Latest news with #StDavid's
Wales Online
22-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Swatch store to open in Cardiff city centre
Swatch store to open in Cardiff city centre The Swiss watch brand will sell its collaborations, including its Omega Moonswatch tie-up, at the St David's Centre store An opening date has not been confirmed but the branding on the store says it will be opening soon (Image: Rahaf Ali ) A brand-new Swatch store is set to open its doors in Cardiff's St David's Shopping Centre bringing the globally-popular watch brand back to Cardiff. The Swiss brand was part of the original line-up at the launch of the expanded St David's in 2009. The store closed down a few years ago but is now making a comeback this year. The new Swatch store will open in the lower level of the centre's Grand Arcade, close to Swarovski and opposite Menkind, and will be the brand's only standalone store in Wales. The store will occupy the space formerly home to stationery and gift retailer Typo, which closed suddenly earlier this month. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here. The brand's new boutique will showcase its latest collections of watches and collaborations including the Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch and Blancpain x Swatch collaborations, which will be for sale at the store. Helen Morgan, centre director at St David's Cardiff, said: 'It's fantastic to welcome the return of the Swatch store to St David's and to Wales, further enhancing our strong line-up of watch and jewellery brands. In the past 12 months we've launched several exciting new stores including Søstrene Grene, Sosandar, Pull&Bear, and Carl's Jr., and guests can expect even more this summer with imminent openings from Knoops and Banana Tree with beauty giant Sephora coming later this year.' Article continues below The opening date has not yet been officially announced but hoardings have already gone up around the store with branding teasing the upcoming launch.
Leader Live
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Silent protest greets Bishop at centre of catholic super-school plans
Protestors from St David's School Action Group originally planned to picket the meeting - which Bishop Peter Brignall was expected to attend - at St David's Church Hall in Mold. Late last week the venue for the meeting of the Safeguarding Trustee Sub-Committee was changed to Buckley's Our Lady of the Rosary Church. Nevertheless 12 parents and their children stationed themselves outside the church hall in Buckley to express their opposition to plans to close four catholic schools in Flintshire - St David's, St Anthony's in Saltney and St Mary's and St Richard Gwyn in Flint - and replace them with a single super-school for pupils aged three-18. Parents and supporters of St David\'s Catholic Primary School - including chair of governors Emma Baker (right) - conducting their silent protest against plans to close St David's to build a super-school in Flint. (Image: St David's School Action Group) They brandished placards with slogans opposing the school plans and explained their position when asked by members of the committee as they went into the meeting. One pupil was even filmed handing a leaflet explaining parents' opposition to the scheme to the Bishop himself - although he did not stop to speak to the protesters. Silent protest greets Bishop at centre of catholic super-school planshttps:// #Catholicsuperschool #schooclosure #dioceseofwrexham /p> "With the meeting location changed late in the day thankfully we were able to get some of the group to Buckley," said St David's Action Group member Sarah Cunningham. "There was a lot of interest from those attending the meeting, asking why we were there. Surprisingly a number were not aware of the super-school plans and were shocked when we explained what they were. "A number of individuals, including members of the clergy, pledged their support to us. Hopefully it was raised in the meeting too." Read more: The action is the latest in a series of efforts by parents at St David's and St Anthony's to save their schools from closure and force the Diocese and Flintshire County Council to reconsider the plans. According to the proposal 85% of the cost of the £55 million super-school will be funded by the Welsh Government through it's Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme with the remaining 15% coming from the Diocese of Wrexham. The Diocese's contribution will be made by giving up the land at St David's and St Anthony's for development. If the plans go ahead St Anthony's will close in September 2026 with the other three schools closing once the new school is built on the site of St Richard Gwyn and St Mary's. The Diocese of Wrexham was approached for a comment. A public consultation on the plans will be opened on or before June 3 for 42 days.
Leader Live
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Flint catholic super-school funded by taxpayer will be owned by church
Plans to create an all-through catholic super-school in Flint for pupils aged 3-18 are currently preparing to go into consultation amid opposition from parents' groups. The proposal requires the closure of four schools in Flintshire, the catholic primary schools of St David's in Mold, St Anthony's in Saltney and St Mary's in Flint plus the closure of St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School. According to the plans 85% of the cost of the new super-school - £46.75 million - would come from the Welsh Government's Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme with the remaining 15% coming from the Diocese of Wrexham. Parents groups at two of the four schools - St Anthony's and St David's - actively oppose the plans. St David's School Action Group held a protest march last weekend to campaign against the proposals. But at this week's Education, Youth & Culture Overview & Scrutiny Committee, the leader of Flintshire's Liberal Democrat group Cllr Andrew Parkhurst asked who would own the super-school building once completed. "I understand school buildings are owned by the Diocese," he said. "If the new building goes ahead with Welsh Government money then who owns the building? "Is it the council or is it the church? Are we in effect giving away millions to the church?" "It's not always clear-cut but as a rule of thumb the council usually owns the playing fields while the Diocese owns buildings and the land beneath them," said Jennie Williams, Senior Manager, School Planning and Provision for Flintshire County Council. "Once we've built the school we will have to hand back the building. That's how the legal framework of voluntary aided schools runs." Now Welsh Government has confirmed that once taxpayers have funded the school, it would transfer into the ownership of the Diocese. "In the case of voluntary aided schools, the school buildings and land are usually owned by trustees typically the Diocesan," said a Senedd spokesperson. "The Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme supports investment in education infrastructure across Voluntary Aided, Voluntary Controlled and Local Authority maintained schools. In all cases, the asset remains in the ownership of delivery partners following the investment." Read more: WATCH: Supporters of Mold catholic school turn out in force to oppose closure Date set for Flintshire catholic school closure consultation 'Senseless' - Flintshire parents slam catholic super-school report It has also been confirmed that the consultation, which was supposed to open this month, will now be opened no later than Tuesday, June 3. A council spokesperson said: 'The council can confirm that the consultation is scheduled to go live on or before June 3, 2025 and finish before the start of the school summer holidays, subject to the finalisation of the necessary documentation and approvals.' After Flintshire County Council twice postponed the opening of the consultation, parents campaigning to save their schools fear further delaying the timeline restricts their opportunity to make their case. Martina Crocombe is one of the leading advocates to save St Anthony's in Saltney. She has two children art the school, which is scheduled to be the first to close under the plan in September 2026. "These delays have caused yet more uncertainty and show that once again, Flintshire County Council and Wrexham Diocese can't seem to get it right," she said. "There have now been three delays and the reasons for them have not been made clear to the public. These repeated delays raise serious questions about the efficiency and reliability of both the council and the diocese. "The proposed super school idea, which the majority oppose, needs to be scrapped. The parents and community of Saltney will continue to fight this ridiculous idea." Sarah Cunningham, from the St David's School Action Group, said making people wait was making parents anxious. "Waiting longer for the consultation to open causes great concern as we believe it's a deliberate attempt to let all the noise pass and it brings the dates exceedingly close to the summer holidays," she said. "For St Anthony's this could most certainly be seen as tactical as they will have even less time to prepare for the possible closure of the school."
