a real difference within their locality. The aim of the project is to identify and support community mentors to lead groups and individuals to achieve positive change where they live. Cryfhau Cymunedau’s project officer David Saywell, Vivienne Morris (former Mayoress of Whitland) and Val Wood Gaiger from Learn with Grandma established a group to develop a number of activities in Whitland, one of which was the IT sessions. Mark Ford, Deputy Headmaster of Ysgol Gyfun Dyffryn Tâf, arranged for Ben Howarth and Ben Bubb to visit St Davids Ave...

Work is underway to renovate a Whitland property destroyed by fire in 2009. The building in St John’s Street, known as Grosvenor House, was sold at auction by Carmarthenshire County Council after renovation of the building was deemed too costly. The sale went through on February 15 and the new owners have wasted no time in starting work on the site, although they are yet to reveal what they intend to use the building for. Before the fire, it had been used as living accommodation, with a mix of bedsits and flats, often used to provide housing for people faced with homelessness. Previously, the council’s housing scrutiny committee heard that the cost of restoring the building could hit £1.7 million. Cllr Hugh Evans, Executive Board Member for Housing, said: “I am pleased that the sale of Grosvenor House has now gone through, and that the council has been able to recoup some costs from the transfer of this asset. “Unfortunately the cost of renovating it was beyond the reach of th...

Horse death, Whitland area | Dyfed Powys Police | Heddlu Dyfed Powys : Whitland horse death 'natural causes'.

A Whitland man has been prosecuted by the courts for a waste offence. Silas James Lee, aged 35, of Westover Caravan Site, pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Ammanford Magistrates Court. The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council. The court heard that Lee had failed to ensure he had a written description of the waste he was carrying and had failed to produce waste transfer notes as required by law to the council’s environmental enforcement officers. He had also provided transfer notes with false or incomplete information. In mitigation, the court was told that Lee could not read or write and this was part of the reason why he had failed to comply with the law, and why he had given misleading information to the officers. The magistrates were also told Lee was not now working and was in receipt of incapacity benefit. As a result he was fined £200 and ordered to pay £250 towards prosecution costs. The council hopes t...

A falls awareness event for older people is being held in Whitland today. The Camu Mlaen (Step Forward) event gives people aged over 75 the chance to meet health and social care representatives to learn how they can help reduce their risk of falls. The scheme has been very successful in the past, and has been proven to help reduce the number of people being admitted to hospital accident and emergency units as a result of suffering a fall. The event, organised jointly by Carmarthenshire County Council, Hywel Dda Health Board and the voluntary sector, is being held at Whitland Memorial Hall. More than 450 older members of the community have been invited to attend by their local GP practice. As well as receiving helpful advice about falls prevention, they will also be able to take advantage of a range of health and wellbeing services, including foot care, and can speak to representatives from various organisations on issues such as benefit entitlement and living independently. Rita Thomas...

Award-winning former Ysgol Dyffryn Taf pupils have been presented to the Duke of Edinburgh at St James’s Palace. The 10 youngsters, now all in their first year at university, have recently achieved their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. Headteacher Robert Newsome, former pupils Jack Murphy, Nicola Donnelly, Matilda Mitchell, Hannah Hill, Sally Jackson, Harry Kind, Bethan Eynon, and triplets Rachel, Eleri and Tom Allan, and VIP guests Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for education and children’s services Cllr Gwynne Wooldridge and director of education Robert Sully went to St James’s Palace earlier for the award ceremony. Mr Newsome said: “We have had 32 pupils at the school achieve the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award this year. Ten went up to St James’s Palace on Tuesday and 22 will go at half term. We have another group of 30 pupils close to achieving the award and another 24 starting off. “It is a unique occasion for the students and a justifiable reward for all their ...

Carmarthenshire County Council has congratulated a Whitland-based medical device manufacturer on receiving a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. The Magstim Company Limited was presented with the Queen’s Award for International Trade by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed Sara Edwards on Friday. The company designs, develops and markets medical devices used in neuroscience research labs and the operating theatre. It started trading in 1990 and is winning the Queen’s Award for increasing its overseas earnings by 66 per cent to over £7 million per annum and selling 84 per cent of its production overseas. Cllr Sue Allen, who represents Whitland on Carmarthenshire County Council, said: “I am very proud of Magstim and the fact that it is based in Whitland. The company is an outstanding success.” Executive board member for regeneration and leisure Cllr Clive Scourfield said: “Magstim is a fantastic company to have in Whitland. It has a family ethos and I think that has helped with the company’s suc...

Two food businesses in Whitland have been given top marks for food hygiene. Roadhouse Restaurant and Café Culture Cymru received the top rating of 5 under the recently introduced Food Hygiene Rating Scheme. The food hygiene rating or inspection result given to a business reflects the standards of food hygiene found on the date of inspection or visit by the local authority. It is not a guide to food quality. The information provided on businesses is held on behalf of local authorities participating in the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme Wales. Daniel Davies of the Roadhouse Restaurant said: “We are very pleased to have achieved the 5 star rating. The scheme is an amazing idea. “Customers can see exactly what standard a restaurant is up to and it keeps everyone on their toes.” Roy Eydan of Café Culture Cymru said: “I am very proud that we have had a 5 star rating. To be a successful businessman running a restaurant or café before anything you have to make sure everything is clean. Ev...

Dyffryn Taf Welsh Baccalaureate students have taken part in an interactive workshop when they took on the role of Members of the European Parliament. The students at the school in Whitland had to defend their opinions on crucial issues such as fighting climate change, protecting consumer’s rights, and ensuring food safety and quality in the Carmarthenshire County Council event. The workshop was organised by Lorena Prist, based in the West Wales European Centre, who is responsible for the Europe Direct EU information service in Carmarthenshire. The aim was to raise the students’ awareness of the EU’s role in a range of issues and how young people can voice their opinions and influence decisions taken at EU level. EU networking Officer Lorena said: “It is important for our young people to know that their opinion is important and that they should have a say in issues that affect them. By pretending to be in a multinational parliament, students learnt about the complexity of international ...

The Whitland Job Club has opened its doors for the first time to job-seekers and businesses looking to fill short-term and part time vacancies. As the first of its kind in Wales, the Whitland Job Club aims to match local employment opportunities with local skills using is brand new website at www.whitlandmemorialhall.org.uk where both job seekers and businesses can advertise for free. Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for regeneration and leisure Cllr Clive Scourfield officiated this month, which was attended by local employment support groups including Workways, Cyfle, and Go Wales; local businesses and members of the community. Whitland Job Club has received £6431 from the Sustainable Communities - Improving Access to Services project which is part of a programme of development and regeneration for the Whitland Memorial Hall, a centre for community action in the local area. This project has received funding of £691,903 through the Rural Development Plan for Wales...

People aged over 50 in Llandovery and Whitland can benefit from a new pilot scheme to improve their health and wellbeing. The scheme will provide foot care, associated therapies, information and advice. Rural Health clinics, run by Wellbeing Regeneration, will provide the new service at the YMCA in Llandovery and at Whitland Memorial Hall. Project partners include Age Concern Sir Gâr, Hywel Dda Health Board and the Sheltered Scheme programme. The project has received funding of £22,384.89 from the Rural Development Plan for Wales. The plan, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and Carmarthenshire County Council, helps rural communities by funding projects which help people access services. Executive board member for regeneration and leisure Cllr Clive Scourfield said: “This pilot project is providing essential services for older people in rural areas who would otherwise have difficulty gaining access to these services. “The proje...

A state-of-the art centre is educating people about the ancient laws of Hywel Dda and his links with Carmarthenshire. Residents, schoolchildren and visitors are learning about the native Welsh ruler and the development of his Welsh laws. Canolfan Hywel Dda in Whitland has been transformed into a hi-tech attraction, in a bid to encourage more visitors. The site was set up by volunteers 25 years ago but has struggled to reach a large audience because of a lack of facilities. Now with grant funding and the support of Carmarthenshire County Council it has seen a steady rise in visitor numbers, and strong links have been forged with other attractions in the area. The centre has secured grants of £15,370 from the Sustainable Communities Developing Identity and Distinctiveness Project, as part of the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Regeneration chiefs have visited the site to...