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Hello Subscriber,
A budget that seeks to support families, promote wellbeing and protect the most vulnerable members of the local community throughout the ongoing cost of living crisis has been approved for the coming financial year by Bridgend County Borough Council.
Termed ‘the Wellbeing budget’ by senior council members, it will mean that the local authority will have a gross revenue budget of £485m, a net budget of £342m and an additional capital investment programme of £69m for 2023-24.
A council tax increase of 4.9 per cent - down from the previously suggested 6 per cent - has been agreed in order to fund additional budget pressures and cover a funding shortfall of £8m, which works out as being the equivalent of an extra £1.50 a week for an average Band D property.
Following analysis of feedback from public consultation and a review of the funding required to meet significant financial pressures in the coming year, the council has been able to disregard a number of proposals, including cuts for home to college transport, fly-tipping enforcement and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Council Leader Huw David added: “I have already stated on record that this has been the single most challenging budget that I have ever been involved in setting, but I am proud of the way in which it seeks to support families, promote wellbeing and protect the most vulnerable.
“This budget achieves this while also contending with pressures such as the ongoing cost of living crisis, huge rises in demand for essential services, a massive 10 per cent rise in inflation and increasing difficulties in sourcing materials and resources.
“In setting it, we have learned from best practice, have both lobbied for and received a fair settlement from Welsh Government, and have taken the proposals through multiple meetings of the all-parties Budget Research And Evaluation Panel, scrutiny, Corporate Management Board, a wide-ranging public consultation and more.
“This ‘Wellbeing budget’ has been recognised as one that remains ambitious while also being firmly grounded in reality. It has been crafted to reflect the priorities, pressures and concerns of local people, and to remain fit for purpose throughout the year ahead.
“No matter what fresh challenges we may be presented with in 2023-24, this budget ensures that we will be prepared, ready and able to meet them head-on.”
Please visit our website for more information on the approved budget for 2023-2024.
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 Demolition soon to start on former police station
Demolition of the former police station in Bridgend town centre is due to start soon with the site earmarked to house a new Bridgend College campus.
The contractors Cardiff Demolition are due to begin demolition in the week beginning Monday 20 March with work expected to take up to 12 weeks. Access to Cheapside and local businesses will be maintained during the demolition, although there will be some temporary narrowing of the carriageway and minor alterations to pedestrian crossing points. The contractor will be contacting local businesses before demolition starts to advise on the programme of works.
The site, at Cheapside, forms a significant part of Bridgend County Borough Council’s regeneration plans for the town centre.
Once the building is demolished, the site, together with the former Cheapside multi-storey car park site will be leased to Bridgend College, enabling the relocation of the Cowbridge Road campus to the new town centre location.
The college plan to create a net-zero carbon building, with 21st century learning and teaching facilities for post-16 education in Bridgend, with community benefits including a 200-seat theatre space, a coffee shop and flexible meeting spaces.
It represents a £50 million investment into the skills and training of the young people in Bridgend and members of the community who need opportunities to retrain and gain valuable employability skills. This investment is part funded by the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning programme.
For more information on the plans for the demolition, please visit our website.
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 Maesteg Sports Centre celebrates 40 years with £400k investment
Maesteg Sports Centre is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year with a £400,000 investment in new equipment and workout areas.
Funded by Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC), Sport Wales and Halo Leisure, the upgrade includes a larger gym area with new cardio machines, a dedicated strength and conditioning space, a wellness zone, a new exercise studio and training/workshop spaces. Improvements in the changing rooms will also include an accessible changing space.
The sports centre first opened its doors to the public on 1 March 1983, and since Halo Leisure commenced its partnership with BCBC to operate the centre in 2012, it has registered an estimated 1,584,823 attendances and delivered well over a million gym workouts.
To celebrate the sports centre’s 40th anniversary, you can join up during March 2023 for 40p, that’s a potential saving of between £10.50 and £31.10 depending on the membership package you are on.
Members can enjoy the gym, exercise class programme and a soon-to-be-completed strength and conditioning zone, while for children, there’s JumpInGym soft play and Bounce and Play sessions.
Council Leader Huw David said: "It is fantastic to celebrate the 40th year of Maesteg Sports Centre and be reminded of how much it has to offer all ages.
“This £400,000 investment is enhancing and expanding fitness facilities for the community, and I look forward to seeing the completion of the next phase.
Please visit our website for more information on the Maesteg Sports Centre upgrade.
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Nantyffyllon street to be adopted by council
An unadopted street in Nantyffyllon will become maintainable by Bridgend County Borough Council with work soon to start on bringing it up to standard.
Maes-y-dderwen will see the replacement of all kerbs and pavements, with the road also being resurfaced.
The cul-de-sac is one of thousands of streets across England and Wales not adopted and maintainable by highway authorities and, as such, responsibility for its upkeep rested entirely with residents and property owners.
The Cabinet Member for Communities Cllr John Spanswick said: “This £20,000 scheme is part of a wider programme with work continuing to review ownership of other unadopted roads in the county borough, and establish the upgrade required to bring them up to an adoptable standard.
“While there will be some disruption to the residents at Maes-y-dderwen as we work on the improvements, we will make every effort to keep it to a minimum.
“In bringing the street up to a standard where it can be adopted by the council, it will then benefit from regular future maintenance.”
To read more about the council adopting this street, please visit our website.
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 Residents are invited to attend Employability Bridgend ‘Help for Households’ advice event
Residents from around Bridgend County Borough are being invited to attend a FREE ‘Help for Households’ event which will offer support and advice on addressing the rising cost of living to people from all over the county borough.
The ‘Help for Households’ event is being run by Employability Bridgend and will take place on Thursday 16 March between 10am and 2pm at Bridgend Indoor Market.
There will be plenty of advice on hand, which will provide local residents with a variety of different types of support such as:
- Help with bills
- Tips on the best energy deals
- Suggestions about ways to save money for food
- Advice on applying for extra benefits
- Ways to get ‘Water Fit’
This initiative will see a variety of key organisations working in partnership with the council’s Employability Bridgend team such as Citizens Advice, Bridgend Repair Café, Welsh Water, The Childcare Team and Baobab Bach Community Pantries, allowing residents to get the exact type of support they need. There will also be free cost saving items given to attendees.
For more information on Employability Bridgend’s ‘Help for Households’ event, please visit our website.
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27 February – 12 March is Fairtrade Fortnight!
As a local authority, we are committed to promoting sustainable development, and are proud of our status as a fair trade county borough, which includes the fair trade town of Porthcawl.
By working together with producers in developing countries, and supporting fair trade terms, we can create a more sustainable future by choosing fairtrade products whenever possible and encourage others to do likewise.
This year’s theme will spotlight the harmful effect of the climate crisis on the future of our food and Sustainable Wales, a charity based in Porthcawl will be holding a series of events including:
- A celebratory dinner to mark Fairtrade Fortnight, which also coincides with their 25th Anniversary
- Guests at the event will include Ugandan fair trade coffee producers Nimrod Wambette and Jenipher Sambazi who produce ‘Jenipher's Coffi’, which is grown up to 3,000m above sea level by over 3,000 farmers, despite the challenges of climate change.
You can find out more about the events happening this Fairtrade Fortnight on the SUSSED website and by visiting Sustainable Wales.
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Last chance: have your say on our town centre Licencing Policy Consultation!
Under the Licensing Act 2003, the council as a licensing authority has the power to publish a cumulative impact assessment (CIA) every three years.
The assessment will assist the council to limit the number or types of licence applications granted in areas where there is evidence to show that the number or density of licensed premises is having a negative impact on a particular area.
We are now consulting on the next three-year assessment and welcome views from the public, the hospitality sector and other interested parties.
The consultation is due to close on Wednesday 8 March 2023.
To share your views, please visit the council’s website.
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Bailey Bridge refurbishment begins in Newbridge Fields
The council has arranged for the refurbishment of the decking on the Bailey bridge in Newbridge Fields.
Due to these essential works, the bridge will be closed from 7.30am - 4.30pm daily for approximately 4 weeks.
Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause residents and visitors.
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 Give blood and save lives!
The need for blood has never been more important. Can you help? Welsh Blood Service need more people from the Bridgend area to sign up as donors to help patients across Wales.
Appointments are available at the following locations and dates:
- Princess of Wales Hospital- 9 March 2023
- Heronston Hotel- 24 March 2023
Please be advised that if you have recently had a Covid-19 vaccination, then you must wait two days before making a blood donation.
Book your appointment to help save lives today.
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 We are recruiting!
We have several exciting job opportunities available and are currently recruiting for the following positions:
- Deputy Headteacher- Maes Yr Haul Primary School
- Building Surveyor
- Support Engineer Schools – ICT
- Mobile Response Care Worker
- Social Care Worker – Glyn Cynffig
- Plumber (Communities)
- Quality Assurance Officer - Social Services and Wellbeing
Find out more about current vacancies and apply online today.
Sign up to our new weekly jobs bulletin to be the first to know about our latest job opportunities.
The bulletin will be sent straight to your inbox, all you need to do is sign up online.
Find out more and sign up online today!
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Emergency support is available
We would also like to remind residents that a range of emergency support continues to be available:
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