Author: Rhys Gregory

Provided by Swansea Council’s West Glamorgan Archive Service, the photo from the early 20th century shows businesses operating on The Strand at the time, as well as old motorcars, a delivery vehicle and a carriage. Its release comes as preparations continue on new plans to breathe fresh life into The Strand and celebrate the street’s history. Swansea Council plans include the creation of small retail units for local traders at the historic Victorian arches on The Strand, which will be brought back into use. An elevator from The Strand to High Street will also be introduced and work will be carried…

Establishing a company and investment board to begin delivering the Celtic Freeport, which promises to create 16,000 jobs in south west Wales over the coming years, is one of a number of key priorities for Neath Port Talbot Council’s Rainbow Coalition for 2023/24. The coalition’s priorities in areas such as education, social services, valleys and villages, climate change, leisure, tourism and town centres are now enshrined in Neath Port Talbot Council’s updated Strategic Change Programme for 2023-24 which was approved by a full meeting of Neath Port Talbot Council on Wednesday, April 26th, 2023. The Strategic Change Programme provides a…

It’s official: IRONMAN Wales is one of the best IRONMAN events anywhere in the world. And that verdict comes directly from the remarkable men and women who tackle the tough triathlons all over the globe. Run in partnership with Pembrokeshire County Council, IRONMAN Wales scored in the top 10 globally and top 10 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in eight out of nine categories in the IRONMAN Athletes’ Choice Awards. IRONMAN Wales is the only race to have scored in the top 10 in so many categories, underlining just how the iconic Pembrokeshire race is a firm favourite.…

The Council has provided 20 new bus shelters and various other bus stop improvements along the key bus route between Porth, Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch – using a significant funding allocation from Welsh Government. Works to improve the Strategic Bus Corridor have been completed using major funding from Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund allocated for 2022/23, as well as a 10% Council contribution. The programme of work represents a £480,000 investment – with improvements delivered across the electoral wards of Cymer, Tonyrefail East, Tonyrefail West and Gilfach Goch. Delivered by the Council’s Streetcare team, the investment has provided improvements to…

Following a recent Estyn monitoring inspection visit, Newport High School has been removed from special measures. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales has confirmed that the school has made sufficient progress and no longer requires this level of intervention. Councillor Jane Mudd, leader of the council, said: “This decision is testament to the hard work and dedication of the head teacher, staff and governing body. I’m delighted to see that Estyn has recognised the great strides made by the school and I’m sure that will continue. Congratulations to all concerned.” Head teacher Gill Lee said: “We are…

Improvement works to the Newport City footbridge will begin today (Friday 28 April). The works will see new deck boards laid across the length of the bridge. These boards are designed to reduce the noise levels made by people crossing the bridge, particularly those on bikes and scooters. Some of the new deck boards were installed at one end of the bridge in March as a trial, the results of which showed that they were effective in reducing noise levels Work will start tomorrow and is scheduled to be completed within six weeks. While there will be some disruption, the…

A tender package to build 32 one-bedroom flats in north Powys has now been published, the county council has said. Powys County Council’s Affordable Housing Team is looking to appoint a principal contractor to build the energy efficient homes on the site of the former Robert Owen House in Newtown. The new homes will be owned and managed by the council and allocated to applicants on the Powys Common Housing Register. Cllr Matthew Dorrance, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys, said: “One of the priorities of the Cabinet is to tackle the housing emergency in the county…

Minister for Climate Change Julie James has announced a pot of nearly £11m to help curb the decline of Wales’ wildlife today, as she met with scientists working to save the Atlantic wild salmon. Experts say the ancient fish could disappear from Welsh rivers by the next two decades. The Minister named nine new large and 17 medium projects who will benefit from the latest round of Nature Networks funding, to strengthen the resilience of Wales’ seas, forests and disappearing grasslands. These are home to some of Wales’ most iconic species, including the curlew, otter and bottlenose dolphin. Over centuries,…

A new plan to boost business in Wales, developed by Innovate UK, in partnership with Welsh Government, has been launched, paving the way for a strengthened innovation economy. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed at an event held yesterday [Thursday 27th April] attended by business leaders from the region, at AMRC Cymru in Broughton, North Wales, which is part of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) industry-focused R&D innovation cluster. The call to action has three themes: Connecting Support; ensuring that stakeholders in Wales have clear and effective routes to innovation support schemes, making Welsh Government a partner in Innovate UK’s business…

CHRISTMAS has come early for fans of one of the North West’s premier venues. Tickets are now on sale for the Bolesworth winter spectacular, with early bird offers up for grabs. The 6,000-acre estate’s festive extravaganza will this year include a 240 square-metre real ice skating rink, fairground, Santa and his reindeer at Rudolph’s Rest, food and drink, a Champagne bar, and the popular lights trail. People are urged to book now to capitalise on a 50% discount for Santa’s Grotto, with a 20% reduction on all other attractions until Monday (May 1). Nina Barbour, Managing Director of the Bolesworth Estate, said: “Christmas…