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South Wales Argus
25-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Marches Partnership priorities agreed by Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire and Powys agreed to form a voluntary partnership with English neighbours Herefordshire and Shropshire in September 2023. The Marches Forward Partnership is intended to help the border counties contribute to economic growth and recognise issues they have in common and that cross the different boundaries everyday. Monmouthshire County Council's cabinet has now backed the agreed vision and collective ambition for the Marches Forward Partnership. The Marches Proposition document sets out three immediate priorities which are support for food production, a Marches Environmental Investment and Innovation Platform which will address challenges such as water quality and flood risk and to attract private investment while a health group will consider pilot projects to make early interventions on health inequalities and the transport group will look to improve cross-border transport. The councils hope their work can help it attract £1.5m in funding from the UK and Welsh governments. The four councils have contributed around £100,000 each with Monmouthshire's contribution to date just over £95,000 which it took from its allocation from the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund. Its contribution in the current financial year will be between £54,000 and £61,553 which will come from its own capital budgets. Conservative opposition leader Councillor Richard John described the council's contribution as 'funded by the UK Government' and asked what confidence it had the partnership has the support of the UK Government which has recently withdrawn funding for other 'pan-regional' development projects including the Western Gateway Partnership. Deputy leader, Labour's Paul Griffiths, said the Marches Partnership is in a 'different position' to the Western Gateway, which was directly funded by Westminster to work across South Wales and the West of England, but said deputy prime minister Angela Rayner's department has asked to be part of some of its working groups. 'It is an expression of genuine interest and a desire to be an active partner,' said Cllr Griffiths. Cabinet member Sara Burch said she thought the partnership is a 'real opportunity' for the food economy and tourism. Monmouthshire's cabinet also agreed to a partnership board, from the member councils intended as a 'light touch governance arrangement' and to an evaluation of the partnership's progress after 12 months.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Firefighters battle huge grass fires above Cardiff and in Bannau Brycheiniog
Grass fires have been rife once more as March draws to a close with blazes near on the Garth Hilltop overlooking Cardiff and Sugar Loaf Mountain outside Abergavenny as well as near Hirwaun in Rhondda Cynon Taff. A strip of the popular hill walk, the Garth, was alight from late afternoon, March 31, and could be seen from Taff's Well and Gwaelod y Garth and Pentyrch side as well as smoke being visible from Tonteg and Church Village, just outside Pontypridd. Up in Monmouthshire, the Sugar Loaf - a attraction for thousands of hikers each year, firefighters also tackled a blaze on Monday (March 31). Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here Sharing pictures of the fire on X, Monmouthshire Conservative leader and local county councillor, Richard John wrote: "Shocking images from Abergavenny this evening as firefighters tackle wild fires on the Sugarloaf," alongside images of the fire on the hillside around sunset. READ MORE: Welsh mountain left a charred mess as grassfires burn through the night READ MORE: Someone put fish hooks in treats at a popular park and one dog almost died Shocking images from Abergavenny this evening as firefighters tackle wild fires on the Sugarloaf — Richard John (@RichardJohnRJ) March 31, 2025 Posting to their social media, South Wales Fire and Rescue (SWFR) confirmed they were in attendance at all three fires, describing the incidents at Hirwaun and Garth Hill as "two large grass fires." The third fire at Sugar Loaf they confirmed they were: "in attendance and dealing with grass fire Sugar Loaf Mountain, Abergavenny." #SWFRS are aware and in attendance at 2 large grass fires - Garth Hill, Gwaelod Y Garth & Penmoelallt Farm, Hirwaun. #ldk — South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (@SWFireandRescue) March 31, 2025 A spokesperson for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service told WalesOnline: "The fire on the Sugarloaf is being allowed to burn out and burn towards natural firebreak, so there's not much we're doing up there now, so that one will go out overnight I'd imagine. And at Garth Hill we are still there and have four fire appliances, and two ATVS in attendance." The three fires come just weeks after firefighters across Wales attended dozens of blazes during a particularly dry March. On one day, March 21, the Welsh fire services in South and Mid and West attended 25 blazes between them, find out more on that, here. A few days later, crews were in attendance for more than 12 hours to deal with a fire over Port Talbot. One wildfire near Treorchy in the Rhondda measured approximately 199 hectares and left huge parts of the mountain blackened. You can read more about that here. You can see the aftermath of this fire here. Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. See our Privacy Notice
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Plans to reduce hub opening hours dropped as £2.86m budget hole filled
CUTS to the opening hours of council hubs, which also include some libraries, have been dropped from revised budget plans. A £2.86 million hole in Monmouthshire County Council's draft budget has also been filled with a legally required balanced budget to be presented to the full council for approval. A minimum funding increase from the Welsh Government, struck as part of its budget deal with the Liberal Democrats, will provide Monmouthshire with an extra £1.54m on top of the £5.1m promised in December's initial local government funding settlement. Other changes benefiting the council's finances are confirmation of £236,000 worth of homelessness and housing grants, a review of capital financing budgets resulting in a £513,000 reduction in cost pressures it expected to meet while the amount it will have to pay towards the fire service is £80,000 less than originally budgeted for. Monmouthshire is also in line to receive an extra £4.8m on top of its Welsh Government grant under a new UK wide scheme, known as Extended Producer Responsibility, to cover the costs of managing and recycling packaging waste. More than half of that, £2.6m, will have to be transferred to a waste management reserve, to meet required improvements to waste services. The proposed council tax increase, first set out in January, remains at 7.8 per cent and should provide a further £5.9m. After the additional Welsh Government funding was confirmed a council statement said it still left Monmouthshire funded below the Welsh average and warned 'further difficult choices' would be required to balance its budget despite earlier comments further cuts weren't anticipated. That led to Conservative opposition leader Cllr Richard John saying he feared changes would be decided behind closed doors, with the consultation on budget plans having closed on February 22, and dismissing the exercise as a 'sham'. But Labour leader, Mary Ann Brocklesby, defended its approach and said: 'We have listened to every piece of invaluable feedback provided. It is vital to my cabinet that the needs of residents and stakeholders are central to our budget-setting process and that we deliver on what matters most to them. 'I am proud of the work done by cabinet and officers to reach this point, and our focus now turns to improving the valued local services we have in Monmouthshire.' The council's budget pages on its website were viewed more than 5,000 times while it received 243 responses and more than 650 people took part in engagement sessions, including those held online, and meetings with head teachers, school pupils and a support group for people with disabilities. A report for the cabinet, which will consider the budget plans on Wednesday, March 5 the day before they are presented to the full council, said a reduction in opening hours for hubs wouldn't be taken forward, reducing planed savings by £110,000, and a total figure of £5m But the report states: 'a fuller review of the service will be carried out in due course to establish if the service is working in the most effective way.' The report acknowledges opposition from the consultation to an increase in parking fees, and a 'significant number' concerned at the council tax rise and whether the council will be able to achieve its planned savings. It said the majority of respondents to the budget survey agreed with the individual savings proposals being considered. The budget is providing an extra £1m for schools, on top of the council meeting pay and pension increases for staff, and it will also use the new borrowing powers to provide another £2.3m for improvements to highways, footpaths and rights of way as well as council buildings. Labour and its Green Party cabinet colleague have 22 votes and the support of a further independent councillor, which is half of the 46 member council meaning the four strong Independent Group could be key to determining the fate of the budget should the 19 member Conservative group oppose it. A further council meeting for Friday, March 7 has also been scheduled if a the budget isn't agreed on Thursday.
