Business

Everything you need to know about Eisteddfod yr Urdd 2025

by Kevin
written by Kevin

The steel town of Port Talbot is ready to welcome thousands of visitors to Eisteddfod yr Urdd, an annual celebration of Welsh language and culture.

This year there are more Welsh learners competing than ever before, according to Urdd Gobaith Cymru.

The festival will take place in Margam Park from Monday 26 May to Saturday 31 May.

Locals have said the festival will bring much-needed positivity to the town, following the closure of the blast furnaces at Tata steel last year.

What is Eisteddfod yr Urdd?

The Urdd Eisteddfod is held every year at different locations across Wales, usually to coincide with the spring half term.

The festival brings together young people to compete in events in categories including music, literature and performing arts.

The festival is organised by Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Wales' largest youth movement, which celebrated its 100th birthday in 2022.

The organisation has announced a record-breaking 119,593 registrations to compete in this year's festival, which includes a significant 42% rise in the number of young Welsh learners compared to last year.

Much-needed good news for Port Talbot

Since announcing in 2023 that the festival would be held in Port Talbot, the steel town has seen a lot of change. In January 2024 it was announced the blast furnaces at Tata Steel would be closing, meaning the loss of nearly 3,000 jobs across the UK but most of those in Port Talbot.

Rosa McLean says the festival is coming after a difficult time for the area

Students at local school Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera Bro Dur hope the Eisteddfod will be a chance to celebrate the area's history.

Rosa McLean, 14, hopes the Eisteddfod will bring more tourism to the area.

"It's really exciting, I've lived in Port Talbot all my life so I feel like I'm more involved in it [Eisteddfod]," she said.

"It's been quite quiet here, so I think the Eisteddfod will brighten the situation with the steelworks."

How much are tickets to the Urdd Eisteddfod?

Tickets for lower income families or children under the age of three are free.

As a part of the Urdd's message of peace and goodwill, the organisation said they were "committed" to continue to appeal to low income families.

General admission per day ranges from £23 for an adult to £15 for a child or £12 for a competitor.

More information about tickets, including who is eligible for free entry, can be found on the Urdd's website.

How can I get to the Urdd Eisteddfod?

Margam Park is a stone's throw away from the M4. Exit at junction 38 if you are travelling from the west and junction 37 from the east.

In May a train was named after the Urdd's mascot, Mistar Urdd, to encourage people to use public transport to get to the festival grounds this year.

Organisers have also confirmed details for the shuttle bus service running between Port Talbot (Parkway) train station to the Eisteddfod Maes throughout the week.

The service is free to the public, running between 06:30 BST and 21:56 or 23:26, depending on which day.

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Global Trade

Family of dead British PC face wait for answers

by Austin
written by Austin

The family of a young police officer who died after a night out on Corfu in 2023 are facing a further wait for answers after her inquest was delayed pending more information from Greek authorities.

Hannah Byrne had been out on the first night of her holiday in Kavos on the Greek island when she suffered a fatal head injury after falling several metres on 1 September 2023.

The 22-year-old served as a constable with Surrey Police's neighbourhood policing team in Reigate.

Greek authorities believed her fatal injuries sustained outside a bar were compatible with an "accidental" fall but they were also investigating whether Ms Byrne had unwittingly drunk alcohol laced with methanol.

Surrey Police
Ms Byrne was based at Reigate as part of the neighbourhood policing team

On Tuesday, West Sussex Area Coroner Joseph Turner adjourned Ms Byrne's inquest, which was originally opened on 18 September 2023, for another six months.

"We are still awaiting information and material from the Greek authorities," coroner's officer Anna Soczewka told the court in Horsham.

Ms Byrne was found dead on the side of a main road by a passerby the morning after her fall.

Her family and friends will now have to wait until 18 November this year for her case to next be heard at West Sussex Coroner's Court.

A tribute from Ms Byrne's family, issued through police at the time of her death in 2023, described her as "beautiful inside and out" with "a real zest for life".

Her death was described at the time by colleagues as "a shock for everyone who knew her".

"She was a bright, enthusiastic and respected officer just at the start of her career in policing and she will be sadly missed," they said.

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Market

'No criminality' in Edinburgh council boss sex message probe

by Oscar
written by Oscar

Police say they have found "no evidence of criminality" in an investigation into alleged inappropriate messages sent by Edinburgh city council's former leader.

Cammy Day stepped down in December and was suspended by the Labour party pending the outcome of the police probe.

Day said he was never interviewed by officers and described the situation as a "co-ordinated political attack".

It was reported by the Sunday Mail that Day had "bombarded" Ukrainian refugees with messages, including asking sexually explicit questions.

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Industry

Confidential documents fly-tipped at flats

by Emily
written by Emily

Customers of a rubbish collection firm have expressed their shock after learning their waste ended up outside derelict flats.

Confidential and sensitive paperwork, including tax documents, was left strewn across the ground in Druids Heath, Birmingham.

The BBC tracked down several of those named, who said they had hired Budget Removals and Clearances to dispose of the rubbish properly.

The Tipton-based firm has not responded to the BBC's request for comment, while its website has been taken down. Birmingham City Council said it would investigate any instances of fly-tipping.

One local councillor said the site has been a regular target for fly-tipping, but that the bin strike in the city might have made it even worse.

It comes as the government rolls out plans to crack down on fly-tipping and rogue waste collection companies.

Local resident Tracey Gall said the mess outside the tower block was "disgusting"

One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she handed over more than £100 to have rubbish removed.

"Obviously they're just pocketing the money and dumping it," she said.

"It's shocked and upset me – I've never had this happen to me before."

Keith Stansbie, of KS Decorating Services, said he paid the firm £150 to take rubbish away when he was working at a house in Kings Norton.

"I feel duped," he said.

"As far I was concerned everything was above board and going to the right places."

Keith Stansbie, of KS Decorating Services, said he paid £150 for his rubbish to be removed

Figures show there were 1.15 million incidents of fly-tipping nationally in 2023-24, 6% more than in the previous financial year.

The government recently announced plans to tighten up rules around waste collection.

These include changes to the waste carrier, broker and dealer registration system – which Budget Removals and Clearances is listed on – to make it easier to identify rogue operators in the waste sector.

Currently, anyone can get on the register by paying £154, although they have to disclose any environmental offences.

The number of registrations has been increasing, with more than 65,000 registrations in both 2023 and 2024, compared with fewer than 50,000 in 2022 and 20,704 in 2021.

Rubbish found included private letters from HMRC

Rubbish found opposite the tower block in March included an HM Revenue and Customs letter to Kevin Sutcliffe when he used to live in Kings Norton.

The letter showed his tax code and National Insurance number.

Alerted to this by the BBC, Mr Sutcliffe, who now lives in Worcester, said: "That is bad. I'm not happy about that at all.

"There are scammers out there who can use your National Insurance number for all sorts of purposes.

"It's my identity. I can't believe it."

Councillor Julien Pritchard said fly-tipping had been taking place outside the flats in Druids Heath for some time, but added that the bin strike might have intensified it.

"People are coming in vans dumping rubbish on the community and it's just not fair," the Green party councillor said.

"The council needs to get a grip of this."

Councillor Julien Pritchard said fly-tipping had been taking place outside the flats in Druids Heath for some time

Birmingham City Council said it was aware of rogue rubbish collectors charging residents to clear waste and then disposing of it by fly-tipping.

"We are committed to investigating these incidents and prosecuting fly-tippers whenever possible," it said. "We have plenty of lawful options for people to responsibly dispose of waste or unwanted items, such as Household Recycling Centres and our popular free-to-use Mobile Waste Centres."

Majid Mahmood, the council's cabinet member for environment and transport, urged people affected by the bin strike to be cautious if they resort to paying someone to take their rubbish away – and make sure they are properly licensed.

"We would advise any resident to be wary of anyone offering to take their waste away for a small amount of money," he said.

"The current charge to dispose of waste lawfully is around £130 per tonne. If the price is 'too good to be true', then it will almost certainly be unlawfully disposed of."

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Tech

Man dies in Plymouth road crash

by John
written by John

A man in his 60s has died after a crash between two vehicles in Plymouth, police have said.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the crash happened on North Prospect Road at about 13:05 BST.

The force said the man, who was driving one of the vehicles, was pronounced dead at the scene despite the "best efforts" of the emergency services.

It added the man's next of kin had been informed.

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Global Trade

'Amazing' artefacts unboxed by public

by Bella
written by Bella

Boxes of artefacts belonging to a museum, including many which have never been displayed before, are being unpacked by members of the public.

A total of 6,658 boxes from the Museum of Gloucester's collection are being sorted at the city's Discovery Centre in Eastgate Shopping Centre.

Lizzie Johansson-Hartley, the museum's collection officer, said Anglo Saxon leather and a Roman tile with a print of a dog were among the "amazing" items which had so far been unpacked, relabelled and "preserved for the future".

Archaeologist Mark Horton said the year-long project made archaeology "accessible" to the public.

Ms Johansson-Hartley said some of the boxes had not been opened up "for 50 or 60 years".

"We're making sure everything is preserved for the future.

"We wanted to be in a public space particularly because we wanted to open up the heritage that we have hidden away in storage to the public," she said.

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Business

Solar farm the size of 30 football pitches planned

by Eva
written by Eva

A solar farm the size of about 30 football pitches could be built on agricultural land, if plans go ahead.

The project would involve two parcels of land off Ewanrigg Lonning in Maryport, Cumbria, measuring a total of 19.7 hectares (197,100 sqm).

Anesco, the Preston-based company behind the plans, said the solar farm would support the government's net zero targets.

Labour-led Cumberland Council has launched a consultation, which closes on 8 July.

In planning documents submitted to the council, Anesco said: "There is an urgent need to address carbon emissions and support renewable energy schemes in this locality, which this scheme can facilitate."

Google
The solar farm would be developed on land off Ewanrigg Lonning

Anesco said the development would be about 1.7 miles (2.7 km) away from another solar farm in Flimby.

The development has an estimated lifespan of 40 years and the site would be returned to its original state, the planning documents said.

They added the project would support the government's aim to reach net zero by 2050.

"This is in addition to Cumberland Council's commitment towards delivering decarbonisation and renewable projects," they said.

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Economy

Fears over bar in mill village opening later

by Abigail
written by Abigail

A mill village on an "ale trail" could experience more anti-social behaviour if a bar is allowed to open later, an objector has said.

Empire House in Slaithwaite, near Huddersfield, has applied to Kirklees Council to extend the hours it sells alcohol by an hour and trade until 23:00 BST seven days a week.

The business is a workspace during the day and operates as a bar in the evenings, but an objection to the proposal has now been submitted on public safety grounds.

The member of the public said the village was facing "considerable difficulties" caused by late-night drinking already.

The current licence was first granted by the council in 2021, with representations expressing concern for public nuisance heard at the time, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The applicant said the later trading option would only be invoked from Thursday to Sunday and "very rarely" during the rest of the week.

The proposal has to be determined by Kirklees Council's licensing committee because of the objection being submitted.

The opponent claimed that the community was facing problems particularly relating to the "ale trail" and large groups of "boisterous drinkers" congregating on Station Road.

"We are deeply concerned that extended drinking hours could correlate with a discernible rise in alcohol-related anti-social behaviour such as audible profanities which we have previously experienced," the comment stated.

"Such a development would directly undermine public safety within our community, creating an environment of increased fear and insecurity for residents."

They added it would also place an "unwelcome burden" on law enforcement agencies.

The village is on the Transpennine Real Ale Trail route between the railway stations of Stalybridge and Batley.

West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds

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