Author: Rhys Gregory

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet recently approved plans to amend grass cutting regimes, with the aim of promoting biodiversity. Cabinet members approved adopting the approach used during 2021/22 as the future standard for grass cutting in the county borough. They also gave a commitment to support the UK wide ‘No Mow May’ Campaign. This means formal grass cutting does not commence until June, with the exceptions: To maintain visibility for road users; Keep traffic signage and sight lines clear; Maintain margins and access on footways and cycle routes; Maintain parks, sports grounds, cemeteries, housing estates, play and recreational green open spaces.…

Caerphilly County Borough Council has welcomed additional funding from Welsh Government to help deliver a number of flood alleviation schemes. The Council has successfully submitted applications to Welsh Government for 24 schemes, which has seen them awarded over £800,000 this financial year.  Additional funding is being provided from the Council’s capital budget, bringing the total investment to around £1 million.  This will be used to mitigate flooding and to develop a local network of monitoring and warning services. Minister for Climate Change, Julie James MS, recently announced a record £75 million of funding from Welsh Government for flood defences.  A…

Blaenau Gwent Council is building a new Welsh Medium Primary School, inclusive of a Welsh-medium childcare provision, at Chartist Way, Sirhowy Tredegar. The school build is set for completion for the start of the 2024 academic term, however temporary accommodation has been secured for pupils of Nursery and Reception age signed up for the new school at Bedwellty House, so that they can start this September. The 210-place ‘seedling’ school is part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to increasing Welsh education opportunities in the County Borough. The school will be developed in line with standards outlined in the Welsh Government’s…

Garden compost is great for growing your own fruit and vegetables which taste better and can save money, that’s the message for International Composting Awareness Week (May 7th-13th). To get you started, Monmouthshire County Council’s Reuse shops are now selling compost, compost bins, water butts, garden tools and pots – all at affordable prices. Visit the Reuse Shops at Llanfoist recycling centre on a Tuesday (NP7 9AQ) or at Five Lanes recycling centre on a Wednesday and Thursday (NP26 5PD between 10am – 3pm. Monmouthshire residents that have their garden waste collected by the Council may not know, but it’s…

A new era has begun for a Welsh-medium primary school in north Powys after pupils and staff moved into their new building this week. The new 150-place school building for Welshpool’s Ysgol Gymraeg Y Trallwng is the latest project that has been completed by Powys County Council under its Transforming Education Programme. As part of the programme, the council has already built one new high school and nine primary schools and also carried out remodelling works at a primary and a high school. This week (Tuesday 2 May) saw pupils and staff from Ysgol Gymraeg Y Trallwng move to their…

A caravan is such a versatile way to holiday. You choose the site you want to stay at, get packing and then arrive at your chosen destination – it’s as easy as that! Not only this, but caravans often feel like a home away from home, as they have great facilities and you can use various decorations to enhance your comfort. So, if you’re thinking about any last minute caravan holidays, here are a few ways to make them feel even cosier! Home accessories You may have your favourite pillow or blanket that you snuggle up to every night –…

Amazon, one of the largest online retailers, is thriving on the recommendations that it gathers from consumer data. The company relies on sophisticated algorithms to analyze consumer behavior and purchase patterns that it can use to tailor what it offers to a particular buyer.  There is no doubt that Amazon is using consumer data to drive sales and attract potential customers to its platforms. However, it remains under debate how “ethically” the company is performing this task. For example, you must have heard of Amazon collecting user opinions through the shopper panel. This is sort of an online review aimed…

Spring has sprung – so now’s the best time to banish the build-up of winter grime coating your pride and joy. This is particularly important if you own a second-hand car as, depending on its age, it might not have the same level of rust protection as a brand-new motor. By allowing the filth to fester, you’re creating the ideal conditions for corrosion to take hold. A good car shampoo creates a thick foam that lifts the muck away from your car’s body as you wash it, trapping it in the lather and making its easy to rinse away. It…

Former professional photographer Betina Skovbro is enjoying the sweet taste of success following her decision to focus on a successful baking career that continues to rise. Betina, who’s originally from Copenhagen, launched artisan bakery, Brød, in Cardiff in 2015 because after spotting a gap in the market for freshly baked Danish breads, pastries and cakes. Eight years later, she’s employing 25 people in a state-of-the-art bakery and two coffee shops, has a series of awards under her belt and has exciting plans in the pipeline to expand her business, as she continues to reinvest profits. The new 2,000 square feet…

A new report by the CIPD shows a direct link between poor managers and negative mental health, job satisfaction and performance amongst workers. In response, the CIPD is highlighting the need for better people manager selection and development to ensure managers have the skills needed to effectively lead and support their teams. Its report, The importance of people management, draws on data from the CIPD’s annual Good Work Index, which asked employees to rate their managers on a range of people management behaviours*. The results were then used to create a line manager quality index, to analyse whether employees’ perception…