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Business News Wales
4 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Chancellor and First Minister Visit Key Projects in Neath Port Talbot
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and Wales' First Minister Eluned Morgan visited Neath Port Talbot to view progress on a coal tip safety project and meet those affected by blast furnace closures at the Port Talbot steelworks. The Chancellor visited a former coal tip at the former Dyffryn Rhondda Colliery on the banks of the River Afan in the Upper Afan Valley. Work is ongoing to stabilise the site. It is being led by Neath Port Talbot Council along with contractors Walters UK. She was met by council Leader Cllr Steve Hunt, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Economic Growth Cllr Jeremy Hurley and staff involved in the project. Later in the day, at the Opportunity Hub in Port Talbot's Aberafan Shopping Centre, the Chancellor, who was joined by First Minister Eluned Morgan, met local people seeking work, including those affected by the blast furnace closures at Port Talbot's Tata Steelworks where a £1.25 billion Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) is currently being built as a cleaner, greener alternative. At the Opportunity Hub, NPT Employability staff are focused on providing support and mentoring for those seeking employment. This includes funding for training and upskilling to improve their chance of securing long term sustainable jobs. The Chancellor also met staff from the Trailblazer Programme, which is designed to support localised approaches to reducing economic inactivity. The UK Government is providing £10 million in funding for the programme in Wales, with councils in Neath Port Talbot, Blaenau Gwent and Denbighshire being pilot delivery partners. Reeves also met ex-workers supported by the Employment and Skills Fund set up by the Tata Steel Transition Board to help those in Wales affected by the Tata Steel UK transition, whether directly or indirectly. It offers grant funding to support retraining, skill development, and sustainable employment for those impacted by the changes at Tata Steel, including those in the supply chain and associated contractors. The Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, Cllr Steve Hunt, said: 'We're glad to see the Chancellor taking a first-hand look at the issues we're facing here in Neath Port Talbot in terms of the dangerous legacy of the mining industry and job losses due to the changes at Tata Steel. 'This council is working hard with its partners to mitigate the problems associated with our mining past and to deal with the serious employment and economic issues from decarbonising steel production and we welcome the funding that is so essential for us as we move to a cleaner, greener future.'
Business News Wales
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
New Strategy Outlines Vision for a Fairer, Greener Neath Port Talbot
Neath Port Talbot Council has adopted its Corporate Strategy 2025/2028 outlining its commitment to creating a prosperous, fairer and greener local community. The strategy is based around on four well-being objectives: • Ensuring all children get the best start in life. • Making sure all our communities are thriving and sustainable. • Preservation and enrichment of our local environment, culture, and heritage, • Providing our residents with access to high-quality green jobs. The Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, Cllr Steve Hunt, said: 'Our four well-being objectives remain at the very heart of what we do, and what we have set out to achieve in the longer-term. 'These objectives are supported by three year aims, which focus on where we want to be by 2028 along with a selection of performance measures to demonstrate how we will monitor the progress of our objectives.' The council faces a number of challenges, including continuing to experience high demand on its vital services with more people seeking help from social services; more presenting as homeless; and more children needing extra help in school and in travelling to school. However, the funding made available by the UK and Welsh Governments for these functions in recent years has fallen significantly short of what is needed to respond to communities, the council said. The council has secured a large amount of investment funding under the UK Government's Levelling Up agenda to help regenerate local communities, it said. In addition, major projects have the potential to grow a large number of sustainable jobs into future years, including the freeport status won by the port of Port Talbot. The council added that Neath Port Talbot has a number of strategic employment sites which present many opportunities to achieve economic growth, including new green jobs as industry and society decarbonises and new industries such as Floating Offshore Wind (FLOW), hydrogen production and other renewable energy projects emerge. The area is well served by rail and road, while the deep-water harbour in Port Talbot is a strategic asset in the delivery of key investments such as the ongoing Celtic Sea Wind Farms Project, the local authority added. Cllr Hunt added: 'We recognise the importance of collaboration and inclusivity in achieving our well-being objectives. By working together with residents, businesses, and our partners over the coming years we aim to create a resilient and vibrant Neath Port Talbot.'
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
UPDATED: Minor damage reported in Grand Forks County after storms; rail cars overturned in Traill County
Jun. 21—GRAND FORKS — Minor damage was reported in Grand Forks County and elsewhere in the Grand Forks region following a night of high winds and tornado-like weather, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Forks. However, farther south in the Grand Forks region — especially in and around Mayville — the damage was worse. Traill County Sheriff Steve Hunt told the Grand Forks Herald that power was out for some residents, a diesel fuel tank was tipped over and rail cars were overturned in the southern part of his county. As the sun rose in Grand Forks County, residents generally awoke to very minor damage, such as a few branches scattered about. Some were without power until around 5 a.m. A tornado warning was issued for Grand Forks County just after midnight Saturday morning, June 21, as strong winds moved into the area from Griggs County to the west. The tornado warning was downgraded to a severe thunderstorm warning shortly after, and that warning expired around 5 a.m., National Weather Service lead forecaster Tim Lynch said. A tornado signature was observed in Griggs County, but there has been no confirmation of a tornado in Grand Forks County. Local wind speeds reached 69 mph at Grand Forks International Airport. In the region, wind speeds reached 110 mph in Steele County and up to 80 to 90 mph in Traill County, Lynch said. Ben Gates, director of emergency management in Steele County, said that as of 10 a.m. Saturday, damage assessments were being done throughout the county, including in the city of Hope, which had several large trees fall. "I'd say a large majority of the trees in the city are down, covering streets and stuff like that," Gates said. Several homes had trees fall on their roofs, he said, and others sustained damage from shingles being ripped off. Homeowners also reported their patios, trampolines and other outdoor items were taken by the storm. As far as Gates knew, there were no injuries reported. "We have a pretty robust emergency alert system, so we were (relying) pretty heavily on that last night, and I think it was pretty well received," he said. As county employees work to clear the streets, Gates asks residents to stay clear, holding off on driving around to assess the damage. "Make sure that we're giving the crew space and time to work," he said. Structural damage from high winds was reported near Bemidji. Three people were killed overnight in a tornado that hit Enderlin, North Dakota, an hour west of Fargo in Cass and Ransom counties, WDAY reported Saturday morning. The region is now in peak storm season, which generally lasts from late June through July, Lynch said, and he characterized the overnight storms as on the stronger side of normal for this time of year. "The wind was profound on this one," he said. In Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, a drive through town showed very minor damage, including small tree branches down and construction signs toppled. "We were so lucky. No major damage anywhere in the county," said Kari Goelz, Grand Forks County's emergency management director. "Only a handful of power outages." She said Grand Forks received just over an inch of rain. And more good news for Greater Grand Forks: Goelz said the Grand Forks Fair would open on schedule Saturday after closing early Friday evening. In Mayville, numerous tree branches were downed by the storm. Community members began working shortly after sunup to clear the debris. Mayville received an inch of rain, according to WDAY. Sheriff Hunt said Mayville was hit with strong winds, but the worst of it was in the southwest corner of Traill County, near Clifford and Galesburg. "We have tons of trees down (and) power lines are down," he told the Herald. "We some grain bins and structures like that that have been damaged and tipped over." He said the focus is to get the streets open and power restored. It could take several days to get power back on for some in Traill County, he said. Hunt encourages anyone in the area to be aware of downed power lines. Conditions could favor more storms for the Red River Valley on Sunday, when a cold front will approach from the west. There will be a potential for more strong thunderstorms, possibly bringing damaging wind gusts up to 75 mph, golf ball-sized hail and the potential for a tornado or two, Lynch said. He urged people to monitor the forecast through the rest of the weekend. "Be mindful of how you get your warnings," he said. "Make sure you have multiple ways of getting your warnings, (Sunday) for sure."
Wales Online
18-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Council slams 'misconceived' PIP cuts that will see thousands lose out
Council slams 'misconceived' PIP cuts that will see thousands lose out Members said they could have a disproportionate impact on Wales, particularly in deprived areas Civic Square in Port Talbot (Image: Lewis Smith ) Neath Port Talbot Council has backed a motion raising concerns and opposition to proposed reforms to the benefits system put forward by the UK Government. The benefit changes could see the tightening of qualification rules for Personal Independence Payments which the local authority feels could have a "detrimental impact" on the most vulnerable in its communities. The discussions came at a full council meeting in June of 2025, where members said moves to cut welfare could have a disproportionate impact on Wales, particularly in deprived areas such as Neath Port Talbot, Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent. Speaking at the meeting, the leader of the council Steve Hunt said he would now write to both the Welsh and UK Government to ask that they "reassess the Welfare Reform Act and conduct a comprehensive review of the proposed changes with a focus on understanding their implications on vulnerable populations, especially in Wales." He said: "Whilst its intention is to streamline welfare offering and address physical consideration, an unintended consequence is the potential for increasing hardship amongst the most disadvantaged members of society. "These effects may undermine the social safety net essential for ensuring a minimum standard of living, particularly for individuals who are unable to support themselves due to various socio-economic or health-related challenges." Article continues below Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice Deputy leader, councillor Alun Llewelyn of Cwmllynfell and Ystalyfera, seconded the motion adding that a re- assessment and review were urgently needed. He said: "It is clear that this legislation is misconceived. "As the motion states, the intention may be to streamline welfare, but its unintended consequence will be to plunge hundreds of thousands of people in Wales deeper into poverty, and a re- assessment and review are urgently needed." Councillor Sonia Reynolds of the Neath Port Talbot Labour group said they had written to the Prime Minister to ask him to reconsider his stance on welfare benefits cuts and look for alternative solutions. She added that the impact of reductions could be particularly severe in places like Neath Port Talbot, citing figures from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which suggested 24% of people in Wales currently live in poverty. Article continues below The motion was later approved unanimously by members, with an amendment that would also see the authority formally respond to the UK Governments Pathways to Work green paper which is open for consultation until June 30, 2025. This consultation discusses proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support, with a focus on getting more people into work.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Micro Bird deal given statewide recognition
PLATTSBURGH — The Micro Bird deal is getting statewide honors. The attraction of Micro Bird, the electric bus manufacturer set to replace Nova Bus at its Banker Road facility in the Town of Plattsburgh later this year, to Plattsburgh was recently recognized as the 'Economic Development Project of the Year' by the New York State Economic Development Council. The award was presented at the annual meeting of the Council in Cooperstown. It was accepted by Abby Praetorius, vice president for Economic Development at the North Country Chamber of Commerce; Steve Hunt, Regional Director of Empire State Development; Molly Ryan, Executive Director of the Clinton County I.D.A.; and Danielle King, President/CEO of TDC. 'The Micro Bird deal was the result of a great team effort and it is great that the team was able to be recognized together,' Garry Douglas, Chamber President, said. Douglas said other team members deserving thanks include 'Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senator Charles Schumer, Assemblyman Billy Jones, and the Town of Plattsburgh, as well as our new friends and partners at Micro Bird of course who we continue to work actively with as they move toward the start of production.' 'This deal stands out as it is an example of something that is so seldom achieved, that being the attraction of a similar company to replace one which is leaving,' he continued. 'Every team member made an indispensable contribution to the outcome and we thank the NYSEDC for its recognition of the shared success. Onward and upward!' In June 2023, Nova Bus announced it would be leaving the Banker Road facility within the following two years. In November 2024, Micro Bird announced it would be acquiring the Nova Bus facility and providing employees with the opportunity to transition to similar employment positions at Micro Bird. Michael S. Cashman, Plattsburgh Town Supervisor, said he's proud the town is part of the team that brought Micro Bird to the community. 'We extend our sincere thanks to the North Country Chamber of Commerce for its steadfast leadership and vision, and to all our regional and state partners who played vital roles. This recognition is a testament to what we can accomplish together when we put collaboration first,' Cashman said. 'At the end of the day, the real award is a new business choosing Plattsburgh and a dedicated workforce continuing to build high-quality products right here in our hometown. We look forward to supporting Micro Bird's bright future here.'
