Travis Perkins relocates Swansea branch to larger Llansamlet site with new jobs created

The company has moved from the Cwmdu Industrial Estate on Carmarthen Road to a new three‑acre site on Upper Fforest Way in Llansamlet, opening to customers earlier this week.

Easier access for trades near the M4

The new location sits close to the M4, which the firm says will make it easier for tradespeople to reach jobs across Swansea and the wider region. The move brings all of the company’s services — including its Benchmarx Kitchens showroom and tool and equipment hire — onto one site.

Eight new jobs as part of expansion

Travis Perkins confirmed that its existing Swansea team has transferred to the new branch, with eight additional roles created as part of the relocation.

Regional Director Mackenzie Hallett said the move strengthens the company’s presence in the city.

“We have a proud history of serving our customers in and around Swansea and this latest development takes our offering to the next level.”

Larger stock range and extended facilities

The new branch carries more than 25,000 products, including timber, plasterboard, insulation, bricks, blocks, landscaping materials and decorating supplies. It offers Click & Collect, free delivery and opens from 7am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to noon on Saturdays.

£2,000 donation to Alzheimer’s Society

As part of the relocation, the company has donated £2,000 to Alzheimer’s Society, its chosen charity.

Hallett said the charity is “close to the hearts” of staff across the business.

Travis Perkins operates more than 550 branches nationwide and is the UK’s largest supplier of building materials to the construction industry.

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AI speed signs to target motorbike riders in Swansea trial

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

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

First trial site in Cwmdu

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

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

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

£333k Welsh Government funding

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

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

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

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

Wider road safety work

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

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

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

Swansea man jailed for dangerous driving spree

South Wales Police say 25-year-old James Osmond committed a number of offences in the Swansea area from January 13 to 30 this year. Offences included three counts of driving dangerously and one count of using a motor vehicle without third-party insurance.

After initially pleading not guilty to the dangerous driving offences, Osmond changed his plea to guilty in June.

He has been sentenced to three years in prison and has been disqualified for holding or obtaining a driving licence for four years and six months.

Osmond has a history of motoring, drugs and offensive weapons offences. In 2023 he pleaded guilty to affray and to possession of an offensive weapon after his part in a gang attack on a vehicle at a busy Swansea junction that saw the vehicle hit with baseball bats and left two men with stab injuries.

In January 2021 Osmond was jailed for aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving after driving a friend’s car “erratically” through Gendros. That offence happened just weeks after Osmond had been released from a young offenders institution after serving less than a third of a sentence for conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine. 

PC Ceriann Howell from South Wales Police said: “James Osmond is unfortunately an individual who believes that the laws of the road do not apply to him.

“His driving was a menace to other road users and could have resulted in him or others being caused a serious injury.

“With his prison term and losing his driving licence, the roads are now a safer place without him.”

#Cwmdu #motoringOffences #SouthWalesPolice #Swansea

The Charity delivers advanced lifesaving medical care to people across Wales 24/7. It is the only air ambulance charity based in, and dedicated to, the people of Wales.

The Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise £11.2 million every year to keep its helicopters in the air and its rapid response vehicles on the road.

The shop was one of 6,500 that were nominated across the UK and claimed the winning spot in a public vote involving almost 13,000 people.

Rob Coles, Wales Air Ambulance’s Head of Retail and Community, said:

“We are delighted to have been crowned the favourite charity shop in Wales. This award reflects the hard work and dedication of our volunteers and staff.

“It is a testament to their commitment to provide a great service to the people visiting the store, daily. The Cwmdu volunteers and staff should all be extremely proud to receive this award.”

Charity shops are an institution in the UK and have seen a rise in popularity in recent years as the public look for more ways to shop sustainably, support good causes and give back to their communities.

The awards are the first of their kind and were launched in June to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Charity Retail Association, the membership organisation for charity shops in the UK.

Robin Osterley, Chief Executive of the Charity Retail Association, said:

“Huge congratulations to Wales Air Ambulance. This award is a testament to the dedication of the shop’s staff and volunteers, and highlights what this wonderful store means to the local community.

“We have been overwhelmed by the public’s response to our search for the UK’s Favourite Charity Shop, which celebrates the contribution the sector makes to communities and good causes across the UK.”

Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.  

It is delivered via a unique Third Sector and Public Sector partnership. The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the charity’s vehicles. 

As a pan-Wales service, the dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care. 

For more details, visit: https://www.charityretail.org.uk/the-uks-favourite-charity-shop-award/

https://swanseabaynews.com/2024/10/06/swanseas-cwmdu-store-crowned-favourite-charity-shop-in-wales/

#CharityShop #Cwmdu #featured #WalesAirAmbulance