Reservoirs could open for swim sessions

WELSH Water plans to open up a number of its reservoirs for openwater swimming.

A trio of staffed sites have been earmarked for future public use, the first being Llandegfedd Reservoir, on the border between Torfaen and Monmouthshire.

The move, which will depend on the easing of Covid restrictions, will hopefully take place before the summer.

There has already been huge demand. A controlled pilot of openwater swimming at Llandegfedd last year saw more than 760 swimmers and clubs taking part in dozens of organised swim sessions.

Open-water swimming has enjoyed a massive resurgence in recent times as it’s been proved to yield enormous health benefits, connecting people with nature, easing physical pain and, in some cases, helping to stave off the onset of dementia.

As well as Llandegfedd, plans are also afoot to extend the openwater swimming programme at two further manned sites, with Llys-y-Fran in Pembrokeshire and Llyn Brenig in Conwy being two likely front-runners.

However, as unauthorised swimming at any Welsh Water reservoirs is prohibited and considered extremely dangerous, both new sites would, like Llandegfedd, would need to achieve accreditation.

TWELVE more people have died with coronavirus in Wales but the infection rate has dropped once again.

Figures from Public Health Wales published yesterday reveal that 230 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the latest 24-hour period, a drop from 267 reported on Thursday.

The infection rate across Wales is now 50.7 cases per 100,000 of population based on the seven days up to February 28, a drop on a figure of 53.1 reported on Thursday. This is the lowest rate seen across Wales since mid-September.

Gwynedd remains the local authority with the highest infection rate in Wales with a rate of 89.1 per 100,000. Conwy is second with 83.6 cases per 100,000. Caerphilly is third with 76.8 per 100,000.

In terms of new cases reported in the last 24 hours in South Wales, Cardiff had 35, Caerphilly had 13, Merthyr Tydfil had 12, Newport had 11, RCT had 10, the Vale of Glamorgan had seven, Bridgend had six while Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen all had two.

Across Wales the positivity rate of tests is 5.4% for the past seven-day period.

BRIDGEND council has revealed its plans for spending on big projects in the upcoming financial year covering new schools, Maesteg Town Hall and Caerau heat network.

The council plans to spend around £62.4m in total on capital schemes in 2021/22.

The local authority’s gross revenue income for 2021/22 is around £435.4m.

The council’s net budget requirement is £299m and more than £86.8m is to be funded from council tax across 65,000 households.

Councillors recently approved a council tax increase of 3.9%, equating to an extra £59 per year for residents in Band D properties.

Some of the major projects planned include ongoing renovations at Maesteg Town Hall which are expected to cost a total of £7.2m and will include a glass atrium and extension to house a cafe.