Councillors back bold plan to explore Swansea Valley tram‑train link

Green Party councillor Nathan Goldup‑John brought the motion to a full council meeting on 17 December, urging officers to investigate a tram‑train route running from Aberdulais or Tonna into Swansea — with scope for future extensions deeper into the valleys.

‘Time to re‑imagine the Neath corridor’

Cllr Goldup‑John said the region needed to think big about transport, describing the Neath corridor as a “green, connected spine for south west Wales”.

He argued that an electrified tram‑train system could cut car dependency and reduce emissions, while also unlocking regeneration opportunities along the route.

The proposal, he said, would dovetail with the wider Swansea Bay Metro vision, creating a fast, low‑carbon link between valley communities and the city.

He added that new Metro‑style stations could connect directly with local bus routes, giving residents across the county borough far better access to reliable public transport.

Cross‑party support – with one caveat

Labour’s Cllr Sonia Reynolds said her group supported the motion but stressed it must not undermine the council’s push for bus franchising, due to roll out by 2027.

Council leader Cllr Steve Hunt also backed the proposal, while reassuring members that buses remain a top transport priority.

What happens next?

Councillors voted unanimously to support the motion. Officers will now prepare a report for cabinet before the end of the financial year, including options for commissioning a full feasibility study.

If progressed, the scheme could form a major new strand of the Swansea Bay Metro – and potentially reconnect valley communities with Swansea by rail for the first time in generations.

Wales’ only mother and baby mental health unit to close temporarily for urgent repairs

The Swansea Bay University Health Board confirmed that work will begin on 13 October to fix a significant roof leak and install a new air cooling system. The decision follows a review by the Royal College of Psychiatry, which raised concerns that temperatures inside the unit had exceeded safe sleep standards for babies.

The health board said the closure was unavoidable, stressing that the safety of patients and staff was the overriding priority.

Uned Gobaith — meaning “Unit of Hope” — opened in April 2021 and is the only inpatient perinatal mental health unit in Wales. It was established after years of campaigning by families and clinicians, who warned that mothers experiencing severe mental health problems during or after pregnancy were being forced either onto adult psychiatric wards without their babies, or sent across the border to England for specialist care.

The unit has six bedrooms designed for mothers and their babies, with space for up to seven infants to allow for multiple births. It offers a homely environment with shared living and kitchen areas, a playroom, quiet room and sensory room. Family accommodation is also available for those travelling long distances. A multidisciplinary team — including psychiatrists, mental health nurses, psychologists, midwives, social workers, health visitors and nursery nurses — provides round‑the‑clock care.

The closure means that, for the first time since the unit opened, women in Wales who need inpatient perinatal mental health support may again face being admitted to independent sector beds or sent further afield. The health board’s perinatal mental health team will continue to manage admissions and liaise with the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee to secure alternative provision.

A spokesperson for Swansea Bay University Health Board said:

“This is a temporary, but absolutely necessary measure and it will result in a safer and more suitable environment for everyone in the future.”

The Maternal Mental Health Alliance has previously described the opening of Uned Gobaith as “a significant difference to the lives of women and their families” in Wales. Campaigners have long argued that access to specialist perinatal care is a matter of equality, pointing out that before 2021, Welsh mothers in crisis were often separated from their babies or forced to travel to Bristol or further.

The temporary closure also comes at a time when the health board’s wider maternity services are under intense scrutiny. As Swansea Bay News has reported, a Llais report revealed shocking accounts from new mothers at Singleton Hospital, including claims of women being left in blood‑soaked sheets and dismissed when raising concerns. Following three damning independent reviews, the Welsh Government escalated maternity services at Singleton to the highest level of intervention, and a Scottish health leader has been brought in to oversee reforms.

Work at Uned Gobaith is expected to be completed within four to six weeks, with the unit due to reopen before the end of November.

#MaternalMentalHealthAlliance #maternity #maternityUnit #NHSWalesJointCommissioningCommittee #RoyalCollegeOfPsychiatry #SwanseaBayNHS #Tonna #UnedGobaith

Driver has to pay £1,717 after bathroom waste is fly tipped near picnic site

The discovery of a large amount of fly tipped waste, which included bathroom furnishings, near a picnic site in Neath, led to a van driver appearing at Swansea Magistrates Court after concerned residents called in Neath Port Talbot Council’s Waste Enforcement Team.

At the court on Thursday May 29 2025, Richard Marc Holland, 47, of Jersey Road, Bonymaen, was fined £153 and ordered to pay £1,500 costs and a £61 victim surcharge after he pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

While the defendant was not seen to have deposited the waste, section 33(5) of this Act establishes that the person in control of a vehicle carrying controlled waste, is considered to be knowingly causing the waste to be deposited, even without direct instructions, if the waste is deposited from the vehicle.

This means that the person in control of the vehicle is held responsible for the waste’s illegal deposit, regardless of whether they personally gave the order for the waste to be deposited.

The waste was discovered on Tuesday October 18th 2022, near Mosshouse Reservoir, Fairyland Road, Tonna, Neath, when a number of people who knew the area as a fly tipping hotspot became suspicious after a tipper style van containing bathroom furnishings was seen close to the reservoir site.

They later discovered the waste illegally deposited near the picnic site which included a broken toilet, a sink and shower screens.  Photographs of the waste and the details of the vehicle were supplied by the witnesses to the Waste Enforcement team.

Investigation work by two of the council’s Waste Enforcement officers found the dumped waste had come from a home which had undergone a bathroom refurbishment and the vehicle’s owner was traced.

The owner said at the time of the offence the vehicle was being used by Richard Marc Holland who later attended an interview with Waste Enforcement officers at Neath Civic Centre.

At the interview, while accepting he was in control the van on the day of the offence, he denied depositing the waste claiming he had taken it to a skip. He told the officers “Someone must have placed the waste back in the vehicle from the skip and travelled to the location and deposited it”.

This led to the charge under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 as above which the defendant pleaded guilty to in court.

Cllr Scott Jones, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene, said: “I’d like to thank the members of the public for their community spirited action in initially bringing this matter to our attention.

“Fly tipping is a crime against our environment and we will pursue a prosecution either in court or via a Fixed Penalty Notice. We take this nationwide issue extremely seriously and will continue to have a zero-tolerance approach.”

#Bonymaen #Crime #FairylandRoad #flytipping #MosshouseReservoir #Neath #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #Tonna

Student mural celebrates nature at abandoned farm-turned woodland

The new mural was created at Coed Cadw’s Brynau Farm site by Ellie Jones, a BA Illustration student at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD). Her winning design celebrates the rich stories, landscape and wildlife of Brynau Farm – from the springtime bluebells to the elusive resident barn owl.

Brynau, meaning ‘many hills’ in Welsh, is a 235-acre, long-forgotten landscape that has been restored into a sanctuary for nature. Barren fields have been transformed into vibrant young woodland, with restoration work carried out in the ancient wood, and abandoned agricultural buildings resurrected into a secure home for Brynau’s resident barn owl.

The landscape is grazed by a small herd of ancient Welsh white cattle and boasts panoramic views across Bannau Brycheiniog and Swansea Bay.

The mural is the centrepiece of the ‘Spirit of Place’ work being undertaken at Brynau, and forms part of Coed Cadw’s wider vision to engage and inspire young people in the protection and restoration of nature.

The project began with a live brief issued to Swansea College of Art students, inviting them to creatively interpret the unique character and ecological promise of Brynau.

A panel made up of Coed Cadw staff, volunteers, youth forum members and external youth representatives selected Ellie’s design for its outstanding artistic quality and deep emotional connection to the natural world.

“My creative work is heavily inspired by nature, wellbeing and mindfulness,” student and artist, Ellie Jones explained. “I wanted to capture the calm, beauty and wildlife that thrive at Brynau Farm – from the bluebells to the resident barn owl. I hope this mural encourages people to pause, take a breath, and really appreciate the nature that surrounds them.”

“This project has been a shining example of how creativity and conservation can come together to inspire change,” said Sophie Thomas, Digital Communications Officer at Coed Cadw. “We’re incredibly proud to support young people like Ellie who bring their passion and vision into public spaces. The mural at Brynau is not only beautiful, it’s a visual reminder of our shared responsibility to protect and cherish the natural world.”

Now complete, it is hoped that Ellie’s mural will act as a vibrant reminder of the importance of connecting young people with nature through creative expression.

It also marks another chapter in Coed Cadw’s long-term commitment to restoring and protecting nature in Neath; it recently secured an additional 140 hectares of land at Cefn Morfudd as part of an ambitious project to create and restore woodland and natural habitats across a 236-hectare landscape – one of the largest woodland restoration efforts in Wales.

“It’s been a real privilege to partner with Coed Cadw,” added Iwan Vaughan, Lecturer in BA Illustration at Swansea College of Art. “Giving our students the opportunity to tackle a live brief has not only developed their creative practice, but also connected them with a vital environmental mission. It’s fantastic to see their work make a real difference.”

#Art #BrynauFarm #CoedCadw #mural #nature #SwanseaCollegeOfArt #Tonna #UniversityOfWalesTrinitySaintDavid #UWTSD #WoodlandTrust

Brand new Artisan Café opens in Tonna

Previously known as the Old Railway Tavern, the building has been empty for the last few years and had suffered flood damage before being acquired by the Booth family who lovingly restored the building to its former glory.

It has now been transformed into a family run Artisan Café, with two self-contained holiday apartments on the first floor. 

Located alongside Neath Canal in Tonna, the new dog friendly café now called Booths by the Bridge, will be managed by brother and sister duo Hannah and Aaran Booth, along with Aaran’s partner, Rachel Bevan.

It will open its doors for business on Friday 24th January, serving a selection of cakes, bakes, pastries and a range of Coaltown Coffees. The café will be open Thursday to Monday, 8am to 4pm. 

The capital renovation project included a complete strip out and reconfiguration, and the building has been renovated throughout including a number of flood protection measures. Sustainable materials and low energy fittings have been put in place throughout ensuring the energy efficiency of the new business. 

Externally, the roof has been replaced, the car park has been resurfaced and the whole building has literally been given a new coat of paint, giving it a fresh and modern look. 

The new business will create 11 new jobs for the local area and the family is looking to provide a cosy community hub for residents and visitors, encouraging more people to enjoy walks alongside the canal then meeting up for coffee, cake and a warm welcome afterwards. 

The capital renovation project has been part-funded by Neath Port Talbot Council’s Valleys and Villages Prosperity Fund (VVPF) through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

The project also received additional grant funding for equipment and staff training from the UKSPF Business Start-up and Business Investment Grants.

VVPF and the Business Start-up and Business Investment Grants formed part of Neath Port Talbot Council’s package of grant schemes available during 2023 and 2024, thanks to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. 

Owner, Hannah Booth said: “It’s been an incredibly busy year for us as a family but we are so pleased with how the project has turned out and we can’t wait now to welcome the local community and visitors finally through our doors.

“Our aim was to create a cosy space where everyone feels welcome to enjoy a cuppa with friends. We have big plans for the future and how the space will evolve, but for now, as this is brand new to us, we’ll be opening with quality pastries, cakes and coffee whilst we find our feet. We’re so grateful for all the support we’ve received, in particular from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, without which, a transformation on this scale, would never have been possible.”

Cllr. Jeremy Hurley, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Economic Growth at Neath Port Talbot Council added: “How wonderful to see a new family business created and a prominent but formerly derelict building brought back into use, all in one project – this is a great use of UK Shared Prosperity Funding for the community in Tonna. I wish the family the very best of luck in its new venture and look forward to visiting when the business opens”. 

#Business #cafe #NeathPortTalbot #NeathPortTalbotCouncilForVoluntaryService #regeneration #Tonna #UKGovernment #UKSharedProsperityFund

In da yard, as I eksplor
I smells da toona
Toona sammich

I spot da mama on da step
And I smells toona
Toona sammich

I come kwik, befor she's done
Cuz I wants toona
Toona sammich

I start to gwab, makes shur she shares
Cuz I likes toona
Toona sammich

#Tonna #Sammich #NoFin #CatsOfMastodon