Author: Rhys Gregory

‘Launchpad: net zero industry, South West Wales’ — a partner project which builds on the success of the region’s well-established South Wales Industrial Cluster (SWIC) — is set to benefit from up to £7.5m of new investment to drive the area’s innovation and business growth in renewable technologies. Businesses and researchers from across Wales and the UK can benefit from the Launchpads programme — providing their project has a direct impact on the South West Wales region, made up of Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire, and Pembrokeshire. Businesses can apply for competitive grants, with other support, for innovation projects that…

Following a successful application to the Welsh Government’s Access Improvement Grant, Monmouthshire County Council is launching the Paths to Community Project. This project focuses on developing ways to make the public rights of way network more sustainable in the long term and will contribute towards social justice, wellbeing and resilient communities targets. Part of the project enables Monlife Countryside Access staff to work with community volunteer groups, providing them with materials, training and information, while making physical improvements to signage and the accessibility of routes. To expand upon this project, Monmouthshire County Council has signed a Service Level Agreement with…

Blake Morgan in Wales is celebrating its success in the 2024 Chambers & Partners Guide, after securing impressive rankings for its practice areas and individual lawyers. The guide profiles the best-performing lawyers and legal firms across the UK, based on an in-depth independent research process. This year, the guide honours 24 lawyers from the Cardiff-based firm, with corporate restructuring and insolvency partner Paul Caldicott, intellectual property expert Lee Fisher, property litigator Siân Jones, and employment lawyers Matthew Smith and Joanne Davies achieving the apex of recognition with Band 1 rankings. Clients commended Siân Jones as “absolutely fantastic to work with”,…

The First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford officially opens the substation linked to Morlais tidal energy on Anglesey this week. The event, which is the culmination of more than ten years’ work, marks not only a significant milestone for the project itself but for the tidal energy sector in Wales. As part of this week’s Ireland Wales Forum, the First Minister will host the Irish Tánaiste, Micheál Martin TD (Deputy Prime Minister) and showcase the Morlais project as a key tidal stream development in Wales. Morlais, off the west coast of Holy Island is the largest consented tidal energy scheme…

A powerful new chamber opera from Swansea City Opera – Shoulder to Shoulder – exploring the male experience of loneliness tours Wales this November.   Loneliness is an epidemic and affects men disproportionately. The experience of loneliness is explored in Swansea City Opera’s (SCO) new chamber opera Shoulder to Shoulder, created in partnership with the charity Men’s Sheds Cymru, part of the international Men’s Shed movement, which originated in Australia. Busy young mum Gwen is at her wits end with her dad, Rhys, who’s hitting the whisky, having lost his wife and son. Bereaved and lonely, Rhys reluctantly joins his local…

YSGOL EIRIAS has been lauded for its work in helping parents and carers improve the lives of their children.  The Colwyn Bay secondary school is one of just a handful in North Wales to receive the Investors in Families Bronze Award. The quality mark is awarded to settings that demonstrate a commitment to working with families and evidence of activities carried out in and out of school hours, communication with parents and carers, and setting high standards. In 2022, Ysgol Eirias introduced extracurricular provision based on Areas of Learning and Experience – a key part of the new Curriculum for Wales – to encourage wider learning and mindfulness via extra-curricular sessions, with wellbeing…

Officers executed a warrant at the home address of Ryan Robbins on the afternoon of Friday, September 15. In the kitchen they found weighing scales, cellophane and 120g of crack cocaine, which was about to be prepared into street deals. The estimated street value of the crack cocaine was between £6,000 and £7,260. Also seized was a mobile phone found to have messages advertising the availability of Class-A drugs. Robbins, 37, of Red House Crescent, was arrested and charged with possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and being concerned in the supply of heroin and crack cocaine. He pleaded…

The Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council has approved a list of priority strategic transport projects that can be progressed when new funding is made available by UK or Welsh Government, either as part of the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) Metro Programme or other transport funding initiatives. Currently, the largest investment in strategic transportation in the county borough is Porthcawl’s Metrolink bus facility, funded by CCR in partnership with Welsh Government (WG), and the council’s Active Travel programme, funded by WG. Other prioritized transport projects – all compliant with national, regional and local policies, as well as linking with WG,…

One of Cardiff Council’s flagship projects to transform education across the city has cleared a major hurdle with the approval of funds to begin building the pioneering Fairwater Community Campus. A new report, which went before the council’s Cabinet last week (Oct 19), recommended approving funds that will allow the main building work to go ahead on the redevelopment of the Cantonian High School site. When the campus is completed in the 2026/27 academic year, it will incorporate three existing schools – Cantonian, Woodlands and Riverbank – and form the largest project in the Welsh Government Sustainable Communities for Learning…

Contractors working on behalf of the council have started putting in place the new structure at a Landore riverbank location on the Tawe. It’s taking shape on the river’s western bank, around 1.5 miles upstream from the Tawe Barrage and next to the former Hafod Morfa Copperworks site which is being transformed as part of the council’s ongoing £1bn city regeneration. Once complete, the pontoon – which has planning permission – will be available for use by groups that already use the river, including Copper Jack cruises, the City of Swansea Rowing Club and Swansea University Rowing Club. Work is…