WHILE families across Wales start making plans for the summer, samplers from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are embarking on their annual programme of bathing water quality tests.

This year, there are 110 designated bathing waters which will be sampled multiple times between 15th May-30th September, in line with the UK Bathing Water Regulations. 109 of these are coastal waters, and one inland lake (Llyn Padarn).

Last month the Welsh Government announced that Nefyn Beach in Gwynedd had been added to the list of designations, following a successful application.

Bathing water samples are sent to NRW’s laboratory in Swansea, where they are tested for levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci (IE).

Results from a four-year rolling period then determine the classification for the next bathing water season; excellent, good, satisfactory or poor.

Last year, 98% of Wales’s designated bathing waters met stringent environmental standards, with 80 out of 109 meeting the ‘excellent’ criteria.

Clare Pillman, Chief Executive of NRW said:

“More and more people are enjoying the benefits of open water swimming, and where better to take a dip than at one of the many fantastic bathing waters Wales has to offer.

“Our blue waters offer a wealth of recreation opportunities, providing a vital boost to Wales’ tourism sector and the health and well-being of our communities.

“Our teams continue to work hard to tackle the many sources of pollution which threaten our water quality, including from agriculture and storm overflows. Much progress is being made, and we are pressing for record levels of water company investment for the environment in the coming years to safeguard the future health of our waters.”

Prior to the start of the traditional bathing water season, NRW officers undertake a number of pre-season checks and samples. This includes checking to ensure permit conditions for nearby discharges are being complied with.

Issues or deteriorations flagged in last year’s results are investigated by local teams to identify any sources of pollution which may be contributing to high bacteria levels found in samples.

Information about where to find designated bathing waters, and the standard of bathing water is available on NRW’s website.

Visit the Adventure Smart website for information about swimming safely in open waters.

THE Welsh Government has provided an important update on council tax reform, sharing the outcomes of the recent Phase 2 consultation and outlining plans to make the system fairer and more contemporary.

In a written statement, Rebecca Evans, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution, and the Cabinet Office, emphasised the Government’s commitment to a fair council tax system. “Our goal is to create a system that is fair in operation and fair in implementation,” she stated.

Plaid Cymru was commended for its collaboration on this initiative, reflecting a shared determination to reform council tax. Local government partners were also acknowledged for their engagement, which is vital for developing solutions that balance protecting services and managing significant pressures.

The Phase 2 consultation received 1,676 responses from the public and expert organisations. An impressive 67% of respondents supported some form of change, with the greatest support (32%) for minimal reforms. A significant group (23%) preferred more extensive reforms.

Regarding implementation pace, the majority of respondents (35%) favoured a slower timeline, starting in 2028. Only 24% preferred the fastest timetable (2025), and 17% supported staged implementation.

“Having listened carefully to the consultation responses and the broader public conversation, I intend to deliver council tax reform over a slower timeline in line with the majority view,” Evans said. Consequently, structural reforms to the council tax system will begin in 2028, with other improvements targeted for delivery by the end of the current Senedd term.

The Welsh Government is also planning for regular revaluation cycles, as outlined in the Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill, which is under Senedd scrutiny. An amendment will introduce five-yearly revaluations from 2028 to keep council tax fair and responsive to economic changes.

Evans highlighted the excellent progress made on revaluation. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has developed new technology to provide comprehensive property value data, advancing the path to 2028 implementation.

Additionally, regulations to improve the appeals process and aid households in arrears will be in place by the end of the Senedd term. The goal is to make the appeals process more streamlined and effective, ensuring fair treatment for struggling households while maintaining contributions from those who can afford to pay.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies’ significant contribution was acknowledged, with its report providing an in-depth assessment of reform possibilities. The Welsh Government will continue working with the VOA, local government, and the public to design and implement a fairer council tax system.

The Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill will also provide additional flexibility on discounts and reductions, ensuring they remain effective. Currently, nearly half of Welsh households benefit from reduced council tax bills, with essential support provided to low-income households through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. The Government is consulting on measures to simplify access to this scheme and will retain the one-adult discount, reducing council tax for half a million households.

Finally, efforts are underway to improve public awareness of council tax, highlighting its role in funding essential services such as education, social care, housing, and policing.

Council tax remains a crucial part of funding local government in Wales, benefiting almost everyone. However, ensuring fair and accurate collection is essential, especially given the current financial pressures on households.

The Welsh Government is dedicated to protecting local services amid budget constraints while working towards a fairer council tax system. This commitment reflects the Government’s aim to create arrangements that are just in both operation and implementation.

KANE WATSON, 24, was sentenced to a total of 14 months in prison for assaulting a woman in her own home in the middle of the night, which put him in breach of a suspended sentence order.

Swansea Crown Court heard last week that Watson had taken “a cocktail of drugs” when he broke into a woman’s home and punched her in the face, before later being restrained whilst topless and frothing at the mouth outside a pub.

“You started drinking heavily,” Judge Huw Rees said. “You took steroids to start bulking up. You hadn’t slept in three days and you took LSD for the first time. You do not remember what happened, save for your last memory of fighting with the police, thinking the police were trying to kill you. It’s deplorable violence in the complainant’s own home. That sums up how much of a coward you are. Or how much drugs can make you a coward.”

Prosecutor Harry Dickens recounted the terrifying ordeal, stating that the victim was in bed with her husband at around 12.20am on 30th March when they heard banging at their door and someone asking if anyone was there. They got out of bed and saw the defendant standing about four foot away outside their bedroom.

“He said he was afraid and said ‘They’re going to get me’,” Mr Dickens said. When she asked him what he was afraid of, he replied ‘Death. I’m afraid of death’. Watson then stepped forward as if to head back downstairs, but instead punched the woman in the face.

Her husband chased Watson out of the house, and she called the police. When officers arrived, the victim was described as “visibly shaken,” Mr Dickens said. The victim later stated that she now felt “vulnerable” after the incident and that it had left her “a bit of a mess.” She mentioned that she had previously felt safe leaving her door unlocked, but now checks multiple times that it is locked.

Watson was detained by the public outside a pub whilst topless and “frothing at the mouth,” and he was taken to Withybush Hospital after being arrested.

Watson, of Long Mains in Monkton, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. This put him in breach of a suspended sentence order.

In mitigation, Stuart John said: “The best place for him to start dealing with the problems which caused him to offend is in a custodial environment. He was under the influence of a cocktail of drugs and had various other issues. The defendant, at the time, really wasn’t himself.”

Mr John explained that Watson had been in a drug-induced psychosis when he committed the offence and had not specifically targeted the house or the victim.

As well as jailing Watson, Judge Rees granted the victim a five-year restraining order.