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

Children across Carmarthenshire will be ‘showing off’ later this month, in support of this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight. The county’s Catering Service, part of the local authority, is laying on two special meals to celebrate the event, which will run from February 28 to March 13. This year’s theme is ‘show off your label’, so school dining halls across Carmarthenshire will be decked out with Fairtrade logos – including bunting which school children are being encouraged to make as part of a World Record attempt. On Monday, February 28, children will be treated to a fillet of fish or vegetable grill, a half jacket potato, spaghetti hoops or peas, served with fresh bread, and followed by Fairtrade apple and banana crunch and custard. On Tuesday, March 8, a ‘cook’s choice’ menu will be served – consisting of a homemade cottage or vegetable pie, served with boiled potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower florets, followed by homemade chocolate and Fairtrade banana muffin with Fairtrade juice. The m...

People are asked to watch out for toads crossing roads in Carmarthenshire. Between now and March, the amphibians make their way to traditional sites to mate and produce the well known strings of toad spawn seen in ponds. Common toads are very particular about where they breed and often migrate back to their ancestral breeding ponds each year. They follow the same route, regardless of what gets in their way, which sometimes leads to them crossing roads, risking being killed in traffic. Two toad crossings have already been identified in Carmarthenshire – at Burry Port and Pantyffynnon – where the county council has put up signs warning motorists to watch out. And dedicated volunteers are often on hand with buckets to help the toads cross these hazardous barriers, picking up hundreds of the amphibians and ensuring they go safely on their way to their breeding ponds. People are now being asked to look out for any other areas where large numbers of migrating toads can be seen crossing roads...

A woman has been fined £75 for dumping bags next to the recycling banks at the bring site at Cross Hands Co-op. The council’s environmental enforcement officers were on duty at the site when they saw the woman pull up in a car, empty one of the bags into a recycling bank but then leave the rest on the ground. She got back into her vehicle and was about to pull away before being stopped by the officers who explained what they had seen. She was issued with a fixed penalty notice of £75. Failure to pay could lead to prosecution in the magistrates court and a maximum penalty of up to £2,500. The council hopes this fine will act as a warning to others that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated. Unfortunately fly-tipping is becoming an increasing problem at bring sites across the county. Executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “We are very disappointed that the bring sites are being misused in this way as they are important facilities for communities....

Carmarthenshire County Council has thanked over 1000 local residents and businesses for taking part in their recent consultation on the council’s budget for the coming year. The consultation included a two page survey in the local press and on the council’s website, a meeting with business ratepayers and a focus group with representatives of the Citizens Panel, the Older Persons Forum, the Youth Forum and the equalities group. Council Leader Cllr. Meryl Gravell said “This is by far the biggest consultation the council has ever held on its budget and we want to say a big thank you to so many people for taking part. Most importantly, we hope it will be evident to them that we have genuinely listened to what they have to say and have modified our proposals accordingly. “We have faced our toughest budget ever this year and need to make £11.5million worth of savings for the coming 12 months, and £25 million in total over the next three years. We want to protect front line services as much a...

Safety measures have been put in place to protect the public from falling debris at Llanelli’s Theatr Elli. Carmarthenshire County Council’s Property Services were called in last week following reports of loose tiles at the front of the building. Their investigations have revealed that severe weather may have contributed to the natural decay of the façade tiles. The teams immediately fenced off the surrounding area, and are currently undertaking remedial action to make the area safe. None of the theatre or cinema programmes have been affected by the remedial works, and the building is open for business as usual. Building Services Manager Mark Davies said: “As soon as we were made aware of loose tiles and falling debris, we attended instantly to fence off the area and protect the public. “Now we have made the area safe, we have been able to carry out an on-site investigation, and have commenced work to remove all loose material. “Scaffolding and fencing has been used to ensure safe acce...

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Arts Ambassador has welcomed a report which calls for more funding and support for art and culture in Wales. Terry Morris, a world-renowned portrait photographer based in Llanelli, has been carrying out the voluntary ambassadorial role for the council since last autumn. Part of his role is encouraging growth in the arts sector, promoting the work of local artists, and gathering support for arts-based projects. He said the report, issued by the Welsh Assembly’s Communities and Culture Committee last week, is a positive step forward. It calls for a new law, or measure, to ensure that people across Wales have access to arts and culture in their local area. It wants a statutory duty placed on local authorities to support arts and cultural experiences, with more investment in community-based projects in order to reach a wider audience and minority groups. “The arts do not get the appreciation they deserve in Wales,” said Terry. “I feel that the majority of p...

Furniture collected through the council’s bulky waste service is being reused and repaired as much as possible Carmarthenshire County Council has teamed up with Llanelli-based Foothold Regeneration as part of its Crochan Furniture Reuse project. Founded in 1998, it re-distributes donated items of furniture to low-income families following repairs or refurbishment if needed. Other bulky items collected by the council are recycled if they can be, this includes electrical appliances, carpets, scrap metal and wood. In fact, the council is now recycling more than 50 per cent of the bulky waste collected. Executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “We make sure that anything collected through our bulky waste service is recycled or reused if it can be. “We are delighted to be working with Foothold, it really is an excellent project which not only helps the environment by reducing landfill but is also helping people who need to create a more secure future.” The c...