Author: Rhys Gregory

Major improvement work has been completed on three sets of tennis courts in a joint project between the Vale of Glamorgan Council and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), supported by Tennis Wales. Facilities at Penarth Athletic Fields, Wenvoe, and Millwood parks have all been comprehensively upgraded, providing users with high-quality tennis facilities.It comes as part of a £121,000 investment secured by the Council and delivered by the LTA through the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation funded Park Tennis Project. This follows a Council and Sports Wales investment of £130,000 to transform the Romilly Park tennis courts last year. The…

Standardising discounts given to vulnerable customers on essential products – like water, broadband and energy – can help eliminate postcode lottery in social tariffs. The Social Market Foundation – a cross-party think tank – has recommended that companies providing essentials are made to offer social tariffs to vulnerable customers in a consistent manner in order to ensure all eligible consumers can benefit. In a report out today – commissioned by Citizens Advice – the SMF presents a new roadmap for social tariffs that addresses other major issues, such as low take-up and poor targeting. The report calls for support to…

A major event is being held in Swansea next month to showcase the city’s business community. The Swansea and West Wales Introbiz Expo 2023 event – taking place in the Brangwyn Hall on Thursday October 26 – is being organised by Introbiz Swansea and West Wales in partnership with Swansea Council. Projects in the local area will also be highlighted as part of the event, which will run from 10am to 5pm. The event will include space for about 70 exhibitors, a zone for start-up businesses, seminars and keynote speakers. Google will also be on hand to exhibit and present…

Efforts to tackle homelessness in Swansea are continuing, following the completion of a new set of council-owned flats. Swansea Council has transformed an ageing former district housing office in the Penlan community into six modern one and two bedroomed accommodation. The latest work is part of the Council’s ongoing efforts to increase its housing stock for single people and families as well as make use of former council-owned buildings that are no longer in use. The site of the former Penlan DHO now boasts five two-bedroom flats and a one-bedroom flat, over three floors. They all benefit from modern features…

Neath Port Talbot Council has teamed up with a local charity in Neath to offer a helping hand to families and individuals facing challenges during the ongoing cost of living crisis. Known as the ‘Gathering Place’, the charity is a community-driven initiative that provides essential items where people can take or swap items for free. People can select up to five free items per week, which includes children’s school uniform, adult clothing, toys, books, clothing, nappies, and other essential items. Neath Port Talbot Council has helped to support this scheme with its dedicated Team Around the Family and practice support…

RCT Council has provided a progress update for the significant ongoing scheme to repair and refurbish Imperial Bridge in Porth – with the work now progressing towards its conclusion later this autumn. The structure, which carries a section of Pontypridd Road, has required two large phases of repair work to rectify damage and install future protections. Phase One took place in 2022, completing significant steelwork and parapet repairs, paintwork, and the replacement of the southern-side bridge bearings. Phase Two started in April 2023, to replace the northern-side bridge bearings, carry out remedial works to a wingwall, install waterproofing, and undertake…

A one-off £7.73m investment in Council priority areas for 2023/24 has been agreed – to be allocated across areas such as highways, structures, flood alleviation, parks and green spaces, town centres, leisure centres and accommodation for older people. The investment is over and above the core funding allocations that are already committed in the Capital Programme for this financial year (2023/24). The funding is from an Investment/Infrastructure Reserve that is specifically held to support, maintain and enhance infrastructure across the County Borough. The proposals were first considered and approved by Cabinet Members on Monday, September 18, before being approved at…

The Newport Food Festival can announce that Wynne Evans will be joining us at this year’s festival as a special guest.  Wynne was recently crowned Celebrity MasterChef 2023 winner and will be showcasing his skills in the chef demo zone on the Saturday, cooking a celebration of Wales for reaching the World Cup quarter finals, Bread of Evans! Dan Lydiate’s Welsh black beef on fried sourdough with laverbread mash and a fondant leek. The star of stage, radio and television will also be judging the final of the Teen Chef competition. Wynne is a familiar face and voice on TV…

During a visit to Ysgol y Bedol in Carmarthenshire, the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, announced the £20m for schools to transform the experiences of disabled children and those with additional learning needs. The £20m of capital funding for 2023-24 is allocated to improve the inclusivity of learning environments, create quiet or sensory areas, upgrade or purchase new equipment such as specialist sensory aids, and for works to improve additional learning provision through the medium of Welsh. This is in addition to the £20m of capital funding the Welsh Government invested in 2022-23 to support disabled…

Routine sight tests are the best way to make sure your eyes are healthy, and could lead to successful treatment for unknown, sight threatening conditions and maybe even your life. That’s the message from Health Minister Eluned Morgan in a new campaign to encourage adults over 30 to go for a sight test at their local optometry practice (opticians). The Health Minister said: “Glaucoma, diabetes, and myopia are amongst the health conditions that can be detected and treated earlier, through eye examinations at your local optometry practice. “Optometrists (opticians) can also pick up other problems like brain tumours, so a…