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Backing for two City Deal business cases

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MEMBERS of the Swansea City Deal’s Economic Strategy Board are supporting a call for immediate approval of two major Swansea Bay City Deal projects.

The Economic Strategy Board (ESB), made up of private sector business persons appointed to the ESB say they want to help get the ‘Yr Egin’ and Swansea City and Waterfront Digital District projects over the finish line.

Their support comes after an independent review into the £1.3 billion Swansea Bay City Deal found that the businesses cases for these two projects are ‘fit for purpose’.

The same review also found serious problems with the way in which some business cases were prepared, describing them as little more than glossy marketing exercises devoid of detail and substance.

The Economic Strategy Board is made up of experts in key City Deal themes like energy, manufacturing, skills, life sciences, and business.

Chaired by Ed Tomp, the Vice-President and General Manager of Valero UK in Pembrokeshire, private sector board members include Scarlets chairman Nigel Short, retired consultant surgeon oncologist Simon Holt, and Pobl Group chief executive Amanda Davies.

Chris Foxall, finance director of Welsh car manufacturer Riversimple, and James Davies, Industry Wales executive chair, also sit on the board.

As well as an independent review, an internal review commissioned by the City Deal’s Joint Committee has also been completed to ensure governance is robust.

It found it wasn’t and described a breakdown in trust between the public sector partnership members.
The Economic Strategy Board provides strategic direction for the City Deal and advises the Joint City Deal Board.

Its functions include overseeing the production of project business cases and making recommendations for approval.

Mr Tomp said: “The Economic Strategy Board welcomes the publication of the reviews into the City Deal.

“Both include a number of recommendations which should speed up the City Deal’s delivery for the benefit of residents and businesses across South West Wales.

“Among the recommendations endorsed by the Economic Strategy Board is the immediate approval of the ‘Yr Egin’ and Swansea City and Waterfront Digital District projects, so we’ll do all we can to help with that process.

“The first phase of the ‘Canolfan S4C Yr Egin’ development is a terrific example of how state-of-the-art office and networking spaces can support our creative industries, while the Swansea project will combine world-class entertainment and 21st-century business facilities with cutting-edge digital infrastructure.”

Canolfan Yr Egin was never part of the City Deal and was tacked on after its construction was already underway. The involvement of the City Deal in the project is a fig leaf for UWTSD’, which despite promising it could deliver the project without public subsidy, went cap in hand to the Welsh Government when it couldn’t.

Public funding for Yr Egin was agreed by Economy Secretary Ken Skates over six months before the City Deal was even signed.

Mr Tomp continued: “Approval of these business cases as soon as possible would help maintain private sector confidence in the City Deal while showing the commitment of all partners to work together for the good of the Swansea Bay City Region.

“In the meantime, we’ll also continue to help progress business cases for the nine other projects due to be part City Deal funded because this investment programme has the potential to transform our region’s economic well-being.”

Chris Foxall said: “The Swansea Bay City Deal is a once in a generation opportunity to kick-start a sustainable regional economic development programme. It’s more than just investment – it’s the start of a journey that will build momentum, confidence and prosperity for our future generations. The City Deal’s breadth of sectoral and geographic coverage will ensure the impact is felt by everyone in the region, and the first two projects will evidence the physical and economic transformation that’s long overdue.”

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Business

Pembrokeshire pub director fined for accounting offences

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AT Cardiff Magistrates’ Court, Kathleen Waters, the Director of the Jeffreyston-based pub business KDW Inns Limited, has been found guilty of multiple accounting offences. The 60-year-old from The Jeffreyston Inn, Jeffreyston, was previously fined in June for failing to submit the required accounts to Companies House.

On March 21, Waters faced three separate offences related to accounting malpractices following her previous conviction. The court heard that she failed to deliver essential documents for KDW Inns Limited’s accounts for the period ending August 31, 2021. Additionally, Waters was accused of not submitting the financial statements for the year ending August 31, 2022, a requirement for all companies operating within the UK.

The charges did not stop there. Waters was also found guilty of failing to deliver a confirmation statement within 14 days after a review period, an essential requirement for maintaining the legal status of a business in the UK.

Pleading guilty to all charges, Waters was fined a total of £775. Furthermore, she has been ordered to pay a £310 surcharge along with £75 in court costs. This case highlights the legal responsibilities of company directors in maintaining accurate and timely financial records, a cornerstone of corporate governance and transparency.

The conviction of Waters serves as a reminder to all business owners and directors of the importance of adhering to financial regulations and statutory requirements.

  • The Pembrokeshire Herald remains committed to bringing its readers up-to-date reports on significant legal proceedings affecting the local business community.
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Business

Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm’s sales boost following feature on ITV

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  • Wales-based Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm featured on Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen earlier this month
  • The chilli sauce company has since experienced a remarkable increase in consumer interest, witnessing a 165% increase in sales year-on-year in the weeks after the programme aired
  • The episode focused on the farm’s sustainable growing practices that ensure all products are made locally in Wales

THE TEAM at www.pembrokeshirechillifarm.com, renowned for its fiery range of chilli-based products, have experienced a significant surge in sales and enquiries.

The upturn is following an appearance on Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen on March 9. This surge underscores the farm’s expanding influence in the hot sauce market and its dedication to high-quality, locally produced ingredients.

In the weeks after being featured on Prue Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen, a weekly cooking program that shines a light on the finest British ingredients, the Welsh business has reported a 165% increase in online sales for their hot sauces compared to the same period the previous year. Furthermore, the business has received a notable 64% increase in wholesale requests from gourmet food retailers compared to the same period in 2023.

Beyond these impressive figures, the farm also saw a 75% rise in social media engagement, with new followers and interactions highlighting a growing community of chilli sauce enthusiasts eager to learn more about their products and the ways in which they can spice up their own dishes at home, from the comfort of their own kitchen.

Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm was launched by husband-and-wife duo Owen and Michelle Rosser back in 2017, following the pair realising there was a big market for chilli-based sauced and products after growing their own chillies in their own back garden. The business now produces more than 10,000kgs of chillies each year and grows crops specifically for wholesale customers and other commercial food producers.

The couple also own Welsh Sauce Kitchen, an alternative sauce brand that offers a range of non-chilli-infused kitchen condiments and products. In 2023, they released their very own Black Garlic Ketchup made from fermented black garlic, a sauce that takes more than 12 days to create due to the black garlic needing to ferment for 288 hours. More than 250 bottles were made in the first batch, which sold out within the initial 24 hours of launching.

Michelle Rosser, co-founder and Managing Director told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “Being part of Pure Leith’s Cotswold Kitchen was an incredible opportunity for us; to share our love for chillies with a well-known household name, as well as with a wider audience who have a love for all things food. We were thrilled to showcase our farm and products, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The numbers speak for themselves – they’re a true testament to the high-quality products we produce from our home-grown chillies.”

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Business

The new workplace recycling law is coming – here is what you need to know:

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FROM April 6, all workplaces in Wales will have to separate their waste for recycling and arrange for it to be collected separately.

The new law is being brought in to improve the quality and quantity of recycling in Wales to help address the climate and nature emergency. It will also benefit the economy by capturing a resilient supply of high-quality recycled materials that can be used by manufacturing industries across Wales and beyond.

Many businesses have already changed their waste management systems ahead of the new law coming into effect. Here are the top five things’ workplaces need to know about the new law.

  1. What needs to be recycled – from 6 April, you will need to separate food (if you produce more than 5kg of food waste per week), glass; paper and cardboard; and metals, plastics, and cartons; as well as unsold textiles and unsold small electricals and arrange for it to be collected separately.
  2. Read a guide to help you prepare – there are guides to help you understand what you need to do to be ready for the changes on the Welsh Government website here: www.gov.wales/workplace-recyling
  3. Your waste collector can help – depending on your current waste collection system, you may need new bins to ensure you can separate your waste correctly for collection. You will need to consider the size of these bins, how many you need, and how often they need to be collected.  Contact your waste collector to discuss what it means for your workplace.
  4. Use clear signs – make it as easy as possible for staff, customers, and visitors to use the bins by using clear signs to show what materials need to go in what bins. There are signs and labels available on WRAP’s website you can download and use here: https://businessofrecycling.wrapcymru.org.uk/resources
  5. Communicate the changes – you will need to consider how you will communicate the new changes to your staff, colleagues, visitors, guests, or students. Depending on the size of your organisation, you may need to think about how you will go about doing this. A guide and advice is available on this website: https://businessofrecycling.wrapcymru.org.uk/resources

With almost two-thirds (63%) of businesses in Wales classified as small and medium sized enterprises[1], we spoke to Cardiff-based retailer the Canton Fruit Market to get their perspective on the new law and how it has impacted their business.

Linda Breen, Sales Assistant at the Canton Fruit Market said, “We did have some concerns initially about making the changes, but we quickly learned that change can be a good thing.

“All our waste used to just go into one big bin out the back of the premises, but due to its size, it was not collected very frequently, and it took up a lot of space.

“Now we are finding that our recyclable waste is being collected twice a week, and the smaller bins take up a lot less space. We are also producing much less general waste, so we are saving money. It has also made us think much more about our recycling and other ways we can reduce our overall waste.”

We also spoke to Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay, which has supported all the food outlets and restaurants in the bay in making changes to their waste management.

Since making adaptations to their bins and separation of waste, they have reported reducing waste disposal costs by two-thirds. This has also increased recycling rates, while in turn reducing waste management costs.

Becky Jones, Marketing Manager from Mermaid Quay said: “The process has been surprisingly straightforward and has made a huge difference in both our outgoing costs and overall recycling quantity.”

In just 20 years, Wales has gone from recycling less than 5% to recycling 65% of our waste and is now ranked third in the world for household waste recycling. This helps to save around 400,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. The new law will help to continue to increase recycling rates while supporting Wales’ commitment to become a zero-waste nation by 2050.

For more information on how to get ready for the new law visit www.gov.wales/workplacerecycling.

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