Latest news with #DimitriBatrouni
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Persimmon and Pobl deliver affordable homes in Newport
Persimmon Homes East Wales has handed over 18 properties, including a block of six apartments, to Pobl Group at its Glan Llyn site in east Newport. The homes are part of the £1 billion Glan Llyn regeneration scheme and will help meet housing needs in the area. Dimitri Batrouni, leader of Newport City Council, said: "It was a pleasure to meet once again with Persimmon and Pobl as they work together to bring new, high-quality homes to Newport to meet the rising demand for housing in the city. "The council is determined to ensure we bring a range of homes into place to cater to the different housing requirements of people across Newport, and this is a great example of how this is being brought forward in the city." The new homes include a mix of one-bedroom apartments and two- and three-bedroom houses, designed for individuals, couples, and families. Lee Hawker, managing director of Persimmon Homes East Wales, said: "Persimmon is proud of the progress we've made at Glan Llyn, and are particularly happy with how we've worked with partners to deliver affordable housing here. "We are very much committed to leaving a positive and lasting legacy wherever we build, meeting the housing need of the local area and making sure we deliver for Newport. "So, I am delighted to be marking this handover of homes on-site." The current phase of the Glan Llyn development will deliver 178 new homes, with 10 per cent designated as affordable housing under the Section 106 agreement. An additional 8.5 per cent will be transferred to a housing association. Nearly half of Persimmon's buyers at the site to date have used the Help to Buy Wales scheme, indicating strong demand from first-time buyers and local families. Scott Sanders, chief executive of Pobl Group, said: "At Pobl, we're committed to working in partnership to deliver high-quality, affordable homes where they're needed most – and Glan Llyn is a great example of that. "We're proud to be part of a project that's supporting people to put down roots and be part of a thriving, well-connected neighbourhood in Newport."
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- South Wales Argus
How councils in Wales are boosting their cyber defences
The move comes amid a rise in digital threats targeting public services, which rely on secure IT systems to deliver critical support to communities. Councillor Dimitri Batrouni, Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) spokesperson for digital and workforce, said: "Cyber resilience isn't a luxury – it's a necessity. "As threats continue to evolve, councils need the tools and confidence to safeguard the systems that underpin the services people depend on." The National Cyber Security Centre has reported a steady increase in attacks on the public sector, including phishing, ransomware, and supply chain incidents. To address these risks, Welsh councils and fire and rescue services are using the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) to identify vulnerabilities and strengthen their cyber resilience. The WLGA, in partnership with the Welsh Government, is supporting the rollout of the framework alongside other initiatives. These include breach workshops, tabletop exercises, training videos, and CymruSOC, a centralised security operations centre that monitors and supports council cyber security. Mr Batrouni said: "The Cyber Assessment Framework is a vital part of this effort. "It helps councils understand their strengths and gaps and provides a structure for improvement."
Business News Wales
2 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Council Leader Celebrates Affordable Housing in Newport
One of the developers behind the major Glan Llyn development in east Newport has handed over the latest batch of affordable housing on the site. Persimmon Homes East Wales handed over a block of flats, containing six apartments, to the Pobl Group, with Newport Council Leader Cllr Dimitri Batrouni, in attendance to mark the occasion. The accredited five-star developer has handed over a total of 18 properties to Pobl at its outlet at Glan Llyn, which will help address the local housing need in Newport. These include a mix of one-bedroom apartments, and two- and three-bedroom houses, offering a range of options for individuals, couples, and families within the growing Glan Llyn community. Part of the £1 billion Glan Llyn regeneration, the latest phase will deliver 178 new homes, including 10% affordable in accordance with the Section 106 agreement with an additional 8.5% being transferred to a housing association. Around half of Persimmon's buyers on-site to date have used Help to Buy Wales, reflecting strong demand from first-time buyers and local families. Lee Hawker – Persimmon Homes East Wales Managing Director – said: 'Persimmon is proud of the progress we've made at Glan Llyn, and are particularly happy with how we've worked with partners to deliver affordable housing here. 'We are very much committed to leaving a positive and lasting legacy wherever we build, meeting the housing need of the local area and making sure we deliver for Newport. So, I am delighted to be marking this handover of homes on-site.' Scott Sanders – Chief Executive of Pobl Group – added: 'At Pobl, we're committed to working in partnership to deliver high-quality, affordable homes where they're needed most – and Glan Llyn is a great example of that. This development has a real sense of place, with green areas and community spaces helping to create a village feel. 'We're proud to be part of a project that's supporting people to put down roots and be part of a thriving, well-connected neighbourhood in Newport.' Cllr Dimitri Batrouni, Leader of Newport Council, said: 'It was a pleasure to meet once again with Persimmon and Pobl as they work together to bring new, high-quality homes to Newport to meet the rising demand for housing in the city. 'The council is determined to ensure we bring a range of homes into place to cater to the different housing requirements of people across Newport, and this a great example of how this is being brought forward in the city.'
South Wales Argus
12-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Newport City Council leader on £6.6m city roadworks
Those 'bread-and-butter' services, the doorstep issues that we all encounter every day, are at the top of our residents' agenda, so they needed to be at the top of our agenda too. One of those issues is the state of our roads. This is something we hear a lot about from residents, and back when we set our budget in February, we promised more investment into our road network. This week, we've announced that we are delivering on that promise. We will be investing £6.6m into our roads over the next 12 months. This investment will support a major programme of road maintenance works, focusing on our most critical and high-priority roads. These include Malpas Road, Newport Bridge, Lighthouse Road, Chepstow Road and many more. Councillors from every ward have been sharing residents' concerns about roads with us. We've heard those concerns, and we get it. That's why we're putting this programme in place. We have secured around £4.4m from the Welsh Government to help finance the programme. They share our agenda of wanting to get things done, things that make a difference to people, and I'm grateful for the support they have shown us. Their support will allow us to go above and beyond what we would be able to do on our own. We will also be allocating around £2.2m of our own resources to the programme, including £1m from underspend from last financial year. It is not going to solve every problem and fix every pothole, as we can only do so much with the resources we have. It is, however, a really good programme of works which I do feel will make a big difference to residents and visitors alike. And we will keep delivering to ensure that those 'bread-and-butter' services are always meeting our residents' needs. You can find more information about the programme, including the full list of roads we will be working on, in the newsroom on the council's website. Something else we announced last week was that the city's recycling rate has smashed a new record high of 71.45 per cent. This is a fabulous achievement and one that positions Newport as one of the best performing cities in Wales and the UK for recycling. This wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for the efforts of our residents, and we are very grateful for their efforts. So, I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone reading this. Your efforts, no matter how small or how large, do make a massive difference to our city. Dimitri Batrouni is leader of Newport City Council.
South Wales Argus
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- South Wales Argus
Newport's £6.6m investment to improve 55 city roads
The council aims to improve the city's road network over the coming year, focusing on the most vital and high-priority roads. These include Malpas Road, Newport Bridge, Lighthouse Road, Chepstow Road, and Caerleon Road. The council secured more than £4.4 million from the Welsh Government through the new highway management local government borrowing initiative. It will also allocate around £2.2 million of its own resources, including £1 million from last year's underspend, to this major road maintenance programme. This investment is in addition to the council's regular yearly budget for road repairs. Councillor Dimitri Batrouni, leader of the council, said: "We promised more investment into our road network, and I'm pleased to say we are delivering on that promise. "Councillors from every ward have been sharing residents' concerns about roads with us. "We've heard those concerns, and we get it. "This funding from Welsh government will allow us to go above and beyond what we would be able to do on our own, tackling more of our highway network's problem areas." The programme will have two elements running concurrently: full resurfacing work on the highest priority roads and surface treatments for high-priority roads to preserve the highway asset. The council proposes to work on 55 sections of road, 36 requiring full resurfacing and 19 needing surface treatments. The council will undertake further detailed design work for the programme to determine a full schedule before work starts later this summer. Residents, businesses, and visitors will be kept informed of the programme's progress through the council's website and social media channels. Acknowledging that the level of investment would not solve all issues, Mr Batrouni added: "At the same time, it is not going to solve every problem and fix every pothole, as we can only do so much with the resources we have. "It is, however, a really good programme of works which I do feel will make a big difference." The council has thanked residents and visitors in advance for their patience and understanding while it carries out these important upgrades. The full list of the roads is: Full treatment A467 - Risca Bypass A468 – Caerphilly boundary to Draethen Junction A468 Bassaleg Roundabout, near A467 A468 Caerphilly Road (part) A48 Usk Way (City Centre) (Part) B4239 Coast Road (Part) B4239 Lighthouse Road (part) B4241 Corporation Road (Cromwell Rd junction area) B4241 Fields Road (Part) B4254 Magor Rd (Part) B4591 Corporation Road (Part) Broadway - Junction with High Street Caerleon Road near St Julians Pub Chapel Road - Junction Great Newra Farm Chepstow Road - Magor Road / Tregarn Road, junction area Clifton Road including Friars Road Junction Cromwell Road (Part) Docks Way - Junction with Greenwich Road Gaer Road (Part) Heidenheim Drive (part) Hendre Farm Drive (part) Highfield Road Junction Road (part) Malpas Road (near the Shell garage) Newport Bridge - Old Green Roundabout to Rodney Road Rivermead (part) Rivermead Way - Junction with Fuchsia Way Rodney Road - near The Pod Somerton Bridge St Mellons Road - Junction Wellfield Road Stow Hill - Cathedral Area Stow Park Circle (Part) The Coldra - Junction with Llanwern Road to no 11 White Brook, Llanvaches - (Part 1) White Brook, Llanvaches - (Part 2) White Brook, Llanvaches - (Part 3) Surface treatment A48 Cardiff Road (entrance Spring Court to Coach & Horses PH) A48 Cardiff Road (junction Pound Hill to entrance Spring Court) A48 Chepstow Road (from junction Bowdens Lane to junction Pen-y-Worlod Road) A48 Chepstow Road (from junction Caerlicken Lane to junction Church Road) A48 Chepstow Road (from junction Catsash Road to junction Langstone Court Road) A48 Chepstow Road (from junction Hendrew Lane to junction Greenmeadow Lane) A48 Chepstow Road (from junction Langstone Park to junction Old Langstone Court Road) A48 Chepstow Road (from junction Pen-y-Worlod Road to junction Old Turnpike Road) A48 Newport Road (junction Channel View to Boundary) A48 Newport Road (southbound from junction Marshfield Road to end of dualling) B4236 New Road (from junction Bulmore Road to junction Lulworth Road) B4237 Cardiff Road (junction Cae Bryntirion Road to Belle Vue interchange) B4596 Caerleon Road (from start of 40mph zone to no.574 Caerleon Road) Goldcliff Road (from junction Goldcliff Common to Chapel Road) Meadows Road (junction Nash Road to Queensway Meadows Roundabout) Mendalgief Road (from junction Price Close to junction Lime Court) North Row (junction Green Street to entrance of North Court Farm) Usk Road, Caerleon (from junction B4236 Mill Street to access Whitehall Farm)
