Council welcomes £300k for green space
COUNCILLORS have accepted more than £300,000 funding for green space at a housing and healthcare site in Bridgend.
The Welsh Government will provide £315,268 for the development of green space at Sunnyside Wellness Village as part of its Transforming Towns initiative, which aims to redevelop town centres.
The work will include a communal growing area, natural play area, planting and protecting existing trees.
“I really welcome this,” said Cllr Nicole Burnett, Bridgend County Borough Council’s cabinet member for social services and early help.
“As a town centre area we are crying out for as much green space and greenery as possible.
“I’m really excited about this development.”
Cllr Burnett also said the creation of more green space will contribute to the council’s decarbonisation targets.
The council’s corporate director for communities Janine Nightingale said the funding will go towards a “fantastic scheme” and the “green element is very strong”.
A report by Ms Nightingale reads: “Research shows that access to high quality green space makes a significant contribution to people’s physical and mental well-being including reduced health inequalities, increased community cohesion and improved sense of place both in the short and long term.”
The wellness village is currently being developed by Linc Cymru, a housing association and care provider which works with local authorities and the NHS to help Wales’ ageing population.
The development will feature 59 affordable homes and a new £10.7m healthcare centre.
It will include mental health services and affordable homes on the site of the old Sunnyside council offices and magistrates court in Bridgend.
Cllr Dhanisha Patel, cabinet member for wellbeing and future generations, said: “I think this is a really good project especially in relation to the air quality management area that we have got on Park Street.”
“It’s a really nice thing to see and the fact that it is a social housing development ticks my boxes and it’s nice that we aren’t stacking in houses and building concrete jungles.”
MOULDY fruit, bruised and damaged vegetables and food items that don’t mix or their children won’t eat – that’s the verdict of parents on food parcels being handed out instead of free school meals while schools are shut. Some parents claimed the boxes sent by a supplier for Bridgend council are not good value for money and they could buy better themselves if they were given vouchers or money instead.
Most councils in Wales are giving money by bank transfer or supermarket vouchers to families whose children are eligible for free school meals while schools remain shut to most pupils.
But some are handing out food boxes.
Bridgend council uses The Real Wrap Company to deliver food to families whose children are eligible for free school meals while they can’t go into school.
The council said the boxes cost £19.50 a week for each of the 5,000 families getting deliveries and included breakfast and lunch for five days.
It said specific dietary requirements were taken into account and each box contained fresh ingredients.
The Welsh Government is providing £19.50 a week for free school meals during school closures, including during half-term and holidays.
Lindy Nightingale, from North Cornelly, claimed the boxes Bridgend council had been sending for her teenage daughter didn’t make proper meals or take into account children’s preferences.
She said she had to give away items including porridge, long-life milk and tins of custard which her 14-year-old daughter Rachel wouldn’t eat.
A loaf of bread comes in each weekly box, but there is no margarine or butter
PLANS for a major industrial scheme on the Pencoed Technology Park have been approved.
Deeside Regeneration, a joint venture between Maple Grove Developments and Trebor Developments, will now build a 46,100sq ft speculative industrial development at the park located adjacent to Junction 35 of the M4 in South Wales.
The project, is being supported by the Welsh Government and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Bob Tattrie, managing partner at Trebor Developments, said: “We are delighted to achieve planning consent which will now allow us to commence construction on site in April, with building completion this year.
“The project is available as a single unit or can be divided into two and therefore offers a most attractive mid-box, high quality, industrial scheme which is very rare in the South Wales market.
“We expect strong demand given the low availability of quality industrial stock and the location can serve both directions of the M4 (to Cardiff or Swansea) so is highly flexible.”
Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters said: “This development will provide modern business space. It will also support our commitment to create opportunities and secure lasting economic change for our communities.
“I am delighted we have been able to support this important project, and I look forward to seeing it progress and help make the area a more prosperous place to live and work.”
The scheme will be available on a leasehold or freehold basis.
Knight Frank and DLP Surveyors have been appointed as joint letting agents for the scheme.