News

Report highlights vital steps to increase Wales’ flood resilience

Published

1 month ago

October 17, 2024

THE NATIONAL Infrastructure Commission for Wales (NICW) has today this week (Oct 17) revealed its latest report — “Building Resilience to Flooding in Wales by 2050”.

The report presents bold but practical recommendations for Welsh Ministers to future-proof Wales against the growing risks of flooding over the next 25+ years.
With one in seven properties in Wales now at risk of flooding, the report couldn’t come at a more important time — especially with this figure set to increase by more than a third as the effects of climate change worsen and the UK Committee on Climate Change warning that Wales is not ready for the impacts.

Outlining 17 recommendations within a Future Flooding Framework for Wales, the report emphasises natural solutions for tackling this — placing nature and community integration at the forefront of increasing Wales’ resilience to flooding.

This approach is typical of NICW, the independent infrastructure advisory body for Wales — which works with local communities to ensure its recommendations reflect real-world needs and create practical, locally-driven outcomes.
Eluned Parrott, Lead Commissioner on the project, said: “As part of our work, we visited some of the communities who have been affected by flooding in recent years, such as the Conwy Valley and Pontypridd. The impacts felt have been devastating, but we also learned that these communities are not content to be passive victims and are ready to act.

“What’s more, during the eighteen months that we’ve been working on this project, it has become increasingly clear that we cannot “concrete” our way out of the risks we face. We must adopt more holistic solutions, such as restoring the natural environment’s ability to store water higher in river catchments, and empowering local communities to take action.”
To achieve this, the report lists the recommendations within four key categories: Governance, Structure and Policy; Collaboration, Partnerships, and Community; Funding and Capacity; and Awareness, Skills and Data.

In summary, to drive regional collaboration the report recommends a catchment-based approach and engaging local communities directly in flood-related decisions — with initiatives like Citizen Juries and a new Water Resilience Forum.

On the governance side, the report calls for the appointment of a Water Commissioner and the creation of a 30-year resilience strategy to drive Wales-wide, innovative flood solutions.
To boost awareness and skills, the report suggests integrating climate adaptation into Wales’ school curriculums and providing flood resilience training at a regional level.

Lastly, to enhance funding and capacity, it recommends diversifying funding sources and introducing Welsh Government subsidies to help homeowners invest in flood resilience measures. All 17 recommendations can be accessed in full here.

Dr Eurgain Powell, Lead Commissioner, said: “Although flooding can have a devastating effect on people’s lives, awareness of flood risk; how to access information; and what actions local governance and real people need to take to respond to flooding, remains very low.

“To resolve this, our work has shown that we need a different approach — one that works with people and nature to drive real change. Ultimately, we believe that success will be driven by good communication and a shared responsibility and sense of urgency between government, business and communities.

“We hope the findings of this report will empower communities to voice and act on their own futures, with the support of Welsh Government — to ensure a resilient, dynamic, and abundant future for generations to come.”

Business

Wolfscastle Country Hotel crowned Wales’ best boutique wedding venue

Published

46 mins ago

November 17, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE Wolfscastle Country Hotel and Spa has been named Wales’ Best Boutique Wedding Venue for 2024 at the prestigious Welsh National Wedding Awards.

The ceremony, held on Sunday (Nov 10) at Swansea’s Brangwyn Hall, welcomed more than 600 guests for its 13th annual celebration. Thousands of votes were cast by brides, grooms, and supporters to determine the winners from over 300 shortlisted nominees.

Double victory

The Wolfscastle Country Hotel and Spa not only won the regional title for west Wales but also secured the national accolade for the second time in three years.

Known for its glamorous reception spaces and elegant ceremony room, the hotel offers a comprehensive bridal package. This includes wedding accommodation and a private spa experience featuring a hot tub, sauna, and various treatments.

Celebrating success

Taking to social media, the hotel expressed gratitude to its guests and staff for their role in achieving this prestigious honour.

Hotel owner Andy Stirling said:
“We’re very proud to have been nominated and voted winners in both our local and national categories.

“I have the pleasure of seeing how tirelessly Lowri, and my wife Mandy Stirling, our wedding coordinators, work on every wedding to tailor the experience to suit the couples we have joining us.

“We pride ourselves on offering exquisite in-house catering provided by head chef Seb, head pastry chef Adama, and our excellent kitchen team, backed up by first-class table service from our highly experienced waiting staff.

“I am overwhelmingly grateful for the support of our guests and couples who have wedded with us in helping achieve this award.

“I know that myself and the team all look forward to hosting many more phenomenal weddings in the future.”

Welsh National Wedding Awards

The awards celebrate the best wedding venues and services across Wales, with attendees from all regions of the country.

***Celebrations: Andy and Mandy Stirling with wedding co-ordinator Lowri Nicholas (Pic: Wolfscastle Country Hotel and Spa)***

Community

Special guests for Torch showing of ‘Attack on Sorpe Dam’

Published

8 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Tom Sinclair

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY was the most appropriate day for the screening before a Pembrokeshire audience of a remarkable film, narrated by the last surviving ‘Dambuster’ of the RAF’s 617 Squadron.

The RAF’s Air Officer Wales, Air Commodore Rob Woods, and World War II Veteran Duncan Hilling, of Saundersfoot, were chief guests at the Torch Theatre for the showing of ‘Attack on Sorpe Dam’, one of three large dams in Germany attacked by 617 Squadron in May 1943.

They were joined by service representatives, air cadets and many locals – the evening being a fundraising event for the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) in Lincolnshire.

Exquisitely created in digital format, the film describes the story of Avro Lancaster bomber AJ-T which attacked the Sorpe Dam, with the narration by the late Squadron Leader Johnny Johnson, who died in 2022. He was the bomb aimer on the aircraft which dropped an ‘Upkeep’ bomb on the dam.

It is the culmination of six years of work by film producer Andrew Panton and Pitor Forkasiewicz and is now part of the IBCC archive. Also shown was a short film ‘Remembering the Avro Lancaster’ in which four wartime aircrew visit a preserved Lancaster at a Lincolnshire museum. The film was launched that day by the IBCC, with the Torch audience being the first to see a live screening.

The event was organised by Andrew Panton’s brother, Ian, of St Davids, who commented: “There was no doubt that many found this a very special occasion for Remembering Them, and so many others, on Remembrance Sunday.”

On display during the evening was a Lancaster bomb aimer’s panel, re-created by Dr Andy Watkin, a Trustee of the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre.

Entertainment

Two-day Christmas fair set for Pembrokeshire

Published

23 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s annual Christmas Fair will run for two days this year, on Thursday, December 14, and Friday, December 15.

Held at the Parkhouse Building on the Haverfordwest Showground, the venue will transform into a festive shopping destination, offering an expanded range of stalls, live music, Santa’s Grotto, and an outdoor food court.

Expanded event

Event organisers Judith Roach and Emma Thomas expressed their excitement about the extended format. They said:
“We are thrilled to announce that our Christmas Fair will run for two days instead of just one. We are building on last year’s success with twice the opportunities to attend and even more stallholders. The Parkhouse Building will become a one-stop shop for everyone preparing for Christmas.”

The fair will be open from 10:00am to 4:00pm on both days, with free admission for all visitors.

Festive treats and unique gifts

Attendees can expect to browse an extensive selection of unique gifts, handmade decorations, artwork, and homeware. Local food and drink producers will also showcase festive delights, including chocolate brownies, fudge, spirits, and Welsh cheeses.

An outdoor food court will cater for visitors on the go, with a variety of hot and cold options.

Santa’s Grotto

Santa himself will make a special appearance, with children able to visit him for £3 per child. Each child will receive a small gift, with all proceeds going to the Sandy Bear charity. Advance bookings can be made via the Sandy Bear website.

Community effort

Adam Thorne, president of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, praised the efforts of the event’s organisers:
“The society would like to thank Judith and Emma for their dedication in organising this two-day event. We’re delighted to offer visitors a chance to do their Christmas shopping while enjoying the festive atmosphere.”

The Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society encourages visitors to follow the Pembrokeshire County Show’s Christmas Fair event page on Facebook for updates and a complete list of stallholders.

The event promises to be a perfect start to the holiday season, welcoming families and shoppers alike.