Latest news with #NewportCityCouncil
South Wales Argus
6 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Lidl seeking licence to sell alcohol at Newport store
The Kings Wall Drive branch has applied for a premises licence to sell alcohol for consumption off-premises. Lidl has submitted the application under Section 17 of Part 3 of the Licensing Act 2003 to Newport City Council. The store is seeking permission to sell alcohol from 7am to 11pm, Monday to Sunday. The licensing register is open for public inspection at the Civic Centre, Newport, from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. The public has until Tuesday, August 12, to submit any objections or representations in writing. Under Section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003, making a false statement in connection with a premises licence application is an offence, liable to a fine on summary conviction. The full application can be viewed at the Civic Centre, Newport, NP20 9LR, Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm.
Business News Wales
a day ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Cardiff Capital Region Invests £6.25m in KLA's Manufacturing and R&D Centre in Newport
Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) and Newport City Council are contributing £7 million towards a new manufacturing and R&D facility at Imperial Park, Newport – part of the compound semiconductor cluster which is expected to boost skilled employment in the region. CCR supported US semiconductor equipment manufacturer KLA with a £6.25 million grant to facilitate the expansion of the highly innovative new manufacturing and R&D facility in Imperial Park. An additional £750,000 was granted from Newport City Council for the same project, and the total sum of £7m will be committed over the next four years. The Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, visited KLA Corporation's newly opened manufacturing and R&D facility, along with Cllr Dimitri Batrouni, the Leader of Newport City Council and senior managers from CCR. The new 237,000 facility includes manufacturing space, a fabrication plant, as well as office space for 750 employees, and is located within the compound semiconductor cluster in Newport, next to CCR's CSC Foundry. Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: 'I'm delighted to see this investment into the world-leading compound semiconductor cluster in Newport. KLA's new facilities mean they can expand and employ more highly skilled people. 'The UK Government's funding for Cardiff Capital Region and the local Investment Zone is helping drive economic growth in a sector where Wales leads the way, delivering the plan that we have set out in our Industrial Strategy.' Cllr Dimitri Batrouni, Leader of Newport City Council, said: 'This investment from CCR represents a stake in the new industries of the future, the new advanced manufacturing that is being built here in Newport on a massive scale. To drive a semiconductor plant such as KLA's, we need people, and we need skills and other companies in the local supply chain to make it all happen. 80% of these needs are coming from within the region and this is a great opportunity for the economy of South East Wales.' Andrew Evans, Senior Director, Commercial Legal, at KLA, said: 'The investments from both KLA and CCR into this new site reinforce the importance of Wales to KLA's global operations. The technologies created and developed in Wales are critical not only to our customers in Europe but globally too. The technology and infrastructure, combined with the skilled talent pool here continue to make this operation in Newport very competitive on the global semiconductor landscape.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Council sets out final list of roads which could revert to 30mph speed limits
Newport City Council is expected to revert 14 roads back to higher 30mph speed limits following a review. The local authority invited residents to nominate roads they believe should have been exempted from the Welsh Government's decision to lower the nation's default speed limit to 20mph. Earlier this year, the council said 16 stretches of road complied with government road safety advice and could revert to 30mph limits. Members of the public were then invited to offer any objections or comments on those proposals, and the council received a total of 12 representations. A new report shows that after further consideration of the objectors' claims, the council has decided two of the original 16 roads will remain at 20mph. One is a stretch of Caerphilly Road, between Bassaleg and Rhiwderin, which an objector said now 'feels safer for pedestrians'. The council said a lower speed limit was 'appropriate' for the road, which has 'narrow footways' and is an 'established walking route to school'. The other road to remain at 20mph, following the review, is a section of Usk Road to the east of Caerleon. An objector also raised concerns the route is 'well-used' by schoolchildren and people accessing the village. In response, the council said people 'would feel unsafe about using the established route to walk to school safely' if the speed limit was increased to 30mph along a road which 'carries a high pedestrian footfall, including young vulnerable children and the elderly'. According to the report, 'valid' objections were made in relation to other roads, but the council judged those cases met the government's criteria for exemptions, meaning they may be changed to 30mph speed limits. These were a part of Bettws Lane, George Street Bridge, a part of Lighthouse Road, Tredegar House Drive, a part of Tregwilym Road, and Wharf Road. There were no valid objections to council proposals to introduce 30mph speed limits on the other roads – namely a part of Bassaleg Road, Duffryn Drive, Duffryn Way, Frederick Street, Morgan Way, a part of Royal Oak Hill, Wern Industrial Estate, and a part of West Nash Road. Cllr Rhian Howells, the cabinet member for assets and infrastructure, is expected to approve an officer's recommendation later this week to proceed with the speed limit changes on the agreed 14 stretches of road.
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- General
- South Wales Argus
Concerns that ALN sessions at Splash Pad could be cancelled
The splashpad runs specific sessions for children with disabilities and ALN to use the space, giving them a stress-free experience with less children using the park. Parents of those with ALN have voiced their concerns and highlighted the discriminatory comments that have been overheard and directed at these sessions. These same parents are now becoming increasingly apprehensive to visit the park, as inappropriate behaviour from other parents who are unable to use the site for ALN sessions has increased. One parent, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: 'I'm a bit scared to go back down there. 'I don't want to go there just to sit and listen to people slag off my kid because he's disabled - a lot of us don't have the energy to go there and get shouted at anymore. 'I'm just worried that people like me aren't going because they're scared and we're scared that less people going to ALN sessions means that they'll stop or cut the sessions.' Parents are still feeling the effects of offensive comments directed at their children (Image: NQ) A Newport City Council meeting this week passed a Notice of Motion to promote neurodiversity inclusivity in the city. This motion will make the city more accessible for those with additional learning needs and create a neurodiverse-friendly city. This 'requires a comprehensive approach that involves both raising public awareness and understanding and designing spaces that accommodate the specific challenges faced by neurodiverse individuals and their families'. As the hot weather persists and sessions at the splashpad become increasingly popular with new opening hour increases, parents are urged to response 'with kindness and compassion' to those with ALN. Councillor Laura Lacey, cabinet member for social services in Newport, said: 'It's just about getting people to understand. The city needs to be tolerant and compassionate. 'It would be nice if parents of non ALN children stuck up for those with ALN children, so they don't have to fight for their own kids. 'The people who are saying and doing these things are the ones who should be pointed and looked at, not the children trying to enjoy these sessions.' Newport's splash pad will be open until 6PM every day from Monday 21 July to the end of the summer holidays. From Monday, the booking system will be extended to cover the weekday morning 10-11AM relaxed sessions for those with ALN.
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Illegal tobacco, vapes and fakes seized in Newport raids
The goods were seized in 41 raids of premises across the city between March 2024 and April 2025. It includes more than 300,000 cigarettes, 144 kilograms of tobacco, and 12,400 'unsafe' vapes – as well as nearly 5,000 counterfeit items – according to a new council report. The seizures represent another busy year for Newport City Council's trading standards department. While officers confiscated more tobacco products the previous year, the total value of seizures in 2024/25 is ten times higher, thanks to the recovery of expensive counterfeit items. This is because the council estimates the value of fakes at the same price as their real counterparts. Operations codenamed Frost and Firecrest have proved successful in targeting rogue traders, and the latter won the council and Gwent Police a national trading standards award for tackling illegal tobacco and vape supply in Pillgwenlly. The city council encourages residents to report those illicit products via the 'No ifs no butts' campaign's website. The campaign describes illegal vapes as 'untested' products which may not follow regulations – either because they are fake brands, high strength or potentially smuggled into the UK. Single-use vapes have also been banned since June, and in Newport trading standards officers have visited more than 80 retailers across the city to provide information about the law change. Illegal tobacco may also be smuggled or bootlegged into the country, and the term also covers sales of individual cigarettes, fake brands or otherwise untaxed products, according to 'No ifs, no butts'. The council report for 2024/25 also includes information on underage sales of tobacco and vaping products. Optimistically, incidents appear to have dropped since the previous year, when 17 out of 60 shops failed a 'test purchase'. The figure for last year was an improved 11 failures out of 63, and each retailer affected has 'received a guidance intervention' on the rules.
