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

A farming community in the Tywi Valley has been given a new lease of life - thanks to a new bridge. When a three tonne weight limit had to be imposed on Glandwr Farm Bridge, Cynghordy, residents feared the impact it would have on their daily lives. Carmarthenshire County Council acted swiftly as a major bridge strengthening scheme needed to be carried out due to the severe affect on the community. A scheme was developed to replace the existing two span bridge with a new structure comprising of an in-situ reinforced concrete deck, abutments and central pier. As well as the design of the new structure, land drainage consent had to be approved by the Environment Agency, together with the acquisition of privately owned land from adjoining landowners prior to construction works commencing. The works cost almost £200,000 to carry out and the overall scheme took 13 months to complete, from inception to completion of construction. Gill Wright of Ty Glandwr said: “There are four farms and a bed...

Back at my desk. Lovely break in London - took in Oliver at the Drury Lane theatre. Fab time. Now, back to work!

In London at usual base camp near Post Office BT Tower.

Computer sessions for complete beginners are taking place in libraries across Carmarthenshire next month. The First Click courses start in the week commencing November 8, and last for three weeks. They are taking place at Carmarthen Library on Mondays from 10am to 12noon; at Llwynhendy on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the same times; at Burry Port on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 2pm and 4pm; at Brynamman between 9.30am and 11.30am on Wednesdays; and at Pontyates on Fridays from 10am to 12noon. Anyone interested in attending the sessions should contact their local library for more information.

Anyone who has ever wondered how the first suspension bridges were built can find out at Carmarthenshire County Museum. An exhibition - Web of Iron - Nature, Art and Engineering – is on show at the museum in Abergwili from now until the end of November. It was inspired by pioneering engineers such as Thomas Telford and Captain Samuel Brown, and tells the story of the suspension bridge and the influence of both nature and art on its development. This exhibition looks at the development of the suspension bridge - in particular the chainbridge and the establishment of that form in Great Britain. Thomas Telford, more than any other engineer, is credited for the mainstreaming of its use in Britain and is the reason for presenting the exhibition in the 250th year of his birth. Education executive board member Cllr Gwynne Wooldridge said: “Of all the structural shapes that have appeared in the landscape, the suspension bridge is immediately recognised as one of the most graceful yet economica...

Dyfed-Powys Police in Carmarthenshire are advising organisers planning parades for this year’s Remembrance Sunday (Nov 14) that they will need to get a licence for any road closures. Previously the police have temporarily closed roads to enable Armistice parades to take place county-wide. The police have powers to close roads in an emergency. However, these events are pre-planned in advance, so the use of their "emergency" powers could be called into question. Such powers are more appropriate for genuine emergencies such as a collapsed structure or following a road traffic accident. Carmarthenshire County Council as the highway authority can arrange for temporary road closures, and this is seen by the police as a more appropriate way in dealing with such events. County executive board member for transport services Cllr Philip Hughes said: “We will be having further discussions with the police over this issue. In the meantime we will work with event organisers in relation to t...

Travellers from Carmarthenshire who use the TrawsCambria bus service have had a say in the way their services are delivered. There have been a series of public consultations and X40 passengers had the opportunity to make their views known at Lampeter Post Office. The X40 bus service between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth running via Pencader, Llanybydder, Llandbedr Pont Steffan, Lampeter and Aberaeron carries tens of thousands of passengers annually. Carmarthenshire County Council makes a contribution of more than £76,000 annually to TrawsCambria services. County executive board member for transport services Philip Hughes said this was a vital service helping people in rural communityies link up with hubs of transport. He was delighted they had been empowered to have their say on improving the service. He praised the Assembly for allowing service users to have their say. Cllr Hughes said: “There has been a major consultation process and it was encouraging to see so many Carmarthenshire fol...