#porttalbot — Public Fediverse posts

PORT TALBOT: Princess Royal Theatre’s new name revealed by Twin Town star Di Botcher

The Princess Royal name is being retired — Port Talbot’s revamped theatre will reopen this autumn under a brand new name, revealed in a video fronted by Twin Town actor Di Botcher.

Botcher is joined by familiar faces from the town’s arts and culture scene, in a film the council says was a genuine community effort.

Among them is Wales international rugby player and local business owner Richard Hibbard, who has voiced the Giant in pantomimes at the venue, and local influencer Joel Oates.

Also featuring are Stuart Broad of Calon Films, which staged the world premiere of Iniquity Camwedd at the theatre, business owners Nigel Hunt of San Portablo and Cassius Walker Hunt of Portablo Coffi, Welsh language community figure Margaret Buckingham Jones, former drama teacher Helen John of Portablo Arts, Afan Dance and graffiti artist Jenks.

The venue is under construction on the site of the Princess Royal Theatre, which closed for a major transformation in August 2025.

Neath Port Talbot Council says the investment now stands at £18m, creating an improved venue for performances and community use along with new meeting and conference facilities.

So what will Port Talbot’s theatre be called? Yr Aelwyd — the Welsh for The Hearth, pronounced “ur eye-loyd”.

Traditionally, yr aelwyd is the heart of the Welsh home — the place to gather, share stories and make lasting memories.

https://youtu.be/orSQEpN-j-w

As part of the same investment, Port Talbot’s Civic Square is being fully re-landscaped, transforming the approach to the theatre.

The project is funded by the UK Government alongside the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme.

New photos published last week showed the auditorium’s sweeping timber ceiling in place and the glass frontage glazed, with completion due this autumn.

The council says Yr Aelwyd will be a showcase for local talent and stories, reflecting the town’s industrial past and its creative future.

The council’s cabinet member for nature, tourism and wellbeing, Cllr Cen Phillips, said the name captured what the venue would represent. “The name Yr Aelwyd beautifully captures what this new venue will represent for Port Talbot – a welcoming place where people can come together to share experiences, enjoy creativity and make lasting memories,” he said.

He said the building would be more than a theatre: “It will be a focal point for our community and visitors, bringing people into the heart of the town and supporting Port Talbot’s continued regeneration.”

On the wider works, he added: “We are creating a vibrant cultural space and an improved Civic Square, with more green spaces, increased planting and a more attractive environment for everyone to enjoy.”

“This is an exciting milestone for Port Talbot, and I look forward to seeing Yr Aelwyd become a place where stories are shared, local talent is showcased and our community is brought together for generations to come,” he said.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

PORT TALBOT: First look inside the Princess Royal Theatre revamp
New photos show the auditorium’s timber ceiling in place ahead of the autumn opening.

£16.9m restoration begins at Port Talbot’s Princess Royal Theatre
Major refurbishment works began on the landmark venue in August 2025.

THEATRE INTERVIEW: Gorseinon writer Jonathan Houlston on Physical Education
The writer behind one of the year’s most acclaimed Swansea productions on finding his voice.

PORT TALBOT: Children evacuated as fire breaks out at Awel y Môr Primary School

Children at a holiday playgroup were safely evacuated after a fire broke out at Awel y Môr Primary School in Port Talbot on Wednesday morning.

Flames and thick black smoke could be seen pouring from an upper section of the school building, where scaffolding is currently in place, shortly after 10am.

Crews from Port Talbot, Neath, Swansea Central, Morriston and Swansea West fire stations were called to the school at 10.10am, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said.

The fire took hold within the school’s sandwich panels — the insulated panels used in the building’s walls.

A spokesperson for the fire service said crews used four breathing apparatus sets, two hose reel jets, a turntable ladder and a water bowser to extinguish the fire, and left the scene at 12.43pm.

A spokesperson for Neath Port Talbot Council said: “Following a fire at Awel y Môr Primary School, we can confirm that everyone is safe and unharmed.

“A Flying Start play group was in a different section of the school when the fire started and the building was promptly evacuated.

“Work is now underway to identify the cause of the fire and to repair the damage, with a view to ensuring the building can be brought back into use as soon as possible.”

With schools closed for the summer, no pupils were in lessons — but the Lots of Tots holiday playgroup was running in a separate part of the building, which the group says was left undamaged.

Playgroup staff evacuated the children before crews arrived, with no one hurt.

In a post thanking its team, the group said: “A massive thank you to the staff for their calm and professional evacuation of the children and ensuring everyone’s safety.”

The playgroup will stay closed for the rest of this week, with staff returning on Monday to deep clean its rooms and carry out risk assessments — and the hope of reopening on Tuesday morning.

Sandfields East councillor Sean Pursey said photos circulating showed the fire taking hold near the school’s main hall, adding: “Thankfully all staff and children are safe.”

Aberafan Maesteg MP Stephen Kinnock, the Welsh Secretary, urged people living nearby to keep clear of the area and close their doors and windows while crews worked, thanking the fire service and staff “for keeping everyone safe”.

Benjamin Hodge McKenna, Reform UK MS for Afan Ogwr Rhondda, said he was “deeply concerned” to hear of the fire, noting that all children and staff were safely evacuated with no injuries.

“I will do what I can to ensure support is in place for the school as they assess the damage,” he said.

The cause of the fire has yet to be established.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

TOWNHILL: Man dies in Elphin Gardens flat fire — as police try to trace his next of kin
Fire crews and police were called to the Swansea flat earlier this month.

GREEN STEEL: Tata ‘confident’ supply will hold and furnace project unaffected after Port Talbot fire
The aftermath of the blaze at the town’s steelworks earlier this year.

Amazon volunteers help give Port Talbot school’s outdoor space new lease of life
Volunteers transformed Awel y Môr’s outdoor learning space in 2024.

Toddlers evacuated from holiday club after fire swept through Port Talbot school

Fire crews were called to the scene of the fire at a Welsh primary school early on Wednesday…
#EuropeSays #Britain #Europe #EU #UK #Fires #NeathPortTalbot #PortTalbot #UnitedKingdom #Walesschools
https://www.europesays.com/britain/88535/

https://www.europesays.com/britain/88535/ Toddlers evacuated from holiday club after fire swept through Port Talbot school #Fires #NeathPortTalbot #PortTalbot #UK #UnitedKingdom #WalesSchools

I’ve got a motorway in my garden – it’s my shelter in hot weather https://www.allforgardening.com/1889115/ive-got-a-motorway-in-my-garden-its-my-shelter-in-hot-weather/ #AimeeLipley #garden #M4Motorway #motorways #NarelleCowan #PortTalbot

I’ve got a motorway in my garden – it’s my shelter in hot weather https://www.allforgardening.com/1889115/ive-got-a-motorway-in-my-garden-its-my-shelter-in-hot-weather/ #AimeeLipley #garden #M4Motorway #motorways #NarelleCowan #PortTalbot

PORT TALBOT: First look inside the £16.9m Princess Royal Theatre revamp — as the auditorium’s timber ceiling goes in ahead of autumn opening

New photos have given a first look inside the £16.9m transformation of Port Talbot’s Princess Royal Theatre — with the auditorium’s angled timber ceiling now in place and the building’s new glass frontage glazed.

Neath Port Talbot Council released the images as a progress update on the project, which is due for completion in the autumn.

They show the oak-panelled ceiling sweeping over the auditorium’s balcony level, with lighting, ventilation and smoke detection being fitted into the new woodwork.

Below, the auditorium floor remains a working construction site — scaffolding towers, pallets of materials and protective boarding covering the space where the seats will return.

Another image shows the full-height glazed frontage in place, looking out over the Civic Square works — where a small amphitheatre inspired by ancient Greek venues is replacing the old fountain.

Inside, first-floor rooms have been plastered, with cabling and copper pipework being installed.

The council said the building and public square were now clearly taking shape, describing the glass frontage as “a defining feature of the development”.

Work began on the 41-year-old theatre last summer, with Morgan Sindall Construction delivering the scheme on behalf of the council, funded by the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

The building is being stripped back to bare brick and remodelled for accessibility — with accessible seating on the top tier and front rows, an extended atrium foyer, expanded toilets and a new lift for wheelchair users.

The bar is being relocated to face the atrium rather than the auditorium.

Backstage, the theatre is being extended by up to three metres so performers can move between the wings without using stairs — and a lift will carry scenery directly from the car park to the stage.

The refurbishment is designed to keep the theatre’s character: timber on the balcony and main walls is being retained, sections of the original white oak stage will be reused as an internal feature, and green roofs are going on each side of the new extension.

Outside, rain gardens and new greenery will manage stormwater across the remodelled square.

Morgan Sindall has committed to a local supply chain within 40 miles of the site, with apprenticeships and student placements during the build.

The scheme — first approved by planners in December 2024 — is part of the wider regeneration of Port Talbot town centre, with the council promising further updates as the theatre “continues to evolve”.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

£16.9m restoration begins at Port Talbot’s Princess Royal Theatre
The full plans for the theatre — from the backstage extension to the scenery lift.

Work to begin on Port Talbot’s Civic Square and Princess Royal Theatre
How the project got under way in May last year.

Green light for major upgrades to Port Talbot’s Princess Royal Theatre and Civic Square
The planning decision that set the transformation in motion.

PORT TALBOT: Sir Anthony Hopkins, 88, signs record deal for album inspired by his Margam childhood

Sir Anthony Hopkins has signed a record deal at the age of 88 — with a new album of classical pieces composed across six decades, inspired by his childhood in Margam.

The Port Talbot-born actor described signing with Decca Classics as “the honour of a lifetime”. The album, Life Is A Dream, is released on 21 August.

The first single, Bracken Road, came out on Friday. Taken from his 1947: Suite for Solo Piano and Orchestra, it is a musical portrait of the streets, meadows, farmland and mountains that surrounded his family home in the 1940s.

Sir Anthony first found the melody in 1963, as a young actor at the Liverpool Playhouse improvising at an upright piano backstage on quiet mornings before rehearsals.

The double Oscar winner began playing the piano at four, performing Beethoven and Chopin within a few years, and was composing music for local plays as a teenager in the 1950s. “Music was my first desire, my first wish,” he said. “I’ve been composing music all my life.”

“Some of these pieces have lived with me for decades and I still find myself returning to them,” he added. “My whole life is a dream.”

The album was recorded at Alexandra Palace in London in April, performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra under Grammy Award-winning conductor Gustavo Dudamel, with soloists including pianist Sergio Tiempo and cellist Gregorio Nieto, alongside The Bach Choir and the Choristers of Winchester Cathedral.

Dudamel said Sir Anthony was one of those rare artists whose creative voice crossed mediums, approaching music “with the heart of a storyteller and the instincts of a poet”.

Wales runs through the record. On another track, My Fatherland, Sir Anthony said he set out to “honour my humble beginnings” — adding: “I am the son of my father, the baker.”

Other compositions draw on his memories of Port Talbot, childhood visits with his grandfather, the cinema that first caught his imagination, and the people closest to him.

It is not his first recording — his 2012 album Composer was performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and his waltz And the Waltz Goes On was premiered by André Rieu the same year, with a teary-eyed Sir Anthony watching from the audience.

Sir Anthony is not even the area’s only knighted composer making history this year. Sir Karl Jenkins, who grew up in Penclawdd, became the first living composer to top the Classic FM Hall of Fame in April, with The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace voted Britain’s favourite piece of classical music — the two Welsh knights making a strong case that south-west Wales punches above its weight in the concert hall as well as on screen.

Sir Anthony’s music has found audiences in unlikely places since his 2012 album: his lockdown piano videos — often featuring his cat — became a viral fixture in 2020, and footage of him serenading hotel staff from a lobby grand piano did the rounds in 2023.

He won his first Academy Award in 1992 for his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, and his second for the 2020 film The Father. He is currently back on Welsh soil filming Dylan Thomas adaptation A Visit to Grandpa’s alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The timing could hardly be neater for his hometown. Hours before the single’s release, Port Talbot and the Afan Valley were shortlisted for the first ever UK Town of Culture, with up to £3m on offer to stage a six-month cultural programme in 2028.

That bid leans heavily on the creative legacy of the town they call Little Hollywood — Richard Burton born in Pontrhydyfen, Rob Brydon raised in Baglan, Michael Sheen its modern standard-bearer, and Sir Anthony brought up in Margam, where a mural of the actor has been taking shape this summer.

The Wales Office said the town was renowned for producing some of the country’s greatest actors, all of them inspired by the area’s industrial heritage. With Life Is A Dream, its most famous son has turned that inspiration into an album. The Town of Culture winner is announced early next year.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Catherine Zeta-Jones joins Anthony Hopkins in new Dylan Thomas film — shot in Wales
Two Welsh screen legends together on home turf for A Visit to Grandpa’s.

PORT TALBOT: Town shortlisted for UK Town of Culture — with £3m and a Welsh rival standing in the way
Little Hollywood makes the 15-town shortlist for the first ever title.

PENCLAWDD: Swansea-born Sir Karl Jenkins makes history as The Armed Man tops world’s biggest classical music chart
The first living composer ever to top the Classic FM Hall of Fame.

NEW WDA: Swansea and Port Talbot ports boss to shape Wales’ development agency — as Tories warn there’s ‘no plan’

The man who chairs the company that owns Swansea and Port Talbot docks has been handed the job of shaping Wales’ new economic development agency.

Jonathan Lewis, chair of ports giant Associated British Ports, was named this week to lead the expert panel that will design the agency’s remit and operating model.

The agency is the Welsh Government’s answer to what it calls the most ambitious economic goal in Wales in two decades: halving the country’s productivity gap with the UK within 10 years.

It will focus on attracting inward investment, helping Welsh businesses scale up, and putting innovation at the centre of economic development.

Mr Lewis’s day job gives him a direct stake in the region’s economy — ABP owns five Welsh ports including Swansea and Port Talbot, both central to the Welsh Government’s offshore wind ambitions.

His career spans energy, engineering and technology, with previous chief executive roles at outsourcing firm Capita and engineering group AmecFosterWheeler, and years working alongside national development agencies in the United States and beyond.

Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy Adam Price said meeting the productivity challenge needed “a fundamental change in how we approach economic development in Wales”.

“The new agency will be agile, dynamic and built for the Wales of today,” he said, adding that innovation would be at its core.

Mr Lewis said improving Wales’ productivity was “core to realising our future prosperity as a nation”.

What the agency does for this corner of Wales was an immediate theme in the Senedd, where Plaid Cymru’s Elyn Stephens said Port Talbot “has all the ingredients to succeed” — citing the freeport, public investment and the steel transition — and pressed the First Minister on how the agency would ensure “the wealth generated in places like Port Talbot stays in Wales”.

Rhun ap Iorwerth said the agency’s job would be to bring “coherence” to economic development — including in Port Talbot, “which has faced real challenges but has so much potential too”.

The announcement also lands amid pressure for a bigger government presence in Swansea, where Plaid’s Gwyn Williams told the Senedd last week the city’s economy is “slipping further and further behind that of Cardiff” — urging the Senedd Commission to consider opening an office in the city, and voicing hopes that the Welsh Government’s Penllergaer office moves to the city centre.

The First Minister has himself said the old Welsh Development Agency — wound into the Welsh Government in 2006 — was “one of the best” of its kind, telling the Senedd “it was a problem to get rid of it” — a view with local resonance, given a revived WDA has been floated as key to Swansea’s city-centre offices deal and the decades-long frustration over the stalled Felindre site.

But the plans drew immediate fire from the Welsh Conservatives, whose shadow environment minister Andrew RT Davies said he “generally can’t get a sense that much work has been done on this particular project”.

Mr Davies pressed the minister to say when the agency would exist — 12 months, two years, or the end of the Senedd term. Mr Price replied: “I can’t give you a specific date, to be frank” — though he committed to a statutory body, legislation “fairly soon”, and an operational agency during this Senedd term.

Mr Davies said the Conservatives supported the principle of moving economic development out of government, but told the chamber “there’s too much blank space” — adding in a statement that the lack of a date was “a symptom of a manifesto that included lots of pledges, but no plan”.

He also questioned how the agency would work alongside Wales’ existing growth and city deals — which include the Swansea Bay City Deal — without duplicating spending.

The full membership of the advisory panel will be confirmed later this summer — against a backdrop of a widening jobs and wages gap between Wales and the rest of the UK, though Wales landed 75 foreign investment projects and 1,600 jobs last year even as UK-wide investment hit a decade low.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

SWANSEA: Council leader rules out suing new Welsh Government over city-centre offices deal — as a revived WDA could hold the key
How the new agency became tied up with Swansea’s biggest regeneration question.

FELINDRE: ‘A real let-down’ — two council leaders, years apart, share the same frustration over stalled flagship site
The WDA-era site that still hasn’t delivered, decades on.

INVESTMENT: UK foreign investment hits decade low — but Wales lands 75 projects and 1,600 jobs
How Wales is faring in the battle for inward investment.

GREEN STEEL: Llanelli firm lands key contract on Port Talbot’s £1.25bn transformation — with work starting on site today

A Llanelli construction firm has landed a key contract on the £1.25bn transformation of Port Talbot steelworks — with work beginning on site today.

Morganstone, founded in Llanelli and now based in Swansea, will deliver the civil and structural package for the works’ new pickle line, winning the contract through a competitive tender.

It is the company’s first contract with Tata Steel — and its first step onto the biggest industrial site in Wales.

A pickle line cleans hot-rolled steel by submerging it in hydrochloric acid to strip away the scale that forms on its surface, preparing it for the mills that roll and coat the finished product. Tata has previously described the kit as the unsung hero of steelmaking.

The contract marks the shift from demolition and enabling works into the main construction phase on the line, which Tata broke ground on last autumn.

Andrew McGregor, programme manager for Project Invictus — Tata’s name for the transformation — said the appointment was a turning point for the project.

“This marks the start of the construction phase for the new Pickle Line project in Tata Steel UK. It’s a really positive feeling to know we are moving away from demolition and enabling works into construction,” he said.

He said the Morganstone contract covered the installation of the line’s process section, which is “on the critical path” because of the amount of structural steelwork to be installed on the new foundations — ultimately supporting the pickling and rinse tanks themselves.

“The team now continues to work on the remaining civil and structural packages, as there is no time to lose in placing the remaining contracts, with new Pickle Line equipment scheduled to start arriving imminently,” he added.

Mark Davies, who leads the civil and structural works on the project’s mills programme, said in a video published by Tata that securing “a regional contractor with a local workforce” had been important, with the foundation work for one zone of the new line sitting on the critical path.

He said Morganstone’s past projects, quality and programme — and the work ethic of its project management team through the tender — had stood out.

When ground was broken on the new line last September, it was slated to be in place during 2026 — with the main construction phase now only beginning.

The contract also comes weeks after fire damaged the works’ existing pickle line — which Morganstone’s managing director Andrew Pettigrew confirmed remains out of action — with Tata routing work to its Llanwern site while it recovers. The replacement line was planned long before the blaze.

Morganstone was founded in 2008 by Ian Morgan and has grown from its Dafen headquarters into one of Wales’ busier contractors — best known for housing and public buildings, from waterfront apartments at SA1 to the planned 186-home regeneration at Penplas.

Mr Morgan, the firm’s chairman, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Tata Steel UK to deliver this important project. The award reflects the capability, experience and commitment of our team and is a significant contract for Morganstone to be involved with.”

“We understand the importance of this project and look forward to working collaboratively with Tata Steel UK to deliver it safely, efficiently and to the highest standards,” he added.

Mr Pettigrew said the contract was one the firm had long chased.

“Working with Tata is something which we’ve been trying to get into for a number of years,” he said, adding that the firm had spent the last three months working through the design and tender process.

Work starts on site today, he said — breaking out the existing slabs first, with piling and the steel frames to follow.

And the job will be built by local hands. “We don’t leave Wales,” said Mr Pettigrew, explaining that almost all the firm’s work sits along the M4 corridor around Swansea — with the frame contractor and groundworker for the pickle line both Swansea-based, and the steel frame partner in Cardiff.

The new pickle line is one strand of Project Invictus at Port Talbot, whose centrepiece is a 3.2 million-tonne-a-year electric arc furnace that will melt scrap steel with electricity rather than coal — backed by £500m of UK Government funding. The furnace itself has been built and is on its way to south Wales.

The transformation followed the closure of the town’s blast furnaces in 2024 with the loss of around 2,000 jobs, and the furnace’s start-up — due in late 2027 or early 2028 — could slip by up to eight months after National Grid connection delays.

Work across the site has accelerated over the past year, from major groundwork and piling across the furnace area to new scrap-handling infrastructure and grid connection works — with around 1,200 people expected on site at peak.

The Llanelli firm will work alongside Tata and the wider Project Invictus team throughout the delivery of the line.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Tata Steel begins new project at Port Talbot in £1.25bn green plan
Ground was broken on the new pickle line last autumn, led by Sir Robert McAlpine with regional firms alongside.

GREEN STEEL: Port Talbot’s giant new furnace is built and on its way
The electric arc furnace at the heart of the transformation has been fabricated and is being shipped to south Wales.

GREEN STEEL: Tata ‘confident’ supply will hold after Port Talbot fire
The blaze at the works’ existing pickle line saw work routed to Llanwern while the site recovers.

NEATH PORT TALBOT: Safer routes to schools, stations and parks — the walking and cycling plans for your area

Getting the kids to school on foot. Cycling to the station instead of driving. Reaching the local park without walking along a busy road.

These are the kinds of everyday journeys behind a set of new walking, wheeling and cycling routes proposed across Neath Port Talbot, which the council says would make active travel easier and safer.

The council has drawn up a long list of routes it wants to add or improve, each one intended, it says, to fix a spot where getting around without a car is currently hard, unsafe or impossible.

There is a catch worth stating up front: these are “future routes” — lines on a map marking where the council wants to act, not funded, designed schemes with a start date. But routes have to be on the map to qualify for Welsh Government money, which is why the council wants views now.

Here’s a flavour of what’s proposed, area by area.

Neath, Skewen and the surrounding villages

In Skewen, the railway currently cuts the village off from Neath Abbey. The council is proposing a route along the lane between Pale Road and the railway bridge, with a link along Cardonnel Road, which it says would reconnect the two — plus a separate path through Skewen Park to create a traffic-free way across the village.

At Cadoxton, a new path along Bryn Catwg would, according to the plans, give families a step-free route to Cadoxton Community Park.

Aberdulais and Cilfrew are split by the railway and the River Dulais. The council says a proposed route over the bridge, joining New Road to Cefn-yr-Allt, would connect the two communities.

For commuters, the council has placed some of its highest-priority schemes around Neath train station, with another new link aimed at getting people safely to Briton Ferry station.

Port Talbot, Aberavon and Taibach

In Taibach, the council says a route along Lady Charlotte Lane would make it easier to reach the community centre, the education centre and Mount Surgery.

A second Taibach route, along the path between Wood Street and Elba Avenue, is intended to improve the traffic-free options through Margam’s residential streets.

In east Port Talbot, the plans propose a route along Pen-y-Cae Road to improve access around the Tan-y-Groes Street roundabout.

Much of Port Talbot’s town centre, seafront and Sandfields network already ranks among the highest-priority routes in the borough, alongside a proposed walking and cycling link to Neath Port Talbot Hospital.

Cwmavon, Glynneath and the Neath valleys

At Cwmavon, the council is proposing an off-road path along the western bank of the River Afan, which it says would give people on the Gwaun Afan estate a direct, traffic-free route in and out, tying into National Cycle Network Route 887.

In Glynneath, the plans include a route from the B4242 to the library, intended to put key community buildings within safe reach on foot or by bike.

At Resolven, the council is proposing a quieter alternative to the B4434 along Heol Herbert.

In Seven Sisters, officers say a route along Heol Heddwch and Tan-y-Rhiw would give children a safer way to reach Blaendulais Primary School and connect homes to the village’s sports and play facilities.

Also at Resolven, the council is proposing to extend an existing route along the B4434 to Melincourt, to serve possible new housing sites.

In Croeserw, the plans propose a walking route linking Viaduct Road to the village via Eastern Avenue, South Avenue and Bryn Siriol.

Pontardawe and the Swansea Valley

Along the Swansea Canal near Pontardawe, the council is proposing a towpath route it says would create a continuous, car-free path through the Swansea Valley.

Elsewhere in Pontardawe, the plans note that the A474 currently allows no pedestrian access, and propose a new link up to Glan-Rhyd Road to address it.

Higher up, a future route from Tairgwaith to Cwmllynfell, via the reservoir, is intended to open access to a new visitor destination in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen.

How the routes are chosen — and how to have your say

Each route has been scored and ranked by Transport for Wales, which weighed how many people would use it and how well it connects schools, workplaces and local centres. That ranking helps decide which come forward first.

But the council is clear that ranking doesn’t guarantee delivery: every scheme still depends on funding, design and further consultation.

Cllr Wyndham Griffiths, the council’s cabinet member for strategic planning, transport and connectivity, said the aim was to help people make everyday journeys — to school, work or the shops — in a healthy, safe and sustainable way.

He said the consultation gave people and businesses a chance to say where changes were most needed, which would then shape the council’s funding bids.

The council says it especially wants to hear where walking, wheeling or cycling currently feels unsafe or difficult, and where links between communities are missing.

The 12-week consultation runs until 21 September. People can complete an online survey on DataMapWales, or view paper copies at Neath and Port Talbot libraries. Drop-in events will run over the summer, with dates listed at npt.gov.uk/activetravel.

This consultation follows earlier council proposals for active travel schemes across the borough, including a major revamp for Sandfields and Aberavon, a masterplan for Neath town centre and a proposed Neath to Cimla route.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Major revamp planned for Sandfields and Aberavon as council unveils huge active travel upgrade
A £multi-million, 4.7km scheme to link Aberavon seafront with Afan Way.

Council looks for views on new Neath cycling and walking plans
Three routes proposed for improvement in and around Neath town centre.

Council seeks views on proposed Neath to Cimla walking, cycling and wheeling route
An earlier consultation on a key active travel link in the Cimla area.

GREEN STEEL DELAY: ‘No formal change’ to furnace timetable — as row breaks out over who knew what

A political row has broken out in the Senedd over who knew what — and when — about the delay to Port Talbot‘s £1.25bn electric arc furnace.

News that the furnace could be delayed by up to eight months because of a hold-up to its National Grid power connection emerged on 7 June — days after a major fire at the steelworks’ Cold Mill.

Welsh Conservative shadow minister for economy, energy and planning Janet Finch-Saunders MS raised the issue during an emergency statement in the Senedd on Wednesday following the fire — saying that while attention had focused on the blaze, concerns about delays to the furnace may have been known for weeks.

It was reported on 7 June that Tata Steel had discussed potential delays linked to National Grid connectivity issues with “investors” during a conference call around a month earlier.

Ms Finch-Saunders is seeking clarity on whether those “investors” included the UK Government — which is putting £500m towards the £1.25bn project.

“If UK Government Ministers were aware of the issue a month ago, were Welsh Government Ministers informed? If Welsh Government were not informed, why not? If Welsh Government were informed, why did the Economy Minister tell the Senedd today that he only became aware of the delay on Monday?” she said.

“We now need a clear timeline setting out exactly when concerns first emerged and who was told. Port Talbot workers and their families deserve answers.”

The Welsh Conservatives are also seeking clarification on whether any of the £80m transition fund established by the previous UK Conservative government — to support workers at risk of losing their jobs — remains available if the delays create further financial problems for affected workers.

But First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth defended his government’s handling of the situation — telling the Senedd that Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy Adam Price had spoken directly with Tata Steel UK’s chief executive the previous day.

“My government is determined to do all that we can to support investment at TATA,” he said. “My minister for enterprise, connectivity and energy did speak yesterday with Tata Steel UK’s Chief Executive Officer in order to discuss the way ahead in terms of the electricity connection.

“Many of the powers of course are in the hands of the UK Government, but we will do everything in our powers as a Welsh Government to facilitate progress towards the delivery of that investment. That is why my minister acted so quickly.”

The First Minister also took aim at opposition parties’ records on steel: “The contribution made last year by Reform was to say that they wanted to bring back a defunct blast furnace to secure the future of Port Talbot, while my party put plans on the table that could have retained, we believe, virgin steel making in Port Talbot.”

Meanwhile, Aberafan Maesteg MP Stephen Kinnock — whose constituency includes the steelworks — said he had met Tata for a briefing on the implications of the fire, and revealed the company is looking at reviving its mothballed cold mill at Llanwern to maintain supply to customers.

“They have acted at speed to limit disruption and are looking at options to maintain supply to their customers, including by reviving the previously mothballed cold mill in Llanwern,” he said in a statement issued on 10 June. “Tata are working with the unions to look at the deployment / re-deployment of personnel working across both the Pickle Line and Cold Mill at Port Talbot.”

On the furnace delay, Mr Kinnock said: “I also received an update on reports of potential delays to the EAF project. There is no formal change in the timetable at this stage and National Grid, UK Government and Tata Steel are continuing to work together to deliver the project in a timely fashion.”

He also thanked firefighters “for their efforts in bringing the blaze under control and the professionalism of Tata’s workforce”, saying the response meant there were “thankfully no injuries”.

The electric arc furnace is the centrepiece of Tata’s transition at Port Talbot following the closure of the works’ blast furnaces, and the connection delay has already prompted cross-party calls for answers from Tata and National Grid — with former Aberavon MS David Rees among those calling for National Grid to face penalties over the hold-up.

The Welsh Government’s response to the delay — and the Conservatives’ demand for a timeline — comes with the steelworks still recovering from the Cold Mill fire, which burned for two days earlier this month and caused part of the building to collapse.

Answers to the questions of who knew about the delay, and when, are now awaited from both governments.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

GREEN STEEL: Port Talbot’s £1.25bn furnace could be delayed by up to eight months over power hold-up
How the delay first emerged.

GREEN STEEL DELAY: Cross-party calls for answers over Port Talbot furnace setback as politicians press Tata and National Grid
The political reaction to the setback.

PORT TALBOT: Steelworks fire burns into a second day as part of the building collapses — with union warning over jobs
The fire at the works earlier this month.

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Huge fire at Welsh recycling plant sees 150 tonnes of rubbish go up in flames

It was one of two major incidents in the area According to the fire service, around 150 tonnes…
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Can Sabotage be ruled out?

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Can Sabotage be ruled out?

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#PortTalbot #UK #Sabotage

PORT TALBOT: Steelworks fire burns into a second day as part of the building collapses — with union warning over jobs

The huge fire at Tata Steel’s Port Talbot works was still burning on Thursday, more than a day after it broke out — and crews are now battling a blaze that has buried itself beneath a collapsed building.

Part of the structure has caved in, making it far harder for firefighters to reach the flames, the Rapid Relief Team said after supporting crews at the scene.

A spokesman for the charity, which has been feeding responders throughout, said part of the building had “collapsed in” and that “a lot of machinery has fallen on top trapping the fire underneath.”

Live update from RRT Swansea who are still on scene supporting responders in Port Talbot at the Tata Steel incident.#rrtcares pic.twitter.com/OcRYDaV85W

— Rapid Relief Team UK (@RRT_UK) June 4, 2026

The fire broke out at one of the site’s processing lines at around 8pm on Wednesday. All staff were accounted for and evacuated safely, as more than 100 firefighters were thrown at the blaze through the night — crews drawn from 16 stations across south and west Wales, with reinforcements from South Wales and Avon.

By Thursday afternoon the picture had hardened from “ongoing” to something more serious, with confirmation of significant damage and a fire that was proving stubborn to put out.

The union Unite said the blaze had caused “substantial damage to a vital production line” — and moved quickly to put jobs at the centre of the story.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham thanked the emergency services for bringing the situation under control so quickly, and said no one had been hurt and workers had been evacuated safely.

But she warned: “Measures must now be put in place to protect jobs both at Tata and down the supply chain during any period of disruption.”

She added that the union was asking Tata and the government to ensure that operations were “rebuilt as swiftly as possible.”

Unite Wales secretary Peter Hughes said the union was committed to working with the company to secure the long-term future of Port Talbot and the wider Tata operation in the UK.

The jobs warning lands in a town already on edge. Tata closed its two blast furnaces in 2024 with thousands of job losses, and is in the middle of a £1.25bn transformation of the site — switching to a greener electric arc furnace, with steel processing continuing in the meantime. A fire on one of those remaining lines is the last thing the workforce needed.

There was at least some reassurance for residents. Welsh Government monitoring showed air pollution in Port Talbot classed as low on Thursday, though officials note the effects of a fire can be localised — and South Wales Police’s advice for nearby residents to keep windows and doors shut still stands.

It was a punishing shift for the crews. The Rapid Relief Team said it served around 150 hot meals through the night and a further 70 on Thursday morning to keep responders going, with firefighters, ambulance HART medics and high-volume pump crews all rotating through its support tent.

Among the stations that sent crews through the night was Ammanford’s Station 57, which said its firefighters had worked alongside colleagues “from across the Service” and thanked partners on site for their cooperation.

The works is no stranger to those crews. In January, firefighters scaled a 32-metre tower at the steelworks in a dramatic multi-agency rescue drill — an exercise designed partly to test Tata’s emergency protocols in a live industrial setting. Months later, the same teams were back fighting the real thing.

It is the second major fire to grip Port Talbot in barely five weeks. At the end of April, a huge blaze involving around 200 tonnes of commercial waste sent black smoke billowing over the town from an industrial site on Dock Road.

Tata Steel has stressed the fire was not connected to the controlled demolition of an empty, redundant gas holder carried out at the site earlier on Wednesday evening, which it called safe and successful.

The cause has not been established, and the company has said it cannot yet assess the full damage.

This is a developing story and we will bring you more as we get it. Anyone affected by smoke is advised to keep windows and doors closed.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Over 100 firefighters from across Wales and the West of England tackle massive fire at Port Talbot steelworks
Our first report on the blaze, as crews from 16 stations battled through the night.

Fire crews scale 32-metre tower in dramatic rescue drill at Tata Steel Port Talbot
The January training exercise that saw crews rehearse a height rescue at the same site.

Tata Steel sets out demands for next Welsh Government amid £1.25bn transformation
The jobs and investment backdrop to the switch to electric arc furnace steelmaking.

Huge industrial fire sends black smoke billowing over Port Talbot as eight fire stations scramble to Dock Road
The 200-tonne waste blaze that gripped the town just five weeks earlier.

Over 100 firefighters from across Wales and the West of England tackle massive fire at Port Talbot steelworks

A huge fire tore through Tata Steel’s Port Talbot works on Wednesday night, throwing thick black smoke across the town and lighting the night sky a furious orange.

Flames ripped through one of the site’s processing lines from around 8pm, sending a vast plume over the M4 and sparking one of the biggest fire responses the area has seen this year.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service was called at 8.06pm — and the scale of the response tells its own story.

Appliances were sent from 16 of its stations: Port Talbot, Neath, Morriston, Glynneath, Cymmer, Swansea West, Swansea Central, Pontarddulais, Llanelli, Carmarthen, Ammanford, Gorseinon, Pontyates, Kidwelly, Haverfordwest and Milford Haven.

With each appliance crewed by four or five firefighters, several stations sending more than one engine, and command units on top, that points to well over 80 Mid and West Wales firefighters tackling the blaze at its peak — before reinforcements from two other services are even counted.

Some came from the far end of the patch. Milford Haven’s crew faced a journey of more than 70 miles to reach it.

And that was just one fire service. On top of its own crews, Mid and West Wales called in colleagues from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and from Avon Fire and Rescue Service — based over the Prince of Wales Bridge in and around Bristol, also more than 70 miles away.

Tata Steel said the fire broke out at one of the site’s processing lines and that all staff were accounted for and evacuated safely.

Photographs released by the fire service showed flames glowing through the cladding of one of the vast sheds, with firefighters training hoses on the building as smoke rolled overhead.

Kellie Evans, who drove past as the blaze took hold, told the BBC the scene was “very apocalyptic,” saying the sky was so black she couldn’t see the flames — and that drivers were pulling over to look.

South Wales Police told residents to keep their windows and doors shut and urged people to stay away. Large plumes of smoke were visible across the area, the force said, and drivers were asked to find alternative routes.

It was a brutal night for the crews. The Rapid Relief Team, which feeds the emergency services at major incidents, said around 100 responders faced an “incredibly demanding and hazardous” shift.

The charity said eight fire appliances, two foam units, two high-reach turntable platforms and a high-volume pump were thrown at the fire, and that its volunteers turned out 125 hot meals through the night to keep crews going.

By Thursday morning the worst was over. Heavy overnight rain helped beat the flames back, leaving only small wisps of smoke drifting from the rolling mill end of the plant.

Traffic on the M4, slowed by the smoke overnight, was flowing freely again, and from the outside the works looked much as normal — though crews remained busy inside.

Tata Steel moved quickly to head off speculation about the cause, stressing the fire was not connected to the controlled demolition of an empty, redundant gas holder carried out at the site earlier that evening, which it called safe and successful.

That demolition is part of a sweeping clear-out of the old works. In January, Tata released footage from deep inside the plant showing the scale of the demolition and reconstruction now under way as it clears redundant structures to make way for its new electric arc furnace.

The cause of the fire has not been established, and the company said it could not yet assess the damage.

In a statement, Tata thanked its site teams and the emergency services for their “prompt and professional action,” and said further updates would follow.

It is the second major fire to grip Port Talbot in barely five weeks. At the end of April, a huge blaze involving around 200 tonnes of commercial waste sent black smoke billowing over the town from an industrial site on Dock Road, tying up eight fire stations for days.

The Port Talbot works is one of the largest steel sites in the world and the region’s biggest industrial employer. Tata closed its two blast furnaces in 2024 with thousands of job losses, and is in the middle of a £1.25bn transformation of the site — switching from coal-fired blast furnaces to a greener electric arc furnace that will melt scrap steel.

The transition has meant huge upheaval in and around the works, from the demolition now reshaping the site to a major expansion of the local electricity network needed to power the new furnace. Steel processing — turning imported slabs into finished products — has continued throughout in the absence of the furnaces.

This is a developing story and we will bring you more as we get it. Anyone affected by smoke is advised to keep windows and doors closed.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Huge industrial fire sends black smoke billowing over Port Talbot as eight fire stations scramble to Dock Road
The 200-tonne waste blaze that gripped the town just five weeks earlier.

Inside the giant Port Talbot steelworks overhaul as Tata clears the way for new Electric Arc Furnace
Footage from deep inside the plant reveals the scale of demolition and rebuilding under way.

Tata Steel sets out demands for next Welsh Government amid £1.25bn transformation
The jobs and investment backdrop to the switch to electric arc furnace steelmaking.

‘Green power’ boost for Port Talbot as council green-lights major substation expansion
The electricity network upgrade needed to power the new furnace.

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RETAIL: Shoe Zone is closing stores across the UK — here’s what it means for shops in Llanelli, Neath, Swansea, Carmarthen and Port Talbot

The bad news

Shoe Zone is in trouble. The chain has just reported a £5.3 million loss — nearly double what it lost this time last year. It closed 14 stores in the past six months alone and is now shutting half its warehouse.

The company blames the war in Iran for pushing up shipping costs, and two government budgets for making shoppers too nervous to spend. Even its online sales — usually its bright spot — fell 6% in the latest figures. It had hoped to make a £1 million profit this year. It now thinks it’ll lose between £1 million and £2 million.

Why some stores are more at risk than others

Shoe Zone has been quietly carrying out a plan for years. The company is shutting its smaller, traditional high street shops and replacing them with bigger stores in retail parks that sell branded shoes like Skechers alongside its own cheap range.

By last September, it had already converted 201 of its stores to the bigger format. Only 68 of the old-style smaller shops remained — down from 112 the year before. The company wants to finish the job by the end of 2027.

The pattern is clear from what’s already happened across south-west Wales. In 2019, Shoe Zone opened a big new store at Cross Hands Retail Park — and six months later, the Ammanford town centre branch on Quay Street closed for good.

In 2023, it relocated from its smaller traditional Union Street store in Swansea city centre to the much larger former Next unit on Oxford Street. Six months later, the Morriston branch closed permanently.

Maesteg lost its Shoe Zone in 2020 and Haverfordwest followed in 2021 — both were traditional town centre shops and neither appears on the company’s store locator any more.

The stores in south-west Wales — starting with the safest

Safe: Cross Hands Retail Park
Opened in 2019 as Shoe Zone’s first out-of-town store in Wales, Cross Hands is the chain’s regional anchor for west Wales — open until 7pm on weekdays and stocking a wide range of branded footwear. This is precisely the model the company is investing in. It’s about as safe as it gets.

Safe: Swansea, Oxford Street
When Shoe Zone moved from its smaller Union Street store into the old Next unit on Oxford Street in 2023, it was a statement of intent. Large, modern and well-stocked, this is one of the company’s own concept stores — the kind of unit it wants more of, not fewer.

Reasonably safe: Port Talbot, Aberafan Centre
Inside the Aberafan Shopping Centre, this is a covered unit which is generally more stable than a standalone high street branch. Port Talbot faces its own economic headwinds following the steel industry’s decline, but the shopping centre location provides some protection.

Reasonably safe: Carmarthen, Merlin’s Walk
Opened in October 2024, the Carmarthen store is one of the newest Shoe Zone branches in Wales. It sits along Merlin’s Walk — an open pedestrianised street linking the town centre with Friars Park car park — rather than in a covered shopping centre. A store this new is unlikely to close soon, but its open high street setting means it faces the same footfall pressures as any other town centre shop.

Worth watching: Neath, Green Street
Neath’s store was refurbished and reopened in September 2023 as a modernised unit with a bigger range of brands. The recent investment suggests Shoe Zone sees a future here — but it’s still a traditional town centre store on an open high street, and those are exactly the ones the company has been closing elsewhere.

Most at risk: Llanelli, Stepney Street
Llanelli’s Shoe Zone is a long-established traditional high street shop — exactly the type the company has been systematically shutting. No closure has been announced. But with Cross Hands Retail Park already drawing shoppers from across west Wales, Llanelli faces the same question Ammanford did in 2019: does a traditional town centre branch still make sense when there’s a bigger, better-stocked store just up the road? Of all the south-west Wales stores, this one fits the at-risk profile most closely.

What happens next

Shoe Zone is fighting on multiple fronts — rising costs, falling sales, a shrinking store network and mounting losses. The company says it is still investing in its future, including launching a TikTok shop to drive online sales. But the high street has already claimed Wilko, Debenhams and countless others that once seemed like fixtures, and with losses mounting and the 2027 transformation deadline approaching, the clock is ticking for its remaining traditional stores.

South-west Wales has already seen this story play out before. TGJones — the chain that took over from WHSmith — is facing its own crisis, with seven local branches at risk and a High Court hearing on its future expected in late June.

More on the high street in south-west Wales

TGJones: Bailiff threat and tax debts cast fresh doubt over south-west Wales stores
Seven local TGJones branches are at risk as the chain battles mounting debts and a High Court hearing looms.

Seven south-west Wales TGJones stores at risk as chain announces 150 closures
The full list of at-risk branches across the region.

Four local restaurants face closure as Whitbread axes up to 3,800 jobs
Another national chain making cuts that hit south-west Wales directly.

Swansea flagship M&S store confirms closure date
The high street story that sparked months of debate about Swansea city centre.

PORT TALBOT: Tata Steel sets out demands for next Welsh Government — as thousands of steelworkers live with the consequences of its £1.25bn transformation

Tata Steel has set out what it wants from whoever forms the next Welsh Government – publishing a list of demands on the eve of the Senedd election that could shape the future of one of Wales’s most important industries.

But the backdrop to those demands is stark.

The company’s £1.25 billion transformation of Port Talbot – backed by £500 million from the UK Government – has already led to thousands of job losses to date – a transformation that is still ongoing.

Both of Port Talbot’s blast furnaces were closed as part of the transition, with workers facing significant redundancies and, at one point, the threat of catastrophic Christmas pay cuts as Tata restructured its operations.

Production at both Port Talbot and the Trostre plant in Llanelli was also halted over the Christmas period amid weak demand – a move that added to anxiety among workers and communities already reeling from the scale of the changes.

EU steel tariffs have added further pressure, sparking fears for jobs at both Port Talbot and Llanelli.

The new Electric Arc Furnace at Port Talbot – the centrepiece of Tata’s investment – is due to come online in late 2027.

The company says it will cut the site’s carbon emissions by 90% and secure long-term steelmaking in Wales.

But questions remain about the long-term job picture – with EAF steelmaking requiring significantly fewer workers than the blast furnace operations it replaces.

Of the 10 to 11 million tonnes of scrap steel generated annually in the UK, approximately 80% is currently exported. Tata Steel says redirecting some of that domestic scrap toward the new EAF at Port Talbot will reduce reliance on imported coal and iron ore and strengthen economic resilience.

Against that backdrop, Tata Steel has published a five-point manifesto setting out what it needs from the next Welsh Government to make the transformation a success.

On skills, the company is calling for a full audit of the workforce needs across Wales’s steel and advanced manufacturing supply chain – warning that Wales already faces shortages in engineering roles that will intensify as major decarbonisation projects come online.

On research and innovation, Tata Steel already works with Swansea University, the University of Warwick and the University of Cambridge, and has committed £20 million to two new Centres of Innovation. But it says R&D funding levels in Wales are significantly below those available in comparable countries and is calling for better pilot facilities and less bureaucracy.

On energy costs, Tata Steel argues that high energy prices remain one of the biggest competitive disadvantages facing UK steel manufacturers compared to European rivals, and is calling on the Welsh Government to support a more favourable energy cost environment for energy-intensive industries.

On public procurement, Tata is asking the next Welsh Government to use its buying power to support domestic steel – pointing out that the UK steel sector now supplies only one third of the country’s overall demand.

The company also points to UK Government data estimating that 7.7 million tonnes of steel will be required for major public infrastructure projects over the next decade – an opportunity it says Welsh steel is well placed to serve, if the right conditions are in place.

The UK’s offshore wind pipeline alone could require up to 25 million tonnes of steel by 2050, representing a potential value of £21 billion to the UK steel market over the coming decades.

Rajesh Nair, CEO of Tata Steel UK, said the company was ready to invest if the policy conditions were right. “A stronger Britain depends on a strong British industrial base and Wales can be at the heart of that,” he said.

Tata’s transformation has been politically contentious throughout the Senedd election campaign, with parties divided on whether the UK Government’s £500 million support package was sufficient and what further backing Welsh steel communities deserve.

The company’s full manifesto – Creating a Secure Future for Welsh Steel – is available at tatasteeluk.com.

Polls open across Wales at 7am on Thursday and close at 10pm. The count and results are expected on Friday.

Our Tata Steel coverage

Steel plan sparks cautious hope — but big questions remain for Welsh jobs
Our report on the long-term employment picture as the EAF transition gets underway.

Government vows to ‘do whatever it takes’ — but critics warn over end of traditional steelmaking
The political reaction to the £1.25bn deal and what it means for Port Talbot.

Steelworkers face ‘catastrophic’ Christmas pay cuts as Tata plans extended shutdown
The human cost of the transition for workers and families.

EU’s 50% steel tariffs spark fears for Tata jobs in Port Talbot and Llanelli
How international trade pressures are adding to the pressure on Welsh steel.

Port Talbot steel gets new role in green energy future
Research into wind turbine towers made with local steel — the opportunity ahead.

PORT TALBOT: In pictures — the aftermath of the Water Street fire as crews continue to damp down

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has released dramatic new images showing the scale of the operation at the Water Street industrial fire in Port Talbot – with crews continuing to damp down the site after what became one of the largest fire incidents in the region in recent years.

The fire broke out at the commercial waste site on Wednesday 30 April and required eight fire stations from both Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service at its height. Drone footage and ground-level images released by the service show the full extent of the destruction, with the site completely razed across a vast footprint alongside the River Afan.

Crews worked through the night and into the following days to damp down the smouldering waste, with council JCB crews assisting on site. Natural Resources Wales confirmed no pollution entered the River Afan from firefighting run-off – a significant reassurance for the local environment.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed the incident has now entered a controlled phase, with crews set to remain on scene for the foreseeable future to continue damping down and managing any remaining hotspots. Materials will be moved on-site by the fire service and the site operator to facilitate this process.

The service has warned that occasional increases in smoke or very small flare-ups may occur as crews carefully extinguish remaining material, and that current weather conditions may cause smoke to linger longer than usual before dispersing. “These changes do not indicate a deterioration of the incident but reflect steady progress in the final stages of bringing the incident to a conclusion,” a spokesperson said.

Natural Resources Wales has confirmed that air quality monitoring deployed overnight and continuing today has found particulate concentrations at “moderate” levels — below the threshold where the general population would be expected to experience health effects if exposed for 24 hours.

NRW waste regulation officers have returned to the site today, working closely with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service as the incident moves into the recovery phase. Materials will continue to be moved on-site to extinguish remaining hotspots, and NRW has warned that occasional increases in smoke or small flare-ups may occur as work progresses.

Partner agencies have advised that while adverse long-term health effects cannot be completely ruled out, the risk is considered very low. The advice remains for residents and businesses to keep windows and doors closed while smoke is present, reopening them once it has cleared. Anyone feeling unwell should seek appropriate medical advice.

Our full Port Talbot fire coverage

PORT TALBOT: Huge industrial fire sends black smoke billowing over town as eight fire stations scramble to Dock Road
Our original report as the fire broke out on Wednesday 30 April.

PORT TALBOT: Fire crews still battling Dock Road blaze as dramatic new images emerge from inside the site
Our second report with aerial images from inside the site as crews fought on through the night.

PORT TALBOT: Schools keeping pupils indoors as fire crews remain on scene at Water Street blaze
Thursday’s update as road closures were put in place and schools kept pupils inside.

PORT TALBOT: Fire enters controlled phase as road closures lifted and air quality monitoring deployed
The latest update as the fire came under control and road closures were lifted.

PORT TALBOT: Fire enters controlled phase as road closures lifted and air quality monitoring deployed

The major fire at Water Street in Port Talbot is entering a controlled phase and de-escalating, with both road closures now lifted and air quality monitoring deployed across affected areas throughout the day.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews will remain on scene for the foreseeable future to continue damping down and managing hotspots, supported by Neath Port Talbot Council JCB crews.

Both the A4242 Afan Way dual carriageway and the Afan Way/Water Street westbound carriageway have been reopened. The adjacent footpath and cycleway remains closed at this time.

Air quality monitoring has been deployed throughout the day in areas affected by the smoke plume to assess any impacts and help protect public health. The advice remains for local residents and businesses to keep windows and doors closed while smoke is present, opening them again when the smoke passes. People who feel unwell should seek appropriate medical advice.

Natural Resources Wales officers have been on site throughout the day providing specialist advice to the fire and rescue services and the site operator. Monitoring of the nearby River Afan has confirmed there has been no pollution entering the river from firefighting water run-off – a significant reassurance for the local environment.

Fire and rescue services will now support the transition into the recovery phase, working closely with Natural Resources Wales to ensure the site remains safe and to minimise any ongoing environmental or community impact.

The fire broke out at the Water Street commercial site yesterday morning, where around 200 tonnes of commercial waste had been stored. At its height it required eight fire stations from both Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

Earlier today, schools in the area kept pupils and staff indoors as a precaution while smoke drifted across the town, and rest centre facilities were placed on standby by the council.

Residents in the Water Street area are asked to continue following guidance from emergency services while crews complete the damping down operation. The footpath and cycleway adjacent to the site remains closed until further notice.

Anyone with concerns about the smoke or their health should contact NHS 111 for advice, or call 999 in an emergency.

Our Port Talbot fire coverage

PORT TALBOT: Huge industrial fire sends black smoke billowing over town as eight fire stations scramble to Dock Road
Our original report as the fire broke out yesterday morning.

PORT TALBOT: Fire crews still battling Dock Road blaze as dramatic new images emerge from inside the site
Aerial images from inside the site as crews fought the blaze through the night.

PORT TALBOT: Schools keeping pupils indoors as fire crews remain on scene at Water Street blaze
This afternoon’s update as road closures were put in place and schools kept pupils inside.

PORT TALBOT: Schools keeping pupils indoors as fire crews remain on scene at Water Street blaze – road closures in place

Emergency services remain on scene at a major fire at a business premises on Water Street in Port Talbot, with local schools keeping pupils and staff indoors as a precaution while smoke continues to drift across the town.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Public Health Wales are advising local residents and businesses to keep windows and doors closed while smoke is present, opening them again once conditions improve. Anyone who feels unwell is advised to seek appropriate medical advice.

Schools in the area have been told to remain open but to keep pupils and staff inside as a precautionary measure while smoke remains present. Parents are advised to follow guidance from their children’s schools directly.

Road closures remain in place around the site. The A4242 Afan Way dual carriageway is closed between the McDonald’s roundabout and Talbot Block roundabout. Afan Way and Water Street are also closed for westbound traffic at the McDonald’s entrance, although access is being maintained as necessary into Green Park Street.

Neath Port Talbot Council said its JCB operatives had been on site assisting fire crews in responding to the incident. Rest centre facilities have been placed on standby, and the council said transport arrangements would be put in place for any residents requiring them should a rest centre need to be opened.

The fire broke out at the Water Street commercial site, where around 200 tonnes of commercial waste had been stored. At its height the incident required the attendance of eight fire stations from both Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, with crews working to contain the blaze and prevent it spreading to neighbouring properties.

Dramatic aerial images published earlier today showed the scale of the fire from inside the site, with smoke still rising from the collapsed industrial building beside the canal that runs through the area.

Drone footage released by the council shows the extent of the destruction at the Water Street site, with the surrounding residential streets and the wider Port Talbot skyline visible beyond the smoke plume.

Residents in the immediate vicinity of Water Street and the wider Afan Way area are asked to continue monitoring the situation and to follow the latest guidance from emergency services and the council.

Neath Port Talbot Council said it would keep residents informed as the situation develops, and is coordinating with fire and police services on traffic management and welfare arrangements for anyone affected by the incident.

Anyone with concerns about the smoke or their health should contact NHS 111 for advice, or call 999 in an emergency.

Our Port Talbot fire coverage

PORT TALBOT: Huge industrial fire sends black smoke billowing over town as eight fire stations scramble to Dock Road
Our original report on the Water Street fire as it broke out.

PORT TALBOT: Fire crews still battling Dock Road blaze as dramatic new images emerge from inside the site
Our second report with aerial images from inside the fire site.

PORT TALBOT: Huge industrial fire sends black smoke billowing over town as eight fire stations scramble to Dock Road

A massive fire involving around 200 tonnes of commercial waste at an industrial site on Dock Road sent thick black smoke billowing across Port Talbot on Wednesday afternoon, with eight fire stations scrambling crews to the scene.

Crews from eight fire stations were called to the Port Talbot industrial site at 3.36pm on Wednesday after a blaze took hold involving around 200 tonnes of commercial waste. The fire was so significant that South Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called in to support their Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service colleagues, with the operation running deep into the night.

Thick black smoke billowed high above the town’s rooftops and could be seen from miles around, with crowds gathering near the scene to watch the dramatic response unfold. Drone footage shared on social media captured the full scale of the incident, with multiple fire engines and aerial ladder platforms deployed across the industrial site on the bank of the River Afan.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service issued its first statement at 4.34pm, confirming crews were responding and urging residents to avoid the area. A more detailed update followed at 5.16pm confirming the scale of the blaze.

A spokesperson said: “Our crews from Port Talbot, Neath, Morriston, Ammanford, Tumble, Carmarthen, Pontarddulais and Glynneath Fire Stations have responded to an incident at Dock Road in Port Talbot. This incident is currently ongoing. With support by crews from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, crews are dealing with a fire involving approximately 200 tonnes of commercial waste.”

The spokesperson added that the area should be avoided to allow emergency services access, and that residents should keep windows and doors closed if there was thick smoke nearby. People were also asked not to call 999 unless lives or property were in immediate danger, so that control room operators could manage the high volume of emergency calls.

South Wales Police also moved quickly to close a number of roads in the area. Their statement, issued at 4.17pm, confirmed closures at the roundabout on Afan Way and Harbour Way, the roundabout on Harbour Way towards Tata Steel, and Water Street between Blanco’s Hotel and McDonald’s.

The A4241 — Dock Road itself — remained closed in both directions late into the evening, from the Industrial Park turn-off all the way to North Bank Road, as crews continued to battle the blaze.

Images from the scene showed fire engines and ladder platforms surrounded by dense smoke as firefighters trained jets onto the burning waste. Aerial photos showed a large industrial yard with materials stacked across the site, with the smoke plume stretching well beyond the immediate area and across the town towards the hills.

This morning, Cllr Sean Pursey, who represents the Sandfields East ward, said emergency services were still in attendance and residents should continue to take precautions.

He posted on Facebook: “Morning all, we’re currently awaiting an update from agency partners on the fire situation. The river footpath remains closed and there are some road closures in the area near ATS while the fire service is in attendance.”

Cllr Pursey added that he would advise people to continue keeping windows and doors closed and to take precautions outdoors until further guidance on air quality was issued.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has been approached for comment on whether the fire has been extinguished and whether any investigation into the cause is underway.

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Port Talbot man who preyed on vulnerable girls jailed for rape

45-year-old Michael Allen, from Port Talbot, was convicted in March of four counts of rape against two separate complainants. Both victims were under the age of 18 at the time of Allen’s offending.

A judge at Swansea Crown Court praised the courage of his victims in coming forward and giving evidence at trial, describing them as “impressive young ladies.”

The court heard that both the defendants victims were vulnerable young girls who were experiencing difficulties at home when he raped them.

Allen, of Tanygores Street, Port Talbot, had previously been convicted of two counts of rape of a girl under 13 and two counts of rape of a girl under 16 when he returned to the dock for sentencing.

Judge Catherine Richards said given everything she had heard, Allen was sexually attracted to young girls and poses a serious risk to such girls were he to gain access to them again.

Allen was given a sentence of 24 years in prison and will be registered on the Sex Offenders list for the rest of his life. He has also been made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to control his access to girls under the age of 16

Detective Constable Penny Romanello said:

“This thorough investigation has shown that Michael Allen is an incredibly dangerous man capable of horrendous sexual crimes against children.

“His two victims have been through a dreadful ordeal at his hands; one which we cannot even begin to understand the damage that he has caused them both physically and mentally.

“We commend them both for their bravery in speaking up about Michael Allen’s crimes.”

If you have been sexually abused, and you are not yet ready to report to police, please don’t suffer in silence. A wealth of information and details of support services can be found here: https://www.south-wales.police.uk/…/rape-sexual…/

[Lead image: South Wales Police]

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Roman Villa Uncovered in Wales Signals Major Historical Find

Largest Roman villa ever found in Wales discovered in Margam Country Park. Find out what this means for history and local tourism.

#RomanWales, #MargamPark, #PortTalbot, #Archaeology, #HistoryFind

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Roman Villa Uncovered in Wales Signals Major Historical Find

Largest Roman villa ever found in Wales discovered in Margam Country Park. Find out what this means for history and local tourism.

#RomanWales, #MargamPark, #PortTalbot, #Archaeology, #HistoryFind

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Roman Villa Uncovered in Wales Signals Major Historical Find

Largest Roman villa ever found in Wales discovered in Margam Country Park. Find out what this means for history and local tourism.

#RomanWales, #MargamPark, #PortTalbot, #Archaeology, #HistoryFind

https://newsletter.tf/largest-roman-villa-in-wales-found-margam/

Roman Villa Uncovered in Wales Signals Major Historical Find

Largest Roman villa ever found in Wales discovered in Margam Country Park. Find out what this means for history and local tourism.

#RomanWales, #MargamPark, #PortTalbot, #Archaeology, #HistoryFind

https://newsletter.tf/largest-roman-villa-in-wales-found-margam/

The largest Roman villa in Wales, measuring 141 feet long, has been found. This is much bigger than other Roman sites found before.

#RomanWales, #MargamPark, #PortTalbot, #Archaeology, #HistoryFind
https://newsletter.tf/largest-roman-villa-in-wales-found-margam/

The largest Roman villa in Wales, measuring 141 feet long, has been found. This is much bigger than other Roman sites found before.

#RomanWales, #MargamPark, #PortTalbot, #Archaeology, #HistoryFind
https://newsletter.tf/largest-roman-villa-in-wales-found-margam/

The largest Roman villa in Wales, measuring 141 feet long, has been found. This is much bigger than other Roman sites found before.

#RomanWales, #MargamPark, #PortTalbot, #Archaeology, #HistoryFind
https://newsletter.tf/largest-roman-villa-in-wales-found-margam/

The largest Roman villa in Wales, measuring 141 feet long, has been found. This is much bigger than other Roman sites found before.

#RomanWales, #MargamPark, #PortTalbot, #Archaeology, #HistoryFind
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PORT TALBOT STEEL GETS NEW ROLE IN GREEN ENERGY FUTURE: Welsh consortium launches research into wind turbine towers made with local steel

Researchers backed by Welsh Government funding have launched a project that could see the steel being made in Port Talbot’s new electric arc furnace used to build the next generation of wind turbine towers — creating a direct link between the town’s industrial future and Wales’s clean energy ambitions.

The consortium, led by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, includes Tata Steel UK, energy companies RWE and Bute Energy, and engineering firms Hutchinson Engineering and Ledwood. It has been awarded £174,000 through the Welsh Government’s SMART Flexible Innovation Support scheme to research a new approach to turbine tower design using thin strip, coil-based steel produced in low-emission electric arc furnaces.

The significance for Port Talbot is immediate. Tata Steel is currently in the middle of a £1.25 billion transition from blast furnace steelmaking to electric arc furnace production — a transformation that has already cost thousands of jobs at the steelworks but which the company says will deliver a cleaner, more competitive future. As Swansea Bay News has reported extensively, construction of the new furnace is now under way, with commissioning expected by the end of 2027 or early 2028.

The type of steel at the heart of this new research project — thin strip, coil-based product made in an electric arc furnace — is precisely the kind of output that Port Talbot’s new operation will be able to produce. That steel is also the feedstock that flows downstream to operations including the Trostre tinplate works in Llanelli, which produces coated steel for food and drink packaging and which is directly dependent on the Port Talbot supply chain.

The turbine tower research aims to solve a specific problem in the UK’s renewable energy sector. Most wind turbine towers currently built in Britain rely on thick steel plate imported from overseas — creating a bottleneck in the supply chain and adding cost and carbon to projects. The consortium wants to develop a design that replaces imported thick plate with domestically produced thin strip coil steel, using engineering techniques borrowed from the marine and aerospace industries to create structures that are lighter, stronger and cheaper.

Crucially, the proposed design would also be dismantlable and recyclable — meaning that when turbines reach the end of their working life, the steel could be melted down and reused. Bute Energy’s Catryn Newton described it as a circular economy vision for Welsh steel: end-of-life turbines helping to power homes and industry for decades could eventually be recycled through the electric arc furnace and transformed into the towers of the next generation.

“If we get this right, we could see end of life turbines that have been helping to power homes and industry across Wales for the past 30 years, recycled and sent to the newer electric arc furnaces,” she said. “The work of this group is exploring whether that scrap metal can be transformed into a material that could be used in the next generation turbine towers, helping to power Wales’ clean power future.”

Tata Steel’s Sumitesh Das said the company was excited to be involved in research that could position Wales as a global hub for this kind of innovation. “As Tata Steel UK transitions to electric arc furnace steelmaking, our ambition is to ensure domestic supply chains capitalise on the growth of clean energy and help drive economic growth in the UK,” he said.

The project comes as Port Talbot’s industrial community continues to navigate the painful consequences of the blast furnace closures, which took around 2,800 jobs with them. The hope — articulated by politicians, unions and the company itself — has been that the new electric arc furnace would not only preserve steelmaking in the town but open doors to new markets and new applications for Welsh steel. This wind tower project is one of the first concrete examples of what that future might look like in practice.

Aberafan Maesteg MP Stephen Kinnock welcomed the research, saying it was essential that British and Welsh steel played a central role in the clean energy transition. “This research demonstrates how Wales and the UK can remain at the forefront of the transition to renewable energy,” he said. “By decreasing reliance on imported steel we can bolster energy security, create economic growth, secure regional jobs, and support offshore wind deployment in the Celtic Sea and beyond.”

Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, said the investment reflected the Welsh Government’s commitment to building a greener economy. She pointed to the potential for creating high-value jobs and strengthening supply chains as Welsh industry pivots towards clean energy.

The Celtic Sea, off the coast of Pembrokeshire and west Wales, is one of the most promising sites for floating offshore wind development in the UK. Port Talbot — with its established steel expertise, its port infrastructure and its proximity to that potential wind farm zone — has long been identified as a natural base for offshore wind supply chain activity. As Swansea Bay News has reported, a £64 million wind energy hub plan for Port Talbot has already been put forward with the promise of up to 5,000 jobs.

The first phase of the new research project will focus specifically on onshore turbine tower design and the commercial case for using locally produced coil steel. If the concept proves viable, the researchers say it could be extended to offshore and floating wind applications in later phases — potentially unlocking a significant new market for the steel being made in Port Talbot and processed downstream at Trostre.

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PORT TALBOT JACKPOT: Steelworkers’ syndicate scoop £1M – and reunion to remember

A 15-strong syndicate of ex-colleagues from Port Talbot is celebrating after scooping a life-changing £1,000,000 in the EuroMillions draw.

The group – dubbed the “Tata Steel Syndicate” – first started playing together while working long shifts in the finance team at the town’s iconic steelworks.

What began as a bit of fun to lift spirits during 14-hour days turned into a seven-year tradition… and now a huge payday.

At the heart of it all is syndicate leader Paul Davy, 61, who kept the group going long after colleagues moved on – sending weekly emails and organising their £5 entries.

He said: “I couldn’t believe it – a message just popped up on the app.

“I thought it must be an error, but then I saw the winning code. I was in complete shock.”

The win came via the Millionaire Maker code in the Friday February 27 draw – instantly making every member of the syndicate a winner.

But for Paul, the money is only part of the story.

“This win has given us the perfect excuse to celebrate together properly,” he said. “We haven’t all been in the same room for years.”

Despite going their separate ways professionally, the group remained close – staying in touch through emails, occasional meet-ups and the odd pint.

Now, they’re planning a full reunion to mark the moment their loyalty finally paid off.

Among those celebrating the windfall are Gill Furlong, Christine Davies, Sally Wise, Julie Lambert, Allan Evans, Ian Howells and Raja Prasad – all still living locally.

The group say the winnings will go towards a mix of practical plans and long-held dreams.

Top of the list? Paying off mortgages, dream kitchen renovations, new cars and long-awaited holidays.

For Paul, a return to cruising is firmly on the cards.

“Me and my partner went on a cruise a couple of years ago and loved it,” he said. “So another one – maybe the Mediterranean – is definitely on the list.”

The syndicate had always treated their weekly ticket as “a bit like donating to charity with a chance of winning” – a mindset that made the shock even greater when their numbers finally came in.

And while the £1 million prize will be split between the 15 members, the real reward might just be the friendships it has rekindled.

After years of near-misses, hopeful emails and small stakes, their persistence has paid off in spectacular fashion – turning a simple workplace tradition into a story they’ll never forget.

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PORT TALBOT: Steel plan sparks cautious hope — but big questions remain for Welsh jobs

At the heart of the strategy is a push to rebuild domestic steelmaking, including new tariffs on imports, a target for half of UK steel demand to be met at home, and billions in funding to support the industry’s transition.

For communities built around steel, the announcement lands at a critical moment.

In Port Talbot, the shift away from traditional blast furnaces is already under way, while in Llanelli, the Trostre works continues to play a key role in Welsh production. Together, they form part of an industry now facing one of the biggest changes in its history.

Local Labour MP Dame Nia Griffith has backed the plan, arguing it signals a more serious commitment to the sector after years of uncertainty.

Dame Nia Griffith, MP for Llanelli, said:
“The steel industry is a vital core element of our economy here in Wales, generating growth and providing thousands of jobs, including hundreds in my own constituency.

“This is a clear, well thought-out, long-term strategy for our steel industry that will help deliver the high-quality steel our country needs for our key infrastructure, our national security and for the wider economy.”

Her support reflects the Government’s central message — that the strategy will not only protect jobs, but put the industry on a more stable footing for the future.

But that optimism is far from universal.

Opposition figures say the plan raises as many questions as it answers, particularly around how much of the promised investment will reach Wales and what role UK steel will play in major future projects.

David Chadwick MP, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Wales, said:
“It is welcome that the Government has finally acted, but this looks like a panicked move after months of delay.

“Since the blast furnaces were switched off, Welsh steel has been left on life support.”

There are also concerns about the UK’s trading position, with warnings that being outside key European arrangements could leave exporters at a disadvantage in one of their biggest markets.

Industry voices have struck a similarly measured tone — welcoming steps to tackle cheap imports while warning that deeper issues remain unresolved.

Unite, which represents many steelworkers across Wales, says the new tariff regime is a positive step, but argues the industry needs a clearer long-term direction.

Sharon Graham, General Secretary of Unite, said:
“Unite welcomes the strengthening of the UK’s tariff regime to prevent the dumping of cheap foreign steel onto the domestic market.

“But this last minute situation is just another reminder that the reactive approach to UK steel that sees it lurch from crisis to crisis needs to be overhauled.”

One of the biggest sticking points is the industry’s shift towards electric arc furnaces — a cleaner form of steelmaking that relies heavily on recycled materials.

While central to the Government’s net zero ambitions, unions have warned that relying too heavily on this approach could limit the UK’s ability to produce certain types of steel.

Peter Hughes, Unite regional secretary, said:
“The government must also back the production of virgin green steel as we can’t simply rely on electric arc furnaces to produce all the steel we need.”

Alongside the strategy, ministers have also unveiled a new funding stream aimed at helping areas like Port Talbot adapt to the changes.

The Economic Growth & Investment Fund will offer grants of up to £1.5 million to businesses across Neath Port Talbot, Swansea and Bridgend, targeting sectors such as advanced manufacturing, green energy and digital industries.

Local leaders say it could help soften the economic impact of the transition — if it delivers.

Cllr Steve Hunt, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, said:
“This fund provides an important opportunity to support businesses that are ready to invest, grow and create new jobs across the region.”

For now, the strategy marks a significant moment for Welsh steel — but not a settled one.

With major changes already under way and more still to come, the focus is quickly shifting from what has been promised to what will actually be delivered.

And for communities across South West Wales, that will ultimately be the measure that matters most.

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PORT TALBOT: Government vows to “do whatever it takes” to protect steel jobs — but critics warn over end of traditional steelmaking

A major new Steel Strategy has been unveiled during a visit to Port Talbot, with ministers promising tougher trade rules, billions in investment and a push to increase the amount of steel made in Britain.

At the centre of the plan is a target for 50% of all steel used in the UK to be made domestically — up from around 30% — with the Government saying Welsh producers are expected to play a major role.

That includes Tata Steel operations in Port Talbot, Llanelli, Shotton and Newport, as well as 7Steel in Cardiff.

The UK Government says it will also crack down on cheap imports.

From July, steel import quotas would be cut by 60%, with anything above those limits facing a 50% tariff.

Ministers argue the move will stop British steel being undercut — a long-standing complaint from workers and industry leaders in South Wales.

But the strategy has already sparked debate about what kind of steel industry the UK is actually protecting.

While ministers are backing domestic production, the plans also confirm a continued shift away from traditional blast furnaces towards electric arc furnaces, like the one being built in Port Talbot.

These use recycled scrap metal rather than raw materials — a move the Government says is key to cutting emissions and modernising the industry.

However, critics warn that transition could come at a cost.

They argue electric arc furnaces cannot always produce the same specialist grades of steel needed for defence and major infrastructure, raising concerns about long-term capability.

There are also fears the UK could become more reliant on imported materials — even as ministers move to restrict finished steel imports.

Peter Kyle, Business and Trade Secretary, said steelmaking was “vital” to the UK’s future.

He said: “Making steel in the UK is vital for national security, critical infrastructure and the wider economy.

“With this strategy we are closing the decades-long chapter of destructive de-industrialisation and committing instead to strengthening and sustaining Britain as a steel-making nation.”

The Government says the strategy is backed by major investment, including £5.8 billion through the National Wealth Fund for priority industries such as steel.

That builds on more than £600 million already committed to Port Talbot, alongside plans to unlock up to £2.5 billion in further funding during this Parliament.

Jo Stevens, Secretary of State for Wales, said the plans showed ministers were standing firmly behind Welsh industry.

She said: “The UK Government is standing up for Welsh steelmaking and showing that we will do whatever it takes to boost domestic steel production and protect the thousands of steelmaking jobs in our communities.

“Welsh steel is expected to account for half of future UK steelmaking… Welsh steelmaking now has a secure and bright future.”

The strategy also includes measures to lower energy costs, prioritise UK-made steel in public projects and strengthen links with sectors like offshore wind, defence and infrastructure.

A new working group will also look at securing long-term supplies of scrap metal — a key part of the shift towards electric arc production.

The move comes after years of uncertainty for the industry, with global competition, rising costs and the transition to greener production putting pressure on steelmaking communities across South Wales.

Ministers insist imports will still play a role, but say the new rules are designed to strike a balance between protecting domestic producers and maintaining supply.

However, with the industry undergoing one of its biggest transformations in decades, questions remain over whether the strategy will truly secure the long-term future of steelmaking in Wales — or simply reshape it.

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PORT TALBOT: Football legends and social media stars tackle tradie mental health crisis

Former Swansea City star Lee Trundle will join social media sensations The Welsh Erection Boys and Benchin Bricky on the pitch this Sunday, March 22nd.

The event, organised by South Wales-based charity Tradie Events, aims to raise crucial awareness about the mental health epidemic gripping the industry.

New research from Trade Direct Insurance reveals a shocking statistic: nearly seven in ten (69%) tradespeople admit to experiencing mental health issues.

Over a third (34%) of those affected say their problems are at least partially caused by their demanding work.

Patricia Gardiner, sales and marketing director at Trade Direct Insurance, highlighted the immense pressure on tradies.

“Tradespeople often carry enormous responsibility managing customers, materials, cash flow and tight deadlines whilst also dealing with the physical demands of the work,” Ms Gardiner said.

She added: “When you layer financial uncertainty and tool theft risks on top, the pressure can become too much to bear.”

Trade Direct Insurance is now launching a new mental health and wellbeing service, offering free counselling and financial guidance to policyholders.

This vital support includes five confidential counselling sessions per year and 24/7 emotional support for issues like stress, anxiety, and depression.

Clair Evans, Executive Director at Tradie Events, emphasised the community spirit behind the match.

“This match is about more than just the game, it’s about celebrating the trades, bringing the community together, and shining a light on mental health in an industry where stress and pressure are often normalised,” Ms Evans stated.

The charity has already raised over £10,000, demonstrating the strong support for this critical cause.

Ms Evans hopes the event will inspire “even more conversation and support around wellbeing in the trades.”

The match is a powerful local initiative to address a national crisis, bringing together well-known figures to make a real difference in the community.

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Welsh star Michael Sheen to host BBC quiz show in surprise career move

Welsh actor Michael Sheen is swapping Hollywood scripts for quiz questions after landing a surprise new role hosting a popular BBC show.

The Port Talbot-born star has been announced as the new presenter of Richard Osman’s House of Games, taking over after creator and long-time host Richard Osman confirmed he was stepping down.

The hit programme, which airs on BBC channels BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, has become a staple of early evening television since launching in 2017.

Sheen will now take over hosting duties when new episodes are filmed and broadcast later this year.

The award-winning actor admitted he has “very large shoes to fill” but said he was thrilled to be joining the show.

“I’m a huge fan of the programme and incredibly excited to be able to move into the House,” he said.

Writing on Instagram, Richard promised to clean the place before the Michael arrived.

He said: “Beyond thrilled to be handing the House Of Games keys over to the one and only Michael Sheen. I promise to put the hoover round before he arrives.

“Best of luck Michael, you’re such a great choice, and I know you, and the viewers, will have an amazing time.”

The move marks Sheen’s first ever quiz show hosting role, in what many fans see as an unexpected turn in the star’s career.

Sheen has built an international reputation through acclaimed roles in film, television and theatre, including portraying former Prime Minister Tony Blair in multiple productions and appearing in films such as Tron: Legacy and Midnight in Paris.

But despite his Hollywood credentials, the actor has remained closely tied to Wales.

In recent years he has funded major cultural projects, including launching a new Welsh theatre company aimed at developing talent across the country.

Now he is set to become the new face of one of the BBC’s most popular quiz formats.

Each week on House of Games, four celebrities compete across five episodes in a series of quirky trivia and puzzle rounds, battling it out for daily prizes and the chance to be crowned the weekly champion.

Osman, who has hosted the show since it began nearly a decade ago, said it had been a “great pleasure” presenting the programme but that it was time for someone else to take over.

For fans of the show, that someone will now be a familiar Welsh face.

And for Sheen, it means stepping into the living rooms of millions of viewers every evening — not as a character, but as the man asking the questions.

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Port Talbot and Llanelli workers among most worried in Wales about AI taking their jobs, new study finds

Fears that AI could replace human workers are highest in Port Talbot, Llanelli and Ammanford, which all feature in the top five Welsh towns searching for answers about the risk to their employment.

The research, by efficiency experts at Ailsa, analysed how often people search for terms like ‘will AI take my job’ and ‘will I be replaced by AI’.

The research, by efficiency experts at Ailsa, analysed how often people search for terms like ‘will AI take my job’ and ‘will I be replaced by AI’.

The study found that Port Talbot was the third most anxious town in Wales, with 279 searches per 10,000 people each month. The finding comes despite recent efforts to position Port Talbot as Wales’ AI capital and schemes to help former steelworkers retrain in AI.

Llanelli and Ammanford ranked fourth and fifth, with 194 and 177 searches respectively.

Bridgend was the second most concerned town in the country, with 309 searches per 10,000 people, despite being at the heart of a new South Wales AI growth zone and plans for greater use of AI by the local council.

Swansea and Neath also featured in the top ten, with 152 and 137 searches respectively. The anxiety in Swansea exists alongside the city’s growing reputation as a centre for AI research, with Swansea University set to host a prestigious Google DeepMind programme.

In Neath Port Talbot, meanwhile, an award-winning AI project is already being used to save social workers 15 hours a week.

Across the UK, Wales was the second most concerned nation about the rise of AI, with an average of 23 searches per 10,000 people, second only to Northern Ireland. The findings come as Transport for Wales begins using AI to improve the country’s bus networks.

However, the efficiency experts behind the study have urged workers not to panic, arguing that AI is more likely to make jobs more enjoyable than to replace them entirely.

“I think it’s a big question on a lot of people’s minds at the moment, and a bit of fear, is this going to affect my job? Is this going to take my job?” said Kane Taylor from Ailsa.

“But I think we can twist this in a positive way. If AI can do all the remedial tasks in the background, it means we can upskill our workforces to do more interesting, or more complex things, that we can focus our time on.”

His colleague Jamie Burns agreed, adding that the so-called ‘robot revolution’ should be seen as a business enabler rather than a risk.

“I think a lot of people are scared and worried about AI taking their job, but companies can use AI to streamline their processes and enable them to become a better business,” he said.

“You’re always going to need people. We deal with data day in and day out, we deal with AI day in and day out, but it’s never going to replace a person. Everything still needs a person, every interaction still needs someone there, because the whole personality and personal touch is what makes business operate.”

The experts advised workers to learn how to use AI to their advantage, lean into the human skills that technology can’t replicate, and focus on building a reputation that people trust.

SEISMIC SHOWDOWN: 51 Welsh rugby clubs move to AXE WRU chairman as crisis deepens

Leaked documents have revealed the scale of the growing rebellion, with nearly a fifth of all member clubs now demanding an Emergency General Meeting (EGM) to “save the soul” of the national game.

The move, led by the Central Glamorgan Rugby Union, targets WRU chairman Richard Collier-Keywood and Professional Rugby Board boss Malcolm Wall in a bid to halt controversial plans to cut the number of professional teams from four to three.

It follows weeks of mounting pressure from clubs and intense political criticism over the WRU’s “stitch-up” of the professional game in the west.

Clubs from across our core coverage areas of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, and Carmarthenshire have dominated the list of rebels, with 23 teams from the Ospreys’ heartland leading the charge.

Local giants such as Bonymaen, Morriston, Swansea, and Gowerton have all put their names to the move, alongside Neath Athletic, Taibach, Baglan, and Aberavon Green Stars.

The revolt has also spread deep into Carmarthenshire, with clubs like Llandybie, Llanybydder, and Laugharne joining the fight as the seismic showdown over the union’s leadership reaches boiling point.

The rebels have put forward three key motions for the EGM, including a vote of no confidence in the leadership and a demand for fresh elections for the four elected WRU council member board positions.

It comes as Swansea Council seeks an urgent High Court injunction to stop the WRU’s deal with Y11 Sports & Media, which many fear would signal the end of the Ospreys as a professional outfit.

In a scathing letter sent to the governing body, the rebels accused the WRU executive board of causing “reputational damage” to the sport through “extortionate” spending on outside consultants.

“If people are paid to do a job and have to use consultants to guide them, then it begs the question if we have the right personnel in those roles,” the letter blasted.

The rebellion has also taken a personal turn, with claims that a “small minority” of the WRU leadership have been “disrespectful” and shared “misinformation” at local meetings.

The clubs are also demanding that any future WRU chair be “immersed in Welsh culture,” have a strong understanding of Welsh rugby values, and ideally be a Welsh speaker living in Wales.

Despite the growing pressure, the WRU boss has insisted the Ospreys are “not doomed yet”, even as the battle for the West Wales rugby licence looms.

For the EGM to go ahead and be valid, at least 94 clubs—one third of the total membership—must be present for the showdown.

REVEALED: Swansea named worst for commuters in Wales as gridlock hits home

Shocking new analysis has revealed that the city has the toughest commute in the country, topping the rankings for average journey times, congestion, and slow traffic speeds across Welsh towns and cities.

The research, conducted by office infrastructure experts Co-space, shows that Swansea workers face a gruelling 26-minute average commute each way.

When combined with a 15% congestion level and average peak speeds of just 25 km/h, Swansea hits a chart-topping “commuter pressure score” of 19.7.

Over a full year, that 26-minute journey adds up to more than 215 hours spent travelling to and from work—the same as sitting in a car or on a bus for nine entire days.

The findings highlight a massive divide in travel experiences across the region, with Port Talbot motorists already feeling the pinch from a year of major roadworks. Motorists on Mumbles Road are also facing three months of lane closures for vital gas pipe upgrades.

Perhaps surprisingly, Cardiff didn’t take the top spot, despite having the highest congestion rate at 16%. The capital’s shorter 22-minute average commute kept its pressure score down at 9.7, ranking it well outside the top ten.

In our area, Neath and Ammanford both saw smoother runs with average commutes of 22 minutes, while Llanelli recorded a 24-minute average journey and a pressure score of 12.1.

William Sokes, CEO of Co-space, has warned that even small differences in commute times can have a “knock-on effect” on employee wellbeing and productivity.

“What’s striking about this data is how clearly Swansea stands apart from the rest of Wales,” Mr Sokes stated, adding that infrastructure is struggling to keep pace with growth.

The news comes as Swansea-based research programmes continue to look into smarter, greener ways for the region to move forward amid the ongoing climate challenge.

‘Green power’ boost for Port Talbot as council green-lights major substation expansion

Neath Port Talbot Council has unanimously approved the major application from National Grid to extend the Margam 275kV substation, located just off Harbour Way.

The project is being hailed as a “key” development that will provide the essential power needed for Tata Steel’s new £1.25 billion electric arc furnace. It follows the appointment of Sir Robert McAlpine as the main contractor for the site’s decarbonisation.

This latest approval comes as Port Talbot motorists already face up to 12 months of roadworks while the wider underground electricity network is upgraded to support the transition.

Council bosses have confirmed that the extended site will connect via underground cables to a separate substation within the Tata Steelworks, feeding the new “green” furnace. Work has already begun on the furnace project, which aims to replace the traditional blast furnaces.

The works at the Margam site will include the construction of a new gas-insulated switchgear hall and a modern control building, replacing older facilities.

Planning officers have confirmed that the project also includes significant upgrades to site lighting, CCTV, and internal access roads, along with a new flood defence wall.

Cllr Rob Jones, representing Margam and Taibach, has described the extension as a “key project” that is essential for the survival of the local industry.

“Without this substation extension taking place… the whole future of steelmaking in Port Talbot and the county borough is at serious risk,” Cllr Jones has warned.

The council has confirmed that the approval is subject to a legal agreement to maintain an off-site ecological management area for the next 30 years to protect local wildlife.

While the substation does not directly supply residential homes in Margam, its role in supporting the major infrastructure upgrade is seen as critical for the region’s economic future.

The move marks another significant milestone for the electric arc furnace project, which was first approved by Neath Port Talbot Council in February 2025. The transition follows the dramatic closure of the Morfa Coke Plant and the blast furnaces, which saw thousands of jobs put at risk. Despite the £500m UK Government funding to support the move, the community continues to show resilience amid the transition.

Welsh Government demands urgent UK action as Port Talbot steel transition faces trade threat

The First Minister revealed she pressed the Prime Minister on the issue during a meeting last week, describing the need for UK Government action as “urgent” as the sector faces challenges including high energy costs, global overcapacity and growing trade barriers.

In a written statement published yesterday, Ms Morgan said the Welsh Government is calling for the UK Steel Strategy to be published “as a matter of utmost urgency” to provide clarity and confidence for workers and industry.

The intervention comes as Tata Steel UK’s transition to electric arc furnace steelmaking is firmly underway at Port Talbot, with the new 3.2 million tonne per annum facility due to be commissioned in late 2027 or early 2028.

Ms Morgan said EU trade measures have the potential to have “drastic consequences” for the Welsh steel sector at a time when it is already under immense trading pressure due to US tariffs and global overcapacity.

“The EU is our closest and strongest trading partner on steel, and we have been very clear with the UK Government that we urgently need to see it make a strong case for the EU to preserve our existing arrangements, especially at a time when our sector is transitioning to net zero,” the First Minister said.

The Welsh Government has also pressed the critical need for the UK to have robust steel measures to replace the UK steel safeguards, which are due to expire in June 2026.

“We have been clear that Wales and the UK cannot be left in a situation where all our major partners are implementing solutions to protect their steel sector, only to leave us open to potential dumping,” Ms Morgan said.

She said Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning Rebecca Evans heard firsthand from steel unions last week about their concerns for the sector.

The Welsh Government said robust steel measures are vital to the preservation of the steel industry in Wales and the UK, especially when considering the global overcapacity of steel and increased steel tariffs driven primarily by US tariffs on the sector.

Despite the challenges, the US continues to be an important market for Welsh steel, according to the Welsh Government, which said it continues to work with the UK Government to find a solution with the US that supports the steel sector.

The Welsh Government said it understands that the recent US Supreme Court ruling has no bearing on steel and therefore the UK Government needs to agree and implement the tariff-free quota for UK steel into the US as agreed under the UK-US economic prosperity deal, whilst considering the unique transitioning needs of the Welsh steel sector.

More broadly, the Welsh Government said the sector wants to see a truly competitive electricity pricing structure, greater leverage for using UK steel through public procurement, robust trade remedies and protection against carbon leakage.

Ms Morgan said the proposed UK Government Steel Strategy is an important piece of work investigating the policy issues the domestic steel sector continues to face, as well as researching the best opportunities for capital investment.

“The Welsh Government is calling for the strategy to be afforded the absolute top priority that it deserves, and that publication is made as a matter of utmost urgency,” she said.

“Industry needs clarity, and our steel workforce needs transparency and confidence.”

The Welsh Government said it understands the UK Steel Strategy is now due to be published in March.

Tim Rutter, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Tata Steel UK, welcomed the First Minister’s statement.

“It’s encouraging to see the Welsh Government continuing to champion the needs of the steel sector at such a critical time,” Mr Rutter said.

“Their call for urgent clarity on trade measures and the UK Steel Strategy echoes what our workforce and communities need – stability, certainty and a policy framework that supports a sustainable future for steelmaking in Wales.

“We look forward to continued constructive engagement as the sector navigates this period of transition.”

Tata Steel ceased ironmaking at its Port Talbot site in October 2024 and temporarily paused steelmaking pending the construction of the electric arc furnace. During that period, the business is importing slab and hot rolled coil to support manufacturing and distribution operations at sites across Wales, England and Northern Ireland.

The company has been undergoing a restructuring that will reduce the size of its workforce to around 5,000 direct employees, who it says will supply high-quality steel products to demanding markets including construction and infrastructure, automotive, packaging and engineering.

Tata Steel UK says its ambition is to produce net-zero steel by 2045 at the latest, and to have reduced 30 per cent of its CO2 emissions by 2030.