Latest news with #MelinHomes
South Wales Argus
25-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Y Prentis apprenticeship scheme Closure confirmed by council
Y Prentis was set up by Monmouthshire County Council and housing association Melin Homes in 2016 and provides apprenticeships across the 10 authorities that make up the Cardiff Capital Region in South East Wales but has struggled to provide opportunities in recent years. That has resulted in it recording a loss, of £75,123, in 2023/24 on top of loss of £24,311 the previous year and only a minority of those in training were completing their apprentices and gaining the required qualifications. Melin Homes, which was the joint shareholder with Monmouthshire council and paid a management fee for hosting the programme, decided earlier this year it no longer wished to do so following its merger with Newport City Homes to create the Hedyn housing association. Monmouthshire council's Labour-led cabinet has now agreed to close Y Prentis and around 50 apprentices and staff will transfer to South West Wales-based training body Cyfle. Run by the three independent construction industry training groups it holds charitable status and is the largest shared apprenticeship scheme in the UK and currently employs 95 apprentices and will expand its operating base to take in South East Wales. Council deputy leader Paul Griffiths described the closure of Y Prentis as 'unfortunate' but said the relationship with Cyfle is 'very postitive'. It's estimated Y Prentis will have a surplus of around £100,000 on closure and any money remaining after paying off creditors will be transferred to Cyfle in line with its article of association that any surplus is transferred to an organisation with similar objectives. A Monmouthshire council officer will also have a seat on Cyfle's directors board to provide future updates to council committees and the cabinet.
The Irish Sun
21-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Moment neighbour smashes flats with axe before donning scuba gear, clutching spear & hiding in bathtub full of water
SHOCKING footage shows the moment a man smashed flats to pieces with an axe in a horror siege. Michael Hockey, 55, was captured on camera after he armed himself with an axe, spear and samurai sword to mount an out of control attack. 2 Michael Hockey, 55, armed with an axe during his rampage Credit: WNS 2 He caused £31,000 of damage in total Credit: WNS Video showed a bare-chested Hockey battering in his neighbours' doors and windows with the axe. A neighbour can be heard desperately pleading with "Mike" to stop the frenzied rampage during the footage to no avail. Hockey, of Pontypool, Wales, then set fire to his own house in the next bout of chaos. Cops were called after Hockey barricaded himself inside the building - and arrived to find him in scuba-diving gear and breathing apparatus while holding a spear. Read More in The Sun Armed officers and a negotiator were called to the siege in Pontypool, South Wales, and when they cut the power to his flat he shouted "b*****s" at them. The court heard Hockey caused £31,000 of damage during the two hour stand-off. When officers and firefighters eventually entered Hockey was found in a bath full of water. The crazed attacker had to be tased and blasted with a water hose before his arrest. Most read in The Sun Prosecutor Tom Roberts said in the days leading up to the police siege, Hockey had been "behaving erratically" and "playing loud music." He said: "He had been ranting and raving and making threats against a neighbour. "The defendant screamed that he was a traitor and said he was going to tear his face off and kill him." Armed cops descend on Lewisham amid fears of 'hostage situation' as man seen waving knife outside window He added: "He was described as snarling like a dog and said he was going to shoot him with a bow and arrow." Mr Roberts said Hockey then began hitting his neighbour's front door with an axe. "The victim, who has Asperger's, was terrified and was struggling to make sense of what was happening," he said. "He thought he was going to get into his flat and kill him." Hockey was sectioned under the Mental Health Act following the incident at the apartments owned by housing association Melin Homes on August 15, 2023. He said he had been watching TV "when Tarot card readers began communicating with him." After the arrest, officers found that Hockey had been growing 11 cannabis flats in his apartment. He was also armed to the teeth with cops finding a whip, a bow and arrow and an old police truncheon. Hockey admitted arson reckless as to whether life was endangered, affray, cultivating cannabis and criminal damage at Newport Crown Court. Alice Sykes, defending, said the event that day might have been triggered by a psychotic episode brought on by drug use. She added that Hockey had shown "genuine remorse". Judge Matthew Porter-Bryant said it was lucky that no one had been injured or killed and commended the emergency services for their actions. "Thankfully, only time and money was lost here," he added. Hockey of Sebastopol, Pontypool was jailed for two years and six months.
South Wales Argus
08-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Newport affordable homes plan approved despite parking fears
The city council's planning committee has given its unanimous approval to plans to redevelop the land, off Kelvedon Street, for residential use. Neighbours had complained about the potential impact on parking, but planning officers said the expected demand for visitor spaces could be accommodated on surrounding streets. Formerly the home of a commercial printing business, the now-vacant site has 'significant potential to bring urban redevelopment' to the area, senior planning officer Joanne Davidson told the committee on Wednesday. The 22 one-bed and eight two-bed apartments, if completed, would be contained in a single building up to 10.6 metres in height, and each home would have its own balcony. The properties would reportedly be managed by Newport City Homes – which has recently merged with fellow housing association Melin Homes to form a new organisation, Hedyn. Ms Davidson said the initial proposal placed the apartments closer to Witham Street, but was moved further away from existing homes on council officers' advice. She told the committee the proposal for the site 'is welcomed, is positive… and the residential development is considered appropriate'. But during a public consultation period, the council received 33 objections from nearby residents, who said the area suffered 'constant parking problems' and feared the new apartments would 'generate significant additional traffic in an area already burdened by high vehicle usage'. They also raised concerns about the new homes potentially overlooking their properties, pressure on local services, and flood risk. The proposals include six visitor parking spaces – and a council report suggested additional visitor parking 'can be accommodated on-street at various times'. However, one objector to the application claimed that suggestion 'surely must be a joke'. Speaking at the meeting, Ms Davidson said planners 'understand parking is in high demand' at some times of day, but 'in parking terms the proposal is acceptable' and the site is in a highly sustainable location. Committee chairman Cllr Mark Spencer added there were 'ample parking spaces around the area'. Ms Davidson also said the new homes would be 'well in excess of' minimum distances from existing homes, and the building's ground floor level would be raised using retaining walls to mitigate any flood risks. Natural Resources Wales had judged any risks of flooding 'can be managed', she added. Cllr Gavin Horton, who also represents the Victoria ward where the new homes have been proposed, said the decision to move the proposed apartments further away from existing homes was 'sensible', adding he 'can't see anything wrong with' the redevelopment. Cllr John Reynolds noted the residents' many concerns, but said Newport had a 'desperate need for social housing' which 'far outweighs these issues'. The committee granted planning permission, subject to conditions and a Section 106 agreement covering potential developer contributions to affordable housing, education and leisure services.
