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Publicly-owned renewable energy developer powers ahead

Publicly-owned renewable energy developer powers ahead

The farms will have the potential to generate up to 400 MW of clean electricity – enough to power 350,000 Welsh homes' annual average electricity needs, which is around a quarter of the homes in Wales.
The first three proposed sites are:
Clocaenog Dau Wind Farm, Denbighshire/Conwy (up to 132 MW)
Glyn Cothi Wind Farm, Carmarthenshire (up to 162 MW)
Carreg Wen Wind Farm, Rhondda Cynon Taf (up to 108 MW)
Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru operates solely in the interests of Wales, with all profits generated reinvested in Welsh communities and public services.
It is estimated the developments will create hundreds of jobs during construction and operation, with Trydan committed to involving Welsh companies throughout the process.
Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru's chief executive, Richard Evans, said: 'As a Wales-wide developer, we can commit to nation-wide, strategic programmes, such as habitat management and restoration, and we look forward to working with stakeholders to define ambitious, long-term enhancements.'
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KEMI BADENOCH: Labour's council tax rises are a cynical raid on the very people who keep this country going
KEMI BADENOCH: Labour's council tax rises are a cynical raid on the very people who keep this country going

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

KEMI BADENOCH: Labour's council tax rises are a cynical raid on the very people who keep this country going

Labour are spending the summer warming us all up for more tax rises in the autumn... to fix the mess they made. Rachel Reeves 's business-squeezing budget has led to rising unemployment, lower growth and a stagnant economy. The latest estimates suggest her economic mismanagement has blown a £50billion hole in the public finances. And, as ever, Labour's answer to their problems is even more tax rises. Despite promising to freeze it before the election, council tax is going through the roof under Labour. In the small print of the Spending Review it says that council tax bills are set to rise by £700 on an average Band D home over this Parliament. But this isn't enough for Rachel Reeves. In Wales, Labour is already planning higher council tax bands to get after 'property wealth'. They're trialling something even more dangerous – re-valuing homes to push them into higher council tax bands. They've developed a database to work out how much your home should be taxed - tax tech which could then be deployed in England by the Valuation Office Agency. If you've worked hard, improved your home, or simply live in a nice area, your bills could soar. And Starmer has called Wales his 'blueprint', so you can bet it'll be coming to England next. Labour's friends in the think-tank world want to go one step further and are pushing for a 'Land Value Tax'. Not for the big property developers, but an old Jeremy Corbyn policy designed to tax not just your home, but the land it sits on. Tough luck if you've got a garden or a nice view. There would be no discount for single people. Widows and widowers would be hammered. And pensioners would be forced to pay this new bill even after death – a 'pay-as-you-die' tax that's basically inheritance tax in disguise. The Conservatives were pressured for 14 years to do this, and we refused. We understood then, as we do now, that hard-working families cannot afford to be taxed out of their homes. Labour doesn't care. They see your home as just another line in the ledger that they can tax whenever they run out of money. Given their record so far, this will be often. Reform are no better, creating new economic black holes as they promise billions in welfare spending with no plan to pay for any of it. I will fight this with everything I have. Because a home is more than bricks and mortar. It is the reward for years of hard work, saving, and sacrifice. It is security for our families. And it should not be treated like a cash machine for the Chancellor. Labour's land tax will be nothing more than a cynical raid on the very people who keep this country going. Under my leadership, the Conservatives will always defend property rights, sound money and low taxes. We will back the makers in this country – the people who do the right thing, pay their way, and just want to get on. And we will not stand by while Labour taxes your home to the hilt. We will oppose the Government if they try and punish those families and pensioners who have worked hard, and saved and invested in their homes.

High street chain with 185 stores launches 70% off closing down sales ahead of 25 shops shutting – see the full list
High street chain with 185 stores launches 70% off closing down sales ahead of 25 shops shutting – see the full list

The Sun

time11 hours ago

  • The Sun

High street chain with 185 stores launches 70% off closing down sales ahead of 25 shops shutting – see the full list

THE Original Factory Shop has announced it is shutting three more locations and has launched big closing down sales. The budget retailer has been closing stores across the UK as part of a huge restructure. 1 The company has already shut a series of stores this year and has announced more closures in the coming weeks, including its locations in Kirkham, Lancashire. Now it has revealed another three stores will be shutting. One is the store in Caldicot, Wales, which announced in a Facebook post that it will be closing for good this week. The post told customers: 'Final reductions in store with at least 50% off everything in store!!! Only 6 days left so come and grab a bargain while you can!!!' Customers have shared their disappointment that the store is closing on social media. One customer said: 'What day is your last day? So sad, I'd like to bring some flowers in for the staff if it's a day I'm not on my holiday x' Another devastated customer said: 'Another good store lost.' While a third added: 'Awful for the staff. Love that shop.' A closing down sale was launched with discounts of up to 70%. Two other stores have also announced that they will be closing. Among them is the shop in Market Drayton, Shropshire, which will close its doors for the last time on September 20. In a post on its Facebook page it said: 'We are sorry to let you know… this store is closing. Thank you to our wonderful customers and store colleagues for your support throughout our time here in the local community.' Loyal customers commented on the post, as one said: 'Gutted for you guys, will definitely miss shopping with you. Good Luck with your future plans X' Another said: 'So sorry for you all, good luck in your future ventures.' Full list of TOFS stores that have closed in 2025 or are set to close Here is a list of all the stores that have already shut or are earmarked for closure. Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire - June 26 Perth - June 28 Chester Le Street, County Durham - June 28 Arbroath, Angus - June 28 Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire - June 28 Pershore, Worcestershire - June 28 Normanton, West Yorkshire - June 28 Peterhead, Aberdeenshire - June 28 Shaftesbury, Dorset - June 28 Staveley, Cumbria - July 12 Bridlington - July 20 Caernarfon - July 20 Ashbourne - July 20 Matlock - July 26 Cupar, Fife - July 27 Kirkham, Lancashire - August Caldicot - Aug 7 Market Drayton - Sep 20 Middlewich, Cheshire - TBC Blairgowrie, Scotland - TBC Heswall - TBC Blairgowrie - TBC Kinross - TBC Heswall - TBC Nairn - date TBC While a third added: 'Such a shame for our town… another retailer gone.' The store has launched a closing down sale and all items are reduced. Meanwhile, The Original Factory shop in Nairn, Scotland, has also been earmarked for closure. The store announced the closure in a similar Facebook post but added: 'We'd love to see you in store one final time to say goodbye.' It is not yet clear when the store's last day will be. The news comes after at least four The Original Factory Shop stores closed last month. Among them was the store in Staveley, Chesterfield, which shut its doors for good on July 12. Meanwhile, the shops in Caernarfon, Wales, and Bridlington, Yorkshire, closed down on July 20. A final store, in Cupar, Fife, was shuttered on July 27. In total, 22 shops have closed or are set to shut this year. The Original Factory Shop did not respond to our request for comment. What's happening with TOFS? The Original Factory Shop was bought by private equity firm Modella Capital in February. Modella is known for taking on struggling retailers and has also recently acquired Hobbycraft and WHSmith's high street shops. The firm quickly launched a restructuring effort to renegotiate rents at 88 The Original Factory Shop stores. At the end of April, Modella drew up plans to initiate a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) for the retailer. Companies often use CVAs to prevent insolvency, which could otherwise force stores to close or trigger the collapse of the entire business. They allow firms to explore different options, including negotiating reduced rent rates with landlords. But The Original Factory shop previously told The Press and Journal that a 'number of loss-making stores would have to close' during the restructuring.

Farmers fight to save estate at heart of Powys Welsh-speaking community
Farmers fight to save estate at heart of Powys Welsh-speaking community

The Guardian

time12 hours ago

  • The Guardian

Farmers fight to save estate at heart of Powys Welsh-speaking community

Farmers and agricultural unions are fighting to save a large farming estate owned by Powys council amid sell-off plans that tenants say will affect the rural Welsh-speaking community by taking away a crucial stepping stone for young farmers. A total of 19 tenants living and working on 130 smallholdings, or about 15%, have been served with notices to quit since the local authority began sending eviction letters in February this year. The Guardian understands at least one was in arrears. According to the Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) the Powys farms estate – the largest of its kind in Wales, and the fifth-largest in the UK – is important for young farmers and those new to the industry, who often initially can't afford to buy their own land; only 3% of 'head of holding' farmers are under the age of 35. The local authority has sold about 30 farms since 2011. 'I consider myself to be quite a resilient person but hearing that people were being given notices on their homes and on their farms where they run their business to leave in six weeks literally made me feel sick,' said one Powys council tenant farmer in their 30s, who asked not to be named as they were in negotiations over renewing their contract. 'It made me worry about our future, because there was no communication beforehand, no rationale for it, just these letters in the post. Some of the tenants here are young families trying to establish themselves and build a life; without them, the community would look very different. I think it's very shortsighted of the council not to recognise that.' Powys is a vast, mountainous and sparsely populated county. Data from the most recent UK census in 2021 found that, like the rest of Wales, its population is ageing rapidly, while the population of 15- to 64-year-olds has dropped by 5%. The percentage of Welsh speakers in the county also fell from 18.6% in 2011 to 16.4% in 2021, the joint second-largest decline. Cymraeg is an integral part of the rural community's heritage: 45% of agricultural workers speak Welsh as their first language, more than any other industry, according to Welsh government figures. After outcry from farmers and unions, the council entered negotiations with several tenants who had been served notices, and a petition against the sales has been circulated widely. In a meeting last month on the future of the county farms estate, councillors voted to pause the sales until November and formed an advisory group to look at the issue. The vote also scrapped a target set in 2018 to sell £10m in assets a year to help offset funding shortfalls, which many believed had fuelled the farm eviction notices. In a statement, a Powys council spokesperson said that a 'strategic rationalisation of its property estate' was under way to 'ensure that assets are managed efficiently, sustainably and align with the evolving needs of our communities'. All sales income would be reinvested into council services and projects, they added. However, the farming community remains deeply worried about the future. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion 'These farms were set up after the first world war for returning soldiers, to give them work. As time has gone by, farms have got bigger, and smaller farms are not viable any more, so it's impossible for newcomers to establish themselves without leasing or renting,' said Wyn Williams, the chair for Montgomeryshire in northern Powys for the FUW. 'Good tenants improve and maintain the houses and farms, and build up good businesses. Now leases can be as short as three or four years, when they used to be for a lifetime. You need to present a business plan to get these farms, it's very competitive, and even then, now it seems like it could all get taken away in a letter through the door from the council,' he said. 'These tenants are in a very vulnerable position. Their whole lives could be uprooted.'

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