Carmarthenshire County Council Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole has reacted to the news that an automotive factory in Llanelli is to close with 220 job losses by the end of 2019.

Schaeffler in Bynea has been consulting with its workforce since November on what it called its “difficult proposals” to shut after more than 60 years.

Redundancies will begin about halfway through 2019.

Schaeffler is expected to work with staff members, unions and the Welsh Government to try to find alternative employment in the area for those losing their jobs. 

The former INA Bearings plant has been in production since 1957.

Cllr Dole said: “This announcement will be a terrible blow for Schaeffler’s dedicated and hard-working staff and their families, as well as the economy of Llanelli. Over recent weeks we have been in discussions with the company to see if there was anything we could do to save these jobs, and it’s bitterly disappointing that they have made their final decision to close the plant. Officers from the Authority are also in regular dialogue with officials from Welsh Government.

“We will now do all we can to support those that have lost their jobs – we have well established training and employability programmes and a dedicated team of staff who will support anyone affected to find alternative employment.

“We urge them to visit the Hwb in Stepney Street, Llanelli, to seek that support as soon as possible.”

 Related Links

• BBC – Schaeffler

There’s a few weeks remaining for people to have their say on the future development of Carmarthenshire.

Carmarthenshire County Council is asking people to take time to see what areas of land have been submitted to them for potential future development.

A consultation is underway for people to give their feedback, but this closes on February 8.

It forms part of the preparation of the Revised Local Development Plan (LDP) for 2018 – 2033, which will be used as the basis for determining future planning applications.

Over 900 ‘candidate sites’ were submitted by landowners, developers, and members of the public – sites that applicants feel should either be developed, or protected from future development.

Each of these candidate sites are available to view on an online map, which outlines the proposed development or protection site.

People are encouraged to make a comment on the proposals, and feedback will be used to inform the preparation of the Revised LDP.

Cllr Mair Stephens, Executive Board Member with responsibility for Planning, said: “We recently invited submissions from developers, landowners and the public for sites that could be included for new development, re-development or protection in the Revised Local Development Plan for 2018 – 2033.

“It’s very important to us that people have their say – we want to ensure that everyone has a fair opportunity to see what land has been put forward, which will help us assess the sites as part of the preparation of future LDP stages.”

Visit the planning pages for further information, links and guidance to view the online map of candidate sites.

 Related Links

• Planning
• Local Development Plan 2018 – 2033
• Consultation & Performance
• Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan – Candidate Site Register

Carmarthenshire’s Town and Village of Culture for 2019 is Whitland and Drefach Felindre, and that’s official!

Representatives of both communities including school children from Llys Hywel Primary and Dyffryn Taf Comprehensive came together and attended the launch, along with the minister of culture and sports, Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas.

The town council will take the lead in Whitland whilst a working group has been set up in Drefach Felindre to organise a programme of cultural events throughout the year.

The event was held at the Hywel Dda Centre and guest speakers were Carmarthenshire County Council chair, Cllr Mansel Lewis, President of the Hywel Dda Centre, Haydn Lewis and local historian Roger Penn.

Schools, sports clubs, music groups, food producers and businesses are all being urged to get involved and come forward with ideas.

A local co-ordinating group will now promote a variety of cultural events in Whitland throughout the year.

Cllr Peter Hughes-Griffiths, executive board member for culture, sport and tourism, said: “It was such a great event and a real pleasure to see the support and enthusiasm from people in the community wishing to celebrate our Welsh heritage.

I am now looking forward to the exciting activities that are being planned which will reflect the rich culture of both places.”

The council is hosting its second Celebration of Culture Awards at Llanelli’s Y Ffwrnes in April to celebrate and honour Carmarthenshire’s achievements in the arts and culture. Nominations and entries are now being taken here

 Related Links

• Carmarthenshire’s second Celebration of Culture Awards
• Earlier story on this Blog – http://rlloydpr.co.uk/2019/01/17/carmarthenshire-to-stage-second-celebration-of-culture-awards/

The newly refurbished industrial units in the Amman Valley have welcomed its first tenant.

Mal Walker Maintenance which provides servicing for cooling systems and general engineering maintenance for green energy companies nationally has moved into Glanamman Workshops.

Carmarthenshire County Council has invested £1million renovating the Glanamman Workshops on Tabernacle Road, which are now available to let to local businesses on flexible lease terms.

Rents range between £235 and £525 per month. Ten tenants have already been attracted to the site, but three units are still available.

The redevelopment offers 13 industrial units for business, general industrial, storage or distribution use.

The council wants to encourage job creation and increase supply and demand of industrial units in the area.

The council’s executive board member for resources, Cllr David Jenkins said: “We are pleased to accommodate Mal Walker Maintenance. The development has provided Mr Walker with a new, high-quality and convenient base in the Amman Valley which is perfect for his business’ needs, and we wish him all the very best. Many of the units are currently under offer and we only have three left. The renovation and revival of these workshops has been a commitment of mine since my election so I’m extremely pleased to see phase one completed. We now look forward to moving on to the second phase which is a further £1million investment from our five-year capital programme for the remaining block of 13 units.”

The Managed Property Unit can be contacted on 01267 246246 or estates@carmarthenshire.gov.uk for further information on the property available.

The first section of the ambitious Tywi Valley Path – a 16-mile stretch running alongside the River Tywi between Carmarthen and Llandeilo – is now open.

Over 750m of pathway linking Carmarthen Museum in Abergwili with Bwlch Bach to Fronun, and on to Whitemill, offers cyclists and walkers beautiful scenery including views of the Bishops Palace gardens and ponds.

The Tywi Valley Path is one of Carmarthenshire County Council’s exciting capital projects, and has received £128,000 through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

When complete, it is expected to boost the local economy by up to £2.4million a year through increased tourism and visitor spend, which is part of a long-term vision for Carmarthenshire to be recognised as the Cycling Hub of Wales

Good progress is being made across the entire Tywi Valley Path project – advanced works to the Carmarthen and District Anglers car park area have also recently been completed, and land negotiations continue to progress.

Works relating to the planning application for the eastern section are ongoing.

Land for the first section, starting at Abergwili, was acquired via a permissive agreement with the Welsh Government.

It involved the construction of a three metre wide path and an area for 25 car parking spaces near the county museum, travelling approximately 750m before it joins the U2183 from Bwlch Bach to Fronun – a section of road that has been upgraded as part of the Tywi Valley Path scheme with new signage, surfacing and road markings.

The opening of the first section coincides with the start of a major £1.25million restoration of the museum and £2.4million Tywi Gateway Project to restore and re-invigorate the Bishop’s Park and former palace outbuildings as a learning facility, visitor centre and café.

Cllr Hazel Evans, Executive Board Member for Environment, said: “It’s fantastic to see the first phase officially open and people enjoying what has been a long-term vision to support the county’s cycling and transport ambitions. The Tywi Valley Path will provide a 16-mile stretch of off-road pathway allowing people the opportunity to travel in a different way between Carmarthen and Llandeilo. With good progress being made, we’re excited to see the project ploughing ahead.”

Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole, with Executive Board responsibility for regeneration, added: “The Tywi Valley Path has the potential to significantly boost the local economy, and our officers will be seeking to work with businesses along its route to maximise its benefits, providing jobs and new facilities for people to use and enjoy.”

Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths said: “I am pleased that this new stretch of walking and cycling path has opened, providing a great opportunity for people to get out and about enjoying the Carmarthenshire countryside.”

 Related Links

• Tywi Valley Path
• Travel Roads & Parking
• Epic Cycling Routes – Discover Carmarthenshire

News from the Oriel Myrddin Gallery in Carmarthen –

A History of Carmarthen with Ken Murphy
Thursday 31 January 2019

11 – 11:45pm FREE – just drop in
Yr Atom – Arthur room

Our Current exhibition, The Building Project (see link below) has its roots in the themes of community, settlement and the need for shelter.

Join Ken Murphy from the Dyfed Archaeological Trust for a talk about the history of Carmarthen as a settlement and how its natural and artificial features have been shaped over time.

Find out about its topography, why it was built in this particular place and how the street layout came to be.

This talk will cover the history of the settlement from its earliest times right up until the modern day.

Dyfed Archaeological Trust is an independent organisation dedicated to the effective protection, investigation, recording and promotion of the historic environment. Ken Murphy is the Trust Director.

Gallery talk in association with the U3A. Part of Oriel Myrddin Gallery’s 50+ programme. All ages welcome.

About The Building Project –

The Building Project

15 January – 23 March 2019

What makes a house?  What makes a home? How do we make a community?

The Building Project, by creative practice Freshwest is a collaboration with Oriel Myrddin Gallery that invites people to participate in the making of their own miniaturised settlement in which to experiment, play and debate.

Within the gallery, participants will use a simple fabrication process to make small plaster “houses” that will contribute to the creation of an intriguing model settlement which will develop and grow in-situ.

Over the course of the exhibition, creatives and artists from diverse disciplines will then be invited to intervene in the settlement to re-interpret its material properties and its meaning.

Freshwest’s Building Project is a continuation of a recurring theme in their work that they call ‘design without designing’:  “We are interested in developing processes that have clearly defined boundary’s but leave space for creative interaction and unplanned events. This allows work to grow and change as it is created, resulting in an outcome that is ultimately more expressive and engaging, and perhaps completely different to when it was originally conceived.

We are fascinated with how emotive these simple plaster cubes can become. When you invite someone to build their own “house” they impart a sense of ownership over it, and in some way, part of them resides within. Once they placed their house into the settlement, they give over some of that ownership and become part of the community.  

For us The Building Project has no preconceived end point, its evolution, outcome and meaning are ultimately in the hands of its contributors”.