Powys communities improve public toilets with £40,000
Two Powys communities have benefitted from £40,000 of funding from the Welsh Government towards new public toilet facilities.
Berriew and Crickhowell have revamped the public toilets via funding secured by Powys County Council from the Welsh Government, with Berriew receiving £22,500 towards improving the 50-year-old toilets in the centre of the village and Crickhowell getting £18,000 towards a revamp of the toilets at the Crickhowell Resource and Information Centre.
The funding was secured by the council's economy and climate service to cover 80 per cent of the project costs, while the improvements were managed by by Crickhowell Town Council and Berriew Community Council.
Councillor James Gibson-Watt, Powys County Council's cabinet member for a more prosperous Powys, said: 'It's great that visitors to Crickhowell and Berriew now have access to better toilet facilities.
'I hope more people will now be encouraged to stop off and see what both places have to offer and spend more than just a penny.'
Crickhowell Town Council used its funding, along with a Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Sustainable Development Fund grant, to install new water-saving toilets, waterless urinals, 8kWp PV solar panels and battery, and low energy light fittings.
Crickhowell town councillor Tony D'Anna said: 'This project took over six months to complete, but the hard work will pay off in the end. The town council and CRiC should save £5,000 per year on the operating costs for the toilets – currently more than £23,000 – and we will reduce our carbon footprint by over one tonne.
'Its success will be down to terrific partnership work with Powys County Council's tourism team, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and CRiC staff.'
Berriew Community Council used its funding, along with a National Lottery Awards for All grant, to create two modern public toilet compartments, accessible to all, including those in wheelchairs and families needing baby change facilities.
Councillor Phil Bettley, chair of Berriew Community Council added: 'This major refurbishment was long overdue and entailed us buying the freehold from the landlord for £1 to secure the facilities into the future.
"We now have two modern, self-contained, private spaces with hygienic facilities which are frequented regularly by locals, tourists and those passing by.
'This couldn't have achieved without the Brilliant Basics grant and the National Lottery, Awards for All, scheme and we are very grateful to both bodies for their tremendous support.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Live
a day ago
- North Wales Live
A55 drivers warned to expect 'occasional' delays this weekend
A55 drivers are being warned of occasional disruption while work takes place on a railway bridge in Conwy. Essential maintenance is scheduled this weekend on the bridge parallel to the Conwy Road crossing which carries traffic between Llandudno Junction and Conwy Town. The work is taking place overnight, starting on Saturday, June 7, and running until Monday morning, June 9. Maintenance staff will be on site between 10pm and 6am both nights. During these times, traffic between the Conwy Tunnel and junction 18 for Llandudno Junction could potentially be affected. Traffic Wales has warned of 'occasional traffic stops and rolling roadblocks' while the work takes place. Nearby, work has also begun on a new off-road path to connecting Llandudno Junction and Glan Conwy. The 2km active travel route is designed to make journeys easier, safer and more accessible for pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users, and people with prams and mobility scooters. Active travel improvements have already been carried out by Welsh Government at Junction 18 of the A55. These are being linked to Glan Conwy via a three metre-wide lit path around the RSPB Conwy bird reserve. The route will also connect to the bridge to the Cob for onward travel to Conwy.
Business News Wales
4 days ago
- Business News Wales
Strata Florida Visitor Centre Reopens Thanks to Local Support
The visitor centre at the historical Strata Florida has reopened thanks to support from a local trust. Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service, has joined forces with the Strata Florida Trust in a collaborative arrangement to safeguard and enhance the heritage site with local people now managing the site and visitor centre. Strata Florida – meaning 'Vale of Flowers' in Latin – is a medieval abbey in Ceredigion where generations of Welsh princes are buried, with the Cistercian abbey having stood on the banks of the river Teifi since 1184. The Strata Florida Trust's staff and volunteers, already working on the restoration of the Mynachlog Fawr farmhouse and farm buildings nearby, will manage the area as part of a pilot until October. The Trust runs a free-to-enter exhibition next door to the abbey, which tells the story of the farmhouse and the local and agricultural history, through a range of objects from within the farmhouse, from a spinning wheel to grandfather clock and historic tools. As part of Volunteers Week, the Minister for Culture Jack Sargeant, visited the site to pay thanks to the Trust, its staff and its passionate volunteers for their commitment to ensuring the abbey remains open and accessible. Latest stats show 30% of people in Wales have volunteered, with the Welsh Government investing more than £4.6 million in grant funding over the past three years through Wales Council for Voluntary Action. This has resulted in nearly 2,800 new volunteers aged 11-25 and over 6,300 new volunteers aged 25 plus – with a combined total of nearly 420,000 hours of volunteering taking place. The Minister said: 'Like many attractions, the Strata Florida visitor centre closed during the Covid pandemic but it has now had the opportunity to reopen, with Strata Florida Trust's dedicated staff and volunteers taking the lead. 'Volunteering is vital to the well-being of our local communities; not only is it good for those who give, but for those who benefit. Their commitment, along with that of the Trust's staff, has been instrumental in making this significant site of Welsh heritage available to visitors once again. Diolch yn fawr pawb.' To help in making Welsh heritage more accessible, the partnership is trialling free entry to the entire site, with visitors encouraged to make voluntary donations to support the ongoing conservation and operation of the nationally significant monument. Mick Taylor of the Strata Florida Trust, said: 'I'm delighted the Trust has partnered with Cadw for the benefit of Wales and beyond. 'Strata Florida is central to Welsh cultural identity, cherished nationally and internationally. Building on its legacy as a spiritual, political and literary centre with environmental lessons to teach, we're working to transform the site for future generations.' The site will be staffed daily from 10am to 4pm until 31 October.
Business News Wales
4 days ago
- Business News Wales
£11m Funding Boost for Powys Recreational Tourism Projects
Powys County Council have received a contribution of almost £11 million from the UK Government Levelling Up Fund to invest in capital projects aimed at promoting recreational tourism through transport investment. The Levelling Up funding aims to address regional disparities across the UK by investing in vital local infrastructure projects to increase pride in place and bring people closer to opportunity. This latest payment will be spent within 2025/26 financial year, delivering projects within the county which aim to boost recreational tourism and contribute to local economic growth. These include: Resurfacing – will improve access to tourist hotspots and support the National Cycle Network, facilitating better journey quality for residents and visitors. Active travel – will provide improved access between key towns and the surrounding tourist destinations, making it easier for visitors to explore Powys using active modes and improve accessibility to key locations for residents. In particular, the schemes will include those planned for Llandrindod Lake, Brecon promenade, the next phase of the Llandrindod Wells to Howey route and a section of the Crickhowell to Llangattock route. Rights of Way refurbishment – will enable and improve visitors' accessibility to Powys' Rights of Way network. The initial project will include the replacement of Pont y Milgy footbridge, Ystradgynlais. 'This latest contribution of Levelling Up Funding from UK Government will allow us to begin making the improvements needed to the county's transport infrastructure,' said Cllr Jake Berriman, Leader of Powys County Council. 'Through this timely investment, we aim to improve accessibility to key services, encourage active travel and support recreational activities, providing better journeys for everyone and improve connectivity to tourist hotspots. 'We are hopeful to receive confirmation of additional Levelling Up Funding to enable us to complete further projects in the future.'
