Councillor raises safety fears over derelict workmen’s hall
A WOMAN who lives by a derelict workmen’s hall in the Amman Valley with a hole in the roof is “petrified” every time there’s a storm, according to a councillor.
Cllr Kevin Madge, who said the roof of the workmen’s hall in Garnant had blown off before and landed on the woman’s property, asked the leader of Carmarthenshire Council what it was going to do to make the building safe.
The Garnant ward member claimed the building, on Heol Cwmaman, was the county’s biggest fire risk and posed a danger to people living nearby.
Miners and tinplate workers helped fund the hall when it was built in the 1920s.
Over the years it hosted operas and concerts and served as a cinema. More recently, planning permission was sought to create a care home there.
Council leader Darren Price said the building had new owners and that council officers would contact them when their details became known via the Land Registry.
Cllr Price said he had driven past the workman’s hall on Sunday, September 25, and accepted that it was an eyesore.
The Plaid leader said building control officers had assessed the hall’s structural integrity on May 19 this year and did not consider it to be dangerous at the current time.
“Officers will continue to monitor the situation over the next 12 months,” he said.
Referring to the neighbour whose property had apparently been impacted by a blown-off roof from the workmen’s hall, Cllr Madge said: “I’ve got a lady living on the side who is petrified whenever there is a storm.”
Cllr Price said safety issues were absolutely paramount and that council officers had visited the building some 30 times over the past decade.
He said there was a wider question about the economic regeneration of the Amman Valley, which he said the council was trying to improve, for example by upgrading empty industrial workshops in nearby Glanaman.
Cllr Price said investment in the “awful and abysmal” transport system in the Amman Valley was vital, and that he had said as much during regional discussions about a proposed Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro.
Carmarthenshire, he said, was getting “next to nothing” as things currently stood with the Metro transport concept.
Meanwhile, Cllr Madge also asked when the council planned to open Cwmamman Day Centre for the whole week and reopen the kitchen to provide a meals on wheels service and a weekly pensioners’ lunch club.
In reply, Cllr Jane Tremlett, cabinet member for health and social services, said the day centre’s opening times had been increased from two days a week to three and that it met demand.
She added that upgrading the kitchen would cost £150,000.
Cllr Madge said the day centre served the whole of the Amman Valley and that it could provide a venue for people with dementia.
Cllr Tremlett said the council would look at individual cases if unmet need was identified, and that the question of investing in the kitchen or not would be part of forthcoming budget discussions.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Madge said he was worried about reports of children breaking into the workmen’s hall, and added that fires had been lit there.
A FAMILY can enjoy Christmas fit for a king – by having a royal festive week at King Charles’s Welsh estate.
Two country cottages owned by King Charles are available for Christmas week for a seven-night stay.
But potential guests must go through advanced security screenings if they want a break at the 90-acre royal residence.
Two cottages sit in the courtyard adjoining the main farmhouse used by the royals.
One of the cottages sleeps four people and is available for £2,350, while the other has room for up to six for £2,750.
Both are adorned with royal insignias at the Llwynywermod estate at Myddfai, near Llandovery, and are available for rent throughout the year – except during times of royal visits.
For Christmas-lovers, the village of Bethlehem is just a few miles away. And for those who might want to give a stay as a present then a week in January is just over £800 in the same cottages.
Estate managers boast the cottages feature “beautiful grounds and courtyard” and are an excellent base for “woodland walks and country pursuits”.
King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla have enjoyed regular summer breaks at the retreat since he bought it through the Duchy of Cornwall for £1.2 million in 2007.
The rental page says: “Sitting within a courtyard range adjoining the Welsh royal residence of Llwynywermod, North Range is a charming barn conversion available for occasional holiday let.
“North Range forms part of a courtyard attached to Llwynywermod Farmhouse and is beautifully furnished to suit the style of the property, with a mixture of period and contemporary furniture including many Welsh pieces and local fabrics.
“Sustainability has been championed, with both the heating and hot water powered by a wood chip boiler and electricity provided by a renewable source.”
However, potential guests will have to undergo an advanced security screening, including giving the full names and dates of births of all guests. Those booking will also have to hand over their car registration details, including the make, model and colour of all vehicles, and provide a valid ID on arrival.