Connect with us
Advertisement
Advertisement

Business

‘First of its kind’ financial support scheme for working households across wales

Published

on

WELSH WATER, the only not-for-profit water company in England and Wales, has launched a new scheme aimed at providing working household customers with vital support to pay their water bills as the cost-of-living crisis continues.

Until now, Welsh Water’s financial assistance schemes have mostly targeted households on means tested benefits and working households typically do not qualify for this support. The company’s newly established ‘Cymuned’ (Community) Support Fund offers short term support to working households who find themselves in a situation where their bills exceed their income.

Under this scheme, households that qualify will receive a three month ‘charge free’ period, equating to a discount of around £100-£120 on the average bill. Those who think they are eligible should apply to one of three partner organisations, Citizens Advice, StepChange Debt Charity, or Warm Wales, that in turn will carry out an income and expenditure assessment to understand if they are eligible, before applying to Welsh Water on their behalf.

The launch follows a successful pilot of the scheme in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Denbighshire over the last six months, which has supported eligible customers to save a total of almost 25% off their annual water bills.

Maria is a Welsh Water Customer from Rhyl who was one of the first to access the Cymuned Fund support. She said: “I work for a homeless shelter so there’s not usually much financial support available to me as I have a small income. I was told about the Cymuned Fund by my local Citizens Advice team, as I was feeling a lot of pressure making monthly payments on my essentials.

“I applied for Cymuned and was successful after an income and expenditure assessment – it’s helped massively and took a lot of pressure off me. I’m so glad to see this much needed support for working people who are finding rising costs so hard to keep up with.”

The company already offers a range of financial support to over 147,000 household customers to help them pay their bills – the highest number it has ever supported. From April 2023 customers on its HelpU tariff will have their annual bill capped at £291, a significant reduction on the average household bill of £499.

Welsh Water is urging any customer who may be facing difficulties to contact them as soon as possible, so that they can discuss the range of available options including flexible payment schemes or installing a water meter which could benefit households as they reduce their use of water. By doing this, customers can get practical advice on how to prevent building up debts which could become a problem in the future.

Sam James, Welsh Water’s Managing Director of Household Customer Services, said: “We know that many working customers in the communities we serve are struggling as they face increased pressure from the cost-of-living. Our Cymuned scheme is the first of its kind, designed to provide eligible working households with financial support.

“I’d like to thank our partner organisations, Citizens Advice, StepChange and Warm Wales, for working with us to offer this support and urge any customer who is working but struggling financially to reach out to one of these organisations; we’re here for you.”

Business

Limited demand for Welsh housing weighing on surveyors’ outlook

Published

on

A SLOWDOWN in demand in the housing market in Wales is leading to a cautious outlook amongst surveyors for the final quarter of the year, according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

A net balance of -43% of surveyors in Wales reported that new buyer enquiries fell through September which is the lowest this balance has been since October 2023, and the lowest balance across all the UK regions.

As demand is falling, supply is rising. A net balance of 31% of Welsh respondents reported that new instructions to sell increased in the most recent survey.

However, with limited demand, it is unsurprising that sales were reported to have fallen broadly flat through September. A net balance of -3% of surveyors in Wales noted that sales had fallen, down from +28% in August.

And this may be weighing on surveyors’ outlook for sales over the next quarter. A net balance of -10% of Welsh surveyors anticipate that house sales will fall through Q4.

Regarding pricing, respondents in Wales report that prices fell broadly flat through Q3. On the outlook, a net balance of -30% of Welsh surveyors expect prices to fall over the next three months.

Looking at the lettings market, a net balance of 67% of survey respondents in Wales noted a rise in tenant demand, whilst a net balance of -40% of Welsh surveyors noted a fall in landlord instructions. This has led to a net balance of 67% of surveyors expecting rents to rise through the final quarter of 2024.

Commenting on the sales market, Anthony Filice, FRICS of Kelvin Francis Ltd, in Cardiff said: “Appraisals and instructions are strong and if realistically priced, in the middle to lower price bands, are selling. Above £800,000 and especially over £1,000,000 are slow, we suspect, waiting on the result of the Budget. Some vendors are still asking too much and ending up with even less.”

Tim Goodwin, AssocRICS of Williams & Goodwin The Property People in Gwynedd added: “There has been a noticeable increase in sales falling through in recent weeks not helped by the implementation of Article 4 Planning controls over holiday lets and second homes.”

Discussing the lettings market, Paul Lucas, FRICS of R.K.Lucas & Son in Haverfordwest commented: “Availability of rentals is scarce as landlords and second home owners retreat from the market in the light of new government legislation. Demand is high and according to standard economics principles, rents are increasing – at the present time, mostly due to government intervention.”

Commenting on the UK picture, RICS Head of Market Analytics, Tarrant Parsons, said: “The latest survey results once again convey a brighter picture for housing market activity, with the recent easing in mortgage interest rates continuing to support a recovery in buyer demand.

“Critical for the outlook, a further unwinding in monetary policy is anticipated over the months ahead, which should create a more favourable backdrop for the market moving forward. In keeping with this idea, forward-looking sentiment data from the survey points to sales volumes gaining impetus, both in the near-term and over the next twelve months.”

Continue Reading

Business

Energy leaders unite to enhance efficiency, reliability and capability at Port

Published

on

AT a workshop held recently in Pembrokeshire, leaders from key industry organisations across the Port of Milford Haven came together to discuss ways to maximise efficiency and improve the Authority’s service reliability for international energy customers using the port.  

Hosted by the Port of Milford Haven, the initiative brought together senior leaders from the oil and gas sector as well as service providers integral to the port operation including shipping agents and tug operators; each of them recognising the need for greater collaboration to address shared challenges.  During the week-long event, delegates took part in a number of collaborative workshops that focused on maximising the Port’s customer service provision, while ensuring the highest levels of safety and operational reliability. 

In order for the Port of Milford Haven to deliver a year-round, safe, efficient and integrated port service, participants agreed to support a number of actions including data exchange, resource allocation – covering both people and assets – and technological innovations.   

One of the key outcomes of the discussion was agreement for all organisations to work towards a set of principles, key to ensuring the long-term success of the Port:

  • Partnership Working: Collaborating to challenge current thinking, fostering innovation and continuous improvement 
  • Maximising Safety: Operating to the highest safety standards whilst using an analytically-based, dynamic and responsive marine risk process 
  • Enhancing Reliability of Service: Developing a transparent, optimised and integrated port coordination and planning environment that maximises the reliability and availability of the port 
  • Sustainability: A pan-port, long-term commercial view that secures the future prosperity of each of the businesses operating within the Port of Milford Haven, their communities, and their environment. 

Tom Sawyer, Chief Executive at the Port of Milford Haven, said: “As the UK’s leading energy port handling or processing around twenty percent of the UK’s energy needs it is critical to the resilience and security of UK energy that we provide a port service that is safe, reliable and efficient 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  

“Safely manoeuvring some of the world’s largest ships onto their berths within the Port of Milford Haven requires precision coordination of multiple resources.  During much of the year this happens seamlessly but we recognised that more winter resilience was needed and these workshops and the Port’s investments made this year in extra pilots, pilot boat crews and pilot boats will improve this. By working collaboratively with our customers and other service providers we are confident we can retain an excellent year-round reliable service.” 

Continue Reading

Business

Nine holiday chalets to be built at Pembrokeshire fishery

Published

on

AMENDMENTS to a trout fishery holiday chalet scheme, which was granted by Pembrokeshire councillors last year after being repeatedly recommended for refusal, have been given the go-ahead by county planners.

Last summer, Pembrokeshire councillors backed plans for holiday chalets at a trout fishery, despite them being recommended for refusal on multiple occasions.

Plans to provide nine accommodation cabins and ancillary works at a former fishery business at Millbrook, Manorwen, Fishguard, were backed at two meetings of Pembrokeshire County Council planning committee, despite them being recommended for refusal.

The application was backed for a second time at the committee’s May meeting, after a ‘minded to approve’ decision at the previous meeting.

The decision, a departure from the adopted Local Development Plan, meant the application would need to be referred to full council for a final decision.

Officers had repeatedly recommended Messrs L & C Williams’ application – diversification of an existing agricultural holding and trout fishery business – be refused on the grounds it would have an unacceptable adverse impact on the character and appearance of the countryside.

The application was then backed at the July 2023 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, despite a recommendation that the council did not endorse the resolution of the planning committee on the grounds it went against Development Plan policies which directed that planning permission should not be granted.

The applicants have now submitted amendments to the granted scheme, asking for revisions to the plans to include a lower carbon footprint through for both heating and hot water and the use of solar panels, along with larger decking areas and hot tubs to lodges.

The changes, recommended for approval at the October 8 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, also includes making thee lodges disability-friendly.

An officer report ahead of the meeting says: “The proposed amendments are essentially refinements to the approved scheme, enhancing accessibility, increasing the use of renewable energy; and improving the facilities offered by the scheme for visitors. Officers consider that environmental, social and economic benefits will accrue from the proposed revisions to the approved scheme.”

The recommendation for conditional approval was moved by Cllr Brian Hall, who said: “I’m more than happy to recommend this amendment.”

He was seconded by Cllr John Cole, who said: “It’s a rejigging which will make the site more accessible for people with disabilities.”

The application was unanimously approved.

Continue Reading

Crime20 hours ago

Trial of teen accused of attempted murder at Welsh school abandoned

THE TRIAL of a teenage girl accused of attempting to murder two teachers and a pupil at a Welsh school...

Crime2 days ago

Former teacher found guilty of assaulting teenager days before he died in accident

FORMER Ysgol Dyffryn teacher, Llyr James, has been found guilty of assaulting 16-year-old Llyr Davies in an incident in Newcastle...

Crime2 days ago

Man denies causing death of motorcyclist at Nash Fingerpost Junction

A 42-YEAR-OLD man has appeared before magistrates charged with causing the death of father-of-two Ashley Rogers at the Nash Fingerpost...

Business2 days ago

Exciting future as traders take over Haverfordwest Farmers Market

IT is an exciting time for the popular Haverfordwest Farmers Market as the traders officially take over the running of...

Crime3 days ago

Pembrokeshire chef admits causing taxi driver’s death

A CHEF from Pembrokeshire has admitted causing the death local taxi driver, Christopher Boyle. Mateusz Sikorski, 30, formerly of Manorbier...

News3 days ago

Buddha Buddha restaurant fined for failing to display correct food hygiene rating

A TENBY restaurant displayed a hygiene rating of 5 when the current rating for the premises was actually a 1,...

News6 days ago

Woman charged over death of four paddleboarders in Haverfordwest

NERYS Bethan Lloyd, aged 39, from Aberavon, has been charged with four counts of gross negligence manslaughter and one offence...

Entertainment6 days ago

Anna Ryder Richardson roars back to Manor Wildlife Park after six-year break

ANNA RYDER RICHARDSON, the celebrity founder of Pembrokeshire’s Manor Wildlife Park, has returned to lead the zoo after a six-year...

Business6 days ago

Milford Haven regeneration could return it to 50s glory days

Pembrokeshire could be “on the cusp” of an economic opportunity as great as the petrochemical industry investment in the county in the...

Crime7 days ago

Police raid cannabis grow at former Woolworths building in Pembroke Dock

POLICE in Pembroke Dock have shut down a large-scale cannabis grow in Pembroke Dock. Nearly 600 plants have been recovered,...

Popular This Week