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Powys County Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Natural Weigh, Wales' first zero waste shop, on the move
WALES' first zero waste shop is expanding into new premises after eight years. Natural Weigh first opened its doors in the Corn Exchange on Crickhowell 's High Street in 2018, with the historic former pub bought by the community to prevent it being turned into a national-chain supermarket. The community-owned building provided a secure and supportive site for the shop to get established. Despite a turbulent few years through Covid, the Ukraine war affecting the price of products and Brexit, Natural Weigh has found a home in the Powys town and managed to thrive. Natural Weigh led the way for zero waste shopping in Wales as the first of its kind in the country. The shop focusses on organic wholefoods and refillable cleaning products and tries to support as many local producers as possible in the area. All products are sold entirely free from single use plastic. Customers are encouraged to bring their own, reusable containers to refill with anything from porridge oats to walnuts, all sold by weight. Natural Weigh is now moving across the road, into a larger premises which used to be the town's bakery. The remarkable story of the local community coming together to buy the old Corn Exchange is one of the reasons Natural Weigh owners Robin and Chloe Masefield chose to open in Crickhowell. 'It was really important for us to remain in Crickhowell, ' said co-owner Robin. 'We have built up such a strong customer base here and the community have been so welcoming, that we couldn't leave.' Chloe added: 'One of our favourite things about Crickhowell, and possibly the reason we have done so well, is that there is a complete offering on the high street for all your shopping needs. 'With the bakery closing we were concerned that this would change the whole feel of the town. 'While we recognise that Natural Weigh is not a bakery, we will continue to sell products from The Angel Bakery in Abergavenny, and we are determined that local bread is still available on the High Street. 'We will also be bringing in a local cook to bake some products on site.' With the extra space in the new shop, Natural Weigh will also be adding to their range, with organic wine on tap, frozen British berries by the scoop, sweet and savoury treats baked on site and sourdough and focaccia sandwiches to go. The new premises will be open from this Wednesday, June 4. The shop will be closed Monday and Tuesday this week, while the move is being completed.
Powys County Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Radical shake-up of Powys sixth forms slammed by councillors
PROPOSALS to reorganise sixth forms in Powys that could end up with just two sixth forms in the county have been slammed by councillors. At a meeting of Powys County Council Learning and Skills on Friday, May 2, councillors and lay committee members received a presentation on the outcome of a strategic review into post-16 education in the county. The review has come up with three options to consider. These will be subject to a two stage 'engagement' process which will allow people to give their views on the proposals over the next six months. Council education staff stressed that the current model with all schools having their own sixth form is not 'financially viable.' The need to address post-16 provision has also been highlighted by education watchdog Estyn in scathing report on the department published in March. Option three is the preferred way and could see a sixth form college set up with one board of governors and management team across two sites in Brecon and Newtown. Similarly, a sixth form college would be based across Welsh medium all-through schools at Ysgol Bro Hyddgen in Machynlleth, Bro Caereinion in Llanfair Caereinion and potentially Builth Wells. The Welsh medium sixth form would also be run separately. Cllr Chloe Masefield (Liberal Democrat) represents Crickhowell, which has the biggest sixth form in Powys – albeit with many pupils coming from Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent. Cllr Masefield said: 'I have really significant concerns about this review, and don't think it's appropriate for it to go out to engagement in its current state. 'It's not acceptable to go out and ask people to engage on a paper which doesn't present the information clearly and in a format that allows you to make a decision on it. 'It's unclear what option one and two would be. 'Option three is very clear on the specific on the locations of these sixth forms and puts them in Brecon and Newtown and I don't really know how that's been decided. 'Crickhowell sixth form is operating incredibly successfully, bringing in students and funding from across the border and there's no argument to say that we should be closing it.' She warned that 'every single person in the area of Crickhowell' would object to this. Conservative group leader Cllr Aled Davies who represents Llansilin and Llanrhaedr-ym-Mochnant said that he was concerned at the 'lack of vision' of what Powys education could look like in 15 to 20 year's time. Cllr Davies said that successful sixth forms could be 'swept up and lost' and that the work should focus on those sixth forms with small pupil numbers . Cllr Davies said: 'I worry that this paper is all or nothing, there has to be a blend and the focus on standards.' Cllr Sue McNicholas (Labour) who represents Ynyscedwyn near Ystradgynlais said: 'If these options came to fruition we would lose our pupils here in the south in droves across the border, as we have two colleges who offer a lot more subjects and options. 'It would be very detrimental to Ysgol Maesydderwen. 'In all fairness I cannot see pupils from Ystradgynlais travelling the 28 miles up the road to Brecon.' Director or education Dr Richard Jones told the committee there had been 'thorough engagement' ahead of the Powys Sixth/ Chweched Powys model being introduced and that 'learning from that' had been taken onboard. Dr Jones said: ''That's provided us with a framework for three options to go out to engagement.' He believed that going out to engagement without options would take the council: 'back to that pre Powys Sixth point.' Powys Sixth was rolled out in 2022 with greater emphasis on collaboration between schools and online learning. Cabinet member for post-16 education Cllr David Selby Liberal Democrat said: 'What we have demonstrated is the complexity of the issue that faces us. 'We have discussed this twice in the last 15 years and ended up not doing an awful lot – the short term challenges are only going to grow.' He pointed out that the decline in pupil numbers and those going on to sixth forms after their GCSEs was only going to continue. The challenge of countering the offer from further education colleges out of county would also: 'steadily get worse not better.' Cllr Selby said: 'The vision for the future is more likely to be option three than the others and we have to be prepared to offer a more mature post-16 offer which is why pupils are going over the border. 'We need to find a way of moving forward together.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Criticism over proposals to close sixth forms in county
Councillors have criticised proposals which could see Powys end up with just two sixth forms. A Powys County Council learning and skills scrutiny committee meeting on Friday saw three options revealed as the outcome of a strategic review into post-16 education. The preferred option would see a sixth form college with one management team set up across two sites in Brecon and Newtown, while another college would be set up across a number of Welsh medium schools. Councillor Chloe Masefield, who represents Crickhowell, said she had "significant concerns" about the review. The options will be subject to an "engagement" process which will allow people to give their views on the proposals over the next six months. Council education staff stressed the current model with all schools having their own sixth form was not "financially viable". The need to address post-16 provision has also been highlighted by education watchdog Estyn in a scathing report on the department published in March. One option could see a sixth form college set up with one board of governors and management team across two sites in Brecon and Newtown. Similarly, a sixth form college would be based across Welsh medium all-through schools at Ysgol Bro Hyddgen in Machynlleth, Bro Caereinion in Llanfair Caereinion and potentially Builth Wells. The Welsh medium sixth form would be run separately. Councillor will not resign despite critical report Wales-England border school taken off closure list Specialist school needs big improvement - watchdog Crickhowell has the biggest sixth form in Powys with many pupils coming from Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent. "Crickhowell sixth form is operating incredibly successfully, bringing in students and funding from across the border and there's no argument to say that we should be closing it," Masefield said. She warned "every single person in the area of Crickhowell" would object to the proposals. Council Conservative group leader Aled Davies, who represents Llansilin and Llanrhaedr-ym-Mochnant, said he was concerned at the "lack of vision" of what Powys education could look like in 15 to 20 years' time. Davies said successful sixth forms could be "swept up and lost" and that the work should focus on those sixth forms with small pupil numbers. Sue McNicholas, who represents Ynyscedwyn near Ystradgynlais, said the area would lose pupils "in droves" across the border. Plaid Cymru's Bryn Davies who represents Banwy, Llanfihangel and Llanwddyn, said for many school pupils in the north of Powys, Newtown is a distant place. He said: "The only central location in the north I can see at the moment for this is in Welshpool, which was the old (Montgomeryshire) county town. "It would be much more suitable for an English medium sixth form." He asked whether this could be put forward as a potential option to be considered. Dr Richard Jones, director of education, told the committee there had been "thorough engagement" ahead of the model being introduced and that "learning from that" had been taken onboard. Dr Jones said: "That's provided us with a framework for three options to go out to engagement". He said he believed going out to engagement without options would take the council "back to that pre Powys Sixth point", which was rolled out in 2022 with a focus on collaboration between schools. Recommendations from the committee will be added to the report which is expected to go before the Liberal Democrat and Labour cabinet for a decision later this month to start the engagement process.
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Powys sixth form college proposals criticised by councillors
Councillors have criticised proposals which could see Powys end up with just two sixth forms. A Powys County Council learning and skills scrutiny committee meeting on Friday saw three options revealed as the outcome of a strategic review into post-16 education. The preferred option would see a sixth form college with one management team set up across two sites in Brecon and Newtown, while another college would be set up across a number of Welsh medium Chloe Masefield, who represents Crickhowell, said she had "significant concerns" about the review. The options will be subject to an "engagement" process which will allow people to give their views on the proposals over the next six education staff stressed the current model with all schools having their own sixth form was not "financially viable".The need to address post-16 provision has also been highlighted by education watchdog Estyn in a scathing report on the department published in option could see a sixth form college set up with one board of governors and management team across two sites in Brecon and a sixth form college would be based across Welsh medium all-through schools at Ysgol Bro Hyddgen in Machynlleth, Bro Caereinion in Llanfair Caereinion and potentially Builth Welsh medium sixth form would be run separately. Crickhowell has the biggest sixth form in Powys with many pupils coming from Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent."Crickhowell sixth form is operating incredibly successfully, bringing in students and funding from across the border and there's no argument to say that we should be closing it," Masefield said. She warned "every single person in the area of Crickhowell" would object to the Conservative group leader Aled Davies, who represents Llansilin and Llanrhaedr-ym-Mochnant, said he was concerned at the "lack of vision" of what Powys education could look like in 15 to 20 years' said successful sixth forms could be "swept up and lost" and that the work should focus on those sixth forms with small pupil McNicholas, who represents Ynyscedwyn near Ystradgynlais, said the area would lose pupils "in droves" across the border. Plaid Cymru's Bryn Davies who represents Banwy, Llanfihangel and Llanwddyn, said for many school pupils in the north of Powys, Newtown is a distant said: "The only central location in the north I can see at the moment for this is in Welshpool, which was the old (Montgomeryshire) county town."It would be much more suitable for an English medium sixth form."He asked whether this could be put forward as a potential option to be considered. Dr Richard Jones, director of education, told the committee there had been "thorough engagement" ahead of the model being introduced and that "learning from that" had been taken Jones said: "That's provided us with a framework for three options to go out to engagement". He said he believed going out to engagement without options would take the council "back to that pre Powys Sixth point", which was rolled out in 2022 with a focus on collaboration between from the committee will be added to the report which is expected to go before the Liberal Democrat and Labour cabinet for a decision later this month to start the engagement process.
