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Local pioneers all set to help make a difference PIONEERING residents are joining forces with the council to help make a difference in their communities for those who need a little extra help to make the most of their lives. Residents in three areas of the city have been working with the council to help appoint local area co- ordinators to support people in their neighbourhoods stay healthy, safe and happy. The initiative has already kicked- off with three co-ordinators appointed in Gorseinon and Loughor, Sketty and in St Thomas and Bonymaen, communities in the east of the city. The project is being funded and supported by the council’s prevention fund which encourages residents to work together to look after each other, build on personal and community strengths and enthusiasms, nipping problems in the bud. Sketty resident Mandy Harvey, who helped get the scheme up and running in her community, is using her ideas and local knowledge to support her local co-ordinator Jon Franklin. She said: “We know that Local Area Coordination has worked in Australia and other parts of the UK. “We want to try it here so that residents become safer and healthier in the way that best suits them, and before people hit the kind of crisis that needs intervention from Social Services or the health service. “We know we have great communities in Swansea. This work builds on that strength to make sure that everyone stays connected.” All three local area co-ordinators who also Dan Morris in St Thomas and Bonymaen and Gorseinon and Loughor’s Ronan Ruddy were appointed in a unique interview process which included questions from local residents on the interview panel. Part of the co-ordinator’s role is to work with families, local community groups and others to promote self- sufficiency and local solutions to problems rather than turn to the council or health services as a first step. At the same time they can provide a bridge to formal services like health and social care if they are needed. Prevention is a key strand of Sustainable Swansea - Fit for the Future, the council’s effort to save at least £81m over the coming years. However, the programme is also about improving services by doing things differently. Experience of local area co- ordination in other parts of the UK and internationally has shown co- ordinators help vulnerable people like the frail, the disabled and those with mental health needs determine their own goals and plan their own futures with their friends and their communities so they have less need of social care. Swansea Leader Newspaper of the City and County of Swansea Issue 98 July 2015 LOCAL Area Coordination has delivered results in Australia where it began, and is having a positive impact elsewhere in the UK where it has been adopted. It’s currently being funded by Swansea Council’s Prevention Fund to support people to determine their vision for a good life. Swansea is quite a long way along the road with this process in comparison with other areas in Wales The Institute of Life Sciences at Swansea University will be examining how well the process is working here so that experience in one area of the city can help improve the service in another. info inside your city: your paper plus Air show The lowdown on our summer highlights page 3 City centre Shaping-up for a prosperous future page 5 Keep it out Feed the bins, not the birds in #tidySwansea Let’s aim to keep food out of black bags page 11 page 7 • BREAKFAST TIME: The council and schools across the city are pulling out all the stops to continue to provide breakfasts to city primary school youngsters every morning from September. More on page 9. Picture by Jason Rogers

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Page 1: Contract tabloid template.qxd (Page 1)€¦ · and happy. The initiative has already kicked-off with three co-ordinators ... swa n quare st rty 474555 a August Zone: Interactive en

Local pioneers all set tohelp make a differencePIONEERING residents arejoining forces with thecouncil to help make adifference in theircommunities for thosewho need a little extrahelp to make the most oftheir lives.

Residents in three areas of the cityhave been working with the councilto help appoint local area co-ordinators to support people in theirneighbourhoods stay healthy, safeand happy.

The initiative has already kicked-off with three co-ordinatorsappointed in Gorseinon and Loughor,Sketty and in St Thomas andBonymaen, communities in the eastof the city.

The project is being funded andsupported by the council’s preventionfund which encourages residents towork together to look after eachother, build on personal andcommunity strengths and

enthusiasms, nipping problems in thebud.

Sketty resident Mandy Harvey,who helped get the scheme up andrunning in her community, is usingher ideas and local knowledge tosupport her local co-ordinator JonFranklin.

She said: “We know that LocalArea Coordination has worked inAustralia and other parts of the UK.

“We want to try it here so thatresidents become safer and healthierin the way that best suits them, andbefore people hit the kind of crisis

that needs intervention from SocialServices or the health service.

“We know we have greatcommunities in Swansea. This workbuilds on that strength to make surethat everyone stays connected.”

All three local area co-ordinatorswho also Dan Morris in St Thomasand Bonymaen and Gorseinon andLoughor’s Ronan Ruddy wereappointed in a unique interviewprocess which included questionsfrom local residents on the interviewpanel.

Part of the co-ordinator’s role is to

work with families, local communitygroups and others to promote self-sufficiency and local solutions toproblems rather than turn to thecouncil or health services as a firststep.

At the same time they can providea bridge to formal services like healthand social care if they are needed.

Prevention is a key strand ofSustainable Swansea - Fit for theFuture, the council’s effort to save atleast £81m over the coming years.

However, the programme is alsoabout improving services by doingthings differently.

Experience of local area co-ordination in other parts of the UKand internationally has shown co-ordinators help vulnerable people likethe frail, the disabled and those withmental health needs determine theirown goals and plan their own futureswith their friends and theircommunities so they have less needof social care.

Swansea LeaderNewspaper of the City and County of Swansea Issue 98 July 2015

LOCAL Area Coordination has delivered results in Australia whereit began, and is having a positive impact elsewhere in the UKwhere it has been adopted.

It’s currently being funded by Swansea Council’s PreventionFund to support people to determine their vision for a good life.

Swansea is quite a long way along the road with this process incomparison with other areas in Wales

The Institute of Life Sciences at Swansea University will beexamining how well the process is working here so thatexperience in one area of the city can help improve the service inanother.

info

insi

de your city:

your paper

plu

s

Air showThe lowdown

on our summer highlights

page 3

City centreShaping-up for

a prosperousfuture

page 5

Keep it out

Feed the bins,not the birds in

#tidySwansea

Let’s aim tokeep food outof black bags

page 11

page 7

• BREAKFAST TIME: The council and schools across the city are pulling out all the stops to continue to providebreakfasts to city primary school youngsters every morning from September. More on page 9. Picture by Jason Rogers

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info

usefulnumbers

Active Swansea Leisure centres

Penlan01792 588079Morriston01792 797082Penyrheol01792 897039Cefn Hengoed01792 798484Pentrehafod01792 641935Bishopston Sports Centre01792 235040

Highways

Sewers - 24 hours0800 0855937

Drainage - Mon to Fri01792 636121

Damage to roads etc0800 132081

Other highways issues01792 843330

Housing

Main number01792 636000

Repairs (out of hrs tenants)01792 521500

Social Services

General Inquiries01792 636110

Child, family access,investigation team01792 635700

Elderly disabled intake team01792 636519

Child disability, familysupport01792 635700

Education

Main number01792 636560

Environment

01792 635600

Main council switchboard

01792 636000

Contact Swansea LeaderTo contact the news teamcall 01792 636092

The SwanseaLeader is thenewspaper ofthe Council ofthe City andCounty ofSwansea

To receive this newspaperin a different format ring636226, text phone 636733

SwanseaLeader2 all your council information at www.swansea.gov.uk July 2015

Pothole teams sortingout streets for summer

EIGHT Swanseacommunities are gettingthe PATCH treatment overthe coming weeks as thecouncil road repairs teamsget the show on the roadfor the summer.

Last month the seasidecommunities of Gower benefitedfrom council pothole-filling teamsahead of the summer beach holidaygetaway.

This month and in August it’ll bethe turn of places like Penllergaer,Cockett, Mawr, Sketty and Pennardto see the PATCH crews in action.

Stuart Davies, head of highways atSwansea Council, said filling in

potholes is a never-ending taskbecause of wear and tear on roads bytraffic and the natural effects ofweather.

He said: “Winter is worst whenrain freezes in tiny cracks in roadsand pavements and then thaws tobreak up the surface and create theholes we’ve all witnessed.

“The council knows that if there’s

one thing our residents expect of usit’s that we fill in the potholes. It’sone of the reasons why we’veallocated an extra £1m to the taskthis year.”

Swansea Council has three roadrepair teams as well as inspectorswhose jobs it is to look after theroads, identify potholes and get themrepaired. Emergency road repairs are

almost always completed within 24hours of being reported.

Last year thousands of potholeswere repaired in Swansea and so farthis year more than 2,000 more havebeen filled in. All 32 council wardsin Swansea get a visit from thePATCH team once a year andcommunities like Loughor,Gowerton, Penclawdd andPontarddulais are due to get theirvisit by October at the latest.

Mr Davies said the council wantsto encourage residents to reportpotholes and problem pavements soinspectors can take a look and decidehow to prioritise any work whichmay be necessary.

• PATCH: More than 2,000 potholes have been filled in this year.

Don Giovanni 3 July Swansea Big Screen, Castle Square

01792 635428

Welsh National Wedding Fayre 5 July Brangwyn

01792 635253

Wales National Airshow 11 - 12 July Swansea Bay

01792 635428

Dance Days 18 - 19 July Various Venues

01792 602060

Archaeology Fun Day 25 July Oystermouth Castle

01792 468321

Xstatic in the Park 25 July Lacrosse Field, Singleton Park

01792 635428

Swansea Sausage and Cider Family Festival 26 July Lacrosse Field, Singleton Park

01792 468321

Botanics in Bloom 1 - 31 August Singleton Botanical Gardens

01792 636000

Dylan’s Swansea Guided Tour 2, 16, 23 & 30 August Dylan Thomas Centre

01792 463980

Play: The Reluctant Dragon 3 August Oystermouth Castle

01792 468321

Children’s Film Season: 5, 12, 19 & 26 August Swansea Big Screen, Castle Square

01792 635428

Animal Zone: Interactive 18 - 20 August Plantasia

01792 474555

World Party 22 August Castle Square

01792 635428

Swansea Bay Beer & Cider Festival 27 - 29 August Brangwyn

01792 635428

July August

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For more great events visit: enjoyswanseabay.com

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STUART Davies said the council has to prioritise its time andmoney so the most important pothole problems are dealt withpromptly. But we welcome residents letting us know when theyspot one.

To report a pothole go online at www.swansea.gov.uk/reportitand if you want to know when PATCH is coming to your area soyou can suggest potential potholes for the team to take a lookat go to www.swansea.gov.uk/patch

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SwanseaLeaderJuly 2015 sign up for free daily news updates at www.swansea.gov.uk/subscribe 3

TALES of Peter Rabbit,sausages and cider and aneclectic mix of music inSingleton Park are all onthe menu for a memorablesummer in Swansea.

The Wales National Air Show onJuly 11 and 12 might be the highlightof the season in Swansea but a quicklook in the latest Enjoy Swanseabrochure shows there’s much moregoing on too.

Hundreds of thousands of peoplewill be visiting the city this summerand set-piece events will be jostlingfor our attention like the XstaticFestival and the Swansea Sausagesand Cider festival featuring a rangeof tribute bands including Bon Jovi

and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.Oystermouth Castle, open every

day during the summer, is playinghost to outdoor theatre featuringShakespeare’s ‘A MidsummerNight’s Dream’ as well asperformances of family favouriteslike Charlotte’s Web and The Tales ofPeter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny.

Frances Jenkins, Strategic Manager

for Tourism, Marketing and Events,said: “The Wales National Airshowpromises to be a bumper weekend forSwansea and the perfect appetiser forthe summer holidays to come.

“But it’s not the only thing you cando for free, either. Children can alsoenjoy free swimming at council-managed leisure centres, seashoresafaris and events in Castle Square.

Looking at the brochure hardly a daygoes by this summer without therebeing something new or fresh toenjoy. But there’s also some oldfavourites like the Admiral 10k,Botanics in Bloom and the GowerCycling Festival.

She said: “Last year was DylanThomas’ centenary year and theDylan Thomas Guided Tours were sosuccessful they’re back again thisyear and so too is the SwanseaFestival of Transport, the RNLIMumbles Raft Race and the WorldParty Day.

“The brochure is a handy one-stopdiary of events this summer to helpvisitors and local families alike plantheir summer.”

Why city is best place toenjoy holiday highlights

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s CouncildiarymarkersWELCOME to your guide toCouncil meetings.

Most meetings take placeat the Civic Centre, butplease note you may beexcluded from attending allor any part of a meeting.This list is correct at thetime of going to press butif you are consideringattending please call 01792636000 before setting outto check the venue andtime. You can also pick upagenda details by going tothe Council website athttp://bit.ly/councildiary

July 9Communities Cabinet AdvisoryCommittee, 2pm

July 14Planning Committee, 2pm

July 15Economy and InvestmentCabinet Advisory Committee,5pm

July 16Cabinet, 4pm

July 23Council, 5pm

July 27Services Cabinet AdvisoryCommittee, 2pm

August 5Business and AdministrationCabinet Advisory Committee,11am

August 10Scrutiny ProgrammeCommittee, 4.30pm

August 11Planning Committee, 2pm

August 12Engagement and InclusionCabinet Advisory Committee,4pm

August 13Communities Cabinet AdvisoryCommittee, 2pm

August 14General Licensing Committee,10am

August 18Audit Committee, 2pm

August 19Economy and InvestmentCabinet Advisory Committee,5pm

August 20Cabinet, 4pm

August 24Services Cabinet AdvisoryCommittee, 2pm

August 27Council, 4pm

Your LeaderSWANSEA Leader isdelivered to your door bythe Royal Mail. However,any mail that may bedelivered at the same timeas the Swansea Leader isnot endorsed in any way bythe City and County ofSwansea.

• HIGH FLYER: This amazing Vulcan bomber is set to attract almost 200,000 visitors to the air show this year.

• COPIES of the Enjoy Swansea brochure areavailable at libraries, leisure centres, the touristinformation centre and tourism businesses.

You can also find out more by going towww.enjoyswanseabay.com

• TO GET all the information you need aboutthe Wales National Air Show, including parkingarrangements across the two days go towww.walesnationalairshow.com

info

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SwanseaLeader4 for all your council information www.swansea.gov.uk July 2015

Creativeroute tosuccessTHE Leonardo Effect ishelping young entrepreneurs ata Swansea school become highachievers in their enthusiasmfor learning and the creativearts.

Ynystawe Primary Schoolwas spotlighted by schoolsinspectorate Estyn for the wayit utilises art to engage pupilsin enterprise and learning,boosting skills across thecurriculum utilising a projectknown as the Leonardo Effectdeveloped in Ireland.

Teachers also usedSwansea’s rich industrialheritage as a resource todevelop the creative arts, forexample drawing on the localhistory of copper mining. Andthat’s been reflected in thework of the school’s enterprisegroup which recently designedand made clay plates sold atthe Mission Gallery, local craftshops and in school.

Pupils’ work has recentlybeen exhibited in the NationalGallery in London and in theNational Waterfront Museumin Swansea.

Head Teacher HelenHouston-Phillips said: “As oneof the pilot schools for theLeonardo Effect, we haveworked to ensure that ourchildren’s motivation to learnis very high, creativity ispromoted and theirimaginations are developed.The approach is innovative,challenging and standards areclearly raised.”

HIGH-TECH software is beingput to work in Swansea schoolsto boost learning while cuttingcosts and reducing their carbonfootprint.

While virtual worlds areusually associated with Xboxor PlayStation gamers takingon opponents from around theworld, Swansea Council issupporting schools to usevirtual technology to keepschools running effectively.

The local authority hasinvested £46,000 on hardwareand licences which harnessvirtualisation so older agingcomputer systems can bereplaced with fewer new erones to improve speed andreducing disruption whilecutting costs and power usage.

Virtuallygreat wayto save

A PIONEERING community energy project whichcould generate jobs, support the environment andreduce electricity bills in 11 schools could be trialledin Swansea.

The roofs of a number of schools and othercouncil-owned buildings could be home to a series ofsolar energy generators capable of providing energyfor the buildings and for the national grid.

And if the project’s successful it would not onlygenerate a profit in its first five years but could alsopave the way for expansion to more schools, councilbuildings and possibly council houses in the yearsahead.

The proposal for a community renewal energy andenterprise scheme (CREES) has been approved bySwansea Council’s Cabinet.

The CREES scheme is expected to be owned andmanaged by a social enterprise and it would be thelocal communities operating it which would make thedecisions. Swansea Council would pitch in withofficer and other support.

A report to Cabinet highlighted five potentialoperating models for the scheme, including somewhich would involve council funding. Cabinet agreedto support a business model which would see thescheme owned and funded 100% through a

community social enterprise.Among the buildings identified as potential homes

for the solar panels are 11 schools including YGGBryn Tawe, Dylan Thomas and Bishop Vaughan aswell as the primary schools of Townhill, Gors,Blaenymaes, Clase and Portmead.

Penlan Leisure Centre and Rose Cross House arealso on the list.

The cost of installation of solar panels isanticipated to be £560,000 but it’s expected that aswell as job creation, reduced energy bills and thedevelopment of cleaner energy, the scheme wouldgenerate a surplus of around £270,000 after 20 years.

Plan offers power to the people

HUNDREDS of primaryschool children are lookingforward to attending newschool facilities in the newacademic year.

This summer it’s goodbye tooutdated, Victorian, difficult tomaintain buildings spread across twosites for Burlais Primary School. InSeptember pupils will be saying hellostate of the art school buildingsdesigned to give them all the benefitsof a 21st Century education.

And in the New Year pupils fromGowerton Primary will be moving intoa new school too.

And hopes are high thatdevelopments at Lôon Las, Gorseinon

and Pentre’r Graig will be movingforward over the coming months too.

Lindsay Harvey, Swansea Council’sChief Education Officer, said: “Each ofthese developments are an importantmilestone in our QEd 2020 programmeaimed at boosting education by havingschools fit for 21st Century learning.

They are the result of a tremendousamount of work bringing together theCouncil, schools, pupils, parents, thecommunity and developers to makesure every penny invested is wellspent.”

Alison Bastian, head teacher atBurlais Primary School, said: “We are

all looking forward to being on onesite, in a new building, which is fit forpurpose, allowing us manyopportunities for enriched andenhanced learning.”

The overall project is expected tocost in the region of £8.25 million,part-funded by the Welsh Governmentwith Swansea Council providing therest. It will open its doors to pupils inSeptember. Gowerton Primary Schoolis currently located on three sites.When pupils move into their newschool in January it’ll be the first timethey’ve been educated on one site, withaccess to 21st century facilities andgreen space just outside theirclassrooms.

Pupils welcome the green,green grass of new homes

• PLAY: Gowerton Primary School pupils may have to wait till January for their new school - in the background - tobe finished. But that’s not stopped them enjoying the outside facilities already with staff from construction firmInterserve in a charity football match. Picture by Jason Rogers

PUPILS at Morriston Comprehensive will be celebrating the successof their rebuilt school with an official opening this month.

The school moved into the final phase of the £22 million rebuildin January, a project supported with almost £16m of WelshGovernment money.

The school improvements programme in Swansea is beingfunding through grants from the Welsh Government’s 21st CenturySchools programme alongside millions of pounds of SwanseaCouncil money as well. There’s more information atwww.swansea.gov.uk/qed

info

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SwanseaLeaderJuly 2015 free daily news updates - www.swansea.gov.uk/subscribe 5

Book your Swansparking placeFORWARD-THINKING SwanseaCity fans have the chance toget their parking sorted forhome games next season.

Fans have until July 20 tobook their priority parkingpasses for every home PremierLeague game next season forjust £99.

The offer is a team effortbetween Swansea Council andthe Premier League club toallow fans to buy priorityparking passes at the LandorePark and Ride site for all theleague matches at the LibertyStadium

There’s just 200 seasontickets available and matchday parking will be availablefrom two hours before kick-off,so this would mean openingfrom 1.00pm - 7.00pm for a3.00pm kick-off time

Passes are valid from August8 and and are online atwww.swansea.gov.uk/swansparking

Wild flowers backby popular demandTHEY’RE back. Wild flowersare blooming at more than125 locations around the citythis summer.

Hundreds of thousands ofwild flower seeds have beenplanted at places like agrassy area close to Guildhall,Normandy Road by theLiberty Stadium and the mainroad between Gorseinon andPontarddulais. Wild flowerseeds have also been sown onpart of Fabian Way’s centralreservation.

Poppies planted a year agohave started blooming too.

Be switched onto street lightsRESIDENTS are being urgedto report any faults they findwith street lights in their area.

The council wants to hearabout faulty lamps so theycan be repaired or replaced assoon as possible.

Thousands of street lightsaround the city have beenupgraded with LED and othermodern energy-saving devicesover the last two years aspart of a programme expectedto save around £400,000 ayear.

Report a faulty street lightby calling the highways teamon 0800 317990 or by goingonline atwww.swansea.gov.uk/reportit

newsdigest

That’s good adviceIF YOU need pre-applicationplanning advice, staff at thecouncil’s planning team are onhand to help.

Their service offers peoplethe chance to understand indetail what their planningapplications will need to looklike. To find out more and seethe scale of charges go tohttp://www.swansea.gov.uk/preapp

BUSINESS in Swansea city centre is on the up,according to the latest available figures.

Statistics for April show sales increased by 12.4%from March and 4.6% compared with the samemonth last year.

An independent retail analysis company calledSpringboard put together the statistics for SwanseaCouncil. Swansea bucked the trend across the UKwhere national sales were down 2.4% in Aprilcompared to the same month last year.

The April figures are the seventh month of year

on year sales growth in Swansea.Russell Greenslade, Swansea BID (Business

Improvement District) Chief Executive, said: “Therecent spend statistics are very positive news – theyprovide a firm base to build on. We’ve seen growthin our NCP car parking offer, our Big Heart ofSwansea loyalty card and attendance at our events.Recent projects such as additional police offices andthe virtual vinyling of empty units have alsoimproved the shopping and trading environment inthe city centre. With the proposed regeneration

plans for the Civic Centre and St David’s sites,exciting times lie ahead for the city centre and welook forward to working with the council on theseschemes in due course."

Other statistics show the city centre ranger teamdealt with over 1,900 issues in April – more than500 of which were queries from residents andvisitors. Swansea also featured highly in a recentsurvey of travelling football fans asking whichPremier League cities were the best to visit inEngland and Wales.

Sales growth bucks national trends

EXPERTS behind majordevelopments likeCardiff’s Central Squareand Friar’s Walk inNewport are on theshortlist to regeneratetwo Swansea city centresites.

Bids from Rightacre/Exemplar andQueensberry Real Estate are amongfive that Swansea Council is nowconsidering for the redevelopment ofthe Civic Centre and St David’s sites.

Other shortlisted developersinclude Bellerophon, who areheading up a consortium bidincluding M&G (Prudential),Dawnus Construction, SSE & Apollo(IMAX). Developments such asEmbankment in London, Trostre in

Llanelli and Drake Circus inPlymouth are among their successstories.

Bids from Trebor Developments,as well as Rivington Land and Acme,have also been shortlisted. Some ofthe projects they’ve spearheadedinclude the Gateway retaildevelopment in Cannock and TheArc in Bury St Edmunds.

Phil Holmes, Swansea Council’sHead of Economic Regeneration andPlanning, said: “We feel the bidswe’ve shortlisted represent a healthymix of regional, national andinternational specialists as we look toappoint a development partner ordevelopment partners by the end ofthe year.

“The outline proposals we have for

the two sites show the scale of ourambition.

“We’re leaving no stone unturnedto make sure we get it right, but wealso recognise the need to makespeedy progress and deliver the kindof vibrant, mixed-use city centre thepeople of Swansea have waited toolong for.

He said: “We only marketed thesites at the end of January but we’vealready drawn up a shortlist ofexciting development companies andtalks with representatives of the bidsto have made the grade are now at anadvanced stage.

“There’s a real buzz aroundSwansea at the moment and we’redetermined to keep buildingmomentum.”

• SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME?: An artist impression of how the city centre may look in the years ahead.

A MIXED-USE leisure and retail destination is proposed for theSt David's site that would combine a new public square withshops, restaurants, a cinema and a new office development.

Outline proposals for the Civic Centre site include landmarktourist developments and high quality public spaces. SwanseaUniversity is also exploring the potential for a hydro hubresearch and development facility on the site that could includean iconic aquarium.

big

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Ambition is at heart of city regeneration

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SwanseaLeader6 for all your council information www.swansea.gov.uk July 2015

Give usbeachviewsSWANSEA’S world-classbeaches are getting themselvesfit for a summer of fun and areset to welcome hundreds ofthousands of visitors to ourshores.

The council, local businessesand organisations have beenjoining forces to create some ofthe best destinations anywherein Wales and the work followson from Blue Flag awards forfour of our favourite beaches.

Now the council is workingwith businesses and localgroups to make sure thebeaches at Bracelet Bay,Caswell Bay, Langland Westand Port Eynon are spic andspan right through the busiesttime of year.

And they’ll be askingvisitors this summer for theirviews on what can be done toimprove their experience.

During the quieter seasons ofthe year the council and BlueFlag beach communities andbusinesses have been workingtogether on beach managementplans – the first of their kind inWales - which have focussedon developing fresharrangements for key areassuch as littering, beachcleanliness and environmentaleducation.

Meetings have also looked atways communities, businessesand the council can worktogether to develop fundingbids for projects and activitieswhich add extra to visitors’enjoyment of their time out.

PUPILS in Swansea areimproving their maths andmoney management skillsthanks to a new project.

Lloyds Banking Group andGower College Swansea haveteamed up to boost practicalnumeracy skills at Trallwn,Clwyd, Craigfelen andGwyrosydd Primary Schools, aproject which is supported bySwansea Council.

The project sees 10 LloydsBank staff spending 90 minutesweek over a twelve weekperiod, helping eight and nine-year-old pupils understand keymoney matters around savingand borrowing.

Pupils are also beingchallenged to set up minibusinesses to create products.

Projectreallyadds up

WORK to install new glazing at Swansea Market’snorth gable has now finished.

The work is one aspect of an overall project torefurbish the historic attraction’s roof for the benefitof traders and millions of shoppers in future.

The overall project is still on schedule to befinished in early September. New glazing has alreadybeen installed on the market’s east and west roofs,while work to refurbish the barrel and south roofs ison-going. Essential repairs to the market’s flat roofand roof light lanterns are also being carried out.

Swansea Council appointed specialist contractor R& M Williams to undertake the works.

The project is being funded by Swansea Counciland the Building Enhancement Programme, which issupported by the European Regional DevelopmentFund through the Welsh Government.

Trip Advisor ratings for the jewel in the citycentre’s crown are always high with visitors fromother parts of Wales and England chipping inregularly with praise for what’s on offer there.

Two-thirds of reviewers give it a five-star ratingand one visitor commented: “Such a good market.Has everything you need and the staff are friendlyand helpful. Love the fact it's indoors and you can getfresh produce. Definitely recommend it.

The new roof project was put at the top of themarket maintenance to-do list after the council askedtraders last year what improvement works they’d liketo see the most. They told officers refurbishment ofthe market roof was pinpointed as a top prioritybecause it was starting to show signs of wear andtear. That’s why the work kicked off in January andso far not a day’s trade has been lost to theimprovement project.

A giant crane and teams of abseilers have beenused during the project so far to help lower andinstall panes of glass into place.

Have a look at www.swanseaindoormarket.co.uk

Roof just what traders ordered

FINISHING touches arebeing put to a project thatwill transform Swansea’sGlynn Vivian Art Galleryinto a destination ofinternational significance.

Comprehensive redevelopmentworks scheduled for completion in theearly autumn include a lecture space,conservation, library, exhibition,learning and community spaces.

There’ll also be a new, fully-accessible entrance and a store for theart collection so more people thanever will enjoy greatly-improvedaccess to the artworks.

The redevelopment is funded by theArts Council of Wales, the Welsh

Government, the Heritage LotteryFund, Cadw and Swansea Council.Funding was also secured through theBuilding Enhancement Programmerun by Swansea Council and fundedby the European RegionalDevelopment Fund.

A new state-of-the-art extension

will link to the historic buildings,including the grade two listed 1911gallery, which are benefitting fromcomplete restoration. This includeslifts and hearing loops so the GlynnVivian is fit for the 21st Century.

Major preparations for the gallery’spublic re-opening next year will start

once physical works have finished.Tracey McNulty, Swansea Council’s

Head of Cultural Services, said: “Theredevelopment of the Glynn VivianArt Gallery will support Swansea’sreputation as a place for innovation,creativity and excellence, putting uson a par with other leading UK cities.

“Once the major structural workshave finished the significant processof transporting, unpacking, carefullyhandling the many thousands ofartworks, including ceramics,paintings, sculptures and works onpaper, will start.

“That’ll to pave the way for re-opening to the general public in thesummer of 2016.”

It’s nearly home time aftergreat Glynn Viv restoration

• POINTING THE WAY HOME: Glynn Vivian Art Gallery off-site activities, including the creation of a computer gamecreated by children and featuring globe-trotting Richard Glynn Vivian’s have been a huge success.

TENS of thousands of youngsters from across the city have beenkeeping up with Glynn Viv goings-on the whole time the galleryhas been closed for refurbishment.

It’s been all thanks to the programme of off-site activities thathave included the creation of cartoon films and computer gamesfeaturing globe-trotting gallery founder Richard Glynn Vivian.

The Indiana Jones of Wales bequeathed his collections to thepeople of Swansea and gallery teams have been keeping the GlynnViv spirit alive with roadshow visits to communities across the city.There’s more at www.glynnviviangallery.org or call 01792 516900.

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Grow Local offersa helping handSWANSEA Council is offering ahelping hand to local residentswho want to grow their ownveg.

The Council’s Grow LocalSwansea grants scheme thatoffers up to £5,000 to eligiblegroups, organisations andschools for their own food-growing projects.

The Grow Local scheme isdesigned to encourage ourcommunities to grow their ownfood by funding a range ofcommunity-based growingprojects with the aim ofimproving access to fresh fruitand vegetables throughout thecity, particularly among thoseon lower incomes.

Posters and flyers have beengoing up at community venuesaround the city to promote thescheme. You can also find outmore by going to thewww.swansea.gov.uk/growlocalwebsite.

Connecting ourcity’s schoolsSCHOOLS and pupils acrossSwansea are better connectedto all the educationalresources they need thanks toinvestment in the latest Wi-Fitechnology.

The council bid for a WelshGovernment Learning inDigital Wales grant andbacked it with additionalinvestment and tailor-madesupport to provide schoolswith enhanced internetconnectivity.

It means schools can usetechnology like e-mail andsocial media to work together.

Pavilions take onnew lease of lifeA LOCAL community inSwansea is set to become thefirst take over management ofa local community centre thatwas previously only used bysenior citizens.

Swansea Council is workingwith a variety of communitygroups in Glais who want touse the existing Senior CitizenPavilion (SCP) as a communitycentre.

The move follows proposalsby the council to transfer therunning of city pavilions suchas those at Baywood Hall,Birchgrove, De La Beche,Dyfatty, Fforestfach andManselton to communities sothey are better used.

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On the wild sideFROM harbour porpoises andgrey seals to Pacific oystersand sea lettuce, a colourfulnew guide is being launchedto document Swansea Bay’srich coastal wildlife.

The guide, put together bythe council, is available at theCivic Centre, the 360 Beachand Watersports Centre andthe Tourist Information Officeon Plymouth Street.

AN HISTORIC Swansea folly datingback to the reign of King George IV isamong a series of city properties nowon the market.

The folly, located off Saunders Wayin Sketty and originally known as theBelvedere, is a Grade II listed towerbuilt between 1820 and 1830.

Follies are generally defined asnon-functional buildings that wereconstructed to enhance a natural

landscape.The folly is among a series of

properties Swansea Council is nowlooking to sell or lease. Furtherexpressions of interest in leasingSingelton Park's Swiss Cottage arealso being sought.

All land and buildings owned bythe council are under constant reviewas it look to make best use of itsproperties and become as efficient and

lean as possible. The sale or lease ofproperties that are surplus torequirements is now more importantthan ever.

The added potential regeneration ofthese latest properties on the marketcould breathe new life into buildingsand communities throughout Swansea.

Also for sale is land at Cwm LevelRoad in Landore, a former council

depot off Pontardawe Road, theformer OAP centre on CwmgelliDrive in Treboeth, and nine industrialworkshop sites with about 110 units atSwansea Enterprise Park and otherlocations.

Have a look at the land andproperty section ofwww.swansea.gov.uk for moreinformation or call 01792 636727 or01792 637249.

Fancy being owner of fine city folly?

RESIDENTS are beingurged to join forces withthe council in a newcampaign aimed atcutting back on theamount of food wastethat heads for landfillevery week.

Latest figures show that about aquarter of all black bag waste beingput out by residents as part of theirfortnightly collections is food thatwould be better off in a handy greenfood waste caddy.

And now the council’s recyclingteam is getting out and about overthe coming months knocking ondoors in neighbourhoods across thecity to encourage people to join inthe new food waste campaign.

Chris Howell, head of waste atthe council, said: “Families havereally been stepping up to the plateover the last year and a half bygetting involved in the Keep it to 3campaign designed to reduce theamount of black bag waste sent tolandfill.

“But what we’ve found is that aquarter of the waste people put outin their black bags these days isactually food waste that ought to begoing out in their green kitchenwaste caddies.

“It’s actually easier and morehygienic to dispose of food in thewaste caddies because they’repractically vermin-proof whereasblack bags can be easily ripped openby cats, gulls and rats, spilling theircontents all over the street.

“On top of that green food wastecaddies are collected weekly, sopreventing people having to put upwith the sight and smells ofdecomposing food that would haveto wait for up to a fortnight if it’sput out in black bags.”

Recycling teams visited tens ofthousands of homes inneighbourhoods across the city inthe countdown to the ‘Keep it to 3’campaign 18 months ago and thesuccess of the scheme isdemonstrated every week by therising amount of recycling that’sbeing collected alongside a reducinglevel of black bag waste.

Recycling food wasteis our next challenge

• KEEP IT TO 3: Residents can cut their use of black bags by using their green recyclingcaddies for food waste

• Around 25% of black bag waste is food waste, a large proportionstill in its packaging• Around 800 tonnes of food waste is collected a month from familiesin Swansea• Other recyclable waste routinely found in black bag waste includesclothing, footwear, newspapers and magazines.• You can pick up recycling bags at more than 80 locations aroundSwansea. • You can find out more by downloading the Connect Swansea App orgoing to www.swansea.gov.uk/recycling

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Onlinebeatsqueuing HUNDREDS of Swansearesidents every single monthcould save themselves time andtrouble by applying for theircar parking permits fromSwansea Council online.

A whopping 750 people onaverage come through thedoors of the Contact Centre inthe Civic Centre every monthto apply for or renew theirparking permits, or to apply forpermits for friends and visitors.

But for permits which haveno charge, such as a resident’spermit for your street or anearby street, the quickest andmost convenient way forresidents to apply is via theCouncil’s website.

Now Swansea Council ishoping more people will dealwith them digitally and havecoined the hashtag #doitonlinein a bid to raise awareness.

There are a minority ofpermits which do incur acharge and these can’tcurrently be dealt with online,though work is taking place toaddress that.

Applications for parkingpermits can be made atwww.swansea.gov.uk/parkingpermits

You can also do a range ofother things online with thecouncil including reportingpotholes, pay council tax,requesting more recycling bagsor downloading apps forservices such as kerbsidecollections. More informationat www.swansea.gov.uk

DID you know that PenlanLeisure Centre has beencelebrating it’s 20th birthday?

Or that over the years there’sbeen more than 6m visits,60,000 people have learned toswim there and some of thestaff have been there since dayone?

The popular leisure centrehas been one of the successstories of the council’s leisureservices over the years andduring the summer holidayschildren can swim in its poolfor free.

Have a look atwww.activeswansea.com formore information about PenlanLeisure Centre and other sportsand fitness facilities inSwansea.

Penlan’sbirthdaysplash

BLUE badge application arrangements in Swanseahave changed after a review of the service.

The council has been operating the servicecorrectly on the basis of a new Welsh Governmenttoolkit since October last year.

But now it has changed its approach and revertedto the pre-October, 2014, toolkit after conducting itsown review.

It means changes to the system have beenintroduced to bring Swansea into line with someother local authorities who have also suspendedimplementation of the toolkit.

Recently Welsh Government requested the

Independent Advisory Service to review a sample ofSwansea Council blue badge decisions made usingthe toolkit and officers were told the decisions hadbeen made correctly in accordance with the toolkit’sscoring system.

However, the effect of the council decision is thatit will now follow Welsh Government guidance thatwas in force prior to the new toolkit being introducedin October last year.

A spokesman for the council emphasised that bluebadge holders and those who have been turned downfor badges since October 13 last year do not need totake any action.

He said: “All those people who have been turneddown for blue badges this year on the basis of thenew toolkit are having their cases reviewed using theold system.

“As each case is reviewed we will write to theapplicant and let them know what the new decisionis. Anyone who is turned down at this stage will havean opportunity to appeal in the normal way.”

Those who have made applications under thescheme since April have been assessed on the basisof the old toolkit.

The Welsh Government has been informed ofSwansea Council’s decision.

Changes after blue badge review

A BRAND new shop hasopened in the High Street.But it won’t be selling youanything. In fact it’s thego-to place for informationon child care, childmindingand a whole range of otherchildren’s topics.

Swansea Council’s FamilyInformation Service (FIS) has set upshop at 214 High Street for and threedays a week until August 8, staff willbe available to lend a hand on dealingwith a whole range of family-relatedinquiries.

The shop’s been open for businessfor a few weeks already as scores ofpeople have been through the doors,

proving it a big success for familieswanting to add extra value to citycentre shopping trips.

Claire Bevan of the FamilyInformation Service said the initiative,funded and run by the council, isdesigned to give families a little extrasupport in the most convenient way

possible.She said: “The FIS is already doing

great work in city communities. It’s aone-stop shop providing free, qualityand impartial information on a widerange of childcare, family support andfamily-related issues.

“And if staff can’t help, they’ll put

you in touch with someone who can.The Family Information Service isalready known as the go-to place forpeople who are already in the childcare business and need to extend theirrange of skills in areas like first aidand food safety.”

Claire Bevan of the FIS said: “TheFIS is well-known in cityneighbourhoods because of ourcommunity roadshows. But this is thefirst time we’ve set up a pop-up shopin the city centre and it’s been reallysuccessful so far. Families don’t needto make appointments, parents canjust turn up. If we haven’t got theinformation ourselves we’ll pointthem in the right direction.”

One-stop family info shopon your High Street now

• FAMILY FUN: While parents and carers pick up tips on childminding or other information, children can take time outin the play area at the Family Information Service’s High Street shop.

THE Family Information Service team have been on duty at 214High Street since June.

Throughout July and into early August they’ll be open forbusiness every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10am to3pm when they’ll be offering detailed information and support inspecially themed weeks ranging from activity weeks and what’s onguides to childcare advice and even advice on starting out inchildminding.

More information can be found at www.swansea.gov.uk/fis oryou can email them at or call them on 01792 517222.

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Marina proudlyflies blue flagOUR city’s marina has beenawarded blue flag status,highlighting its quality facilitiesto visitors and boat usersaround the world.

The 550-berth marina, whichis managed by SwanseaCouncil, is one of 4,000beaches and marinas aroundEurope awarded the specialstatus for 2015.

The prestigious statusensures visitors and boatowners at the city centremarina can be reassured aboutthe quality of facilities on offer,including water quality, safetyfeatures and the day-to-dayrunning of the site.

Latest plans by the councilinclude the introduction ofmodern art sculptures in andaround the marina as part ofthe Boulevard project. One ofthe sculptures will rise fourand a half metres above waterlevel in the marina’s north-western corner.

Dylan’s haunts arein your pocket NEW guides have been puttogether to help residents findout more about Swansea’slinks with Dylan Thomas.

The pocket-sized guidesinclude quotes, photos, aneasy-to-follow map andinformation on places acrossthe city made famous by thecelebrated poet.

The guides are available atlocations featured on the mapincluding the Dylan ThomasCentre, his birthplace inCwmdonkin Drive, SwanseaMuseum or via download atwww.dylanthomas.com

Friendly beachesfor your dogsDOG lovers are being urged tokeep to dog-friendly beachesin Swansea and Gower untilthe end of September.

Dog friendly beachesinclude, Horton from theLifeguard Station east towardsOxwich, Mumbles, Pwll Du,Pobbles, Three Cliffs Bay,Oxwich Bay (including Crawleyand Tor Bay), Mewslade Bay,Rhossili Bay, Llangennith,Broughton Bay, WhitefordSands, Port Eynon (from themain steps west to the SaltHouse) and Swansea Bay fromthe slip, opposite VictoriaPark, to the beach accessopposite Sketty Lane and fromWest Cross Inn to Mumbles.

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Blooming greatBEST wildflower garden andbest communal garden areamong the categories in ablooming great competitiontaking place this summer.

Entries are open until July10 for the Council’s gardeningcompetition for tenants andleaseholders. Entry details atDistrict Housing Offices,www.swansea.gov.uk/housingor call 01792 635045.

THE Council could use the wealth of expertiseamong its staff to develop new enterprises whichwill help cut costs or pay for vital council servicesin the years ahead.

Knowledge and expertise in areas as diverse asconstruction and maintenance, energy supply andprinting could all be put to more commercial use tohelp pay for public services.

The council has agreed a new CommercialismStrategy as part of Sustainable Swansea – Fit for theFuture, the council’s transformation programme.

Dean Taylor, Corporate Services Director, said acommercial council using the skills and talents itsworkforce already have could create new incomeand reduce costs to help pay for services residentscount on every day.

He said: “We want to unlock the entrepreneurialspirit among our staff and give them the opportunityand the incentive to come up with ideas that willgenerate income to help pay for services.

“We already employ a lot of people with skillsthat can be used or developed creatively. Over time

we aim to create an environment which encouragesour staff to think of ways in which the skills theyhave can be applied differently to either save moneyor generate income.

He said: “We have to find £81m of savings overthe coming years and at the same time we want toprotect and improve services as much as we can.”

The strategy includes proposals for training staffin commercialism as well as identifying strengthsand opportunities to maximise council assets andlearning from and collaborating with others.

Commercial approach can save cash

SWANSEA Council andschools across the city arepulling out all the stops tocontinue to providethousands of breakfasts tocity primary schoolyoungsters every morningfrom September.

Breakfasts have been served up forfree by Swansea Council under aWelsh Government initiative forprimary school pupils for the pastfew years and the Council hassubsidised additional time to extendthe clubs to provide childcare.

But from September newarrangements are being introduced atprimary schools which will meanschools will need to take overarrangements for child care for pupils

prior to the 30-minute breakfast clubsprovided by the Council.

Now the Council is offering adviceand guidance to schools so childcarecan be provided as inexpensively aspossible if the school wishes.

Lindsay Harvey, Chief EducationOfficer, said free breakfast clubs

provided by the Council will last for30 minutes and any other childcareneeded before school starts wouldhave to be provided separately.

He said: “Breakfast Clubs are verypopular in primary schools amongparents, pupils and staff. They set upchildren for the day’s learning thanks

to the quality food they receive andthey’re good for parents too becauseit means they can drop-off theirchildren on their way to work.

“We’re giving schools advice andguidance on what they need to put inplace by September if they choose toprovide childcare before the 30minute breakfast club start-time.

“We want to support schools towork through the regulations so thechildcare they set up is effective,flexible enough to meet their needsand as inexpensive as possible.”

Mr Harvey said: “Part of the workthe Council is doing is to make sureschools and parents have the relevantinformation about what they need todo and what financial or grantsupport might be available to them.”

• EATING UP: Breakfast clubs are a popular way to start the day at city primary schools.

UNDER the new arrangements being introduced in Septemberprimary schools will be responsible for making their owndecisions about whether pre-breakfast club childcare clubs willbe set up.

If they are, it will be for individual schools or operators todecide what time they’ll operate from and whether or not thereis a charge to parents for its use.

Childcare clubs will need to be registered with the Care andSocial Services Inspectorate for Wales and the leading staffmembers will have to have relevant qualifications.

Parents wanting to know what will be happening in theirchild’s primary school in September should contact their school.

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YourdigitalguideRESIDENTS who want toexplore the digital world ofblogging, skype and evenphotography can get theirhands on a range of easy step-by-step guides created by thecouncil to develop their skills.

The Digital Unite learningguides are available to anyonewho has cracked the basics ofgetting online and want to getto the next level by telling theirown stories online, contactingfriends face-to-face or givingan online prescene to theirfavourite photographs.

The guides also give clearand straightforwardinformation about a range ofsubjects, from socialnetworking to internet securityand identity theft.

The move to get theselearning resources available tothe public via the SwanseaCouncil website is all part ofSwansea Council’s on-goingGet Swansea Online campaign,which is designed make thebenefits of technology and theinternet available to as manypeople in the city as possible.

Wi-fi and PC hire are allavailable for free at citylibraries which means thatresidents don’t need to pay outfor internet access at home inorder to go online.

To find the Digital UniteLearning Guides and get moreinformation about supportavailable at the council go towww.swansea.gov.uk/getswanseaonline

A NEW section of cycle path isbeing constructed alongSwansea’s Fabian Way to helpprovide a key link to the newuniversity campusdevelopment.

The Swansea Universitycampus is set to open inSeptember and SwanseaCouncil has successfully bidfor local transport grantfunding from the WelshGovernment to help fund thecreation of the new cycle path,

Work on the new route willcontinue during July and willinvolve the widening of theexisting pavement to create ashared cycleway and pavementfor pedestrians - stretchingfrom Fabian Way Park andRide to Baldwin's Bridge.

Cyclingroute inprogress

A NEW visitor centre, conference facilities andincubation units for start-up digital businesses areamong the plans for Swansea’s Hafod MorfaCopperworks site in future.

A vision document that’s now been released for thesite also includes proposals for a living historylaboratory, an urban square, a brewery, a restaurant, apedestrian bridge that links to the White Rock site,affordable housing and the restoration of historicengine sheds to show how they worked in theirprime.

The vision document is now available on the newdedicated website for the site at

www.hafodmorfacopperworks.comRegeneration of the site has already started as part

of a project called being led by Swansea Universityand Swansea Council. With the support of WelshGovernment, Cadw and European funds, progress hasincluded clearing vegetation, stabilising buildings atrisk, improving access for visitors, communityarchaeology fieldwork, new pathways, an audiovisual trail and information panels.

A programme of fortnightly site tours is also beingorganised every other Wednesday from May 6,starting at 2pm. Tours take approximately an hourand a half and will guide visitors around the site,

exploring its history, the current project and futureplans.

Swansea Council and Swansea University areabout to sign a 15-year agreement to further preserveand celebrate the site.

Professor Huw Bowen, of Swansea University,said: “The new agreement is a commitment fromboth the university and the council to furtherregenerate the internationally significant HafodMorfa Copperworks site. We hope to build on thegreat work that’s already been done to develop avibrant and exciting reanimation of a site that wasonce at the heart of the industrial revolution.”

Copperworks vision unveiled

IT’S never been easier toget up and running on theinternet with free access atyour local library and freeback-up too on DigitalFridays.

Scores of residents are using DigitalFridays as an easy, cost-free way tostart a weekend of surfing, shoppingand booking sunshine holidays orexchanging ideas on a good day outwith Facebook friends.

Council digital guru Steve Jenkins,who leads the Council team which hastaught hundreds of people how to fire-up a computer and get cracking on theweb, said Digital Fridays are part ofthe Get Swansea Online campaign and

an ideal opportunity for people to pickup a little bit more know-how.

He said: “Libraries are user-friendlyplaces anyway and they all offer freeaccess to the internet. So it makessense to stage Digital Fridays at someof them.

“With a bit of help from one of our

team, the internet stops being a bit ofa jungle and starts becoming ahighway to friends in far-flung placesor your your favourite shop.”

He added: “There is a world ofopportunity online and if you have afriend or relative who wants to dip atoe in the internet but aren’t sure

where to start then Digital Fridays areas good a place as any.

Delma Lewis from Kittle said that ittook years of trying to get moreconfident about using the computerbefore it really clicked following herGet Swansea Online course at thecity’s Central Library.

But after completing the courseDelma didn’t waste any time puttingher news skills into action andpromptly booked a cruise holiday toNorway.

She said: “I had tried previouscourses but they didn’t really suit mylevel of ability and I had triedpractising at home on my own but Iwas so wary.”

It’s easy to get yourself upand running on internet

• EASY DOES IT: If you’ve never had a go with a computer before or need a little help Get Swansea Online is the rightplace to start. Check it out at your local library

IF you want to know more or recommend a friend to Get SwanseaOnline, there’s more information at your local library or atwww.swansea.gov.uk/digitalfridaysUntil July 24 Digital Fridays take place for two hours at thefollowing libraries:Townhill, 10am; Morriston, 11am; Central, 1pm; Llansamlet, 2pmFrom July 31 to Sept 18 Digital Fridays take place for two hours atthe following libraries:Pennard, 10am; Townhill, 10am; Clydach, 1pm; Oystermouth,1pm

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Feed the bins, not thebirds in our city centreFEED the litter bins, notthe birds. That’s themessage in the city centrethis summer to visitorsand residents alike.

Gulls and pigeons are a nuisanceto the city centre scene to businesses,the council as well as for visitorswho don’t like being pestered or riskbeing pooped on from a great heightby them.

So now the council and SwanseaBID have joined forces to encouragepeople not to dump their leftoversnacks on the ground and put themin the bin instead.

Posters have gone up on citycentre litter bins urging people to dothe right thing and Swansea Councilhas adopted the message as part ofits #tidySwansea campaign.

Bob Fenwick, Group Leader forNeighbourhood Working, said saidother cities like Bath and Bristol aswell as seaside communities like StIves and Padstow have alreadyintroduced a ban on people feedinggulls and pigeons.

It’s been banned in London’sTrafalgar Square for more than adecade.

“Motorists will tell you that evenwhen birds’ mess is cleared up itleaves long-lasting residual stains ontheir vehicles and it’s the same forstonework and street furniture too.

“The council wants to do all it canto tackle the problem. Our litterteams work flat out tidying up in thecity centre, clearing bins and pickingup leftover food thoughtlesslydumped.

“But there is also a team ofenforcement officers who havepowers to issue fixed penalty notices

to people who dump litter. They alsohave authority to issue fixed penaltynotices to people seen feeding birdsin the city centre and they won’thesitate to do so if necessary.”

He said: “Swansea isn’t the onlyplace where pigeons and gulls are aproblem.

“Cities like Bath in England havealready introduced strict measures todeter visitors and residents in the citycentre from feeding them, includingissuing fixed penalty notices.”

SwanseaLeaderJuly 2015 free daily news updates - www.swansea.gov.uk/subscribe 11

Get a broadbandbid in super-fastTIME could be running out forbusinesses to get financial helpto boost broadband speeds.

Take-up of the UKGovernment’s broadbandconnection voucher schemehas been so successful thatthe fund may close early.

The fund worth about £40mwas intended to last untilMarch 2016, but the level ofinterest means it mightn’t beavailable for too much longer.

Applying for a grant is easy.All businesses have to do isenter their postcode atwww.connectionvouchers.co.ukto check eligibility, choose asupplier and fill in anapplication form. Alternativelythey can log on towww.digitalcardiff.net or call02920 788593

Home-based businesses,shops, charities, not for profitorganisations and commerciallandlords can all apply.

All aboard forpretty journeySUNDAY bus services havereturned to Gower to helpboost tourism in the regionthis summer.

Swansea Council hassuccessfully bid for fundingfrom the Welsh Government-led Visit Wales initiative tolaunch the public transportservice which will run untilOctober 4. Destinationsinclude popular spots like PortEynon, Oxwich andLlangennith. Services operatefrom Swansea City BusStation to Rhossili hourlybetween 9am – 5pm andfrom Rhosilli to Swanseabetween 10.10am – 6pm.

Composting willgrow on youRESIDENTS are beingencouraged to try their handat home composting and givetheir garden a boost.

The Council has teamed upwith a compost bin supplier toallow residents to purchasebins at a discounted rate

Residents can also go alongto Tir John HouseholdRecycling Centre and pick upsome free compost if theydon't fancy trying to make itthemselves.

To find out more abouthome composting and ourcompost bin scheme visit thecouncil’s website atwww.swansea.gov.uk/recycling

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Seaside rockTHE Council has beeninstalling rock armour along asection of the coastline nearWest Cross.

The protective measureinvolves the installation oflarge boulders of varioussizes to protect thepromenade from any tidaldamage.

• FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Feeding birds in the city centre can encourage them topester and frighten young children as well as disfigure pavements and buildings.

Be inspired to try fosteringINSPIRATIONAL people keen to make adifference in the lives of young people have theopportunity to put their best foot forward and joinFoster Swansea.

There’s more than 270 young people of all agesin Swansea today for whom a stable home and apositive influence would make all the difference intheir lives.

Kelly Lewis, business development manager forFoster Swansea, said the team has bags ofexperience and expertise in foster care and they’retremendously supportive of the families they workwith.

She said: Some people may feel fosteringappears to be a daunting experience but with FosterSwansea you’re never alone.”

She said there is no such thing as a typical fostercarer any more than there is a typical child whoneeds support from foster carers.

At the moment Foster Swansea, which issupported and funded by Swansea Council, isparticularly interested in families which can lookafter siblings together.

Kelly Lewis said: “A lot of people think thatfoster care is about giving children long-termhomes and, for some, that is the case. But these

days there are a lot of other options too.“For example some of our foster carers offer

weekend and evening care while others providesupport not just to children but to their parents too.

“The kind of people foster caring would appealto are those who can inspire and encourage youngpeople to achieve their potential and reach theirgoals so they feel cared for and settled. On apractical level all you need is at least one sparebedroom in your home.”

To find out more about Foster Swansea call 0300555 0111 or go to the website atwww.fosterswansea.org

RUSSELL Greenslade, Chief Executiveof Swansea BID, is backing the feedthe bins, not the birds message.

He said: “We have a lot of foodrelated businesses in the city centre.

Feedback from retailers, large andsmall, has been that feeding the birdscreates numerous issues for themand their customers such as the birdsstealing food and the mess theycause that impacts on the visitorexperience and trading environment.”

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WALKERS and cyclists are being given the chanceto have their say on the future provision of cyclingand walking routes throughout the city.

Swansea Council is carrying out a consultationon the existing route map, calling on the public togive their views on their favourite routes and whatcan be done to improve them.

People will also be asked for their views on thelatest audit that has been completed on the routesthemselves.

Swansea has more than 50 km of cycle paths andmany of them can be found online and in handypocket guides produced by the Council. Sharedcycle and pedestrian routes have also been

introduced near the city centre as part of theWaterfront Connections scheme.

To get involved in the latest consultation click onwww.swansea.gov.uk/activetravelact

In Wales the Active Travel Act came into force inSeptember 2014 and requires councils to map out,plan and continue to improve active travel.

Have your say on future of well-trodden paths

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SwanseaLeader12 for all your council information www.swansea.gov.uk July 2015

PUBL IC NOTICESTHE COUNCIL OF THE CITY AND COUNTY

OF SWANSEA

PROPOSED TRAFFIC REGULATIONORDER

THE BRYN, GOLWG HAFREN AND RHYDYR HELYG, DERWEN FAWR

NOTICE 2015

NOTICE: is hereby given that the Council ofthe City and County of Swansea intends tomake an Order in pursuance of its powers ascontained in the Road Traffic Regulation Act1984 (as amended) the effect of which is asset out in the Schedules below. A copy of theproposed Order, Statement of Reasons andan appropriate plan may be inspected duringnormal office hours at the Civic CentreOystermouth Road Swansea SA1 3SN byquoting reference DVT-208204. Anyobjections to the proposals should besubmitted in writing setting out the reasonsthereto to reach the undersigned at the aboveaddress by the 30/07/2015.

SCHEDULE 1

REVOCATIONS

The existing Traffic Orders are revoked insofaras they are inconsistent with the proposalshereinafter contained which relate to thelength or lengths of road or roads referred toin the schedule hereto.

SCHEDULE 2

PROHIBITION OF WAITING MONDAY -FRIDAY 10AM – 12PM & 2PM - 4PM

THE BRYN

North Side

From its junction with the eastern kerb line ofDerwen Fawr Road to a point 136 metres eastof that junction.

West Side

From a point 136 metres east of its junction

with the eastern kerb line of Derwen FawrRoad to a point 259 metres north of thatpoint.

South Side

From its junction with the eastern kerb line ofDerwen Fawr Road to a point 136 metres eastof that junction.

East Side

From a point 136 metres east of its junctionwith the eastern kerb line of Derwen FawrRoad to a point 178 metres north of thatpoint.

GOLWG HAFREN

Both Sides

From its junction with the eastern kerb line ofThe Bryn to a point 120 metres east thennorth of that point, includes the hammer headat the northern end.

RHYD YR HELYG

Both Sides

From its junction with the western kerb line ofThe Bryn to a point 260 metres west thennorth of that point, includes the turning circleat the northern end.

Dated 01/07/2015

Patrick ArranHead of Legal, Democratic Servicesand ProcurementCivic CentreSwansea

direction. From its junction with the easternkerb line of Richard’s Place to its junction withthe western kerbline of Orchard St (28m).

SCHEDULE 3: PERMIT HOLDERS ONLY ATANY TIME.

PLEASANT STREET

South Side

From a point 18m east of the eastern kerbline of Alexandra Road, to a point 13m westof the western kerb line of Richard’s Place(33m).

SCHEDULE 4: NO STOPPING EXCEPTBUSES

PLEASANT STREET

North Side

From a point 23m east to a point 47m east ofthe eastern kerb line of Alexandra Road(24m).

SCHEDULE 5: LOADING ONLY AT ANYTIME

PLEASANT STREET

North Side

From a point 47m east to a point 58m east ofthe eastern kerb line of Alexandra Road(11m).

SCHEDULE 6: PROHIBITION OF DRIVING

KING STREET

From a point 4m east of the eastern kerb lineof Orchard St for 27m in an easterly direction.

For clarity: this will cover the full width of KingStreet.

Dated 01/07/2015

Patrick ArranHead of Legal, Democratic Servicesand ProcurementCivic CentreSwansea

We value equality because quality servicesneed people from the whole community

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY & COUNTYOF SWANSEA

PROPOSED TRAFFIC REGULATIONORDER 2015

PLEASANT STREET & KING STREET,SWANSEA

NOTICE the Council intends to make anOrder under the Road Traffic Regulation Act1984 (as amended) the effect of the Order isas set out in the Schedules below. A copy ofthe Order, Statement of Reasons and Planmay be inspected during office hours at theCivic Centre, Oystermouth Road, Swansea.Any objections to the Order should besubmitted in writing, with grounds for suchobjections, to reach the undersigned at theabove address by 30/07/2015 quoting Ref:DVT204889.

SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 1: REVOCATIONS

The existing orders are revoked insofar asthey are inconsistent with the proposalsherein which relate to the length or lengths ofthe road or roads referred to in the scheduleshereto.

SCHEDULE 2

PROHIBITION OF WAITING, NO LOADING /UNLOADING AT ANY TIME.

PLEASANT STREET

North Side

From its junction with the eastern kerb line ofAlexandra Rd for 23m in a easterly direction.From its junction with the western kerb line ofOrchard St for 42m in a westerly direction.

South Side

From its junction with the eastern kerb line ofAlexandra Rd for 18m in a easterly direction.From its junction with the western kerb line ofRichard’s Place for 13m in a westerly

Andy ismakinghistoryHISTORIC dry stonewalls that surround amedieval field onGower have beenbrought back to lifeafter being rebuilt.

The distinctive ‘Gower style’curved dry stone walls foundnear Worms Head at Rhosillihave been conserved to preventsheep wandering into richvegetable-laden fields on anarea of land known as ‘TheVile’ – a medieval agriculturalfeature.

The work is part of theGower Landscape Partnership– a scheme that features a widerange of projects, all designedto protect and celebrate theunique landscape of Gower.

Swansea Council hascommissioned locally-baseddry stone walling contractorAndy Roberts to restore thewalls to their former glory.

• HANDS-ON: Dry-stone waller Andy Roberts says he couldn’t have a better ‘office’ than Gower. The distinctive leaningwalls are an attractive part of the landscape and fuel the interest of walkers and visitors alike. Picture by Jason Rogers