
Powys holiday park hailed after being named best in Wales
An award winning leisure park in Powys received praise by Montgomeryshire MS Russell George as part of Wales Tourism Week.
The Montgomeryshire Senedd Member visited Meadow Springs Country & Leisure Park, a touring and holiday home park in Trefeglwys to congratulate the team on recent award wins as part of Wales Tourism Week celebrations.
Opened in February 2022, the park is owned by Jonathan Williams and Lisa Hughes, and recently received the 'Best Caravan, Camping & Glamping' award at the National Tourism Awards for Wales.
Clive Bowen, service manager at Meadow Springs Country & Leisure Park said: "At Meadow Springs, we're proud to offer a wide range of leisure facilities to suit all interests and ages.
"Whether it's paddleboarding or kayaking on our crystal-clear spring water lake, casting a line in our private stretch of river, or letting the kids explore our adventure play area, there's something for everyone. Guests can also enjoy scenic walks or cycle along our all-weather paths through the park.
'And at the heart of it all is Arthur's Restaurant & Bar, where we serve hearty, home-cooked meals made with locally sourced ingredients in a relaxed, friendly setting.
'I'm glad we had the opportunity to show Russell around what we believe, is a unique selling point for mid Wales tourism."
During his visit, Russell George toured the park's facilities, learning about the park's recent £4 million investment, and its future investment of £3 million in new spa facilities with a swimming pool, sauna and gym.
He said: 'The exceptional transformation over the last couple of years of the Meadow Springs site highlights the extraordinary innovation that is taking place in mid Wales' tourism industry.
"Meadow Springs offers incredible opportunities for visitors, contributing significantly to our local economy and showcases the best of what our area has to offer.
'They continue to invest in improving the site to make it a truly unique mid Wales experience.
'I congratulate Jonathan, Lisa, and service manager Clive Bowen and their team on winning the award for 'Best Caravan, Camping & Glamping' at the National Tourism Awards for Wales, this is a testament to their hard work. The team are not resting on their laurels and it was exciting to hear about their future plans which will only enhance their offer to visitors but also the local community.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Powys County Times
4 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Fears Powys planners aren't going out to visit sites
CONCERN over the lack of site visits being conducted by members of Powys County Council's Planning committee ahead of deciding applications, has been flagged up with the Auditor General for Wales. Earlier today, (Friday – June 5) Montgomeryshire's Conservative MS Russell George met with the Auditor General for Wales Adrian Crompton and a team from Audit Wales to work through a list of concerns about the council's planning service. In April, Mr Russell wrote to Mr Crompton raising continued and serious concerns regarding the performance of the planning service. This follows the publication of two reports by Audit Wales on the council's planning service in the last two years. Following today's meeting Mr George MS said: 'The auditor general took on board my concerns and examples provided and will use what I outlined as part of a wider piece of work Audit Wales are undertaking around the governance and leadership of the council.' Mr George explained that they worked through a number of points that formed the basis of the meeting agenda and gave examples of planning issues that he has come across. Mr George said: 'We did spend some time on examples around missing and inaccurate information in reports going to committee. 'I also made the point on the lack of site visits by committee.' Interest in Mr George's concerns around planning in Powys was shown by members of the council's Governance and Audit committee last month. The committee chairwoman and lay-member Lynne Hamilton said that she will be expecting an update on the issue following the meeting. In May 2023 Audit Wales published a damning report into the state of Powys council's planning service and issued a number of recommendations for the council to address. In response, the council set up an internal board to help steer improvements in the service. Last November, Audit Wales issued a follow up report which said that 'overall' they had found that Powys planners had 'responded quickly' to improve its arrangements. Audit Wales said that the planning service has: 'implemented the 2023 recommendations in full.' Mr George believes that the follow-up review did not provide a 'comprehensive examination' of planning.


Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Two new business units at former contaminated Shawfield site now complete
They were completed 'on time and on budget' after a funding boost from the Scottish Government. A pair of new business units have been completed at the former contaminated Shawfield site. The high-value manufacturing industrial units have been built on formerly contaminated land which had been described as one of the most polluted inner-city locations in the UK. They were completed 'on time and on budget' after a funding boost from the Scottish Government. Named Innovation Shawfield, the South Lanarkshire development was visited by the Scottish Government Investment Minister, Tom Arthur on May 27, to inspect the newly-finished commercial spaces that form the first phase of a new £500 million regeneration programme called 'Clyde Gateway Innovation'. Innovation Shawfield has been jointly funded by the UK Government, Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and Clyde Gateway, with additional funding for further infrastructure works also being provided by South Lanarkshire Council. The works are spearheaded by Clyde Gateway, Scotland's largest regeneration project, which in addition to the construction of the two new units, also includes further site acquisition and remediation works as well as the treatment of contaminants from the old chemical works near the Polmadie Burn. The site has been remediated over a number of years, transforming derelict land that had otherwise lain empty for decades, into an area of investment, growth, opportunity and job creation. It was built on the former J&J Whites Chemical plant, also known as Shawfield Chemical Works, which operated from 1820 to 1967 and at one point produced up to 70 per cent of the UK's chromate products. This activity generated significant volumes of hazardous chromium waste, which continues to be remediated by Clyde Gateway. Remediation works initially commenced in Shawfield in 2013, which led to the construction of 'Red Tree Magenta', a 40,000sq. ft managed office building, which opened in December 2018 and now supports 21 companies and over 180 jobs. This latest £8.75m project is part of a £25m investment programme currently underway on site, which includes a £14.6m contribution in November 2023 from the UK Government (formerly Levelling Up Funding Round 3), £1.2m from Scottish Enterprise and £7.5m from The Scottish Government, with Clyde Gateway and South Lanarkshire Council contributing the remainder. The two industrial units, totalling 2700m2 (29,000sq. ft), received planning permission in March 2024 and have been constructed by Heron Bros. Designed to achieve BREEAM 'Excellent' status in addition to exemplary ESG credentials, they are designed for high-value manufacturing (HVM) use. Mr Arthur said: 'Our significant investment in this project has helped to remove toxic chemicals from the former Shawfield Chemical Works site and transform it into a thriving hub for businesses. 'The completion of these works is welcome news for Glasgow and Rutherglen, creating up to 90 permanent jobs and ultimately reducing pollution in the River Clyde. 'To benefit people throughout Scotland, we are providing £62.15 million for regeneration projects in 2025/26. This will revitalise green spaces, town centres and derelict sites across the country.' Martin McKay, chief executive of Clyde Gateway, said: 'Remediating this land not only removes an eyesore from the local community, it will also bring jobs and economic activity well into the future. Clyde Gateway has remediated the equivalent of over 400 football pitches since our inception and this work has transformed the areas of Rutherglen, Dalmarnock and Bridgeton, with new housing, green spaces and businesses now filling what was dead space. 'With the help of funding from our partners, including the Scottish and UK Governments, we have been able to create these new spaces on time and on budget. This development forms part of our £500m vision for Clyde Gateway that will establish the area as a hub for innovation, green jobs and advanced manufacturing, bringing new homes, hotels and employment opportunities.'


The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Ensure no UK-made weapons used to ‘ethnically cleanse' Palestinians, MP urges
The UK Government must suspend all arms exports to Israel to remove the risk of British-made weapons being used to 'ethnically cleanse' Palestinians, the Commons has heard. Labour MP Steve Witherden said Gaza is 'already a slaughterhouse' as he urged ministers to detail their 'red line' which would halt further exports. The MP for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr added the 'true scale' of UK military exports to Israel 'remains unknown and unaccountable' before raising questions over the supply of 'crucial' components to Israel connected to the F-35 fighter jet programme. Business minister Douglas Alexander said the UK Government is not selling F-35 components 'directly to the Israeli authorities' and the export licence prevents 'direct shipments for Israel for use in Israel'. MPs were told the UK's exports of spare F-35 parts are part of a global supply network and exporters have 'no sight and no control over the specific ultimate end users for their export'. In September last year, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the suspension of around 30 arms sale licences to Israel amid concerns a 'clear risk' exists that they could be used to breach international humanitarian law. The Government said exports to the global F-35 programme would be excluded from the suspension decision, except where going directly to Israel, to avoid 'prejudicing the entire' scheme. Al-Haq, a Palestinian human rights organisation, which has brought a legal action against the Department for Business and Trade over its decisions, said the 'carve-out' gives 'rise to a significant risk of facilitating crime'. Mr Witherden, leading an adjournment debate on arms and military cargo export controls and Israel, told the Commons: 'The Foreign Secretary's recent condemnation of Israel's action as 'monstrous' was welcome but incomplete for my very same Government continues to facilitate such actions. 'We cannot have it both ways. We cannot condemn atrocity whilst simultaneously fuelling the machinery that enables it. We cannot claim to uphold international law while profiting from its breach.' Mr Witherden raised several issues, including asking the Government to explain how it defines 'defensive' weapons and what makes an F-35 component compatible with this definition. He said: 'It's the Government's position that the need to continue to supply F-35 components outweighs the risk of genocide and, if so, is there any circumstance that would lead to the UK stopping that supply? 'The Government has claimed that there are red lines that would trigger a halt to exports, but Gaza is already a slaughterhouse. 'Children are emaciated or dying of hunger. Hospitals have been intentionally destroyed. Israel's leaders vow to wipe out Gaza and still the weapons flow. 'So finally I ask the minister where is our red line? I call on this Government to suspend all arms exports to Israel to ensure that no British-made weapons are used in Israel's brutal plans to annexe, starve and ethnically cleanse the Palestinian population. 'The credibility of this House depends not just on what we condemn but on what we enable and history will remember we enabled too much.' Mr Alexander began by condemning the 'act of barbarism' by Hamas in Israel on October 7 2023, which killed around 1,200 people, before he warned that Israel's operations have been 'indefensible', 'disproportionate' and 'counterproductive to any lasting peace settlement'. The minister reiterated that the UK Government in September last year suspended arms exports licences for items to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) that could be used in military operations in Gaza. He said: 'This measure is still in place and I'd like to reiterate that based on our current assessment of potential breaches of international humanitarian law, we are not licencing military equipment provided directly to the IDF that could be used for military operations in Gaza. 'It is right to acknowledge that our export licences granted in relation to Israel cover a wider remit than simply those items that may be used in Gaza. 'There are a relatively small number of licences for the IDF relating to equipment which we assess would not be used in the current conflict, including – for example – parts of air defence systems that defend Israel from acts such as the major aerial attack from Iran in April 2024. 'We also think it is right for us to continue providing military grade body armour used by non-governmental organisations and journalists and to provide parts to the supply chain which are ultimately re-exported back out of Israel to support the defence of our Nato allies.' Mr Alexander also said: 'Undermining the F-35 programme at this juncture would, in the view of the Government, disrupt international peace and security, Nato deterrence and European defence as a whole. 'In relation to components for the F-35 aircraft, our exporters provide these to a global spares pool and the common production line for new aircraft where they have no sight and no control over the specific ultimate end users for their export. 'Put plainly, it is not possible to suspend licencing of F-35 components for use by one F-35 nation without ceasing supply to the entire global F-35 programme. It was therefore judged necessary by the Government to exclude F-35 components from the scope of the suspension. 'But let me be very clear, the UK Government is not selling F-35 components directly to the Israeli authorities and the licence that allows the export of F-35 components was amended in September to specifically make clear that direct shipments for Israel for use in Israel are not permitted.'