Featured Articles

Shop and stall vacancies at Carmarthen Market

Tenders are invited for the quarterly tenancy of inside shop IS1C, unit 14/15/16/17, unit 26/27 and unit 57 situated inside the Carmarthen Market Hall. IS1C has a retail area of approximately 18sqm, 14/15/16/17 22.4sqm, unit 26/27 11.2sqm and unit 57 is 5.6sqm and all are suitable for a variety of...

3 days ago

• Carmarthen
• Jobs and training,Markets

Council launches bilingual music streaming system

As part of this year’s Welsh Language Music Day on Friday, February 8, Carmarthenshire County Council has launched a new bilingual music streaming system which will be played in many of its public areas. The initiative has been launched following a pilot held last year when Welsh music was played a...

7 days ago

• Welsh language and culture

Lowest paid staff to benefit most from national pay award

Carmarthenshire County Council’s lowest paid staff will benefit the most from a national pay award endorsed by the Executive Board on Monday (February 4, 2019), following a comprehensive budget digest made by Executive Board Member for Resources, Cllr David Jenkins. Subject to Full Council approval...

7 days ago

• Council meeting reports,Finance

Environmental budget proposals taken off the table

Several budget proposals which could have impacted frontline environmental services have been taken off the table by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Executive Board. Cllr Hazel Evans, Executive Board Member for Environment, said she was delighted that her colleagues had agreed to remove some of th...

9 days ago

• Recycling, bins and litter,Travel, roads and parking,Development and investment,Council meeting reports,Finance

Council’s pride in announcing Diversity Champion status

Carmarthenshire County Council is proud to announce its role as a Stonewall Cymru Diversity Champion, promoting inclusion and equality for its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) staff and the community. A previous top 20 employer on Stonewall Cymru’s Workplace Equality Index, the council...

15 days ago

• Equality & diversity

Executive Board expected to agree funding boost for schools

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Executive Board is expected to agree a boost to next year’s education budget. Despite facing the prospect of making £27million efficiency savings over the next three years, and with reduced funding from the Welsh Government, an additional £2.6million could be alloca...

15 days ago

• Education and schools,Finance

First section of exciting Tywi Valley Path scheme now open

The first section of the ambitious Tywi Valley Path – a 16-mile stretch running alongside the River Tywi between Carmarthen and Llandeilo – is now open. Over 750m of pathway linking Carmarthen Museum in Abergwili with Bwlch Bach to Fronun, and on to Whitemill, offers cyclists and walkers beautiful...

21 days ago

• Carmarthen,Llandeilo and Towy Valley
• Travel, roads and parking,Development and investment,Leisure & outdoor activities,Cycling

Statement: Schaeffler

Carmarthenshire County Council Leader, Cllr Emlyn Dole, said: “This announcement will be a terrible blow for Schaeffler’s dedicated and hard-working staff and their families, as well as the economy of Llanelli. Over recent weeks we have been in discussions with the company to see if there was anythi...

22 days ago

• Llanelli
• Jobs and training

How prepared is the police force for Brexit?

Dyfed Powys Police Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn will outline what preparations the force is making for Brexit at Friday’s meeting of the Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Panel. Panel member Cllr William Powell, representing Powys, has tabled the question for Mr Llywelyn following warnings from senior p...

22 days ago

• Police and Crime

First tenant moves into refurbished units in Amman Valley

The newly refurbished industrial units in the Amman Valley have welcomed its first tenant. Mal Walker Maintenance which provides servicing for cooling systems and general engineering maintenance for green energy companies nationally has moved into Glanamman Workshops. Carmarthenshire County Counci...

23 days ago

• Ammanford and Amman Valley
• Regeneration,Development and investment

Carmarthenshire Town and Village of Culture for 2019 launch

Carmarthenshire's Town and Village of Culture for 2019 is Whitland and Drefach Felindre, and that’s official! Representatives of both communities including school children from Llys Hywel Primary and Dyffryn Taf Comprehensive came together and attended the launch, along with the minister of culture...

24 days ago

• Theatres, arts & museums

Find out what land could be developed in the future

There's a few days remaining for people to have their say on the future development of Carmarthenshire. Carmarthenshire County Council is asking people to take time to see what areas of land have been submitted to them for potential future development. A consultation is underway for people to give...

24 days ago

• Planning,Consultation

Carmarthenshire's second Celebration of Culture Awards

Those who enrich our lives through music, arts and literature will be recognised in Carmarthenshire's second Celebration of Culture Awards. Hosted by Carmarthenshire County Council and supported by the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star, the awards aim to celebrate excellence in arts and culture,...

29 days ago

• Events,Awards and honours,Theatres, arts & museums,Libraries and archives,Welsh language and culture

Next stage of works to clear Cwmduad landslide

Phase two of the works to stabilise a landslide in Cwmduad has begun following recovery of a lorry from the river below. Carmarthenshire County Council is leading the operation to clear the site and re-open the A484 for traffic travelling between Carmarthen and Newcastle Emlyn, following the landsl...

32 days ago

A485 road safety engagement events

A series of engagement events are being held to discuss road safety priorities along the A485, which connects Carmarthen to Llanybydder and Cwmman in the north of Carmarthenshire. Carmarthenshire County Council’s Road Safety Team are leading the events, in partnership with Dyfed Powys Police’s Road...

35 days ago

• Llanybydder
• Travel, roads and parking

Blue bag deliveries to every household is underway

Deliveries of blue bags are underway to every household in Carmarthenshire. Between now and the end of March, every home should receive three rolls of blue bags, which allows for up to six bags to be put out for each recycling collection week – although there is no limit to the amount of blue bags...

35 days ago

• Recycling, bins and litter

New bus services arrangements for north Carmarthenshire

A series of revised bus routes have been published following a change in contracts covering the north of Carmarthenshire. Carmarthenshire County Council has completed a tender process following notice from Morris Travel that it intended to hand back the routes it operates around the Llanarthne, Cru...

36 days ago

• Carmarthen,Llandeilo and Towy Valley,Llanybydder,Llandovery
• Travel, roads and parking

Unanimous approval major step forward for Wellness Village

The proposed Wellness and Life Science Village in Llanelli has taken another major step forward following unanimous approval from Carmarthenshire County Council’s Planning Committee. The £200million complex planned for Delta Lakes on the Llanelli coast is expected to create close to 2,000 jobs and...

36 days ago

Wales’s longest serving council Chief Executive to retire

Carmarthenshire County Council Chief Executive Mark James has announced his decision to retire. Mr James, who has served the council for 17 years, will retire later this year when he turns 60. He has spent over 40 years in local government, taking up post in Carmarthenshire in March 2002 and previ...

36 days ago

Courts catch up with fly-tipping father and son

A man caught fly-tipping in Llanelli has eventually had his day in court – six months after his father was found guilty of the same offence. Renny Price, 22, of Edgemore Close, Upper Killay, Swansea, must pay over £770 in fines and costs for fly-tipping and not having a waste carriers licence. He...

38 days ago

• Llanelli
• Enforcement,Recycling, bins and litter

More road improvements planned for Ammanford town centre

A road improvement scheme will soon be introduced to benefit drivers and pedestrians in Ammanford town centre. An additional lane for traffic turning right onto College Street from Margaret Street is among the changes set to be put in place. Under the Carmarthenshire County Council scheme, the Col...

43 days ago

• Ammanford and Amman Valley
• Travel, roads and parking

Customer service centre proving a success

Llanelli’s customer service centre is offering more services than ever before with hundreds of people coming through the doors every week helping to drive town centre footfall. The Hwb in Vaughan Street deals with around 3,000 appointments every month on issues ranging from housing benefit and coun...

44 days ago

• Llanelli
• Jobs and training,Customer Services

Apply online for a primary and nursery school place now!

Parents across Carmarthenshire are being reminded that they need to apply online for their child’s school place. Admission to school is not an automatic process, applications must be made to the county council by January 31. Parents must apply online for nursery or primary places and will be inform...

44 days ago

• Education and schools

New tool promotes county’s meeting and event venue

A free tool to find out all the available community facilities on offer in the county has been launched by Carmarthenshire County Council. The council’s Property Division has contacted the county’s public sector, town and community councils, third sector and local businesses, to create a ‘one-stop-...

54 days ago

• Development and investment,Events

Gritting lorry experience makes teenager’s wish come true

Carmarthenshire County Council’s highways team have made a Carmarthen teenager’s wish come true, giving her a chance to ride in one of its gritting lorries. Fifteen-year-old Ashleigh Harrison, of Johnstown, loves to see the gritting crews pass her front room window when they are dispatched from the...

54 days ago

• Carmarthen
• Travel, roads and parking

Illegal dog breeder pays price for misleading customers

An illegal dog breeder has been handed a suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay over £200,000 after selling sick puppies with false pedigree and veterinary papers. Dylan Huw Thomas, of New Inn, Llandeilo, was caught running a fraudulent dog breeding business by Carmarthenshire County Council’...

54 days ago

• Llandeilo and Towy Valley
• Enforcement,Trading standards

Don’t feed your black bag this Christmas

Don't feed your black bag this Christmas – that’s the message to residents in Carmarthenshire from the council’s recycling team over the festive period. We buy, eat and waste a lot more food this time of year so it is more important than ever that we recycle as much of it as possible. Figures show...

57 days ago

• Recycling, bins and litter

Llanelli woman pays the price for littering at beach

A Llanelli woman is paying the price for littering at a Carmarthenshire beauty spot during the summer sunshine earlier this year. Alysha Louise Herrington was fined £330 at Llanelli Magistrates Court on Friday December 7. Miss Herrington, of Nant Wen, Llanelli, was seen dropping fast-food packagin...

58 days ago

• Gwendraeth Valley,Llanelli
• Enforcement

Young people transform Reservoir into Fairy Garden

A group of young people have spent the past four months volunteering to transform the area around the reservoir in Tanerdy, Carmarthen. Up to 20 young people have turned the area into a Fairy Garden especially for young children in the community. Since September, the young people who attend activi...

58 days ago

Tender out for replacement of rural bus routes

A number of rural bus services in Carmarthenshire have been affected by an operator’s decision to hand its contract back to the county council. Morris Travel has told Carmarthenshire County Council that it will cease to operate a number of its routes as of January 19. It particularly affects trave...

58 days ago

• Carmarthen,Llandeilo and Towy Valley,Llanybydder,Llandovery
• Travel, roads and parking

New affordable housing development gets green light

Dozens of families will soon benefit from a new affordable housing development in Llanelli. Planning Committee at Carmarthenshire County Council has given the green light to a 34-house scheme on land close to the Dylan housing estate in Bryn.  Made up of 28 two-bedroom homes and six four-bedroom h...

60 days ago

• Llanelli
• Housing,Planning,Development and investment

New initiatives launched to tackle littering

New initiatives are being rolled out to encourage residents to get rid of their litter responsibly. Litter bin signage has rolled out throughout the County and new pavement messages have been launched in Llanelli town centre as part of Carmarthenshire County Council’s ‘Pride in your Patch’ campaign...

60 days ago

• Llanelli
• Recycling, bins and litter

Universal Credit roll-out in Carmarthenshire

On December 12, Universal Credit full service became available in Carmarthenshire. At this stage it will only affect customers making new claims to Child Tax Credits, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, Income Based Employment and Support Allowance and Working Tax Cr...

60 days ago

• Finance,Housing,Children and families

Successful transfer of Allied Healthcare contract

Carmarthenshire County Council has successfully transferred 85 staff and 120 care packages from Allied Healthcare, to the Council’s in-house service. The transfer of the contract happened this week following the council’s swift response to put in place contingency plans following news that the priv...

63 days ago

• Social care and health

New Ammanford customer service Hwb opens its doors

A new Carmarthenshire County Council customer service hub has opened its doors in Ammanford town centre. The Hwb, in Quay Street, provides face-to-face advice on a range of council issues, as well as being a place people can make payments, get job and training support, access digital facilities, fi...

66 days ago

• Ammanford and Amman Valley
• Customer Services

Don’t forget – bin collection days change over Christmas

Residents in Carmarthenshire are being reminded that there are changes to bin collections over the 2018/19 festive period. A lot more rubbish tends to be produced at this time of the year so people are being urged to try and recycle as much as possible. Blue bags should be used to recycle all your...

67 days ago

• Recycling, bins and litter

Town and Village of Culture 2019 revealed

Carmarthenshire's Town and Village of Culture for 2019 will be – drum roll please . . . Whitland and Drefach Felindre. Both communities were delighted to accept the council’s nomination following meetings held locally with lots of public support. The town council will take the lead in Whitland whi...

68 days ago

• Whitland,Newcastle Emlyn
• Welsh language and culture

Llanelli Life Science and Wellbeing Village commitment

Carmarthenshire County Council has confirmed its absolute commitment to deliver the exciting and innovative Life Science and Wellbeing Village at Delta Lakes, but will now look to deliver the scheme by itself, terminating a formal Collaboration Agreement with Sterling Health Securities Holdings. Th...

70 days ago

• Llanelli
• City deal

Pupils give ‘Insight’ into county council budget

Secondary schools from across Carmarthenshire have given their views on proposals in the council’s budget. The annual Insight event is open to all secondary schools and colleges in the county.This year teams from Bryngwyn, Bro Dinefwr, Bro Myrddin, Emlyn, Maes y Gwendraeth, Dyffryn Amman and QE Hig...

70 days ago

• Education and schools,Consultation

Life Science and Well-being Village business case

A detailed business case for Llanelli’s Life Science and Well-being Village has been approved in principle by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Executive Board. Proposed for a site at Delta Lakes, the project is expected to create close to 2,000 jobs and give the local economy a £467million boost....

72 days ago

• Llanelli
• City deal

Tenant 2 Tenant Awards throws spotlight on achievements

All eyes were on Llanelli’s Ffwrnes Theatre recently when goodwill and community spirit was celebrated in Carmarthenshire County Council’s Tenant 2 Tenant Awards. It was an opportunity to shine a spotlight on tenants who go the extra mile to look after their homes and communities, and volunteers wh...

73 days ago

Tom at UK Youth Parliament

An Ammanford teenager has represented the county in a national debate at the House of Commons. Thomas Vaughan-Jones, aged 14, took part in the UK Youth Parliament debate earlier this month and gave own speech on tackling homelessness. The Amman Valley School student, who was elected by other youth...

73 days ago

• Youth support

New housing development company call for contractor partners

Cartrefi Croeso, Carmarthenshire County Council’s local housing company, is calling on property and construction consultants and contractors to join its register of approved partners. Hundreds of affordable homes are to be built across south west Wales over the next few years, meeting the demand fo...

73 days ago

• Housing,Development and investment

Top county sporting stars announced

Thirty three of the county’s top sporting champions have made it to the final of this year’s Actif Carmarthenshire Sports Awards. Winners of the twelve categories including Young Sportsman and Sportswoman will be announced in a glitzy ceremony at the Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli on Friday February 8...

79 days ago

• Education and schools,Leisure & outdoor activities

Community launches new flood assistance appeal

A community is rallying around to help neighbours and businesses who are still counting the cost of the flooding brought by Storm Callum last month. A Llandysul and Pontweli Flood Assistance Appeal has been launched by volunteers to raise funds and collect donations to support those trying to repai...

81 days ago

Funds available for Carmarthenshire businesses

Businesses in Carmarthenshire are benefitting from a new £500,000 grant scheme to help them to grow and employ. Carmarthenshire County Council’s Business start-up and growth schemes offer up to £10,000 funding at 50 per cent of total project costs to help them buy equipment, machinery, marketing ma...

81 days ago

• Gwendraeth Valley
• Development and investment,Regeneration

Commissioner rejects idea of private security over policing

Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said he could not agree with a suggestion that council tax be used to fund private security companies instead of the police. A question had been put to him by a member of the public at a recent meeting of the Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Pan...

86 days ago

• Police and Crime,Council meeting reports

Panel gets funding commitment to prevent youth offending

The Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Commissioner has given assurance that funding for youth offending prevention is safe so long as he remains in office. Dafydd Llywelyn was speaking to members of the Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Panel, whose role it is to scrutinise the office of the commissioner and...

86 days ago

• Police and Crime,Council meeting reports

New visitors flock to Pembrey sand dunes

There’s a welcome in the hillside for Pembrey Country Park’s latest visitors. Mountain sheep are spending their winter holiday grazing the sand dunes by Cefn Sidan beach. The flock of Welsh Glamorgan’s will be helping to conserve rare wildlife as well as encouraging dune growth which can be affect...

87 days ago

• Burry Port and Pembrey
• Leisure & outdoor activities

Jobs boost thanks to council grant

A former primary school in Carmarthen has been transformed into a nursery, creating 20 jobs. Welsh-speaking Cywion Bach, has moved into the former Idole village school which has undergone significant renovation work following support from Carmarthenshire County Council’s Rural Enterprise Fund. A s...

87 days ago

• Carmarthen
• Education and schools,Development and investment,Jobs and training