Robert Lloyd of the Llanelli Talking Newspaper for the Blind interviews Stephen Ricketts of the Llanelli Visually Impaired Bowls Club.

Work on the second phase of the £5million Carmarthen West transport scheme will be underway again this week.

Carmarthenshire County Council has reached agreement on the acquisition of a final key area of land and says the scheme should be complete by the end of the year.

The Council has also been granted a Compulsory Purchase Order over all the land required, to ensure the road can be completed, given the lack of agreement with one or two landowners.

The road will connect the A40 at Travellers Rest with College Road providing direct access to the trunk road network for key employment sites at St David’s Park, Hywel Dda Health Board’s Hafan Derwen and the University of Wales Trinity St David’s Carmarthen campus.

It will also serve the new S4C headquarters Yr Egin, a major project for the Swansea Bay City Region.

Carmarthen West has been identified as a strategic site within the council’s Local Development Plan and is allocated for mixed use development including 1,100 new homes, a primary school, employment space, a small retail centre, open space and affordable housing. The first phase of the scheme was completed in October, with the opening of a new junction at Job’s Well Road, laying of services and the formation of the route of the road. A new arch bridge has also been constructed over the Tawelan Brook.

Negotiations have since been underway between the council and landowners, to allow the second phase to be completed.

The council has now instructed its contractors, Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd, to proceed with works.

A planning agreement, which will release £2.4million of funding towards the scheme as part of the planning permission for 250 houses, has also been signed off.

The agreement also provides for affordable housing and play areas.

Cllr Hazel Evans, executive board for environment, said: “This is a huge transport scheme that will improve the road network and complement a number of key development schemes in the pipeline for Carmarthen West. We’re delighted to instruct our contractors to proceed with works.”

Leader of the council, Cllr Emlyn Dole, added: “This development brings a significant economic benefit to the county, not only in terms of the employment and training opportunities it creates in the construction phase, but in opening up new links for business in the long-term.”

The latest podcast from Phil Evans and Robert Lloyd.

The Big Cwtsh (Episode 20) is now on Soundcloud.

An official opening for Llanelli’s new £10.2million Ysgol Pen Rhos takes place this week.

The new school, in the Seaside area of the town, is one of Carmarthenshire County Council’s new ‘superschools’ with modern education and recreational facilities to cater not only for its 420 pupils, but also for the local community, which has been jointly funded under Welsh Government’s 21^st Century Schools and Education Programme.

Designed by Carmarthenshire County Council’s own property design team, it is one of county’s most eco-friendly schools – designed to retain heat and keep down the school’s running costs.

Externally, a new 3G pitch and multi-use games area has been included for the benefit of pupils and members of the public.

Pupils returned from their Easter break to start life in their new school, which brings together and replaces the former Copperworks infant and Lakefield primary schools.

It is a dual-stream bilingual school, offering education through English and Welsh and caters for children aged between three to 11, with 60 nursery places and a Flying Start centre.

Ysgol Pen Rhos has been delivered through Carmarthenshire County Council’s Modernising Education Programme, with funding through the Welsh Government’s 21^st Century Schools initiative.

Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams said: “I’m delighted that staff and pupils are enjoying this ultra-modern and eco-friendly school building. This is an excellent example of what can be achieved through our 21st Century Schools and Education Programme – an inspiring new learning environment that is fit for the future and funded with £5 million from the Welsh Government.

“This project is part of the first wave of the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools and Education Programme, which will see the rebuild and refurbishment of over 150 schools and colleges across Wales, representing the largest investment in our schools and colleges since the 1960s.”

Executive board member for education, Cllr Glynog Davies, said: “This is yet another fine example of a 21^st century school with an environment and facilities that support children to learn and play in fantastic surroundings.

“We are grateful to TRJ Ltd for their dedicated workmanship and delivering a school that looks and works fantastically well.

“We hope that pupils and staff are starting to settle in and enjoy many happy years ahead.”

Headteacher Joe Cudd added: “Ysgol Pen Rhos is a wonderful school that is at the centre of many exciting developments in the area. The children and their families have waited a long time for their new school.

“Without doubt this is an exceptional facility that will greatly enrich the lives of many, many children. Ysgol Pen Rhos is a 21st century school with the community leaders of tomorrow at the centre of what we do.”

What the children think…

Keira Davies: “My new classroom is fantastic. The chairs are really comfy and when you go outside the teachers can watch you from inside.”

Grace Woods: “This school is fabulous, there’s new stuff in the classroom – the doors slide open when you want to go outside.”

Harri Hale: “I like the 3G pitch, I like playing football on it, and I like the new computers.”

Harry Williams-Hill: “I like how at playtimes we can do different things like playing football, running around or sitting on the chairs under the umbrellas. When it’s nice we can work on the balcony because we have some chairs.”

Imogen Palethorpe: “When I first entered the school it was very spacious and I also love the classes because they’re big. In the dinner hall it’s very clean and we can have a good dinner time.”

Ysgol Pen Rhos new school from Cyngor Sir Gâr | Carms Council on Vimeo.

Carmarthenshire County Council is ready to invest around £4million in local businesses.

The council is launching a variety of new grants aimed at supporting new and existing businesses, aimed at stimulating new economic growth throughout the county.

The Economic Development team is inviting businesses and entrepreneurs, both established and new, to find out whether they are eligible for financial support.

A combination of grants and loans are being made available for businesses to grow in Carmarthenshire.

The biggest investment will be for the development of commercial property.

£1.5million is being made available in the Carmarthenshire Transformational Commercial Property Development Fund to stimulate the supply of high quality business premises.

£1million is being made available under the Carmarthenshire Rural Enterprise Fund aimed at stimulating growth in the rural economy.

£895,000 is being offered to businesses who want to develop or relocate to Llanelli or Ammanford town centres, under a new round of the Town Centre Loan Scheme.

Businesses are also to benefit with £500,000 being offered for new business start-ups and existing businesses looking to expand, with grants of up to £10,000 being available.

Priority will be given to businesses that create and safeguard jobs, ensuring the investment will have a long-term positive impact on the economy.

As well as the businesses benefiting directly, the local construction industry and supply chain is expected to benefit as businesses look to build and expand premises.

Cllr Emlyn Dole, Leader of the council and executive board member for regeneration, said: “This is a significant investment that we hope will have long-term benefits for Carmarthenshire, not only for the businesses that could be eligible for support but because of the future jobs they will create.

“Strengthening our local economy is a key aim of the executive board’s Moving Forward in Carmarthenshire plan, so I’m delighted to announce this funding which I hope will energise the county and help us build a more prosperous future.”

• Information and eligibility criteria about all the grants on offer is available on the council’s website www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/business

Burry Port Town Band are scheduled to stage their annual summer concert next month.

The band’s special guests will be Tenovus Cancer Care Swansea Sing With Us Choir and Burry Port Junior Band.

Curtain up at the Memorial Hall in Burry Port is at 7pm on July 21, with tickets £10, under 16s free.

The Burry Port Town Band will be looking to perform an entertaining programme featuring popular classics and music from the stage and screen.

They will also feature their Eisteddfod programme ahead of the Royal National Eisteddfod at the Wales Millennium Centre on Saturday, August 4.

It has been a successful year for Burry Port Town Band, reaching the semi-finals of S4C Band Cymru and again qualifying to represent Wales at the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain taking place on September.

The compere for the Burry Port concert will be Robert Lloyd.