Latest news with #NationalResourcesWales
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
New parking measures to tackle beach gridlock
Visitors to a beach featured in the hit TV show House of the Dragon will face new parking restrictions in a bid to halt gridlock. Ticket prices are set to rise, while the main car parks for those heading to Llanddwyn beach on Anglesey could be closed off from mid-morning. National Resources Wales (NRW), which manages the beach and forest nature reserve, say it is in response to ongoing problems in the nearby village of Newborough. Residents there have held public protests over the level of congestion as more and more people flock to the beach. The main route to the beach car park means vehicles have to pass through the village on a narrow road to reach the beach. At peak times, such as summer and public holidays, it has led to long queues of traffic. For the road down to the beach - Church Street - it can leave residents there unable to get in or out from their own homes for hours on end. "The people who live on Church Street, there are so many houses there, and they basically have to plan their day around the visitors that come to the area - which isn't right at all," said the county councillor for the area, John Ifan Jones. Anger at traffic gridlock at House of the Dragon beach Cash for tourist firms to shelter visitors from rain Prison threat for residents over parking cones From Friday a fresh attempt to address the issues is being tested. Parking at the main beach car parks will rise to £5 for two hours, and then a further 70p for every additional 20 minutes - up to a maximum of £15 a day. In addition, there will be a trial over the bank holiday weekend, closing access to the car parks on Saturday, Sunday and Monday as they become full. The car parks will shut to new vehicles entering until 16:30 BST each day. "The trial will stop vehicles accessing the site once the car park becomes full," explained Richard Berry, the NRW land management team leader for the region. "Even as cars leave the site and spaces become available no vehicular access will be allowed until after 4.30pm. "We hope this approach will safeguard the site's precious wildlife, improve the visitor experience and reduce congestion in the village where motorists currently wait for a parking space on the site to become available." NRW warned that could see the car parks closed from as early as 11:00 during the trial, and said prospective visitors should consider venturing to the beach at quieter times - or choose other beach locations on Anglesey - it has over 40 dotted around the island's coast. "We hope this approach will safeguard the site's precious wildlife, improve the visitor experience and reduce congestion in the village where motorists currently wait for a parking space on the site to become available." The area's county councillor said the trial would be carefully monitored by the community, to see what impact it had on traffic through the village over the summer. "We have to try something, and this is the first step of many I hope," said Mr Jones. An official for Anglesey council said it would be enforcing existing parking restrictions in the village itself and the surrounding areas over the holiday weekend. "In addition, we'll ask the public for their support by parking responsibly and safely and asking them to take the needs of the local community into account," they added.
Powys County Times
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Meeting over River Wye flooding issues 'less than positive'
A 'less than positive' meeting aimed at reducing the effects of flooding in and around Builth Wells has left local councillors fearing that authorities have little or no plan to combat the issue. Builth mayor Gwyn Davies and fellow town councillor Mark Hammond held a meeting in Llanelwedd last month, arranged by Mid Wales Member of the Senedd Jane Dodds. Representatives from National Resources Wales (NRW) were present, as well as members of the Llanelwedd community and businesses from the other side of the River Wye who have been most affected by the Wye's flooding in recent years. Councillor Davies took to BBC Radio Wales on December 9 last year to criticise NRW following severe damage caused by the flooding Storm Darragh ushered in that month. Flooding has long been an issue in the town and the surrounding community of Llanelwedd – with businesses and homes hit severely in recent years. 'To be honest I don't have a high opinion of them,' Cllr Davies told presenter Jason Mohamad in the aftermath of Storm Darragh, describing NRW. Ms Dodds arranged the meeting on Tuesday, April 8, in order to discuss measures that NRW had undertaken on behalf of the Llanelwedd community and what future actions can be looked at in order to alleviate the flooding on both sides of the river. Inquest opens after driver killed in crash with tree on country road in Powys Butchers dedicates Mid Wales award to dad who died at Christmas 'Unfortunately, very little of a positive nature came out of the meeting,' said Cllr Hammond, in a post on the Builth Wells Town Council Facebook page. 'It would appear most of the measures that NRW had carried out in some individual houses in Llanelwedd had been less than successful. 'From a Builth perspective, it is easy to sum up what physical actions on the river NRW intend to do, in order to reduce the effects of flooding over the next five to six years or longer in a single word – nothing. 'The two representatives from NRW repeatedly informed those present that as a result of 'cost benefit/ratios', as well as it 'not being in the interest of Welsh tax payers', it was in effect not worth doing anything. 'NRW seem to ignore the fact that those affected by the flooding are Welsh taxpayers. 'It became clear that the modelling system NRW had been using was 15 years out of date. 'We were told that a new modelling system was going to be designed, but this would take 18 months. There would be an additional few years of actually modelling the issues and then going through yet more procedures.' Cllr Hammond added: 'The last time the river was dredged was back in 1998, which significantly impacted on the flooding situation. 'Lamentably, there has been no NRW action since and as we all know the flooding over recent years has increased. 'We were informed that dredging/de-shoaling is not looked upon with favour, despite the fact this method is proven to increase the river's capacity and helps reduce the risk of flooding during periods of high water.' Gavin Jones, projects and programme delivery manager for Natural Resources Wales, said an update to the modelling of the River Wye and its effects on Llanelwedd residents is not expected to be completed until 2027. 'The conversation was focussed on Llanelwedd and did not meaningfully discuss flood risk to Builth Wells,' he said. 'We discussed further work to provide flood resilience measures to residential properties, which is planned to be delivered by June. 'We heard that the community is keen to better understand their flood risk and we're awaiting an update to the modelling of the River Wye, which we expect to be completed by 2027. 'The community also raised their concerns about a build-up of sediment and gravel in the river, and their desire for it to be removed (dredged). 'We advised that it can be unsustainable to manage flood risk this way and we would require evidence from the updated river model to demonstrate the flood risk management benefits that such a measure would achieve.'
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Legal action against 'stink bomb' landfill dropped
A council has dropped legal action against a landfill site which has been described by locals as "stink bomb on steroids". Pembrokeshire council said that it will not be taking legal action against the owners of Withyhedge Landfill Site due to costs. Over the last year, locals have complained about the smell coming from the site, with some saying it has impacted their health and wellbeing. The council said the decision was "due to the potential financial exposure considered against the fact that a marked improvement in the situation has been noted". Urgent review ordered over 'stink bomb' landfill Gething donation firm criticised for landfill stink 'Stink bomb' site takes waste from outside county The council said that despite seeking an interim injunction in October last year against the site operators, RML, it had decided not to continue due to costs. At the time, a judge found the site to be a "nuisance" for locals but said that the council should have first served a notice under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Pembrokeshire council said that it "strongly believes that the court's decision was wrong", adding that it was in a "difficult position when considering the costs of appealing". The site has been described as a "stink bomb on steroids" by local campaigners in the past. Many have said that the "eggy smells" have impacted their health and wellbeing. After the owners were served with enforcement notices by regulator National Resources Wales to address the issues, the local authority said that a "marked improvement in the situation has been noted". "It is strongly believed that the legal effort of the council through this route has been a contributory factor in influencing the extent and pace of the remedial works undertaken by the operator," the council added.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Legal action against 'stink bomb' landfill dropped
A council has dropped legal action against a landfill site which has been described by locals as "stink bomb on steroids". Pembrokeshire council said that it will not be taking legal action against the owners of Withyhedge Landfill Site due to costs. Over the last year, locals have complained about the smell coming from the site, with some saying it has impacted their health and wellbeing. The council said the decision was "due to the potential financial exposure considered against the fact that a marked improvement in the situation has been noted". Urgent review ordered over 'stink bomb' landfill Gething donation firm criticised for landfill stink 'Stink bomb' site takes waste from outside county The council said that despite seeking an interim injunction in October last year against the site operators, RML, it had decided not to continue due to costs. At the time, a judge found the site to be a "nuisance" for locals but said that the council should have first served a notice under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Pembrokeshire council said that it "strongly believes that the court's decision was wrong", adding that it was in a "difficult position when considering the costs of appealing". The site has been described as a "stink bomb on steroids" by local campaigners in the past. Many have said that the "eggy smells" have impacted their health and wellbeing. After the owners were served with enforcement notices by regulator National Resources Wales to address the issues, the local authority said that a "marked improvement in the situation has been noted". "It is strongly believed that the legal effort of the council through this route has been a contributory factor in influencing the extent and pace of the remedial works undertaken by the operator," the council added.
BBC News
10-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Pembrokeshire council drops legal action against landfill site
A council has dropped legal action against a landfill site which has been described by locals as "stink bomb on steroids".Pembrokeshire council said that it will not be taking legal action against the owners of Withyhedge Landfill Site due to the last year, locals have complained about the smell coming from the site, with some saying it has impacted their health and council said the decision was "due to the potential financial exposure considered against the fact that a marked improvement in the situation has been noted". The council said that despite seeking an interim injunction in October last year against the site operators, RML, it had decided not to continue due to the time, a judge found the site to be a "nuisance" for locals but said that the council should have first served a notice under the Environmental Protection Act council said that it "strongly believes that the court's decision was wrong", adding that it was in a "difficult position when considering the costs of appealing".The site has been described as a "stink bomb on steroids" by local campaigners in the past. Many have said that the "eggy smells" have impacted their health and the owners were served with enforcement notices by regulator National Resources Wales to address the issues, the local authority said that a "marked improvement in the situation has been noted"."It is strongly believed that the legal effort of the council through this route has been a contributory factor in influencing the extent and pace of the remedial works undertaken by the operator," the council added.
