Author: Rhys Gregory

A Cardiff estate agents has shared its outlook for lettings and sales for the next year. Thomas H Wood, which has offices in Whitchurch and Radyr, has been helping customers buy, sell and rent homes across south Wales for over 50 years. The experienced lettings team has noticed a trend of upward rents over the last few years which is set to continue in 2024. John Wood, director of Thomas H Wood, said: “Since the end of lockdown, we have seen a surge in property rents in the private rented sector and the rent increases are set to continue this…

Neath Port Talbot Council is to help fund a major refurbishment of the landmark former Royal British Legion building in Eastland Road, Neath. The aim is to turn the now mostly derelict structure into an attractive centre for bars and other local businesses with improvements to its exterior and interior spaces. At their meeting on January 12th, 2024, members of the council’s Environment, Regeneration and Streetscene Services Cabinet Board approved a £82,500 Commercial Property Grant to fund almost half the estimated £172,000 cost of the transformation work. The grant will be used by the private owner of the building to…

Full-time Nursery pupils in Bridgend County Borough are now eligible for free school meals, as the Universal Primary Free School Meal initiative continues to be rolled out to even more learners. Previously, Year 3 pupils became eligible in September 2023, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils in April 2023 and Reception pupils in September 2022. In line with Welsh Government requirements, the offer is scheduled to be further extended to Year 4 pupils in April 2024, and to Year 5 and Year 6 pupils from September 2024. The scheme was launched by Welsh Government in 2022 to help families ease…

Plans for an initial twenty-three Cardiff Council buildings to benefit from a £1.8 million energy saving retrofit programme that would save money and reduce carbon emissions have been revealed, as the local authority continues it’s One Planet Cardiff work to become carbon neutral. Green, locally sourced electricity already provides the power for council buildings wherever possible, but the twenty-two school buildings provisionally identified for the first round of the programme alongside Channel View Leisure Centre, still produce 1595.7 tonnes CO2e annually, at a cost of more than £1.1million for 7.7million kWh of energy. The Re:Fit programme which is managed and…

This month will see the largest ever One Stop Info Shop as organisations take-over the National Waterfront Museum between 11am and 2pm on Monday January 22. More than 60 groups, charities and services will have engagement stalls while this month there will also be guest speakers and interactive sessions. There will be advice and support across a range of areas such as health, well-being, employment, poverty and housing. Swansea Council has teamed up with the National Waterfront Museum and many other organisations to promote activities and services they run for a diverse range of communities. People are welcome to turn-up anytime…

RCT Council has provided an update on the ongoing programme of work to improve local bus stops along several key routes in the Aberdare area, using funding secured from Welsh Government. Local Transport Fund allocations for 2023/24 were announced in September 2023, and the Council was successful in securing around £200,000 funding for bus stop enhancements under the Bus Priority Scheme. The work programme is being delivered in three phases, focusing on improving 106 bus stops in Aberdare and along local bus corridors in surrounding communities. Phases one and two of the programme are now substantially complete. The works at…

Two men have been jailed after breaking into a 78-year-old’s house while he slept. Martin Conway, 36, and Christopher Llewellyn, 34, broke into a Canton property in the early hours of the morning,stealing £500 from the 78-year-old victim. Llewellyn entered the victim’s bedroom and took the victim’s debit card before running to the end of the street and giving it to Conway. Conway then used the card at a nearby cashpoint and took £500 from the victim’s account. Both suspects changed clothes and shoes in an attempt to avoid detection. The pair were then be seen using the money for…

A McDonald’s bought by a thief using the victims card lead to his arrest. Jason Jones, 38 has been jailed for four years after a burglary in early hours of 3 June 2023, when he entered the victim’s home in Church Village while the victim was sleeping. Whilst inside, Jones stole an array of items including the victim’s wallet and car keys. Jones then used the victim’s card to buy a McDonalds. He then also stole the victim’s car and crashed it a short time later before running away. A McDonalds coffee cup was retrieved from the stolen car and…

The project team that delivered the Hafan Yr Afon community building in Newtown will find out on Friday if it has won a UK-wide excellence award. Powys County Council is keen to say pob lwc (good luck) to Open Newtown, Architype and Pave Aways Building Contractors at the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Building Excellence Awards 2023 Grand Finals in London. The council was one of the supporters of the £2.25m project which received a large part of its funding through the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme and from The National Lottery Community Fund. Hafan Yr Afon was named…

The introduction of measures from 1 February, including Pre-Movement Testing, will be vital in helping to tackle bovine TB in Wales, Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths has said. The steps being taken follow responses to the consultation on a refreshed approach to TB Eradication in Wales and the subsequent delivery plan which was published in March 2023. From 1 February 2024, Pre-Movement Testing of cattle or other bovine animals located in the Low TB Area (LTBA) of Wales will be re-introduced. This change is being made in response to an increase in the local spread of TB in the LTBA,…