It is an international annual commemoration of those who have lost their lives in acts of genocide.

The theme for this year is Ordinary People – reflecting on how ordinary people were perpetrators, bystanders, rescuers, witnesses and victims of the Nazi Holocaust in Germany and of the genocides that took place in countries such as Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

The pupils will be joined by Swansea Council’s Deputy Leader Andrea Lewis, The Lord Mayor of Swansea Mike Day and the council’s Human Rights Champion Louise Gibbard.

Chief Inspector Declan Cahill of South Wales Police will read the Pan Wales Pledge while Norma Glass, MBE, a leading light in Swansea’s Jewish community, will close proceedings.

Cllr Lewis said: “Just last month Swansea was declared Wales’ first Human Rights City and it is vital that we here in Swansea do not forget The Holocaust and other acts of genocide which have cast a dark shadow on humanity.

“It is through events such as Holocaust Memorial Day we remember and challenge ourselves to stand-up against such tyranny to prevent it from taking hold again.”

Cllr Day said: “January 27 marks the day in 1945 when Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp in Poland, was liberated and the remaining prisoners set free.

“It is an important day across the globe to remember all those who have suffered and died due to acts of genocide.

“We want a strong message to go out which we hope is listened to and that is we never want such atrocities to be repeated. World leaders must do all they can to achieve this.”

Cllr Gibbard added: “After several years where we have staged our commemoration remotely due to the pandemic I am very honoured to be attending the Guildhall and joining with others for this important day of reflection and remembrance.”

The project, driven by Swansea Council, will help protect homes, businesses and people from rising sea levels for decades to come. It also aims to improve Mumbles as a destination, with new lighting, bins, seating and better links to Mumbles Road.

Work will see parts of the prom closed to the public in a phased manner throughout the work, expected to take around 18 months.

Access to homes and businesses will remain throughout and it is planned that – after talks between the council and main contractor – work next to businesses abutting the prom will not take place in the peak tourist season.

Construction noise is likely throughout the major project although it is planned that this will be in daytime where possible.

The main contractor is due to move on site soon, initially setting up a compound close to the prom and the Oyster House hotel.

The council and its contractors plan to keep the public and businesses informed with face-to-face drop-in sessions, newsletters, and updates online and in the press.

Last month council officers updated a number of businesses close to the prom and some community groups. Regular updates will follow.

Council cabinet Andrew Stevens said: “We’re addressing the condition of the Mumbles seawall and the community’s long-term flood risk.

“Visual improvements will create a greener, sustainable and attractive waterfront – an asset to the local community and an attraction for visitors.

“The aim is to be sensitive to Mumbles as a seaside visitor destination while protecting people and property.”

Welsh Government Minister for Climate Change Julie James said: “As we address the climate emergency, I am pleased to be providing Swansea Council with 85% of the funding for these works through our Coastal Risk Management Programme.

“Coastal communities must adapt to rising sea levels and this scheme will help do just that, by improving the flood and coastal erosion protection to around 130 properties in Mumbles.”

Some existing defences are in a poor condition and at risk of flooding. The flood risk level is expected to increase in the future due to predicted sea level rises.

A lack of action would put a number of homes and businesses at risk of flooding.

The 1.2km project – from Knab Rock slipway to Oystermouth Square – has been shaped with the help of extensive public consultation. The plans show more space for pedestrians and cyclists to share the prom with care, the protection of trees and more opportunities for play and relaxation.

Full plans – www.bit.ly/MSDplanapp

Image: How part of the Mumbles Prom could soon look in the Hennebont Gardens area.

The UK Government has approved a levelling-up bid from Swansea Council for the project, which is aimed at further regenerating the Lower Swansea Valley.

The project is made up of three elements:

• The restoration of even more heritage features at the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site, following-on from all the work that’s been carried out there so far. Several listed buildings would be regenerated, releasing them for business use and new private sector investment. The site would also become better connected with local communities, to help tell the story of Swansea’s rich industrial legacy to new generations.

• Improving links between the River Tawe and the copperworks site, while also developing better links between the site and the city centre. Victorian era railway arches would be re-used to enable access to public transport by bus, rail and river.
   
• The upgrade and enhancement of Swansea Museum, improving access and the visitor experience with increased and new exhibition and learning spaces. The investment will protect the museum and enable important elements of its collections currently stored at the former rolling mill of the Copperworks to be brought to this city centre heritage attraction – widely celebrated as the oldest museum in Wales. This will then release the rolling mill building at the copperworks for further mixed-use regeneration.

Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader, said: “This project will build on all the work that’s taken place in recent years to help further preserve the city’s historic Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site, while creating innovative new spaces for local businesses, new job opportunities for local people and better links between the site and the city centre.

“Helping breathe new life into the River Tawe corridor, the project will boost Swansea’s status as a heritage destination, ensure our rich industrial history continues to be celebrated for years to come and improve our cultural offer for the benefit of local residents and visitors to the city.

“It will combine with all the significant investment that’s already under way across Swansea to transform our city into the UK’s best places to live, work, study and visit.”

The council also bid for levelling-up funding for projects aimed at further regenerating the city centre, improving Fabian Way infrastructure and boosting Port Eynon as a visitor destination. Those bids were unsuccessful.

Cllr Stewart said: “While we welcome the approval of the Lower Swansea Valley project bid, we’re disappointed that our other project bids were unsuccessful and we’ll be making contact with the UK Government as soon as possible for feedback. We will also be pursuing other bids and hope to be successful on those in future bidding rounds  

“Over £1bn of investment is currently on-going into the rebuilding, reshaping and restoration of our city.”

Among the work on-going is revamping of the Hafod Morfa Copperworks site by Swansea firm John Weaver contractors on behalf of the council. The work has been made possible thanks to a £4m grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales, and £500,000 from Welsh Government. A Penderyn whisky distillery and visitor centre form part of that project.

Other projects include emerging Skyline proposals for Kilvey Hill that could, subject to approval, include a cable car system, luge runs and other facilities.

Pantomime Beauty and the Beast more than lived up to expectations; ticket sales broke previous records and lots of customers came back for a second time.

The theatre delivered a cracking panto and what really stood out was the overwhelming number of positive comments from audience members.

Feedback included:

• “We visited with our three-year-old. It was the best show we’ve seen so far! Loved every second.”
• “Six of my family members, aged five to their 70s, came to see the show. Brilliant! We all loved it.”
• “Me and my son attended. Got to say it was amazing!”
• “Watched with my grandson. Absolutely brilliant!”
• “Visited the pantomine as a party of 11, aged three to 60. Beauty and the Beast was truly wonderful. What a great cast – you should all be very proud of the show.”

Pantomime has always been popular with Swansea audiences and the Grand is synonymous with this quintessential seasonal offering.

Over the years many a celebrity has trod the boards as villain, dame, prince or princess, including Ryan Davies, Wayne Fontana, John Challis, Lisa Riley, Jimmy Osmond and Gillian Taylforth. This season Joe McFadden headlined the cast.

Grand manager Grant McFarlane said: “This has been a fantastic result for the theatre.

“Box office has broken previous records and the advance sales for our next panto, Cinderella, have exceeded our expectations.

“Notably this year, the feedback we’ve received has been overwhelmingly positive and we have seen large numbers of returning customers watching the show twice or more. It’s really encouraging that the popularity of panto continues to grow.”

Council cabinet member Robert Francis-Davies said: “Beauty and the Beast – with its incredible cast, brilliant theatre team and amazing audiences – shows that theatre is thriving in Swansea.

“The city has a rich and diverse range of cultural experiences and the Grand continues to be a key part of that.”

The theatre is already gearing up for the next panto, Cinderella, which promises to be the belle of the ball with a dazzling digital set and all the hilarity that audiences have come to expect.

Bookings: www.swanseagrand.co.uk 

Swansea Council has developed a new digital portal which tenants can access online, by smartphone and via tablet.

 The new ‘My Housing’ service will give every council tenant the option of paying their rent using the portal.

 Tenants can also keep a check on their rent payments which will also help them manage their rent account.

 It will also give users the option of reporting problems at their home as well as keeping track of repairs that have been completed previously.

 The latest digital service has been developed as an additional method for tenants to keep in touch with the Council’s Housing Service. It may also save tenants needing to ring or visit their nearest Area Housing Office if this way is easier for them.

 To use My Housing, tenants will need to visit the portal webpage, create an account using their tenant details and once authorised, will gain access to all the different services.

 Andrea Lewis, Cabinet Member for Service Transformation, said: “Making sure tenants can contact us and access services relating to their home is vital.

 “This new digital portal is a great step forward in terms of how quickly we can interact with tenants, whether it’s in relation to a rent issue or to report problems a tenant might be experiencing at home.

 “A large majority of our residents now have access to digital technology, particularly on their smartphone, so this an excellent opportunity for tenants to get on board and try out a new way to stay in touch with the council.

 “This doesn’t mean we have stopped providing services in the more traditional way – this is simply a way of giving tenants more options to get things done.”

 To sign up to My Housing, visit https://www.swansea.gov.uk/myhousing

 Tenants can contact their Area Housing Office if they need any help signing up.

The proposal has been agreed by Swansea Council’s Cabinet as part of efforts to deter people from thinking it is OK to arrange to have their waste taken by someone who might disfigure the countryside and communities by dumping rubbish rather than using a licensed waste site.

The new rules will allow the council’s Waste Enforcement team to issue fixed penalty notices to householders who ignore their ‘duty of care’ by arranging for someone without a waste carrier license to dispose of their waste.

Up until now the only way to tackle householders who failed in their duty of care to check the person disposing of the waste has a correct licence has been to prosecute them through the courts.

Householders in Swansea can take their waste to council recycling centres in the city for free.

Cyril Anderson, Cabinet Member for Community, said: “Let’s be clear, fly-tipping is not a victimless crime. Swansea enjoys some of the best scenery in Wales and nobody wants to see it spoiled by people dumping household waste, fridges, beds and other materials.

“Nor do we want people to think it is OK just to get rid of waste by dumping it on green space near homes in our communities, in alleyways or lanes.”

He said: “For a number of years we have been able to issue FPNs to householders who dump their own waste. Our message to householders now is that you must check the company you’re hiring has a disposal licence, otherwise you’ll be just as liable as them to an FPN if they fly-tip your waste.

“Cowboy operators often charge less than proper businesses because they fly-tip rather than get rid of waste safely. This behaviour damages our countryside and also undermines legitimate waste disposal companies who are doing the right thing.”

He added: “Adopting a FPN approach to some cases will deter people from dumping waste in the first place and make it more straightforward for the council to enforce anti-fly tipping activities without having to take cases to court.

“That doesn’t mean we won’t go to court where necessary. But FPNs are now an additional part of a wide range of steps we can take to protect our communities and countryside from harm caused by fly-tipping.”

You can find out more about how to dispose of waste appropriately here:

Results of searching Waste Carriers, Brokers, and Dealers (data.gov.uk)

http://www.naturalresources.wales/checkWaste

https://naturalresources.wales/permits-and-permissions/waste-carriers-brokers-and-dealers-public-register/?lang=en

Cabinet has agreed to go out to a wide-ranging consultation on its licensing policy and city centre cumulative impact assessment (CIA) which together aim to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in the city centre. 

The council’s licensing policy is up for renewal after five years. The CIA is being reviewed after three years. The CIA can help limit the number or type of licence applications granted, where there is evidence to show that the number of licensed premises is leading to problems, such as crime and disorder in the area.

David Hopkins, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Performance, said: “The reports seen by Cabinet show how our approach to licensing is helping develop the city centre as a safe, welcoming destination for night-time visitors while also supporting jobs and the community.”

Cllr Hopkins said the reviews are designed to ensure they continue to be fit for the job they do in providing clear guidance on how those providing alcohol, food and entertainment in the city centre go about their business.

He said: “They play a key role in supporting the council’s licensing committee, ensuring the cumulative impact of licensed premises is not detrimental to the city centre, its residents, businesses and visitors alike.”

The CIA report includes an update that shows overall crime and anti-social behaviour in the city centre has declined by as much as 45% in some areas since the last licensing policy review in 2018.

Between 2017 and 2022, the Wind Street area saw a 39% reduction in anti-social behaviour, a 25% reduction in crime and a 33% reduction in violent crime.

In the Kingsway area, during the same period, there was a 43% reduction in recorded crime, 45% reduction in violent crime and a 31% reduction in anti-social behaviour. The High Street area has also witnessed overall reductions in crime, violent crime and anti-social behaviour.

Cllr Hopkins said: “As part of the consultation process for the policies we’ll be welcoming comment from a range of businesses and organisations on progress so far and how things can continue to improve in the years ahead.”

The plans are part of Swansea council proposals to introduce new parking charges for car parks in the city which will ensure they can be maintained in the coming years and the new discount scheme will mean residents of Swansea will get cheaper parking than those living outside the city at all car parks operated by the Council.

The plans approved by Cabinet will mean an increase on the existing £2 all-day parking offer which was introduced to help boost the city’s retail economy and support families in need as the city emerged from the pandemic. Parking was also free across Swansea during lockdown to support essential workers.

The Council has not increased parking charges since 2014 but says the latest plans are necessary to enable car parks to be maintained and to ensure they can feature the most modern payment systems for motorists.

Park and Ride services in the city will remain unaffected by the proposed price increases and will stay at £1 per car until at least 2024.

Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said: “The Council has invested more than £2.1m of subsidies in the last year alone to keep prices at near-record lows in council-owned car parks. This was done to support businesses and residents while we recovered from the impact the pandemic has had on our city.

“We have not increased parking charges in more than eight years in Swansea, maintaining some of the lowest parking charges in the country.

“Now, due to the pressures of the cost of living crisis on council budgets, there is a need to re-shape and increase charges from April so we can ensure car parking services are protected and maintained in the coming years.

“Residents in Swansea will benefit from a discount scheme we are also bringing in, which will enable them to pay a lower parking fees compared to motorists living outside of the city.”

Cllr Stevens said the proposals are subject to public consultation through the current budget consultation and people will still have three more months of very low cost car parking.

He added “The council is extremely reluctant to introduce the changes, but this proposal has been forced on us due to the enormous pressures caused by inflation, the energy costs crisis and insufficient local government funding from UK government.”

The report to Cabinet set out a number of other changes to car parking charges, including a £2-all day charge for Sundays, to bring Swansea into line with other places like Cardiff, Carmarthen and Newport.

They’re on site at the city centre’s historic Palace Theatre building, making it ready for a dramatic but sensitive overhaul in the coming two years.

The structure was built in 1888 and, in its long history, has undergone a series of interior makeovers resulting in a complex rabbit warren with steep, winding staircases and numerous spaces of different shapes and sizes.

The challenges for those now in the early stages of rescuing the building are intensified by the structure’s derelict state after almost two decades of disuse.

Swansea Council plans a big future for the six-storey building, having taken it out of private ownership shortly before the pandemic.

Council leader Rob Stewart said: “The Palace was in a terrible state and could have been lost to Swansea.

“It was dilapidated after years of being in private hands; we rescued it when we purchased the building for the people of Swansea

“We’re transforming it with the help of specialist partners such as GWP Architecture and main contractor R&M Williams Ltd.”

Council cabinet member Robert Francis-Davies said: “We’re striving to restore and retain key features and to make the Palace an important location for the city’s ongoing £1bn regeneration and exciting future.”

R&M Williams contracts manager Simeon Reed said: “Due to the Palace’s age and poor condition, we’re encountering many challenges as we make good progress. Once the work’s complete, the city will have a building that’ll be a dynamic focal point for a regenerated area.”

GWP Architecture director Richard Townend said: “We look forward to seeing specialist conservation trades – including roofers, lead workers, metal workers, joiners and plasterers – using their knowledge and experience to create and restore key aspects of the Palace Theatre building.”

Welsh Government Minister for Climate Change Julie James said: “We want to breathe new life into our town centres and I am pleased that we’ve been able to contribute to this important project via our Transforming Towns programme.”

The grade two listed building is being transformed sensitively into a home for tech businesses, start-up and creative businesses, with Tramshed Tech to lease the building as lead tenant.

Work began on site in 2021 and the building is due to reopen in 2024. The project is being assisted with funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the Welsh Government, via the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme.

More: www.facebook.com/PalaceTheatreRedevelopment/.

Photo: The roof space at Swansea’s Palace Theatre building as it is now – with the slates removed and covered in weatherproof sheeting.