Latest news with #CeredigionCouncil
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Bird flu confirmed as Ceredigion council warns public
People in a Welsh county are being warned to "remain vigilant" after bird flu was detected in seabirds along a stretch of council has said residents and visitors should "exercise caution" following confirmed cases of avian influenza in wild seabirds, particularly between Aberaeron and New received a formal notification of avian flu in a guillemot found on New Quay beach, with further reports of deceased seabirds in surrounding comes after the first Welsh cases of bird flu in poultry for three years were discovered last month in Pembrokeshire and Wrexham, leading to protection zones being put in place. The council said it would be installing advisory signage at key beach access points, reminding people not to touch or pick up dead or visibly sick wild birds, keep dogs on leads and on designated footpaths, avoid contact with bird feathers or droppings, and to wash their hands after tending to poultry or other of the public are also being asked to report sightings of dead wild waterfowl – such as swans, geese and ducks - or other wild birds such as gulls or birds of prey to the department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra).Matthew Vaux, Ceredigion's cabinet member for public protection said "while the risk to public health is low, vigilance is essential"."The public is thanked for their cooperation and reminded not to attempt to handle any dead birds," he added. What is bird flu? Bird flu, or avian flu, is an infectious type of influenza that spreads among birds and, in rare cases, can affect are many different types, but the strains of biggest concern in the UK can be spread by close contact with an infected bird - dead or alive - as well as its droppings and advice urges people to avoid contact with live birds where possible, and to wash their hands often with warm water and soap, especially before and after handling food, in particular raw tips for avoiding the spread include using different utensils for cooked and raw meat, and making sure meat is cooked until steaming hot.
Wales Online
01-07-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Plan to turn bathroom showroom into new homes turned down
Plan to turn bathroom showroom into new homes turned down Hugh Davies sought to convert office space at Cardigan Bathroom Centre, Riverside Showrooms, in Cardigan, to residential accommodation with a ground floor office space extension Ceredigion Council offices in Aberaeron (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service ) A bid to turn disused office space in a Welsh town into homes has been turned down, with flood risk a key concern. Hugh Davies made the proposal to Ceredigion County Council via agent Bell Designs for repurposing the surplus office area at Cardigan Bathroom Centre on The Strand into residential space and to add an office extension on the ground floor. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . In his statement, Mr Davies explained: "We moved into Cardigan Bathrooms Centre back in 2008 and originally the area above the main showroom was to be used for light storage. "This proved completely impractical as due to the fact that it was on a first floor and that carrying stock up and down the stairs was a health and safety nightmare." He continued: "Since that time we have built and are now using a large storeroom adjacent to the showroom and we have the small items stocked on the ground floor of the main building." Additionally, he revealed attempts to lease out the space: "We have tried unsuccessfully to rent out as office space, but we have been unsuccessful, we surmise due to the large availability within Cardigan town. Article continues below "For that reason we feel that it is far better to convert the area to residential use." However, the proposal was rejected according to a council officer's report which acknowledged the reasoning behind the change of use but highlighted several failure points in the plan. The report highlighted that the affordable housing policy requires a 10 per cent open market value commuted sum through a Section 106 legal agreement, noting: "The applicant has not agreed to enter into a Section 106 agreement to contribute towards affordable housing and the proposal does not comply [with policy]." Furthermore, it mentioned that while Natural Resources Wales had no objections to the residential unit being on the first floor, the development is still considered highly vulnerable in a flood zone. "Consequently, while NRW has raised no objection specifically relating to the first-floor residential unit, the Local Authority must consider the wider flood risk implications for the entire building. "This assessment is made in accordance with TAN 15 and local flood risk policies, with particular regard to the acceptability of highly vulnerable development within Flood Zone 3. Article continues below "Therefore, the LPA does not deem this highly vulnerable development acceptable given the flooding risks." The refusal of the application was based on several grounds, including its classification as a highly vulnerable development in a Flood Zone, the lack of a contribution to affordable housing, and the absence of essential ecological information such as a Pollution Prevention Plan and a Lighting Plan.
BBC News
25-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Lampeter Swimming Pool to close during summer holidays
A swimming pool is going to close for a large part of the summer holidays. Lampeter Swimming Pool in Ceredigion is set to close from 7 July to 11 August 2025 as part of a £140,000 investment to upgrade the facility, including improvements to the water treatment equipment in the plant the closure means many children will be without access to the pool for a large part of their summer break. Ceredigion council has thanked the public for their patience and understanding as it works to enhance the experience of users. It also said Lampeter Wellbeing Centre will be unaffected by the Member for Culture, Leisure and Customer Services Catrin Davies said the 50-year-old facility is an "extremely important resource" in mid Ceredigion and will close temporarily to "enhance the facilities offered"."We hope these works doesn't cause too much inconvenience to users," Ms Davies added.
Wales Online
19-06-2025
- Wales Online
Pile of dangerous rubbish dumped in a Welsh car park
Pile of dangerous rubbish dumped in a Welsh car park A man has been fined, after pleading guilty to two offences under the Environment Protection Act The hazardous materials were dumped near a public area (Image: Ceredigion Council ) A builder who carelessly dumped hazardous asbestos waste near a public area has been fined following a hearing at Aberystwyth Justice Centre. Ashley Ciminera, 37, had been carrying out roof replacement work at warehouse in Cardigan in June 2023, the hearing heard. The Ceredigion local later discarded broken asbestos roofing sheets from the Teifi Warehouse on Morgan Street, Cardigan, in a nearby public car park. During the process of removing the sheets, pieces of the material also fell onto cars parked below, causing damage. The debris, which included shattered corrugated asbestos roofing, was left uncontained and close to a pavement. Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here Asbestos, when damaged or improperly handled, can release microscopic fibres into the air. These fibres are known to lodge deep in the lungs and are linked to serious illnesses, including asbestosis and cancer. The pile of rubbish contained asbestos - infamously linked to serious illnesses, including asbestosis and cancer (Image: Ceredigion Council ) Regulations require asbestos to be removed intact, double-wrapped in heavy duty plastic and securely disposed of to prevent exposure. Article continues below Ciminera failed to follow these rules. Fragments of the hazardous material fell during removal, and instead of containing and safely disposing the debris, he left it in an open area accessible to the public. At a hearing on April 29, he pleaded guilty to two offences under the Environment Protection Act 1990; depositing controlled waste without a permit and treating waste in a way likely to cause pollution or harm to human health. Following this, on May 14, Ciminera was fined £200 for each offence. He was also ordered to pay a £160 victim subcharge and £150 in prosecution costs, totalling £710. The court acknowledged his poor health and that his building and roofing business had been dissolved in late 2023. Ceredigion County Council has strongly criticised the incident. Councillor Matthew Vaux, Cabinet Member responsible for Public Protection, said: "I am appalled by the brazen disregard shown to the general public by this offender. This case shows that anyone found mishandling hazardous waste will face strict penalties. Article continues below "This prosecution serves as a clear warning to all individuals and organisations that the careless or deliberate mismanagement of dangerous materials will not be tolerated. "We remain committed to enforcing environmental regulations to protect public health and the environment."
Powys County Times
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Powys' 'best students leaving county to continue education'
THE brightest pupils are leaving Powys to continue their post-16 education outside the county an education chief has confirmed. At a meeting of Powys County Council's Learning and Skills scrutiny committee on Monday, June 16, councillors and lay members received a report on school standards and improvement. The report also included data on GCSE and A-Level exam results which show that Powys is performing well below the standards of the past. When it comes to A-Level results, Powys come in below the all Wales average in five of six results categories. On the A*(star) to E grade table Powys come in joint 19th place with only 65 per cent getting all three grades. This is well below neighbours Ceredigion Council who come top of the class with 77 per cent. Cllr Gareth E Jones (Powys Independents) said: 'Have you done any work around the significant number of learners that are going out of county for their post-16 education to Hereford, Shrewsbury and Merthyr. 'What impact do those learners going out of county have on the overall performance of post-16? 'My guess would be that better quality learners go out of county and if they had stayed our overall performance may be better.' Head of school improvement and learning Anwen Orrells said: 'You would be correct in assuming that the more able are the ones that are leaving.' She said that the council knew how many post-16 pupils were out of county but didn't have details of their results from last summer. Cllr James Gibson-Watt (Liberal Democrat) stood down as council leader last month but has stayed on in the cabinet to start off the post-16 education review. The preferred option already backed by council officers could see all English medium school sixth forms vanish – in favour of two specialist sixth form schools to be based in Brecon and Newtown. While Welsh medium secondary schools would also join forces and have one separate sixth form operation across potentially three campuses. This preferred option has already come in for heavy criticism with many believing it would accelerate the exodus of pupils our of Powys. Cllr Gibson-Watt said: 'If ever we needed evidence of some radical reform in post-16 this paper sums it up. 'If you look at the details of the decline in performance it is quite shocking. 'We have to create a system that allows them to stay in county. 'We're in a situation where only 65 per cent are getting A* to E grades. 'Let's be frank, an A-level grade below C is not much use to anyone in life, particularly to get into higher education. 'I remember Powys was consistently in the top three counties for GCSE and A-level outcomes and here we are languishing in the bottom quartile.' Between 2010 and 2019 sixth forms across the saw a 33 per cent decline. falling from 1,445 to 978 in 2019. This means that funding from the Welsh Government based on pupils numbers has dropped from £6.5 million to £4.4 million
