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Hello Subscriber,
Our annual ‘Spend Christmas in your town centre’ campaign launched last week, encouraging residents to ‘shop local’ and support independent retailers in the run up to the Christmas period.
Focusing on town centres in Bridgend, Maesteg and Porthcawl, the campaign features exclusive offers and promotions from local traders on the returning ‘Digital Christmas’ website and We Love ‘Bridgend / Maesteg / Porthcawl apps which can be downloaded on the Apple App Store and Google Play, plus events such as the Christmas Lights switch-on, Victorian Christmas and Christmas Parade, held by Bridgend, Porthcawl and Maesteg Town Councils.
You can find out more about the latest Christmas events and parades taking place across the county borough on our website.
As well as the traditional Christmas street markets hosted by Green Top Events, Christmas shoppers can look forward to a special ‘Virtual Market’ featuring the stall traders who have been temporarily relocated from the historic indoor market. Showcasing their products online, the online market page will also be updated with details of new premises, and pop-up markets in the Rhiw Shopping Centre in Bridgend town centre.
To help encourage visitors to the town centres during the Christmas period, the free parking offer at council-maintained car parks throughout Bridgend County Borough has also been extended at:
- The Rhiw, Bridgend (first three hours)
- John Street car park, Porthcawl (between 12pm and 3pm)
- Llynfi Road, Maesteg (all year)
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Christmas market to be held in Porthcawl tomorrow
A Christmas Street market will be held at Hilsboro South Car Park in Porthcawl town centre tomorrow starting at 10:00am (17 November).
Green Top Markets operate artisan food, craft and gift street markets across South Wales and the West County and feature traders selling locally sourced, handmade, personally designed items.
Please visit the Green Top Markets website for more information.
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 New mobile youth centre unveiled!
Our Youth Support and Community Safety Partnership teams have been working together to launch a new mobile youth centre, bringing youth support services to communities across the county borough.
Funded by the ‘Safer Streets’ initiative, the brightly coloured mobile unit, which has a digital screen, comfy seating, heating, and refreshments for young people will be setting off around the county borough from the 20 November.
The mobile unit will initially focus on the areas of Bridgend town centre, Pyle, Maesteg and Sarn to offer young people a secure place where they can spend time and interact with professionally qualified youth workers.
Working in partnership with colleagues at South Wales Police, the mobile centre will travel to identified ‘hot spot’ areas of anti-social behaviour as well as reaching out to communities where young people have limited or no access to youth services.
Please visit our website to read more about our new mobile youth centre.
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Have your say: Mynydd Cynffig Primary School pre-planning application consultation
We have commissioned Asbri Planning Limited to undertake the pre-planning application consultation for the new state of the art Mynydd Cynffig Primary School.
A public engagement event is being held at Mynydd Cynffig Primary School (junior school site), on Tuesday 21 November 2023 between 3:45pm - 7pm, to discuss plans for the new school.
The proposed application, plans and supporting documents can be viewed on the Asbri website.
Please note that the closing date for the consultation is Friday 8 December 2023. Any thoughts can be emailed to mail@asbriplanning.co.uk.
Image: Computer generated image of what the school may look like, subject to a formal planning consultation process.
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 Council supports rugby club with vital all-weather pitch improvements
We have helped to secure some much-needed funding to support Kenfig Hill RFC to make some vital improvements to their rugby pitch at Croft Goch Playing Fields.
Our Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Fund has assisted the club with the cost of pitch improvements and the purchase of pitch maintenance equipment with further funding to carry out pitch surveys.
Known locally as ‘The Mules’, the club formally took over the self-management of the rugby pitch earlier this year, having finalised a 10-year lease under the Community Asset Transfer (CAT) programme.
As a result of funding from the council, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), Sport Wales’ Be Active Fund and the club’s own fundraising activities, significant improvement works have been undertaken to the rugby pitch at Croft Goch in a £68,000 project, which was completed in August this year. Works included the installation of a new drainage system and re-seeding of the pitch area.
Please visit our website to read more about the Community Asset Transfer Scheme.
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 Dance for Parkinson’s comes to Porthcawl!
Awen are working with National Dance Company Wales to offer a Dance for Parkinson's taster session at Awel y Mor Community Centre (Porthcawl) on 19 November at 3.15pm.
Dance has been proven to develop confidence and strength, whilst temporarily relieving some participants of Parkinson’s symptoms in everyday life.
The free session is supported by the council’s Super-Agers project.
More information is available on the National Dance Company Wales website.
 Have your say: Engagement and Participation Strategy Consultation
We'd like to hear your views and observations regarding our new draft Engagement and Participation Strategy.
We have a duty to engage effectively with the people of Bridgend County Borough and we believe that good engagement is the responsibility of everyone who works for the Council.
Communication is two-way process and our new strategy sets out how we will do this going forward.
Please read the above strategy and then feedback to us by completing the following survey on our website.
 Reminder: Free Wi-Fi available in town centres
We would like to remind residents that free Wi-Fi is available in town centres across Bridgend County Borough with the aim of increasing connectivity among residents, businesses and visitors.
The free service is available in the four town centres of Bridgend, Porthcawl, Maesteg and Pencoed.
In order to connect, individuals will need to search their Wi-Fi network settings for “BCBC free Wi-Fi” and will then need to enter their email address to begin.
The homepage will be presented in Welsh and there will be a toggle at the top right of the screen for those residents who want to switch to English if needed.
Please visit our website for information about the free Wi-Fi service.
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 Task force publishes new information on coal tip safety
New information has been issued by the Coal Tip Safety Task Force to keep local communities informed about former industrial mining sites located throughout Wales.
Over the last few years, partnership work has been taking place between local councils, Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales and the Coal Authority to develop a greater understanding of the number of disused coal tips, where they are located, and who might own them now.
The Task Force has used this information to establish a new interactive map which residents can now access showing the location data for all category C and D disused coal tips in Wales.
Cllr John Spanswick, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Environment, said: “It is important to note that the A-D categories do not indicate the safety level of a site, but rather the level of monitoring that is required due to the serious impact that would follow in the event of a collapse, slide or slip.
“I can further assure residents that even before the new national testing criteria was agreed and rolled out, former mining sites in Bridgend County Borough were already subject to regular inspection and maintenance.
“As demonstrated by the recent announcement that Welsh Government has provided Bridgend County Borough Council with £520,000 to replace and improve drainage channels at a former colliery located near Nantymoel in the Ogmore Valley, we take this responsibility very seriously, and will continue to do so.”
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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:
- 20 November- Sainsbury’s- Sarn (CF32 9ST)
- 29 November- Bridgend Masonic Hall (CF31 2AP)
- 7 December- Asda Bridgend (CF31 3AU)
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:
- Project Manager - Electrical (Corporate Landlord)
- Land and Highway Drainage Inspector
- Civil Enforcement Officer (Neighbourhood Services)
- Senior Practitioner (General Fostering)
- Social Care Worker (Supported Living Services)
- School Crossing Patrol (Various locations available)
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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