Latest news with #AndrewMorgan
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Confidence that Llanharan bypass work will start as soon as possible
The Llanharan bypass is a 'priority' for RCT council with the leader saying he's confident work will start in earnest once it gets planning permission and a contractor is appointed. Councillor Andrew Morgan was responding to a question from Brynna and Llanharan councillor Janine Turner at Rhondda Cynon Taf full council on Wednesday, June 25 who said that the statement earlier this year that the Llanharan Sustainable Transport Corridor had been given the go-ahead following a redesign was very welcome news. She asked the leader for update on the progress made since then and to outline some of the key steps for the scheme to be delivered. READ MORE: Police call for pub landlord's licence to be revoked after investigation READ MORE: By-election date and candidates in Pontypridd confirmed after councillor stood down Cllr Morgan said the scheme was a priority for the council and that there had been a lot of work going on in the background to take it forward. The council has allocated £5.05m in the capital programme towards the project. He said the scheme had been 'redefined' in terms of embedding sustainable transport policies while still seeking to take the bulk of the traffic out of Llanharan. The scheme was delayed because of the roads review by Welsh Government but the council has now had the green light to take it forward. To get all the latest politics, health and education news, sign up to our Wales Matters newsletter. The council is working on a funding package but the next key stage is that the pre-planning application consultation is expected to start during September and October. All the consultation documents will be made available online and in person at Llantrisant Leisure Centre from September 19 to October 17 with consultation days to be organised in Llanharan itself in October. Cllr Morgan said the road scheme is very much in line with what they previously looked at in terms of the corridor and it doesn't deviate much from that but has just been redesigned in terms of things like landscaping and drainage. He said 'what that does mean is that we substantially reduce in-built carbon' which will be close to 20,000 tonnes and the ancient woodland has been protected. They've also looked at junctions and making sure there's a good flow of buses and that they don't get caught up in traffic. 'There's an awful lot of small changes but the primary thing is the scheme is going ahead as far as we're concerned. We will need to get planning permission. 'We are in conversation with Welsh Government. We are committed to this in terms of using some CIL (community infrastructure levy) funding from the housing development down there and committing our own funds.' He also said they'd secured some further money around the active travel element. Cllr Morgan said that once they do get planning and appoint a contractor 'I am confident the scheme will start in earnest'.
Wales Online
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
Two of Wales' most senior councillors bite back against MSs who want to change the system
Two of Wales' most senior councillors bite back against MSs who want to change the system Councils are already collaborating and Senedd members with a 'cushy' job should keep out, according to local authority leaders Andrew Morgan is leader of the Welsh Local Government Association (Image: WalesOnline/ Gayle Marsh ) Cutting the number of councils in Wales would likely not save money as authorities are already collaborating to save money, a senior Welsh council leader has said – while taking a pop at any Senedd members who suggest otherwise. The Welsh Local Government Association – the body which represents Wales' 22 councils – is currently meeting for its annual conference in Llandudno. Ahead of that some of its most senior members spoke to journalists about the challenges facing councils and were asked if the long-discussed topic of local government reorganisation remained on the table. The answer was an emphatic and defiant 'no'. The current local government structure in Wales was established in 1996 and the debate about whether the number of councils in Wales needs to change has been ongoing for years since. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. After the 2016 Assembly election current finance minister Mark Drakeford was given responsibility for councils and said while 22 authorities could remain as the "front door" to which people would access key services there would be an "enhanced level of mandatory and systematic regional working" with the aim of ensuring greater resilience and better planning and delivery of services regionally Article continues below A year later, following a cabinet reshuffle, Alun Davies was appointed to the local government role and indicated he wanted to see 10 local authority areas. However he then rowed back and said he was no longer pursuing compulsory mergers, making him the third Welsh Government minister to abandon reorganisation plans. You can recap all that here. When, this week, a question about whether the number of councils should be cut from 22 was put to the head of the WLGA and leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council Andrew Morgan, because the topic continued to be discussed by some Senedd members, he bit back. "Some of the people, sometimes, who say about local government organisation, perhaps maybe they should just try spend some time as a councillor. Maybe if they understood what day to day goes on in a all very well a backbencher in the Senedd [saying that] but I think they've got a cushy life compared to most council leaders and the work and effort has to be put in. "I also would say maybe sometimes they don't speak from a point of evidence." Cllr Morgan said slashing staff and setting up large super-councils could make initial savings and he accepted there was an element of "spend to save" but said there is a £1bn-plus shortfall predicted over the next three years for local government. "If you could make £200m saving over the long term, that doesn't cover the shortfall in funding for one year," he said. Cllr Morgan said there were now plenty of examples of different councils working together. For example Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, and Bridgend share regulatory services while RCT and Merthyr have shared youth services and community safety resources. "Every local authority can identify lots of savings where we reduced officers and we are now covered in a bigger geographical area in terms of our services," he said. "We're constantly trying to reduce down those savings. If you go back a decade and say a decade ago that £200m could be saved – although we questioned at the time it was feasible – I would argue an awful lot of those savings have already been made through the changes and the collaborations we've done. "I would say to anybody who thinks that local government reorganisation is a silver bullet – I would suggest it's like putting a plaster on someone who has just lost their arm. It really isn't going to save us long-term. I would really question those people who think that this is the way forward." Mark Pritchard, the leader of Wrexham council, said he believed reorganisation was "a vanity project – one of many from the Welsh Government". He said: "Whether you have 11 local authorities in Wales, or 15 or 18 or 22, you still have to fund them accordingly. "Is there a possibility of savings? Maybe. I don't do knee-jerk reactions, I never have, but there has to be a strong business case." He said there was little evidence of how money would be saved. "If you're going to change something you have to change it for the betterment of the services and if you can save money at the same time why wouldn't you want to do it? Absolutely," he said. But he added: "Wales is a very diverse place, different cultures – different languages, different understandings. It's not a Manchester, it's not a Birmingham or London. Article continues below "Look at the health board [here] – big is not always better. The reason why the health board is in a mess, in my opinion, is because they've created a monster. It's too big and the sooner we reduce it the better". Of Senedd members advocating reorganisation he said he was "against throwaway remarks", adding: "It's a little bit rich when they're increasing the MSs to 96 when we don't need them."
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- Daily Mail
It's a steal! Former police station complete with its own courtroom and cells is expected to be sold at auction for £550,000
Crime drama lovers can pick up a steal by snapping up a former police station expected to sell at auction for £550,000. The quirky property in Minehead, Somerset boasts its own courtroom, as well as cells once occupied by criminals of years gone by. And potential buyers will be able to lock in a good deal when the space, which features 20 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and 10 living rooms, goes under the hammer on July 23. Future owners will have licence to make the station slightly more comfortable than it was in its heyday, putting the 17,380 sq ft building, not to mention the 0.84 acre grounds, to good use. It is described by auctioneers Hollis Morgan as having 'scope for a wide range of residential or commercial development opportunities'. Auctioneer Andrew Morgan said: 'Hello, Hello, Hello, what have we here? This now somewhat stylised quote from past policeman may actually be very applicable to this gargantuan former police station and magistrates court in Minehead.' There's time for relaxing at this jail, with a smart snooker table illuminated by a state-of-the-art overhead lighting system The cells only have basic furnishings, with a firm-looking plank for a bed and a small grate window, but future owners can do what they like with the space The beating heart of Somerset law did not want for kitchen space either, with a handy food prep area featuring a hob and a fridge
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Residents celebrate as neighbour's gate is removed
Residents have been left "elated" after a neighbour's security gate, which previously blocked access to a foresty, has been removed. The gate, which prevented entry to Cwmparc forest, was erected in February and stirred a passionate campaign in Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taf - including a peaceful protest and petition with 4,284 signatures calling for its removal. The homeowners previously said the gates were for their safety but they were found to obstruct the highway, the council said, so a legal order was issued in April for the gates to be taken down. Richard Clarke, campaign leader, said he was absolutely delighted to see the gates removed so the community can "get back what they missed". Residents protest to remove neighbour's security gate Council orders removal of homeowner's security gate "I have had hundreds of congratulatory messages, we have all had congratulatory messages," said Mr Clarke. "When we started it we didn't know what we would be up against," he said, adding that "so many people" were now relieved. "Protecting the highway is a statutory requirement, the public must always have access to the highway. It shows that in the end justice has prevailed." Mr Clarke said the whole process took four months to get to enforcement action, with hundreds of banners, posters and stickers put up around the town in solidarity. The notice served to the homeowners by the council expired on 8 June, but the gates remained. The family living in the gated property moved to Cwmparc over a year ago, and previously said their private entrance had been abused in a way which they felt left them with no choice and were working on an alternative route. "When the council didn't take immediate action, we were on an knife edge," Mr Clarke said. "We realised we needed to do something, so many of the Gate Gate campaigners emailed Andrew Morgan asking for something to be done." On Thursday, leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council Andrew Morgan issued a statement which said the access arrangements put in place by the homeowners "did not fulfil the legal order for the gates to be removed". He said the homeowners had the weekend to fulfil the legal order, and that the council would dispatch contractors to remove them should they not be removed within that time. Mr Clarke said he had been up to the site on Friday, after the gates were removed that morning, and he met many "very very happy" locals. "It is amazing to see what a difference this campaign has made to people's lives. "One woman had tears in her eyes," he said, adding another went to see the trees she planted in memory of her husband and brother. Mr Clarke added behind every campaign was a good group of people, and thanked campaigners for their unwavering effort. He said he wanted to extend the same community spirit to the homeowners, and he never wished them ill. "They may have chose to do something we disagree with, but they should now be left in peace," he added. Speaking of what it means going forward, Mr Clarke said the school holidays were a crucial point for the community. "For the first time in over 100 days, children can go there, it's just at the end of the street. "I said I wouldn't celebrate until after the gates were down, I have come to Hot Gossip cafe and they have given me a free cappuccino. "I don't do it for reward, but this in itself is worth it," he said. "I don't know what I will do now actually, this has taken up every minute of my time for the last four months."
Globe and Mail
12-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
World of EUC: Extraordinary Keynote in End User Computing
The World of EUC has announced an unprecedented keynote for its EUC World Amplify conference, set for August 4-7, 2025, in Minneapolis. Top technical experts from end user computing giants will take the stage for an unfiltered discussion of all things EUC. Charleston, South Carolina--(Newsfile Corp. - June 11, 2025) - The World of EUC (WEUC) has announced an unprecedented keynote panel for its second annual EUC World Amplify conference, scheduled for August 4-7, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For the first time, top technical experts from end user computing (EUC) giants will take the stage together for an independent and unfiltered discussion of all things EUC. Extraordinary Keynote in End User Computing To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: Confirmed panelists include: Andrew Morgan from AWS, Shawn Bass from Citrix, Ryan Costello from Google Cloud, Joe Rizkallah from Nutanix, Lokesh Batra from NVIDIA, Christopher Reed from Omnissa, and Christian Aquilina from Parallels. Titled "EUC Tomorrow, Today," the discussion will be moderated by WEUC Director Stephen Wagner. Registration is open at "This will be a real discussion providing real insight with an engaged, in-person community," said Wagner. "These panelists and their companies will shape this industry for the next decade and beyond. This is a huge learning opportunity for every EUC professional out there." The keynote is a live and in-person event. WEUC will not video record or share a transcript. Registration is open at Janna White, WEUC Director, said "Our board has 100 plus years of experience in the industry and we've never seen a panel with so much influence across EUC technologies. We are incredibly proud and grateful to the participants." "It is because of WEUC's independence and the participants' support for a strong EUC community that this is possible," said Jarian Gibson, WEUC Chairperson. "These panelists are smart. You can count on great insights. Let's Go!" WEUC is a nonprofit founded in 2024 to cultivate a thriving community where EUC professionals share insights, foster collaboration, and build connections. WEUC is an independent, inclusive and vendor-agnostic platform. Learn more here: EUC World Amplify is WEUC's 2025 in-person event drawing EUC professionals, vendors and channel partners from around the world. Learn more here: To view the source version of this press release, please visit
