Business

Welsh Water wins share of £40m to tackle environmental challenges

Published

4 months ago

May 16, 2024

An innovative solution that could save Welsh Water two tonnes of carbon per year through transforming the management of organics during the treatment of drinking water, is one of the winners of a £40 million competition from Ofwat, the economic water regulator.

Welsh Water provides safe and reliable drinking water to over 1.4 million homes and businesses, making it the sixth largest of the 23 water companies in England and Wales. The not-for-profit water company has water treatment works where raw water is treated to make it safe enough to drink, which supplies over 800 million litres of water every day through a network covering 27,000km. By the time water reaches rivers, reservoir or aquifers, water already contains a wide variety of substances including organics which determines its quality. It absorbs dirt, dust and gases from the air, debris and bacteria from the ground, and soluble minerals from rocks.

At a water treatment works, the main objective is to remove bacteria and other unwanted substances from raw water through a drinking water treatment process. Granular activated carbon (GAC) is used during this treatment process to remove organics from the raw water– an exhaustive process that means the GAC requires thermal regeneration every three years.

The current process is carbon intensive, creating around two tonnes of carbon per year costing around £1m per year to manage. The solution proposed by Welsh Water’s innovation team and partners including Swansea University and Panton McLeod, seeks to investigate ways to regenerate GAC in situ, reducing both financial costs and carbon footprint before proposing a recommended solution that can be adopted by Welsh Water and shared with the wider industry.

Paul Gaskin, Research and Innovation Manager of Water Services at Welsh Water said: “We are excited to be leading this project to investigate transformative ways of regenerating granular activated carbon locally. This project is an example of Welsh Water’s commitment to finding innovative solutions to environmental challenges, whilst bringing the wider industry along with us. This project ties in with our 2050 vision to become a truly world class, resilient and sustainable water service for the benefit of future generations. Along with our partners working on this project, this funding will help us tackle a key challenge faced by the entire water industry.”

Helen Campbell, Senior Director, Ofwat said: “There are big challenges in the water industry that must be solved, some are well known, and others are less so. In our fourth Water Breakthrough Challenge we called for solutions with potential to deliver wide-scale, transformational change for customers, society and the environment – and that’s exactly what today’s winners have done. From raingardens to prevent flooding to green energy from treated sewage, innovations to cut the water sector’s carbon footprint to robots that patrol the pipe network, the winners are all helping shape a more sustainable and efficient water sector.”

Welsh Water is also partnering with others in the industry on other innovative projects including rainwater harvesting, robotic solutions for rising water mains and no-dig leak repair.

The Water Breakthrough Challenge is part of a series of competitions from Ofwat, run by Challenge Works with Arup and Isle Utilities, designed to drive innovation and collaboration in the sector to benefit individuals, society and the environment.

It supports initiatives that help to tackle the biggest challenges facing the water sector, such as achieving net zero, protecting natural ecosystems and reducing leakage, as well as delivering value to society.

For more information, visit: https://waterinnovation.challenges.org/breakthrough4/

Business

Local site managers triumph in prestigious House-Building Awards

Published

7 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKE and Cardigan site managers have been celebrated for their exceptional dedication to quality house-building, earning top accolades in the industry’s most esteemed competition.

Gareth Davies of T I Davies A’I Fab Cyf and Mike Thomas of South Meadow Homes Ltd, representing Cardigan and Pembroke respectively, were among the prominent winners at the National House Building Council’s (NHBC) Pride in the Job Awards 2024. The prestigious event, held at Celtic Manor Golf Club in Newport on Friday, 13 September 2024, recognises the very best in the industry.

In the Small Builder category, Gareth Davies clinched the top honour for his outstanding work at Maes Y Dderwen in Cardigan. His exceptional commitment to raising standards was further acknowledged with the Pride in the Job Seal of Excellence. Meanwhile, Mike Thomas was awarded the Seal of Excellence for his work in Pembroke, demonstrating the high standards upheld by builders in the region.

Matthew Coyle of Redrow Homes South Wales was also a major winner on the night, securing the Large Builder category award for his work at Parc Y Coleg in Newport. Like Davies, Coyle was awarded the Pride in the Job Seal of Excellence, marking his dedication to quality construction.

The Pride in the Job Awards, now in its 44th year, are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the house-building industry, setting the benchmark for exceptional site management. The competition is known for its rigorous judging process, which assesses entrants across six key areas: consistency, attention to detail, leadership, interpretation of drawings and specifications, technical expertise, and health and safety.

This year, eight site managers from across Wales received the Seal of Excellence, having first earned a Quality Award in the initial round of the competition in June. The full list of Seal of Excellence recipients includes:

Gareth Davies of T I Davies A’I Fab Cyf, Cardigan
Matthew Coyle of Redrow Homes South Wales, Newport
Dave Jones of Barratt and David Wilson Homes South Wales, Swansea
Paul Oakley of Bellway Homes Wales, Cardiff
Nick Powell of Redrow Homes South Wales, Newport
Nick Rumble of Persimmon Homes West Wales, Pontyclun
Mike Thomas of South Meadow Homes Ltd, Pembroke
Daniel Williams of Taylor Wimpey South Wales, Penarth

Steve Wood, CEO at NHBC, extended his congratulations to the winners: “For more than four decades, Pride in the Job has underpinned NHBC’s purpose of raising standards in house building. The competition recognises the UK’s top site managers, showcasing best practice and rewarding excellence. Winning site managers demonstrate dedication, passion, and leadership to ensure new homes are delivered to exacting construction quality standards.”

The regional events, taking place throughout the UK, aim to celebrate these achievements and acknowledge the recipients of the Quality Awards. Mr Davies and Mr Coyle will now progress to the next stage of the competition, vying for the ultimate prize in house building at the Pride in the Job Supreme Awards, set to be revealed at a gala ceremony in London in January 2025.

Business

Specsavers expansion ‘shows confidence in future of Haverfordwest’

Published

7 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

SPECSAVERS’ decision to expand into larger premises in Haverfordwest is further proof of the confidence of businesses in the future of the County Town.

That was the message from Pembrokeshire County Council Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Miller to news that the leading optometry company will move to larger premises at the Riverside Shopping Centre.

Specsavers has signed a lease with the Council to expand into the building previously occupied by Boots and Poundland.

The additional space will allow for 14 examination rooms fitted with state-of-the-art technology that will enable Specsavers to provide more enhanced sight, contact lens and audiology services for its customers.

Cllr Miller, who is also the Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, the Region and Climate Change, said: “I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to support Specsavers in expanding and investing significantly in Haverfordwest.

“This shows confidence in both the present and future of Haverfordwest which is undergoing major regeneration by Pembrokeshire County Council.

“Through taking control of the Riverside Shopping Centre we have been able to secure investment and tenancies in the town while also recovering the Council’s investment to purchase the site.

“Alongside the great news that leading food and drink company Loungers is moving into our Western Quayside development, I am confident further businesses will be drawn to the town centre.

“The work we’re doing will ensure Haverfordwest is an attractive place for businesses to operate and a great place for people to live, work and visit.”

Andy Britton, one of the partners of the locally owned store, said: “We are so pleased to be making the move into larger premises. The additional space will allow us to better accommodate the increasing demand for eye tests and audiology clinics in the area and help take some of the pressure off the NHS.

“The new store will open later this year and we look forward to celebrating its launch with customers old and new.”

Pictured top of article: Cllr Paul Miller, Deputy Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council (centre) with Andy Britton (left) and fellow partner Wayne Jones at the Riverside store which will be home to an expanded Specsavers.

Business

Former Cleddau Bridge Hotel site up for sale for £1.2m

Published

9 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A FORMER hotel site in Pembrokeshire is now on the market, having received planning permission for a new care home. The site, previously home to the Cleddau Bridge Hotel, is listed for sale at £1,200,000.

The Essex Road location, which spans 2.45 acres, has been granted outline planning permission for the construction of a care facility accommodating between 55 and 70 beds, as well as six retirement bungalows. This significant development is set within Pembroke Dock, lying just 120 metres from the A477, and is encompassed by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The area boasts convenient access to amenities such as a shopping centre, restaurants, cafés, hotels, a pharmacy, sports clubs, and recreation grounds.

***The fire was in March 2019 (Pic Herald)***

Planning consent for this project was conditionally approved by Pembrokeshire County Council in February 2023. The approval was given for the “Demolition of Hotel and Siting of Residential Care Home and Linked Bungalows,” marking a new chapter for the site that has remained derelict since a fire in 2019.

The Cleddau Bridge Hotel has been out of operation since March 2019, when a blaze caused extensive structural damage, leading to the collapse of several sections of the building. This incident thwarted earlier plans to convert the hotel into a 48-bedroom care home, a project that had been green-lit following a change of use application in 2018.

Due to the damage incurred, a new application was submitted for the demolition of the existing structure and the erection of a new care home. The planning proposal also included provisions for the six retirement bungalows, intended to be occupied by elderly residents who could assist with activities at the care home.

The fire that devastated the former hotel required a substantial emergency response, however, an investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police concluded there was insufficient evidence to identify a suspect.

This site is now poised for a new beginning as a care facility, providing much-needed services to the local community. Interested parties can find more information about this listing, handled by Christie and Co, on Rightmove.