Tourism News
£7.5m WAG Funding for Refurbishment of Arriva Trains Wales fleet
The Welsh Assembly Government are providing £7.5 million towards an improvement programme which will take place over the next 18 months, with trains in Arriva’s fleet undergoing a complete upgrade. This will include new seating, a state of the art Passenger Information System, improved luggage storage facilities, additional space for wheelchairs and a full refurbishment of toilets.
The Welsh Assembly Government funded refurbishment of the Class 158 fleet will be one of the most extensive of its kind the industry has seen to date, delivering an “as new” train interior. Work on the Class 158 fleet is scheduled to begin in December 2010 with the programme for all 24 units expected to be completed by summer 2012. Passengers will start seeing the refurbished trains come into operation from January 2011, when the first units will be released into service.
The funding agreed by WAG also enables the refresh of the Arriva Trains Wales Class 153 fleet. Eight units are due to undergo considerable improvement work including a full repaint of the passenger saloon, the replacement all flooring and fabrics, as well as a refresh to the toilet facilities.
The 153 programme also includes work to increase the height of seating in relation to windows, to improve visibility and comfort during journeys. Work on the Class 153 units has commenced at Arriva Trains Wales’ Canton Traincare depot and the first unit has now been completed.
Arriva Trains Wales in conjunction with Angel Trains and ALSTOM has committed to significant investment in its Class 175 fleet, which serves routes between North and South Wales and Manchester. Work on the fleet has already begun with the first completed unit already in service. All 27 units are expected to be completed by May of next year with new carpets, seat covers and a refresh of the vestibule area.
Contract signed for Swansea station Reconstruction
The contract has been awarded for construction to begin on Swansea High Street station. The scheme will see a larger concourse area with better and more accessible passenger facilities, as well as new waiting shelters, new booking office with extra ticket vending machines, toilets, digital information boards, shops and CCTV cameras.
The station environment will also be significantly improved with refurbished canopies and modernised fittings that will blend in with existing architecture.
The scheme, which is part of the Welsh station improvement programme announced by the Deputy First Minister last month, is jointly led by the Welsh Assembly Government, Arriva Trains Wales, and Network Rail.
Feasibility study on plans to reopen Cambrian line stations
Trafnidiaeth Canolbarth Cymru, a group working with councils on transport issues, is carrying out a feasibility study on plans to reopen Bow Street station between Dyfi Junction and Aberystwyth on the Cambrian line.
It is also working on a scheme to reopen Carno station between Caersws and Machynlleth on the same line; both stations were closed in the 1960s.
Twenty-four historic buildings across Wales receive restoration funding
Alun Ffred Jones, Minister for Heritage, announced on 28 July that WAG’s historic building grants of nearly £1m have been offered to carry out essential repairs and restoration work to 24 buildings across Wales.
This includes £39k for repairs to restore the front elevation of the oldest theatre in Wales, the Savoy Theatre in Church Street, Monmouth which also has exceptional interest as a rare and little altered example of a small cinema from the intra war period in Wales.
The Tabernacle Chapel at Morriston is perhaps the largest, grandest chapel in Wales with striking exterior presence, and a virtually unaltered interior and fittings. A grant of £100k has been offered towards a scheme of works to refurbish the chapel’s historic exterior.
A £78k grant will go towards a scheme of repairs to the historic fabric of St Gredifael’s Church at Penymynydd, Llangefni on Anglesey. This is an unspoilt medieval church of charming rural style which has immense local and national historic interest for its connection with the Tudor family of Plas Penmynydd, closely related to the Tudor royal dynasty.
Wales in Bloom Funding Crisis
A statement on the Wales in Bloom website last year regretted that the 2010 Competition would be run with a reduced number of categories due to funding issues. The organisers are now warning that this would be the last year of the competition unless new funding can be found.
Donna Roberts, the Wales in Bloom Foundation secretary is quoted as saying that annual funding from Visit Wales of £30k a few years ago had now been reduced to nothing and that it was preparing for “panic stations”.
The 2010 Awards Ceremony will be hosted by Anglesey County Council on 17 September at Cemaes Bay.
The Tourism Society appoint Acting Executive Director
After serving as Executive Director at the Tourism Society for nearly a year, Mark Miller has left the Secretariat to pursue personal projects. Gregory Yeoman, formerly Membership Executive at the Society, has been appointed as Acting Executive Director. Gregory has worked at the Society since May 2009 and brings not only his knowledge of the Society to the role but also the experience of 15 years in the tour operator sector.
New Research to Support Chef Progression
People 1st Cymru is seeking help from employers across Wales to identify key milestones in chef progression.
At present, there are robust chef qualifications at college, a dedicated apprenticeship programme in the workplace and other courses and qualifications, such as the Triple A programme, to prepare learners for a career as a chef. However, the career progression is unclear.
For example, how does an individual progress from college entry at 16 to a Michelin star chef or senior manager? At what stage in a chef's career should he or she learn how to cost and develop a menu, learn about wider business development, or specialise in particular types of cuisine? And, perhaps more importantly, how does this learning take place?
People 1st will carry out research with leading chefs across Wales in the autumn to help define the kind of career route required to progress to higher levels within the profession.
For further information, or to be involved in this research, contact Phil Raynsford, People 1st's development director on 07769 643 218 or email phil.raynsford@people1st.co.uk.
First Cruise from Briton Ferry for 60 years
The MV Balmoral will make a historic cruise from Briton Ferry to Ilfracombe and the Exmoor Coast on Bank Holiday Saturday 28 August. This is the first full day cruise from Briton Ferry and back for over 60 years.
The event is to mark the 175th Anniversary of the founding of the Great Western Railway in 1835 and the appointment of a very young engineer to build the railway, ships and docks – Brunel.
The event organised by Neath Port Talbot Council, The Brunel Dock Trust and the Waverley Trust, who operate the Balmoral, also marks the work and future plans to restore Brunel’s Dock at Briton Ferry.
Appointments to National Park Authorities & New Chair for Brecon Beacons
The Minister for Environment, Sustainability & Housing, Jane Davidson has announced four new appointments to the Welsh National Park Authorities.
The Minister has appointed Ms Melanie Doel, Mrs Carys Lloyd Howell and Professor Alan Terence Arthur Lovell to the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority and Ms Marian Wyn Jones to the Snowdonia National Park Authority.
After 13 years service, Mary Taylor steps down as Chair of the Brecon Beacons National Park at the end of August and will be succeeded by Cllr Eric Saxon from Monmouthshire.
£15m Redevelopment of North Wales Caravan Park
Gwynedd council has approved plans for Haven Holidays to begin a £15m ten year redevelopment scheme for their Hafan y Mor site near Pwllheli. Haven will demolish some 450 chalets dating back to the 1970s and replace them with 209 static caravans and 75 lodges.
A nine hole golf course will be part of the redevelopment and the coastal path on the site will be extended. Haven estimate that the scheme will create another twelve permanent and thirty seasonal jobs in addition to the 350 existing jobs at Hafan y Mor.
Return of the Deganwy to Conwy Ferry
For the first time in more than 180 years, a public ferry service is running between Deganwy and Conwy with four boats sailing between five stops on the River Conwy.
The ferry service was launched on 13 August and is being operated by the North Wales Cruising Club, Conwy Yacht Club and Network Yacht Brokers. They hope to run the ferry all year round which will link Deganwy marina and beach with the Conwy Quay marina and Conwy Beacons.