#carmarthen-road — Public Fediverse posts

Fforestfach: Swansea barber shortlisted for UK Barber of the Year 2026

Scott Rice, founder of Onyxx Barbershop in Fforestfach, has been announced as a finalist in the Barber of the Year category at the UK Hair and Beauty Awards 2026.

The popular barbershop, based on Kingsway in the Swansea West Industrial Park near Carmarthen Road, has built a strong reputation for sharp, modern cuts and high standards.

Organisers of the awards — which celebrate top talent across the hair and beauty industry — say this year’s competition is tougher than ever, with finalists representing the very best in the UK.

Scott said the recognition reflects years of hard work and dedication to his craft.

“This isn’t luck — it’s years of discipline, consistency, and pushing my craft to a level most won’t,” he said.

“I’m building something bigger than just haircuts — I’m building a legacy.”

The achievement puts Scott among the top barbering professionals in the country, highlighting his creativity and commitment to raising standards in the industry.

Onyxx Barbershop has become a go-to spot locally, with clients praising the clean cuts and professional service on offer.

If he takes home the title, Scott would become one of the few barbers from Swansea to win at the prestigious national awards.

The winners are expected to be announced later this year.

Huge scale of sinkhole that keeps flooding Swansea revealed as diggers tear into site

The club — once a popular community venue — has now been completely demolished, clearing the way for Welsh Water’s contractors to dig down to a collapsed culvert buried around 10 metres beneath the site. The culvert is believed to have damaged a main trunk sewer and sits alongside the remains of a tramline that once served the old Cwmfelin steelworks.

The works mark the third phase of a long-delayed repair operation. The first phase involved filling the initial sinkhole beside the club. The second saw the building itself torn down. The third — now underway — is a full excavation to expose and repair the culvert.

A photo taken by local resident Mark Ludlam shows the scale of the operation, with heavy machinery working on a deep pit surrounded by fencing and pumping equipment.

Despite widespread assumptions on social media, the council is not responsible for the repair work. Responsibility lies with Cwmfelin Social Club’s insurers, and with Welsh Water and their insurers, who are overseeing the excavation and the complex sewer repairs beneath the site.

The sinkhole first opened up in August 2023, causing extensive damage to the club and its car park. Beneath the site lies a collapsed culvert, a sewer, and the remnants of a tramline — all of which have complicated the repair work.

The culvert collapse also damaged the main trunk sewer, forcing Welsh Water to install a temporary system running from the grounds of the former Libanus Chapel, along the pavement of Carmarthen Road, under the railway bridge and eastwards to a new connection point. The temporary pipework and pumping equipment remain in place, which is why one lane of Carmarthen Road between Cwmbwrla roundabout and Gors Avenue is still closed.

The issue has escalated over recent months, with repeated flooding incidents across Cwmbwrla, Manselton and Brynhyfryd. On September 14, the culvert collapse triggered a major flood at Cwmbwrla roundabout, leaving the junction impassable from all directions. It took a week to reopen, and the area has flooded multiple times since — including a November incident that left Reb’s Razors barbershop under two feet of water, destroying equipment and stock.

Cwmfelin sinkhole: Timeline of events

2021
A major water leak occurs on the main road outside Cwmfelin Social Club.

January 2022
A small hole appears in the club’s car park near the toilets, described as the size of a dustbin lid.

August 2023
Large cracks form and the club’s toilets collapse into a developing sinkhole, forcing the venue to close.

September 2023
Severe storms cause major flooding at Cwmbwrla roundabout, with the collapsed culvert blamed for water inundating homes and businesses.

October 2023
A sewer beneath Heol y Gors bursts, linked to the broken culvert and water backing up during heavy rain.

October 2024
Investigations confirm a collapsed culvert 10 metres down, a disused tramline and a damaged sewer, complicating repairs due to the nearby railway line.

July 2025
Plans are finalised to demolish the club to allow access for contractors to repair the culvert and sewer.

September 2025
The club is formally slated for demolition as further flooding prompts renewed action.

October 2025
Demolition of Cwmfelin Social Club begins, two years after the major collapse.

January 2026
Excavation work begins to reach the collapsed culvert beneath the former club.

Residents have suffered too. Nigel and Ian Davies, who had lived in their home for 50 years, were rescued by boat after floodwater surged through their property.

The council has repeatedly stressed that the collapsed culvert — not blocked drains — is the cause of the flooding, and that the responsibility for repairs sits with the club’s insurers and Welsh Water.

Club secretary Mike Kennedy has said he hopes the venue could one day be rebuilt on the land, depending on funding and the outcome of the repairs.

With excavation now progressing, residents are hoping this long-running saga may finally be moving toward a permanent fix — and an end to the disruption that’s hit the area in recent months.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Demolition of Cwmfelin Social Club begins after two years on edge of giant sinkhole
Contractors moved in to start taking down the building after months of uncertainty.

Council points to Cwmfelin Club sinkhole works after Cwmbwrla flooding
Officials say the collapsed culvert — not blocked drains — is behind the repeated floods.

Councillor warns culvert collapse could leave Cwmbwrla at risk over Christmas
Fears raised over further flooding as repair delays continue.

Cwmbwrla roundabout closed after cars submerged in flood water
Major disruption as councillor links the chaos to the collapsed culvert.

Cwmbwrla flooding: Roundabout reopens but residents face long recovery
Homes and businesses count the cost after another major flood.

Police appeal over July substation fire that knocked out lights on major Swansea route

The blaze happened between 5.15pm and 5.40pm on Monday 28 July on Heol y Gors, forcing the closure of the road between Cwmbwrla roundabout and Gors Avenue. The outage left multiple sets of lights on the A483 Carmarthen Road – a key route into the city from the west – out of action during the evening rush hour.

At the time, police warned of significant disruption, with thick smoke in the area and National Grid engineers called in to make the site safe.

Appeal for dashcam footage

Officers have released a CCTV still of a man they want to identify. The image is blurred, but shows a young male wearing a fluorescent yellow T‑shirt.

They are asking anyone who was in the area at the time and who may have dashcam footage featuring the individual to get in touch.

Information can be given to South Wales Police via:

• Live Chat at south-wales.police.uk
• Online form at bit.ly/SWPProvideInfo
• Phone: 101, quoting reference 2500241253

Details can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via the Crimestoppers website.

#Arson #CarmarthenRoad #CCTV #CwmbwrlaRoundabout #fire #GorsAvenue #HeolYGors #SouthWalesPolice #substation

Swansea takeaways fined after serving allergen‑contaminated meals despite warnings

Two Swansea food businesses have been prosecuted and fined thousands of pounds after serving meals containing allergens they had assured customers were not present — a failure Trading Standards say could have had life‑threatening consequences.

In both cases, undercover officers from Swansea Council’s Trading Standards Team posed as customers, told staff they were allergic to egg, and asked for reassurance that their order was safe. Despite being told the meals were egg‑free, tests revealed they did contain the ingredient. For someone with a severe allergy, eating those meals could have triggered a serious or even fatal reaction.

At Swansea Magistrates’ Court earlier this month, Zalil Ahmed, owner of Indian Spice on Carmarthen Road, admitted two offences under the General Food Regulations 2004. He was fined £585 and ordered to pay a £234 surcharge and £1,000 in costs.

In a separate case, Shahin Ahmed, of Shahin Tandoori on Cae Bricks Road, Cwmbwrla, pleaded guilty to one offence under the same regulations. He was fined £833 and told to pay a £333 surcharge and £1,000 costs.

The council says all restaurants and takeaways are given clear information on the 14 major allergens they must be aware of — including egg, nuts, milk, fish and sesame seeds — and staff are expected to be trained to protect customers.

Cllr David Hopkins, Cabinet Member for Corporate Service and Performance, said the cases showed some businesses were still failing to meet their legal responsibilities.

“Food allergies can be very serious for a small percentage of people and if they inform a food business they are allergic to specific ingredients, they need to have confidence that the business they are dealing with will keep them safe,” he said.

“Hopefully, the latest action taken against local food businesses that are putting people at risk will send out a strong message to other restaurants and takeaways that they need to be more responsible or they will risk similar enforcement action.”

Trading Standards say the prosecutions are part of an ongoing sampling exercise, alongside advice and training for food businesses. But they warn that any outlet found to be putting customers at risk can expect the same robust response.

If you’d like, I can also give you a punchy X post version that leads with the undercover sting and the risk to life — perfect for grabbing attention on social media.

Can we make it more into a story-telling narrative that takes readers through what the trading standards team did and what the outcome was? Keep the hard-hitting focus.

Here’s a harder‑hitting, story‑driven rewrite that takes the reader through the sting operation step‑by‑step, while keeping the public‑safety angle front and centre.

Undercover sting catches Swansea takeaways serving allergen‑contaminated meals

It started with two simple food orders. Officers from Swansea Council’s Trading Standards Team picked up the phone, posing as ordinary customers. They told the restaurants they had a serious allergy to egg and asked for reassurance that the meals they wanted to order were safe.

On both calls, the answer came back the same: yes, no egg, you’ll be fine.

But when the undercover officers collected the food and took it away for testing, the truth was stark. Both meals contained egg — an ingredient that, for someone with a severe allergy, can trigger a reaction so serious it could be fatal.

From reassurance to prosecution

The findings set in motion two prosecutions at Swansea Magistrates’ Court earlier this month.

At Indian Spice on Carmarthen Road, owner Zalil Ahmed admitted two offences under the General Food Regulations 2004. The court fined him £585 and ordered him to pay a £234 surcharge and £1,000 in costs.

In a separate case, Shahin Ahmed, of Shahin Tandoori on Cae Bricks Road, Cwmbwrla, pleaded guilty to one offence under the same regulations. He was fined £833, with a £333 surcharge and £1,000 costs.

‘A strong message’ to the trade

The council says every food business in Swansea is given clear guidance on the 14 major allergens they must be able to identify — from egg and nuts to milk, fish and sesame seeds — and staff are expected to be trained to protect customers.

Cllr David Hopkins, Cabinet Member for Corporate Service and Performance, said the cases showed why that training matters.

“Food allergies can be very serious for a small percentage of people and if they inform a food business they are allergic to specific ingredients, they need to have confidence that the business they are dealing with will keep them safe.

Hopefully, the latest action taken against local food businesses that are putting people at risk will send out a strong message to other restaurants and takeaways that they need to be more responsible or they will risk similar enforcement action.”

Ongoing checks

Trading Standards say the prosecutions are part of an ongoing sampling exercise, with officers continuing to test meals and offer advice and training to businesses. But they warn that any outlet found to be putting customers at risk can expect the same robust response.

For the officers who made those calls, the message is simple: when a customer says their life could depend on what’s in their food, there is no room for guesswork.

#allergens #CarmarthenRoad #Cwmbwrla #eggs #foodDrink #foodContamination #foodSafety #IndianRestaurant #IndianTakeaway #restaurant #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #takeaway #TradingStandards

AI speed signs to target motorbike riders in Swansea trial

Swansea Council’s road safety team has worked with specialist sign manufacturers to develop a warning system designed specifically for motorbikes. The new roadside signs — thought to be the first of their kind in Wales — use AI cameras and thermal imaging to identify motorcycles from other traffic.

When a rider approaches, the sign displays their speed. If they are over the limit, a ‘SLOW’ warning flashes up.

First trial site in Cwmdu

One of the first locations for the trial is a section of Carmarthen Road in Cwmdu, where two motorcyclists have died since 2012.

Police data shows motorbikes have been involved in almost 15% of vehicle collisions in Swansea over the past three years — above the Welsh average of 12%.

The council hopes the signs will prompt speeding riders to slow down, reducing the risk of serious crashes. If the trial works, up to 20 more hotspots could get the technology.

£333k Welsh Government funding

The £333,000 project is funded through a Welsh Government Road Safety Grant.

Cllr Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said:

“We’ve identified a number of locations where motorcycle riders are most vulnerable when using excessive speed.

We now have an opportunity, using the latest AI technology, to assist riders with more information on the road to remind them of local speed limits and hopefully encourage them to ride responsibly and reduce the risk of an accident.”

Wider road safety work

The council’s road safety team has also worked with South Wales Police to offer free Bike Safe workshops, giving riders extra training to improve safety.

Cllr Stevens said previous traffic‑calming measures and the Bike Safe scheme had already helped reduce vehicle‑related accidents year on year.

#AI #artificialIntelligence #BikeSafe #CarmarthenRoad #CllrAndrewStevens #Cwmdu #motorbike #motorcycle #motoring #speedSigns #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil

New Tesco Express opens on Carmarthen Road in Fforestfach

The new store, at 910 Carmarthen Road near Ravenhill Park, opened its doors for the first time at 10am on Thursday the 15th of May.

Karl May, the store’s new manager, said: “We are absolutely delighted to open our new Tesco Express and begin serving the local community. Our shelves will feature a wide range of fresh produce, value-packed meal deals, and delicious bakery treats.

“We will also be welcoming 14 new colleagues to the store, with 9 being new to Tesco. We are also thrilled to be part of the Tesco Stronger Starts grant scheme, which provides essential funding to schools to support the health and wellbeing of children.”

Local schools and community groups are invited to apply for community funding through Tesco Stronger Starts, the retailer’s blue token voting scheme which sees three local projects voted on by customers in store every three months, with first place awarded up to £1,500, second place up to £1,000 and third place up to £500.

The new Express store will also participate in the Community Food Connection scheme, which redistributes surplus food to charities and community groups from every Tesco store at the end of each day.

Since its launch in 2016, Tesco says its Community Food Connection Scheme has donated more than 145 million meals to charities across the UK.  This scheme is run in partnership with food redistribution charity FareShare, with more than one million meals’ worth of food donated across the country each month.  

#CarmarthenRoad #Fforestfach #retail #supermarket #Swansea #Tesco

Councils in South West Wales to get £27m boost to improve local transport

The grants from the Welsh Government will fund projects that improve the condition of local roads and address disruptions caused by severe weather; pilot new bus services and upgrade bus journey times and waiting facilities; and make it easier for people to walk, cycle and use wheelchairs.

It will also fund the installation of more publicly available electric vehicle charging points; the creation of safer routes for children to travel to schools; and improve road safety.

Swansea

Swansea Council will receive core transport funding of £1.11 million, plus £50,000 for the Clyne Common Active Travel scheme to provide a safe cycling and walking route from Bishopston and Murton across the common.

There is £600,000 for a ‘Northern City Link’ that would see improvements made to the A483 North of Cadle along Carmarthen Road, through Dyfatty and High Street to its junction with Welcome Lane in the city centre. This includes remodelling the busy Dyfatty junction, bus priority measures along the whole route as well as improvements for walking and cycling. The grant money would be for a traffic modelling exercise to look at the potential impacts of any changes to the road network.

£500,000 is to go towards work on the Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro. Swansea will act as host authority for the region with projects including the creation of a new Regional Transport Plan covering all of the local authorities in South West Wales.

There is £380,000 towards plans for a multi-modal transport interchange at the Dairy Car Park in Mumbles, with funding going towards talking to the community and business owners about the proposed design and engaging with landowners affected by the proposals.

Flood alleviation measures on the A4118 Gower Road in Killay and on the same road between Scurlage and Llandew will see £265,000 of grant funding from Welsh Government.

There’s also £333,700 for motorcycle safety provision, £205,000 for implementation of 20mph speed limits, £60,000 for Kerbcraft pedestrian training, £30,900 for National Standards Cycle Training and £3,250 for Bike Safe training.

There’s £208,700 of safe routes in communities funding for Penllergaer and

£233,500 for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The council will also adopt Cae Rowland St in Manselton thanks to £80,000 of grant funding.

Neath Port Talbot

Neath Port Talbot Council will receive core transport funding of £716,000, plus £990,000 for phase 1 of the Neath to Cilma active travel route.

There’s £730,000 for Cymmer carriageway improvements, £440,000 towards plans for an Integrated Transport Hub in Neath outside of Neath Train Station and £1.6 million to deal with drainage and flooding issues on the A483 Fabian Way.

There’s road safety grants of £890,000 for the A4241 between Harbourway and Rutherglen and £220,000 for the B4242 Ynysygerwn to Glynneath.

In addition, there’s £14,000 for Dragon Rider motorcycle training, £12,180 for Pass Plus driver training, £6,700 for National Standards Cycle Training, £5,600 for Kerbcraft pedestrian training, £5,500 for Mega Drive pre-driver training for ages 16 to 18, £3,720 for First Responder (FBOS), £3,500 for Drive for Life, £3,000 for level 3 National Standards Cycle Training.

£50,000 will go towards creating a safe route between Coed Darcy and Skewen.

Carmarthenshire

Carmarthenshire Council will receive core funding of £732,000, plus £1.14 million for a replacement for Black Bridge in Llanelli that would see the construction of a new ramped access and shared use bridge for cycling and walking linking to previously completed routes to Trostre and Halfway with access to Pentre Awel and the Millenium Coastal Path.

There’s also £2.05 million towards the proposed Llanelli Interchange at the train station, as well as £574,000 for the A484 Sandy Road improvement scheme.

The council will get £1.5 million for highway drainage improvements across the county, as well as £520,000 for safety improvements to the B4304 Station Road and New Dock Road in Llanelli.

There’s £450,000 for the implementation of 20mph speed limits, £41,500 for Kerbcraft pedestrian training, £34,000 for active travel and road safety training, £28,120 for National Standards Cycle Training, £5,880 for Dragon Rider motorcycle training and £4,200 for Biker Down motorcycle training.

A safe routes in communities scheme in Five Roads will also receive £712,305.

Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire Council will receive core transport funding of £500,000, plus £802,880 for Saundersfoot shared use paths at Stammers and Frances Road.

There’s also £6.07 million towards the Milford Haven Transport Interchange project which sees improvement works to the existing Milford Haven train station to create a new public transport interchange, by relocating the existing rail platform and providing a dedicated bus interchange between the station and retail area, along with a, taxi rank, formalised car park, public realm spaces and improved Active Travel links.

£1.1 million will go towards projects in Newgale, including rerouting the Newgale section of the A487, creating a new walking and cycling path through the village, changing access to the beach and coastal businesses and releasing space for the beach to naturally adapt to coastal change.

In addition there is £39,200 for Kerbcraft pedestrian training, £32,080 for National Standards Cycle Training, £3,500 for Mature Driver training for ages 65 and over, £2,520 for Dragon Rider motorcycle training and £1,200 for Biker Down courses.

£500,000 has been given to the council towards EV Charger Network rationalisation and £84,000 for the council to adopt Mayfield Acres in Kilgetty.

Responding to the Welsh Government grant, Pembrokeshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett said: “This is tremendous news for Milford Haven and allows us to move forward on a scheme that has been in development over a number of years. Not only will this significantly help the overall look of the station approach, it will also hopefully lead to better connectivity along the network for our own residents and also encourage more tourist visits. As this is an interchange scheme, it will also help us link up buses and taxis in a more seamless way.”

Bridgend County

Bridgend County Borough Council will receive core transport funding of £707,000 from Welsh Government, plus £119,000 for phase 1 of the council’s Pen y Fai active travel scheme that looks to create a shared pedestrian and cycle track from the safe crossing point along Tondu Road into Bridgend town centre, including work to improve the A4063 Pen-Y-Fai Junction.

Other funding commitments include £226,000 for Bridgend Bus Station information displays and £357,000 for improvements to the A4061 from the Junction 36 on the M4 to Heol Canola, Sarn. There’s also £137,000 for improvements to the A4064 King Edward Street in Blaengarw.

Welsh Government have given Bridgend County Borough Council £208,689 for implementation of 20mph speed limits, £29,636 for Kerbcraft pedestrian training and £25,440 for National Standards Cycle Training.

There is also £104,000 for residential charge point initiative and £16,000 towards the adoption of Lakeview Close, Porthcawl.

Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Ken Skates, said: “Connecting communities and delivering better transport for all is at the heart of this £27 million investment. We want to make it easier for people to travel to work, school, healthcare and to see friends and family, while also building a more sustainable transport network for future generations.

“These improvements will make real differences to everyday journeys – whether that’s safer routes, better paths for walking, wheeling and cycling, or more reliable bus services. We’re working with councils to ensure this money delivers the greatest benefits to communities across Wales.”

#A4063 #A4118 #A4241 #A483 #A484 #ActiveTravel #B4304 #BridgendCouncil #CarmarthenRoad #Carmarthenshire #featured #GowerRoad #Junction36 #Llanelli #NeathPortTalbot #Newgale #Pembrokeshire #SandyRoad #StationRoad #Swansea #Transport #TransportInterchange #WelshGovernment