Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back once again. During my study of council services, I found that many people were often confused about the different roles councils play. Are highways and waste management the same? The answer is no. In Caerphilly, Highways Maintenance and Waste Management are distinct functions within the Caerphilly County Borough Council, operating independently but often crossing paths in their goals for community wellbeing. Highways Maintenance focuses on ensuring road safety and reducing congestion through monitoring, coordinating, and maintaining public pathways. Waste Management, on the other hand, deals with the handling, treatment, and disposal of waste materials, aiming to minimize environmental impact and promote sustainability. It has been a true pleasure, over the years, to get to know some of the front-line team within Waste Management. It is fair to say they do a remarkable job, often absorbing much of the public’s frustration over environmental challenges even when the root causes stretch far beyond their reach.
Highway Maintenance - Clearing The Pathways
Highways Maintenance in Caerphilly serves our daily lives in ways many will never see working quietly beneath the footsteps of thousands. Their role, as I have come to understand it, is to care for the physical pathways and roads that bind our communities. This includes the repairing of roads, maintenance of traffic lights, upkeep of pavements, bridges, and critical structures. Whether it’s the mending of a winter-worn road, the clearing of drains after a heavy storm, or the careful placing of signs, it is clear that their service ensures the movement across our county remains steady and secure. Highways Maintenance is not just about asphalt and stone; it is the steady hand that keeps the beating heart of Caerphilly connected, no matter the season or the storm. It’s fair to say that here in Wales, when the storms come and sometimes they come fierce unexpected things happen: trees fall without warning, bins race down the roads like wild spirits. In such times, Waste Management and Highways Maintenance often overlap their services, joining forces to achieve the council’s broader goals for public safety. Bureaucracy, sadly, plays a role too, as many deteriorating areas suffer from landowners not taking responsibility for maintenance, leaving the burden to fall back upon council services striving to meet their aims.
In my own area, I recall smaller trees being cleared promptly along footpaths and at that moment, I witnessed both the Highways and Waste Management teams working side-by-side. One removed the debris, the other gathered the waste. Their partnership, their quiet communication, was a real testament to teamwork and a shared commitment to community care.
Waste Managment
Environmental Waste Management stands as the silent steward of Caerphilly’s dignity defending the beauty and health of our towns, valleys, and woodlands. Their work reaches into every home and every street, collecting household waste, renewing what can be recycled, and cleansing the streets where the dust of daily life settles. Beyond simple collection, they wage a quiet battle against fly-tipping, pollution, and the slow erosion of our public spaces. This service is not merely about removing waste; it is about honouring the land that sustains us, and ensuring that the footsteps we leave behind are light enough for those who come after. It was during one of my many walks through Nant yr Aber woodland that I first met Caerphilly’s Waste Management team. After a year of finding hundreds of discarded needles hidden between the trees near Gallagher Retail Park, I had spent many long hours picking them up myself each needle a silent warning, a small yet real danger to life. Eventually, my calls were answered. I met council officers Jeff Kibble and Richard Cushing at the woodland’s edge, and together we set about clearing the worst of the area. Shoulder to shoulder, council workers and residents stood not in protest, but in shared action lifting, clearing, restoring. It was a meeting born of necessity, but one that kindled a deeper understanding: that to protect the land, it takes many hands moving with a single heart. It was during one of my many walks through Nant yr Aber woodland that I first came face to face with Caerphilly’s Waste Management team. After finding hundreds of discarded needles scattered between the trees near Gallagher Retail Park, I had spent many long hours picking them up myself, each one a quiet reminder of the dangers hidden beneath the leaves. Eventually, my calls for help were answered. I met council officers Jeff Kibble and Richard Cushing on the edge of the woodland, and together we set about clearing the worst of the area. Shoulder to shoulder, council workers and concerned residents stood united not in protest, but in shared action removing the threat one needle at a time. It was a meeting born of necessity, but it marked the beginning of a deeper effort to restore and protect the green spaces we call home.
Closing Thoughts
Through this journey, exploring both Highway Maintenance and Waste Management, I have seen a truth that often goes unspoken: The efforts of these services go largely underappreciated by the wider society and at times even within their own council structures. With shrinking resources, expanding responsibilities, and ever-rising public expectations, these departments work tirelessly a true credit to the prosperity and wellbeing of Caerphilly town and its surrounding communities. This study has been a profound learning curve, revealing a depth and complexity that cannot be fully captured in one article alone. But being able to share these insights with you today is a true pleasure. So Ladies and Gentlemen, until the next time... Take care.
Michael “Druid” Thomas
Lunacare Cymru | Media - Blog
Michael “Druid” Thomas
Lunacare Cymru | Media - Blog
