Category Archives: County Council

County Council, Covid 19

Re-opening community centres / village halls

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As of the 14th August 2020, all community centres, village halls, church halls and other community centres owned or controlled by a public authority or a body of persons which may provide for the physical, social, cultural or intellectual development or welfare of the community, have been able to open for some permitted activities.

Whilst community centres, village halls, and other multi-use community facilities support a wide range of local activity and are allowed to open, their communal nature also makes them places that are vulnerable to the spread of coronavirus. As such, organisers of these multi purpose community centres must ensure that ‘gatherings’ are not permitted within the premises and must also ensure that where an activity is taking place at the premises that it meets the definition of a ‘reasonable excuse’. Full details of what is defined as a gathering and considered a reasonable excuse is available on the legislation.gov.uk website.

Examples of activities permitted under the regulations include:

Exercise classes – no more than 30 people
Dance classes – no more than 30 people
Childcare facility
Children’s holiday club
Supervised activities for children, for example: scouts, guides, brownies etc
Wedding parties and funeral celebrations – no more than 30 people
Medical or health services for example: Slimming world, counselling. These must be by appointment on a 1 to 1 basis.
Donate blood
Food bank
You cannot open for the following activities:

Dog obedience classes
Meetings / AGMS
Merched y Wawr / WI groups
Indoor food market
Drama group
Choir practice
Gardening club
Educational classes
Art class
Band practice
Sewing/knitting club
Birthday parties
This is not an exhaustive list of activities that can and cannot take place in a community centre / village hall.

All reasonable measures must be taken to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus by:

maintaining a distance of 2 metres between people both inside the building and whilst queuing outside.
limiting close face to face interaction and maintaining hygiene
providing information to those entering or working at the premises about how to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus.
As part of the NHS Wales test, trace and protect service you must collect contact information from anyone attending the premises and retain it for 21 days. Further guidance on how this should be carried out is available on the Welsh Government website.

We will continue to update this page as we receive further guidance from Welsh Government.

Broadband, County Council, Local funding, Local stories

Support to improve broadband connectivity

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Does your community have difficulty in accessing high speed broadband? If so, residents and businesses could be entitled to a broadband upgrade.

The government’s Broadband Upgrade Fund campaign launched in Carmarthenshire yesterday to help businesses, employees and countryside communities take advantage of all the benefits associated with faster and more reliable internet connections.

The government is offering rural residents up to £1,500 and small to medium sized businesses up to £3,500 to upgrade to gigabit broadband, which is capable of download speeds of 1 gigabit (1000 megabits) per second and is much faster than the current speeds experienced across Carmarthenshire.

Upgrading to gigabit broadband will mean homes and businesses in Carmarthenshire will have the world-class, future-proof and reliable internet connections they need to keep pace with new advances in technology, and the jobs and growth that comes with it, in the decades to come.

Encouraging communities to come together, residents and businesses can combine their interest to increase the overall fund the community is entitled to. Registration is open until 30 September 2020, and rural residents and business owners in Carmarthenshire are encouraged to check if they are eligible.

Some premises and business across Carmarthenshire will also be able to benefit from the Welsh Government’s top-up voucher scheme, taking the potential funding for individual premises up to £3,000 and up to £7,000 for businesses.

In most cases, the funding provided will pay for the cost of installing the new broadband provided there is enough properties in a group project.

We would appreciate if you could promote this within your communities.

For more details on this, contact cejenkins@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

County Council, Covid 19

Hywel Dda Community Health Council What’s news

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Face coverings: frequently asked questions (update by Welsh Government 27.07.2020)

How and when you could wear a face covering to protect those around you, if you choose to wear one.

What is a face covering? : A face covering mostly acts to protect others by reducing ‘airborne transmission’ of COVID-19. It does not protect the wearer from infection by others.

What is a face mask? : Well-fitted medical masks are designed to protect the wearer from infection, and are vital for frontline staff who are at risk from close contact with patients who are, or may be, infected with COVID-19.

From Monday 27 July 2020 it is compulsory to wear a face covering on public transport in Wales

Where and when do the rules apply?

The rules apply to all ‘enclosed’ public transport vehicles including buses, coaches, trains, trams, ferries and aircraft (where they take off or land in Wales). It also applies to taxis and to tourist services, such as mountain railways and excursion buses.

Face coverings should be worn for the duration of the journey on public transport. This means they must be worn from when you get on the vehicle and they must stay in place until you get off.

Latest updates : https://gov.wales/requirement-wear-face-covering- public-transport-wales

Hospital visiting during the coronavirus outbreak: guidance updated by Welsh Government 15.07.2020

For updates on how the NHS can support hospital visiting in a safe and planned way during the coronavirus pandemic, visit : https://gov.wales/hospital-visiting-during-coronavirus-outbreak-guidance

Full newsletter available here

County Council

Temporary road closure

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Alternative route for road closure

PUBLIC NOTICE

Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984
As amended by the Road Traffic (Temporary Restrictions Act) 1991

Temporary Prohibition of Through Traffic

Carmarthenshire County Council hereby gives notice that from 8th July 2020 no person shall cause any vehicle to proceed along that length of road known as C2172, Llansadwrn, Llanwrda from a point 1.7 kilometres North-West of its junction with the U4231 for a distance of 150 metres in a North-Westerly direction.

The closure is required to ensure public safety whilst Openreach carry out essential repair work.

The alternative route for North-Westbound traffic will be to proceed in a South-Easterly direction along the C2172 to its junction with the U4065 passing property known as Troedrhiwebyst. At the junction, turn left and continue in a North-Westerly direction along the U4065 to its junction with the C2174 passing properties known as Abertegan and Yr Hen Ysgubor. At the junction, turn left and continue in a Westerly direction along the C2174 to its junction with the B4302.

At the junction, turn left and continue in a South-Westerly direction along the B4302 to its junction with the U4078 passing property known as Gwynfa. At the junction, turn left and continue in a South-Easterly direction along the U4078 to its junction with the C2172. At the junction, turn right and continue in a South-Easterly direction along the C2172 passing properties know as Pen-Yr-Heol-Wen and Aberdauddwr to return to a point North-West of the closure. Vice versa for South-Eastbound traffic.

This Notice shall continue to be in force for a period not exceeding twenty-one days after which time its provision may be extended by a Temporary Order under Section 14(1) of the same Act.

 

Alternative route for road closure

DATED THE 8 JULY 2020

Mrs Ruth Mullen B.S.c.
Director of Environment
County Hall
Carmarthen
Carmarthenshire
SA31 1JP

County Council

Carmarthenshire County Council Update – May

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Carmarthenshire COVID-19 Community Response fund

A new grant fund has been launched to aid community organisations across Carmarthenshire in response to the COVID19 pandemic. The Carmarthenshire COVID-19 Community Response Fund is a joint scheme supported by Carmarthenshire County Council, Carmarthenshire Association of Voluntary Services (CAVS), Mynydd y Betws Wind Farm Fund, LEADER , Welsh Church Fund , West Wales Care Partnership and Welsh Government.

Eligible organisations can apply for a maximum of £1000 in order to support voluntary sector organisations and community groups in Carmarthenshire to maintain or increase activities that support the vulnerable during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

To register your interest, please contact RDPSIRGAR@carmarthenshire.gov.uk

Third Sector Questionnaire

Carmarthenshire County Council, Carmarthenshire Association of Volunteering Services and the Wales Cooperative Centre are very aware of the impact which the  COVID-19 pandemic is currently having on the third sector and want to ensure that the needs and the concerns of the sector are heard during this difficult and unprecedented time.

In order to assess the situation, we have created a questionnaire for third sector organisations in order to be able to assess the impact in Carmarthenshire as well as on individual organisations.

We are encouraging all third sector organisations to complete the questionnaire and submit by 10th June 2020.

Third Sector Questionnaire

£26 million to help small charities in Wales

The Welsh Government has announced that small charities within the retail, leisure and hospitality sector will receive a £10,000 business support grant to help them respond to the financial challenges of Covid-19.

This new package will support properties with a rateable value of £12,000 or below. This scheme is being administered by Carmarthenshire County Council.

Details on how to apply will be available soon.

Community Funding

New funding has been made available to assist a wide range of organisations which have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

Various grants have been announced to help charities, organisations and community groups to continue to deliver much needed services and provide support to communities.

Projects most impacted by the coronavirus and which support some of the most vulnerable in our communities will be able to benefit from financial support. The funding packages span the arts, community, charity, heritage, education, environment and sports sectors. Details of these grants are included on our website

More information

Community directory

A community directory is available, which lists community organisations helping and providing essential services to support residents.

If you are co-ordinating a community support group in your area, and wish to be included on our webpages then please email covid19community@carmarthenshire.gov.uk with your contact details, a brief description of your community support group, the area where you’re based, an email address or phone number, and details of how people can best get in touch – a web link or the address of your Facebook page, for example.

Community directory

Volunteering

Throughout Carmarthenshire, communities and businesses have come together to help wherever they can offering both practical and emotional support.

If you are looking for volunteers please contact CAVS: volunteering@CAVS.org.uk or telephone 01267 245555.

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