Author: Rhys Gregory

A North Wales-based security firm is going from strength to strength following a series of contract wins and the acquisition of another business. Parallel Security has landed a major contract providing a range of security services and solutions to a National Grid scheme in Snowdonia that will see the removal of a section of overhead line and its replacement with electricity cables buried in a tunnel underground. The contract, which started this month, has led to the recruitment of an additional 12 staff, taking the total Parallel Security headcount to over 50. The company has further hired a sales director…

Shoppers heading into Swansea city centre this Christmas can travel on buses for free every Saturday and Sunday during November and December. Swansea Council has confirmed the ‘Free-Ride Swansea’ public transport offer will be back up and running for the festive period and follows a successful free travel initiative which ran throughout the summer holidays. Starting on Saturday November 18, the latest free offer will run every Saturday & Sunday in the run up to Christmas Day and will continue for a further five days from 27 – 31 December. The Council is urging the travelling public to make use…

SWANSEA Council is consulting local residents on the Council Tax Reduction scheme. Council Tax Benefit was abolished on 31 March 2013 as part of the UK Government’s Welfare Reform programme and replaced with the Council Tax Reduction scheme Responsibility for the scheme in Wales was devolved to the Welsh Government. Currently, a national scheme applies to all local authority areas in Wales with limited areas of local discretion. Each financial year the Council is required to consider whether to replace or revise those discretionary elements and as part of this process we wish to consult on the discretionary elements of…

A former clothes shop in the centre of Neath which had been vacant for many years has been successfully renovated and turned into a People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) centre thanks to funding from the Welsh Government. The owner of the building, in Wind Street, successfully applied for a Place Making Grant which is part of the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme. Neath Port Talbot Council manages the grant for the Welsh Government. With match funding from the owner of the building, the ground floor of the property has been made useable again. Works carried out include a new…

RCT Council has provided an update on Phase Four work to remediate the Tylorstown Landslip site. The majority of the colliery spoil has been moved to the receptor site, with good progress made to develop drainage infrastructure. The landslip on the Llanwonno hillside in February 2020 followed three storms in succession – and was triggered by the unprecedented rainfall during Storm Dennis. The landslip blocked the river valley, broke a foul sewer, covered a water main with several metres of debris, and covered a shared footpath. The Council has implemented a four-phase remediation plan for the site, with Phase One…

Christmas shoppers in Merthyr Tydfil have been given a welcome gift – free parking in the town centre at weekends. The Big Heart of Merthyr Tydfil Business Improvement District (BID) and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council say the Park for Free scheme will encourage people to shop local and support local businesses. Shoppers will now be able to park for free on Fridays and Saturdays from 17th November until 31st December 2023. Parking is already free every Sunday throughout the year. Council Leader, Cllr Geraint Thomas, said: “In previous years, free parking in the run-up to and over Christmas has…

Construction of the new cycle and pedestrian active travel bridge in Newtown is progressing well, confirms Powys County Council. Work to start building the long-awaited bridge across the River Severn began on-site in June and is being funded by Welsh Government with support from Transport for Wales. The steel, single span, open arch structure will span approximately 53 metres and connect the riverside path on the west of the river to Pool Road on the east. Whilst the bridge superstructure has been fabricated and painted offsite in contractor premises based in Wrexham and Mold, much of the groundworks have been…

Clarbeston Road AFC has become the first football club in Pembrokeshire to gain a prestigious Disability Sport Wales (DSW) insport Club award. The club has secured the renowned DSW insport Silver Standard, which recognises the club’s commitment to inclusive practice. The club has gone from strength to strength since Clarbeston Road AFC formally combined with Cleddau Warriors Disability Football Club and created Clarby Warriors. Clarbeston Road had always linked with Cleddau Warriors by providing coaches for training and match day sessions and this led to the amalgamation and the creation of the Clarby Warriors. Sport Pembrokeshire works in partnership with…

Coleg Gwent students celebrated UK Parliament Week with a special event on November 10th. The event, inspired by the popular television program “Newsnight,” showcased the importance of student participation in politics while providing a platform for open and engaging discussions on pressing political issues. Taking place at Torfaen Learning Zone the event featured a dynamic panel of guest speakers, including Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Delyth Evans and Anthony Davies, Head of Torfaen Council, who led discussions on a range of topics relevant to today’s political landscape. The event focused on topics including youth engagement in politics, the role of education in…

Round 2 of the Bute Energy Welsh Cup takes place this weekend as 16 teams battle it out for a place in the quarter finals of the competition. Cardiff City, who are still unbeaten in all competitions this season following their derby day victory over Swansea City last weekend, welcome Swansea University to Leckwith. Swansea have already completed a cup upset after knocking out top tier opposition in their penalty shootout win over Barry Town United in the previous round. Penybont are another team who have enjoyed an impressive start to the season and will be hoping to jeep their…