Greenmeadow Community Farm in Cwmbran close to opening
Greenmeadow Community Farm in Cwmbran has completed the installation of a ground source heat pump as part of a wider redevelopment project.
This upgrade was made possible through the Welsh Government Energy Services' Local Authority Low Carbon Heat Grant, with Torfaen Council receiving £1,560,763 in funding.
Sam Wright-Green, development manager at Welsh Government Energy Service, said: "Greenmeadow Farm is a fantastic example of a site suitable for ground source heat pumps.
"The land surrounding the buildings acts as the source of heat, and the existing solar array on the roof provides some of the electricity needed to power the new heating system.
"We are pleased to be able to support this unique site to provide a low carbon way to heat both its historic and new buildings."
Work began in May 2024 and was completed in March 2025.
The ground source heat pump replaces the farm's natural gas-fired boilers and is expected to deliver lifetime carbon savings of 201 tCO2e—the equivalent emissions of heating and powering 59 homes in Wales for a year.
David Leech, strategic director for adults and communities at Torfaen Council, said: "Residents passing the site will have spotted the impact of the heat pump on the paddocks, but the project has been a vital part of making the farm sustainable for the long-term.
"We're extremely grateful to the Welsh Government for supporting the project and alongside the new facilities on the farm, we're proud to have a transformation that has a fantastic new visitor experience and a reduced carbon footprint."
The farm remains closed to visitors while extensive refurbishments are completed, including upgrades to the historic farmhouse, café, animal barn, and play facilities.
It is now expected to reopen at the end of the summer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
THE CANNY COOK: Cold-brew iced tea
In 20 or so years of writing about food, one of my greatest joys has been picking up clever little tricks from chefs. Simple, transformative things like adding a splash of water to onions as they fry (which helps them to soften and prevents browning too soon) or salting fish 10-15 minutes before cooking to firm up the flesh and enhance the flavour. A couple of weeks ago, while I was staying with a chef friend in Bristol, he offered me a glass of iced tea. Instinctively I turned it down, having never been a fan of its fruit-heavy, syrupy composition. But the drink he poured himself looked light and crisp, so I asked to try it. It was fantastic: elegant, refreshing, completely sugar-free and, it turns out, incredibly easy to make. He had simply soaked a couple of green tea bags (one classic, one with lemon) overnight in cold water. Cold-brewing is key as the tea releases fewer tannins than in hot water, resulting in a smooth and delicate finish. Aromatics (fruits and herbs) can also be added for extra flavour. As someone who is always searching for sugar-free summer drinks, I thought it a brilliant discovery, and I have been playing with variations since. If you fancy making a batch and need a nice carafe, Ikea has a great one with a cork lid for under £5. 1 mint sprig, 52p; 1 litre water, no cost METHOD Using a y-peeler, pare a long strip of zest from the lemon. Place inside a 1 litre carafe or jug, with the tea bags and the mint. If you don't have lemons, try adding slices of cucumber, rounds of orange or lime or strawberry tops (which you'd probably otherwise throw in the bin). Instead of mint, you could add basil leaves, lemongrass stalks or a sprig of rosemary. Fill the carafe or jug with cold water, put on the lid or cover, and leave to cold-brew in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Pour into glasses over ice and slices of the lemon and enjoy. *This cost assumes you already have some basic store-cupboard ingredients. Prices taken from Sainsbury's and correct at time of going to press.
Edinburgh Reporter
2 days ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Call to axe Sheriffhall Roundabout support beaten
A push to axe the council's support for a controversial upgrade to a congested city roundabout has been snuffed out by the city's transport boss. Plans to upgrade the busy Sheriffhall Roundabout, the only flat junction on the bypass, have been in the works since 2018, but work has not yet started on the project. At a committee meeting yesterday, the city's Green group made a bid to cut the council's support for the flyover, saying money could be better spent elsewhere. It was rebuffed by the city's transport leader, although he admitted building new infrastructure on the city bypass was not 'ultimately' the solution to increased traffic caused by population growth in the Lothians. While the bypass is Transport Scotland's responsibility, cutting the council's support would have sent a strong message of dissatisfaction with the project to Holyrood. Greens, both at the council and in the Scottish Parliament, have long opposed the flyover on the grounds that it could cause induced demand – the phenomenon by which adding more road infrastructure in an area can cause more people to start driving. They say that money should instead be spent on improving public transport links and building infrastructure to allow for more walking and cycling. Councillor Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill, the Greens co-leader, said: 'Congestion is a human issue, no matter where and what it is, that unfortunately needs human-led behaviour change. 'We note the issues faced, and think we should be moving away from the conversation of the roads and staying on the path – no pun intended – of priortising walking, wheeling and cycling, and reducing car dependency. 'Totally appreciate that Sheriffhall is above all of us, and we're still awaiting the results of the public local inquiry. However we're all pretty tired of waiting, and we know there are better ways money could be spent across the region.' Cllr Kinross-O'Neill said some possible options could be putting money towards the trams, more park and rides and expanded bus lanes in the capital. She continued to say: 'We request that we withdraw the favour and support of the scheme, [or] any sort of waste of time road improvements that would cause congestion, not tackle it.' The exchange came as part of a debate over a motion by Conservative councillor Neil Cuthbert calling for action on congestion on the city bypass, as well as modelling on what future traffic could look like on the road. Edinburgh's Green group added their request to scrap support for the flyover as an amendment to the motion. Transport and Environment Committee convener Stephen Jenkinson moved no action on Cllr Cuthbert's motion, which also eliminated the Green amendment. He said: 'One of the main reasons that there are times where the bypass does get congested – and it does get congested, from time to time I am stuck on it – It's as much to do with population growth, not only in Edinburgh, but predominantly in East Lothian, which has increased the traffic on the bypass. 'So how do you tackle it? I don't think that building a flyover is ultimately the solution. What you have to do is actually do things to do what you can to remove the traffic, to get it back to norms. 'So public transport solutions, like tram, potentially bus rapid transport links to East Lothian and Midlothian, are the long term solutions in regards to giving the people using the bypass an alternative option.' The debate over the flyover comes amid wider questions over the future of the project. A need for it was identified 17 years ago, and in 2018 it was included in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland city region deal, which put £120 million towards the project. But it has lumbered along slowly through the planning process, with more than 2,700 objections to its construction leading to an inquiry. Though it was submitted in October of 2023, the Scottish Government is still reviewing the inquiry's report. Earlier this month, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop told MSPs that she is waiting on advice from senior Scottish Government officials on the next steps for the project. She added that she was unable to provide a timeline for when action would be taken. By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Reporter
2 days ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Ambitious £35m redevelopment plan for George Street supported by councillors
An ambitious £35m redevelopment plan for George Street has been supported by councillors, as concerns were raised that securing funding for it might not be possible. Edinburgh's transport convener said 'vast benefits', including improved safety, sustainability and accessibility, would result from the street's transformation. A decision on the project was made in May of this year. But at a meeting on Thursday, councillors reaffirmed that support, and agreed on a preference for the most expansive – and expensive – version. Coming in at an estimated £35 million, the project will see George Street transformed, with the street being completely closed to traffic for most of the day. Planters, natural stone setts and eight trees will be installed, as will benches, in hopes of making the street a better place to congregate. In addition, 'hostile vehicle mitigation' – in the case of George Street, retractable bollards – will be installed to help prevent vehicle attacks on the space. They will also be used to close off the roadway to most traffic, with a small subset of vehicles only being allowed in at certain times. Six of the 11 councillors in the Transport and Environment Committee voted to pursue the most ambitious plan. The two Conservative members of the committee voted against funding any redevelopment, and instead wanted to see £10m put towards road maintenance on George Street, funded by road parking charges. Earlier in the meeting, Conservative councillor for the City Centre ward Joanna Mowat addressed the committee, expressing concerns over the scheme's practicality. Currently, the plan is to fund the bulk of the project's price tag through grants from various public bodies, and possibly use some money from the city's upcoming visitor levy. She said: 'Here we are again, talking about George Street. We've been talking for nearly 11 years now. 'The elephant in the room is that we still don't have any money, and are reliant on applying to third parties and having this money granted to us before we can put a shovel in the ground. 'I think the position we've got to, looking at the wider financial situation across the council, Scotland, and the UK, is we've no money, and we need to look at what money we have, and what we can do.' The committee's SNP group wanted to see more detailed information about the costs of the project presented to councillors, but their amendment was not supported. Details of their amendment that asked for more frequent updates and for the committee to be provided with several options for traffic restrictions along the street were included in the final version of the motion. In addition, the Green group's amendment, which requires that a two-way cycle route be included along the street during construction, and a Liberal Democrat amendment which asked councillors to ensure the hostile vehicle mitigation portion of the project was retained, were both passed. If adequate external funding for the project cannot be found, councillors will be able to scale back to one of several less ambitious options for the project. With the decision on Thursday, city officers will now start seeking the necessary traffic regulation orders required to enable construction to start. If funding is found, work is set to begin in autumn 2027. Labour councillor and Transport and Environment Committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said: 'I'm really pleased that we've taken the decision today to move forward with the George Street and First New Town project. 'The project is rooted in making the area safer, more sustainable and accessible for all. 'This is a unique opportunity to bring one of Edinburgh's most important streets into the modern world whilst still maintaining its unique history and features. 'The wider potential improvements are vast, from benefits to local residents and businesses to enhancing Edinburgh as a visitor destination, and beyond – we're on our way to delivering a bold new vision for George Street and our city centre. 'Whilst we're committed to this important project, we're also committed to making broader improvements across the city for the benefit of all our residents.' By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
