24‑hour gym approved for former Wilko unit in Port Talbot’s Aberafan Shopping Centre

The first‑floor unit has been empty since Wilko collapsed in 2023. Now it’s been given a new lease of life, with planning officers signing off proposals from the Foundry Gym franchise.

Vacant Wilko space to become flagship Welsh site

The application, submitted last September, says the franchise wants to create a “thriving 24‑hour fitness facility” that boosts footfall and brings new life into the shopping centre.

Foundry Gym operates around 20 sites across the UK and describes the Port Talbot location as its flagship for Wales. Planning documents confirm the gym will operate entirely within the existing unit, with no external changes to the building.

Boost arrives as Aberafan Shopping Centre celebrates its 50th anniversary

The approval lands at a symbolic moment for Aberafan Shopping Centre, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

The centre — officially opened by Princess Anne in 1976 — remains a major community hub and the town’s main shopping destination. Anniversary celebrations run from 9 February to 30 September, with the official launch taking place on 20 February in Centre Square.

VIP guests, dignitaries, former managers and staff will gather to unveil a new exhibition charting the centre’s history, including photographs, memorabilia and a look at how the site has evolved over five decades. Elton John Tribute Wales will perform at 12.30pm and 2pm as part of the launch event.

The exhibition will continue to grow throughout the year, with new historic strands and interactive elements added over time.

A new chapter for a key town‑centre site

The arrival of a 24‑hour gym is expected to bring fresh activity into the centre as it marks its milestone year. The former Wilko unit has been one of the largest empty spaces in the building since the retailer’s collapse.

With the gym now approved, work is expected to begin on fitting out the unit ahead of opening later this year.

Fire crews scale 32-metre tower in dramatic rescue drill at Tata Steel Port Talbot

Crews from Port Talbot, Pontardawe and Morriston take part

The multi-agency drill, held on Tuesday 20 January, saw crews from Port Talbot, Pontardawe and Morriston Fire Stations team up with the Welsh Ambulance Service’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) for a complex “Work from Height” scenario.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) said the exercise was designed to sharpen the team’s ability to carry out technical rescues from extreme heights — and to test Tata Steel’s own emergency protocols in a live industrial setting.

Casualties lowered from tower in full technical rescue setup

Crews worked together to safely recover two simulated casualties from the top of a 32-metre water tower, using ropes, stretchers and confined-space rescue techniques.

The operation involved line-rescue specialists from the Fire Service working in tandem with HART paramedics, who provided medical support and coordination throughout the drill.

“A huge success” — Watch Manager praises teamwork

Watch Manager Christopher Doyle said the exercise was “a huge success” and praised the collaboration between fire crews, ambulance teams and Tata Steel staff.

“All attendees worked hard to test procedures in a realistic environment, providing a platform for learning opportunities,” he said. “It was great to work in collaboration with Welsh HART and Tata Steel — thank you to everyone that attended.”

Realistic setting, valuable lessons

MAWWFRS said the exercise gave crews a rare chance to rehearse high-risk rescue procedures in a real industrial environment, helping to build confidence and refine protocols for future incidents.

Tata Steel also thanked emergency teams for their professionalism and said the drill had helped strengthen site safety and response planning.

Inside the giant Port Talbot steelworks overhaul as Tata clears the way for new Electric Arc Furnace

The video, posted on Tata’s Facebook page, takes viewers back inside the vast BOS Plant — once the beating heart of blast furnace steelmaking — where crews are tearing out decades‑old infrastructure to make way for the new low‑carbon process.

The update shows huge sections of the former hot metal and charging bays stripped back to bare concrete, with legacy equipment, weighing stations, diesel points and even the giant charging cranes now being dismantled. The cavernous building, once filled with molten iron and the roar of converters, is described as “a cathedral” now reduced to a shell as enabling works accelerate.

Project engineers explain that the cleared space will become the EAF shell workshop, where the furnace’s massive components will be assembled and maintained. At the south end of the plant, contractors Sir Robert McAlpine are preparing the installation zone for the furnace itself — a transformation that involves digging out old pits, levelling entire bays and installing new piling across the site.

Tata says the work is “laying the foundations for a new, low‑CO₂ steelmaking process” and marks the next chapter of UK steelmaking. The company insists the EAF will secure the long‑term future of the site, even as thousands of traditional steelmaking jobs disappear.

A year of upheaval for steelworkers

Over the past year, Swansea Bay News has followed every twist in Port Talbot’s steel saga. What began with warnings of weak demand soon spiralled into a series of hammer blows for workers — from Christmas shutdowns that slashed pay packets to the announcement that 2,800 jobs were at risk as Tata confirmed its plan to close the blast furnaces.

The uncertainty has fuelled political rows in Cardiff and Westminster, with unions accusing Tata of refusing to wait for Labour’s promised investment and MPs warning of a “betrayal” of steel communities. EU tariffs, global market pressures and soaring costs have only deepened the crisis.

At the same time, the company has pressed ahead with its £1.25bn green transition, signing contracts for new technology, appointing Sir Robert McAlpine to lead the decarbonisation build, and beginning early works on the Electric Arc Furnace. Government funding has been announced, retraining schemes launched, and start‑up grants rolled out to help families prepare for life after steel.

Communities have shown resilience — from welding academies retraining former workers to local leaders fighting to protect jobs — but the financial strain on households has been impossible to ignore. And as demolition crews move through the plant, the physical dismantling of the old steelworks has become a stark symbol of the upheaval facing the town.

Inside the BOS Plant: a steel cathedral stripped bare

In the new video, engineers walk viewers through the vast BOS Plant, pointing out where the old weighing stations, fume hoods, diesel points and hot metal pits once stood. Much of the floor has been ripped up, leaving gaping holes where equipment sat for decades.

The removal of the south charging crane — a job so large it requires opening the roof and bringing in a giant external crane — is described as a “huge undertaking”. The north crane was once installed the same way.

Long‑serving staff speak openly about the emotional toll of dismantling equipment they helped install 35 years ago, even as they acknowledge the need to move forward.

South end transformation: where the new furnace will rise

The video then moves to the south end of the plant, now controlled by Sir Robert McAlpine. The area is almost unrecognisable. Entire bays have been stripped out, old scrap‑handling areas flattened, and deep pits dug out to prepare for the new furnace and ladle metallurgy stations.

Engineers explain how the EAF will sit in the south‑west corner, with new transfer tracks linking the furnace, the ladle furnaces and the caster. Massive piling work will be needed across the entire building to support the new equipment.

Even in its stripped‑back state, the layout of the future steelmaking process is beginning to emerge.

A new era — but at a heavy cost

Tata says the EAF will cut emissions dramatically and modernise the plant, but unions warn the shift will slash jobs and leave the UK dependent on imported steel scrap. The company has already confirmed that large parts of the works will close permanently this year.

Despite the upheaval, Tata insists progress is “well underway behind the scenes” and promises more updates as the project moves forward.

The next major milestone will be the arrival of the EAF shell and equipment — a moment that will symbolise the end of one era of Welsh steelmaking and the beginning of another.

More Tata Steel Coverage

Work begins on Port Talbot Electric Arc Furnace
Early construction marks the start of the site’s green steel transition.

2,800 jobs at risk as Tata announces plans
Workers brace for major changes as blast furnaces face closure.

Tata confirms closure of part of Port Talbot steelworks
Sections of the plant shut down as transition accelerates.

Steelworkers face ‘catastrophic’ Christmas pay cuts
Extended shutdown leaves families struggling over the festive period.

Port Talbot communities show resilience amid transition
Local support grows as financial pressures mount on households.

Tata signs contract for green steelmaking technology
New equipment deal paves the way for low‑carbon production.

Union prepares to escalate industrial action
Anger grows as Tata pushes ahead without waiting for government support.

Rail chaos hits Swansea as 12‑day shutdown begins — passengers warned to expect long delays

The closure — running from Monday 26 January to Friday 6 February, with an additional full shutdown on Sunday 8 February — has been confirmed by Network Rail, which says engineers will be working “around the clock” on the Landore Viaduct and the surrounding track.

Network Rail says the work involves renewing rails, sleepers, switches, crossings and points, as well as refurbishing the viaduct structure that carries trains over the River Tawe. The organisation describes the upgrades as “vital” to keeping services safe and reliable.

Nick Millington, Network Rail’s Wales & Borders Route Director, said the closure was unavoidable:

“We’re carrying out vital track renewal work and refurbishing Landore Viaduct to improve the reliability of the railway for passenger and freight services. To complete this work safely, we need to close the railway between Port Talbot Parkway and Swansea. We’re sorry for the disruption this will cause.”

The history of Landore Viaduct

Landore Viaduct first opened in 1850 as part of the South Wales Railway engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The original structure was built largely from timber and carried trains across the River Tawe into Swansea.

The viaduct was rebuilt in the late 19th century as rail traffic increased, replacing the timber superstructure with stronger materials. Further modernisation took place in the 1970s, leaving only a handful of Brunel’s original masonry piers still visible today.

For more than 170 years, the viaduct has remained a key route for passenger and freight services travelling in and out of Swansea, linking the city to the wider South Wales Main Line.

The shutdown means no trains at all between Port Talbot Parkway and Swansea for most of the next 12 days. Both Transport for Wales and Great Western Railway say their services will be heavily affected, with replacement buses running throughout the closure.

TfW says passengers should expect longer journeys and changes to connections, with some early‑morning and late‑evening services diverted or curtailed. Services to West Wales will continue to run, but many will start or finish at different stations than usual.

Colin Lea, TfW’s Planning and Performance Director, said:

“These essential works are an important investment in making the railway more reliable for years to come. We know disruption is frustrating and we’re grateful to customers for bearing with us.”

GWR has confirmed that its London Paddington services will now start and finish at Port Talbot instead of Swansea for most of the closure period. Some trains will not run at all on Friday 6 February because rolling stock will be out of position.

Passengers travelling through Gowerton face additional disruption because a low bridge prevents full‑size coaches from serving the station. Smaller buses are being used, meaning passengers heading beyond Swansea will need to change vehicles at the station before continuing their journey.

The disruption will intensify again this coming weekend, with buses replacing trains between Cardiff, Bridgend and Swansea on Saturday 31 January and Sunday 1 February, and further changes on Sunday 8 February.

Despite the upheaval, Swansea Station itself remains open, with ticketing, toilets and refreshments available as normal.

With the closure now underway, thousands of commuters are bracing for delays, packed buses and longer journeys — and hoping the promised improvements will justify the disruption.

Vape shop shut down after illegal stock and cannabis seized in Port Talbot

Mr. Vape, on Station Road, was hit with a closure order at Swansea Magistrates Court after repeated reports of suspicious and illegal activity — including claims the shop was selling illicit products to children.

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Trading Standards Team said the business had been linked to counterfeit and non‑tax‑paid tobacco, illegal cigarettes and oversized vapes. During a search in late 2025, officers seized illegal cigarettes, tobacco and a quantity of cannabis.

A District Judge approved the closure under Section 80 of the Anti‑Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. The shop’s owner did not attend the hearing.

The crackdown follows the UK‑wide ban on single‑use disposable vapes, which became illegal to sell on 1 June 2025.

Cllr Cen Phillips, Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing, said:

“Trading Standards work hard at protecting the public and the vulnerable from illegal tobacco and vape sales. Considerable work has gone into obtaining these closure orders, and the team will continue to use the resources at their disposal to combat this illegal trade.

I would urge anyone who cares about their community and their children’s health to report any information they have relating to illegal tobacco or vape sales.”

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Port Talbot driver jailed after 70mph chase through 20mph zone

Ryan Simon, 33, took a car from an address in Port Talbot on November 21 last year and fitted it with stolen number plates. He also stole items inside the vehicle, including a dash‑cam, a driving licence and cash.

When police approached him the following day, Simon drove off — narrowly avoiding dragging an officer along with the car.

A pursuit began, with Simon hitting speeds of 60mph to 70mph in a 20mph zone, ignoring traffic‑calming measures, running a red light and narrowly avoiding a collision before smashing into an unmarked police car.

He then mounted the kerb, showing what the court heard was a “disregard” for the safety of pedestrians.

At Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Paul Hobson told him: “You could have killed somebody, it’s sheer luck you didn’t do so. The fact you caused only major damage to the vehicle was sheer good fortune.”

Simon, of Kern Close, Sandfields, later admitted aggravated vehicle taking, theft from a motor vehicle, theft, and driving while disqualified.

The court heard he already had a string of previous convictions, including aggravated vehicle taking, driving while disqualified, taking vehicles without consent, theft, robbery and burglary.

In mitigation, the court was told Simon had struggled with cocaine use but had been engaging with drug and alcohol programmes while on remand and had been working in the prison kitchen.

He was jailed for 18 months and banned from driving for four years and nine months.

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Cwtch Mawr multibank begins pilot expansion into Neath Port Talbot

Faith in Families says the expansion marks a significant step for the Swansea‑based project, which has been battling rising need by redistributing new, surplus goods from businesses to families struggling to afford the basics. The charity says it is now moving at speed to support more households across the county.

Five hubs have been chosen for the rollout — in Port Talbot, the Afan Valley, Neath, the Dulais Valley and Pontardawe. Faith in Families says each hub will receive clothing, toiletries, nappies and household essentials, ready to be passed on through trusted local organisations.

The charity says its vans are already being loaded, with deliveries expected to begin as soon as each hub gives the green light.

A rapid response to rising need

Faith in Families says the pilot will test how fast large volumes of essential goods can be moved across a wider area while keeping support rooted in local communities. The charity says the work forms part of a wider partnership known as NPT United, bringing together public services, charities and businesses to support families under pressure.

Jon Waite, Facilities and Development Manager at Faith in Families, said:

“This pilot is about working at pace while keeping things local and practical. We know there is real need across Neath Port Talbot, and by working with established community hubs we can get essential items to families quickly, through people they already know and trust. This trial will help us understand what works best on the ground and how we can build strong, joined‑up approaches going forward.”

Expanding a model built on speed and dignity

Faith in Families says the multibank model is designed to get essential goods to families without delay, paperwork or stigma. The charity says working through schools, community groups and frontline services ensures support reaches people through organisations they already trust.

Faith in Families says the Neath Port Talbot pilot will help shape how the model can be expanded further across Wales, with the aim of making sure no family goes without the basics.

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A Roman villa find could be ‘Port Talbot’s Pompeii’.

Archaeologists have discovered the largest Roman villa ever found in Wales in an “amazing discovery” which they say has the potential to be “Port Talbot’s Pompeii”.

The villa lies less than a metre under Margam Country Park.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20260111-a-roman-villa-find-could-be-port-talbots-pompeii?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Archaeology #Wales #RomanVilla #PortTalbot #Romans #History #UK

Port Talbot crowned Wales’ AI capital as £2.1m boost aims to supercharge Welsh businesses

Efficiency analysts at Ailsa say Port Talbot residents are now searching for AI terms more than anywhere else in the country, with monthly queries soaring from around 36,880 in 2024 to more than 227,000 in 2025. That’s a staggering 516% surge.

Maesteg came second with a 429% rise, followed by Llanelli, Wrexham and Carmarthen. Swansea, Neath and Bridgend saw smaller increases but still recorded sharp growth as AI interest swept across Wales.

Ailsa says Wales has seen the biggest rise in AI searches of any UK nation, jumping 310% year‑on‑year.

AI search growth across Wales

Source: Ailsa efficiency analysis of AI‑related search terms, 2024–2025.

‘Every prompt has a carbon footprint’

Kane Taylor, energy efficiency expert at Ailsa, said the boom in AI use was exciting but warned that the environmental impact of constant prompting was being overlooked.

Kane Taylor said:

“AI is an incredible tool, but every query, every prompt and every reply comes with an environmental footprint we can’t ignore.”

He said AI queries can use up to ten times more energy than a standard browser search, adding that even typing “thank you” to a chatbot triggers another energy‑hungry response.

Taylor said the industry should look at limiting repeated queries and reusing highly rated answers to cut unnecessary processing.

£2.1m to help Welsh firms embrace AI

The surge in public interest comes as the Welsh Government announces £2.1m to help small and medium‑sized businesses adopt AI responsibly and effectively.

Ministers say the funding will help firms boost productivity, improve digital skills and stay competitive as artificial intelligence becomes central to modern business.

Business Wales will receive £600,000 to run an AI awareness and adoption programme, while £500,000 will support tourism and events companies through a new AI Pollination Project with the Hartree Centre Cardiff Hub and Cardiff University’s Digital Transformation Innovation Institute.

Workshops will offer up to 1,000 tourism businesses hands‑on AI training for digital marketing and content creation.

A further £1m will expand the Flexible Skills Programme, allowing employers to access AI training at just 25% of the usual cost.

Swansea firm already using AI to power global growth

One Swansea business is already proving how powerful AI can be when it’s put to work on the shop floor.

Something Different Wholesale — a giftware company with a turnover of £11 million, 75 staff and more than 12,000 active B2B customers worldwide — has woven artificial intelligence into almost every corner of its operation. The firm uses AI to crunch huge amounts of product and market data, helping it spot trends earlier and make smarter decisions about what customers want.

The company says AI is also taking over time‑consuming admin tasks, freeing staff to focus on creative and specialist work that adds more value. Customer service is being enhanced too, with AI helping the team respond faster and more accurately to enquiries from across the globe.

The Swansea‑based business is now preparing to launch a new international website, using AI to automatically translate its pages into multiple languages so it can reach customers in new markets without the usual delays or costs.

Founder Jane Wallace‑Jones said the technology is moving so quickly that many small businesses risk being left behind unless they get support to adopt it.

Jane Wallace‑Jones said:

“Artificial intelligence is advancing at a rapid pace and businesses that successfully adopt AI and integrate it into their processes will gain a significant competitive advantage.

“Many SMEs lack the in‑house expertise needed to utilise the latest technologies effectively. This Welsh Government funding presents a valuable opportunity for Welsh businesses like ours to access high‑quality AI training and improve productivity.”

She said the investment would help boost innovation, growth and future employment opportunities across Wales.

‘AI is transforming the business sector’

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning Rebecca Evans said the investment would help Welsh businesses prepare for the future.

Rebecca Evans said:

“AI is transforming the business sector, improving productivity and driving change. This programme will help SMEs across Wales optimise the potential of emerging AI technologies in responsible and ambitious ways.”

Skills Minister Jack Sargeant said the funding would help bridge digital skills gaps and support inclusive growth across Wales.

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