Author: Rhys Gregory

The Welsh Government introduced a bill today [Monday, 2nd Oct] which paves the way for automatic voter registration in future Welsh elections. The Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Bill will modernise the way local government and Senedd elections are run and confirms the Welsh Government’s intention to introduce automatic registration across Wales for those elections once a piloting programme has been completed. Local authorities will be invited to take part in a series of trials focusing on the best way to collect data, including using data that already exists, to support automatic registration. Currently people must register in order to…

More than a quarter of million pounds was prevented from being lost to criminals during September by colleagues across the force recognising when someone might have been a victim of fraud. The Banking Protocol is a national initiative based on joint working between law enforcement and financial institutions, facilitated by UK Finance – in which banks, post offices, travel exchanges and others are expected to alert police if they have and doubts or suspicions about a customer’s request to withdraw money. These suspicious requests could be something such as a customer suddenly trying to withdraw all their funds or going…

Businesses across Monmouthshire gathered again to connect, collaborate and network with potential partners and suppliers at a sell-out Expo held at the Basepoint business centre in Chepstow last week. Over 50 businesses and 75 people attended the event, which was a follow-up to the landmark Expo at Abergavenny Market Hall on 6 July. Attendees got the chance to showcase their products and services as well as chat with fellow founders to network and learn more about the opportunities across the county. The events are part of the wider Elevate Monmouthshire project, supporting entrepreneurship across the county. The initiative offers the…

An Aberystwyth University project providing free legal support for veterans has been awarded further funding of nearly half a million pounds (£499,885) to spend over three years, from The National Lottery Community Fund. Based in the Department of Law and Criminology, Veterans Legal Link was established in 2015.  The project offers legal support, advice, signposting and specialist referrals to armed forces veterans and their families. Dr Ola Olusanya from the Department of Law and Criminology, who leads the project, said: “I am delighted that the Veterans Legal Link project has received a further three years of funding from the National…

Monmouthshire County Council would like to hear from residents on the proposed Active Travel scheme design to improve journeys between Rogiet and Undy. Members of the local community will have the opportunity to speak to officers from Monmouthshire County Council and WSP on Wednesday 4th October between 2pm and 7pm at the Baptist Church, Magor. The event will allow residents to view current proposed plans. From Wednesday 4th October until 20th October residents are invited to complete a survey on the proposed design to improve the cycling and walking route between Rogiet and Undy. The study being undertaken by WSP…

Bus services in Neath Port Talbot will be reduced at the end of October with one being completely withdrawn on weekdays as the council and bus operators get to grips with a fall in Welsh Government funding and lower passenger numbers. There are warnings that April 2024 could see many further reductions here and across Wales as subsidies dry up. Welsh Government’s Bus Emergency Scheme (BES) which supported the bus industry through the Covid pandemic has now been replaced by the Bus Transition Fund (BTF) with its budget capped at £46m for the 2023/2024 financial year. The funding, with £4m…

A Neath Port Talbot Council project to refurbish and renew the play area at Port Talbot’s Talbot Memorial Park has been completed. The work, which began in July this year, has involved the removal of ageing equipment, general repairs and the addition of a back-to-back children’s roundabout. The play area has also been equipped with a new ‘Boat Climber’ multi-play unit for toddlers offering 10 activities which encourage imaginative games and play. It also has a new ‘Fireman’s Tower’ with a bannister slide, scramble net, slide hooped climber plus a look-out tower and platforms. The new additions, repairs and refurbishment…

The take up of large industrial property in Wales reached 800,000 sq ft in the third quarter of the year, according to the latest report from global property consultancy Knight Frank. This level of activity for properties over 50,000 sq ft showed a fourfold increase over the take up for Q2 this year, and compares with 1.3 million sq ft for the third quarter last year.  The overall take up for the first nine months of 2023 was 300,000 sq ft down on the same period last year. The Q3 take up comprised six transactions, with three lettings and two…

A Flintshire composer whose song made history at the coronation of King Charles is following in the footsteps of his lifelong hero to take the reins of a globally renowned music festival. Paul Mealor, who was born in St Asaph and raised in Connah’s Quay, has been appointed as the new Artistic Director of the North Wales International Music Festival which was established by his mentor, Professor William Mathias. He will be taking over from the acclaimed mezzo soprano, Ann Atkinson, who is stepping down after 20 successful years at the helm. One of Paul’s big ambitions is for the…

Following the success of council funding to support the tourism sector, further funding is now available to help small tourism accommodation businesses in rural or semi-rural parts of Swansea improve their offer. Businesses can apply for up to £10,000, which is being made available by Swansea Council through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF). It’s the third time this type of tourism support funding has been made available. The first two rounds were a result of direct funding that Swansea Council made available as part of its economic recovery strategy to support the tourism sector, post-pandemic. That funding led…