Author: Rhys Gregory

That was the message from 25-year-old Tammie Esslemont from Blackwood, speaking to members at the Senedd as part of an event organised by Coed Cadw, The Woodland Trust in Wales. The event centred around the launch of a new report from Coed Cadw, Trees & Woods: At The Heart Of Nature Recovery In Wales, which sets out the argument for a ‘Townscapes and Treescapes’ Nature Recovery Program. The report was presented by a panel of practitioners from organisations working to recover nature across the rivers, hills, woods and farms of Wales including Afonydd Cymru, the Celtic Rainforest Alliance, Stump up…

A railway that came back from the brink of collapse, a zoo that’s attracted eight million visitors and the world’s deepest hotel have been hailed as tourism heroes in North Wales. The Llangollen Railway, the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay and Go Below Underground Adventures in Snowdonia  were among the big winners at the Go North Wales Tourism Awards. The glittering annual event organised by North Wales Tourism celebrates the dedication, skill and achievements of the region’s tourism and hospitality industry. This year the ceremony at Venue Cymru in Llandudno was hosted by ITV Wales journalist Carole Green and…

The build of five bungalows on the site of the former Nelson Ambulance Station in Treharris has begun. United Welsh is working in partnership with Caerphilly County Borough Council to bring the two-bedroom bungalows to the area, which will be available for affordable rent. The energy-efficient homes will be built to the highest energy efficiency rating of EPC-A, meaning they will have minimal environmental impact and energy bills will be more affordable for residents long-term. The bungalows will be built by Celtic Offsite, a social enterprise within the United Welsh Group. Celtic Offsite will manufacture the timber frame structures for…

Butetown residents are being asked to help develop a new masterplan for Canal Park by sharing their views on the park at a drop-in session to be held at Butetown Pavilion. The session, which will mark the launch of a community consultation, will take place on Wednesday 29th November, from 3pm – 7pm. Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: “This is an important green space for the local community and we genuinely want to hear what they have to say about how they use the park now, and what they want from it in the…

Neath Port Talbot Council engineers are currently involved in two crucial projects in the Upper Afan Valley. One involves major maintenance work on the 1,200 foot long retaining wall supporting Norton Terrace in Glyncorrwg. The retaining wall has failed in several places and the ongoing work involves repointing and rebuilding the wall, repairing and reconstructing the drainage system associated with it plus replacing a failed ground beam and a substandard parapet. The wall is being reconstructed in 50 ft sections to coincide with expansion joints and to minimise disruption to local residents. Currently around 150ft has been completed with temporary…

There will be a night-time road closure at A4058 Llwynypia Road near Asda Tonypandy on two nights this week – on the section of road directly north of the pictured junction. The closures are required to carry out local drainage improvements, and have been arranged on overnight work shifts to minimise disruption. The work will start at 8pm on each night, finishing by 5am on the following morning – on Wednesday/Thursday (November 29-30) and Thursday/Friday (November 30-December 1). All associated work will therefore be completed by 5am on Friday, December 1. An alternative route for motorists is available via Llwynypia…

Support is available to improve the energy efficiency of eligible households in the Caerphilly county borough. Caerphilly County Borough Council is working with energy companies and Cardiff Capital Region (representing the ten local authorities of Southeast Wales) to support households in poorly insulated homes; making them more energy efficiency and helping lessen the impact of rising energy bills. As part of the national ECO4 and ECO Flex schemes, EDF and other energy companies will be investing in energy efficiency community schemes to support ‘fuel poor’ homes and those households that include individuals with health conditions exacerbated by living in a…

Nature’s Gift Garden, a project to transform a disused tennis court in Troedyrhiw Park, has recently won the Pro Landscaper Community Green Space Under £50,000award. The area was identified as a well-used public open space that lacked floral diversity and educational opportunities, so using over £44,000 funding from Welsh Government’s Local Nature Partnership Fund, biodiversity officers set about changing the area from tarmac to a green oasis of useful plants that could be enjoyed by all. Specialist plants – including medicinal plants, culinary herbs, edible plants, drought tolerant plants and colour grouped native wildflowers for pollinators – were sourced from…

olice officers and staff who have gone the extra mile were recognised at the South Wales Police Crime and Criminal Justice awards. The event showcased examples of how officers and staff across all departments protect the public from organised crime, investigate complex homicides and support families of those who have died in the most horrific circumstances. There was recognition for those who have committed their entire working life to policing and others who perform vital investigative roles, such as analysts, communications data investigators, staff from the Joint Scientific Investigation Unit and the Digital Forensic Unit. Among those recognised were the…

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, has today announced details of plans to improve literacy and numeracy, as part of wider efforts to deal with impacts of the Covid pandemic in schools. Before the pandemic, Wales was making positive progress in literacy and numeracy. But it’s becoming clear the impacts of the pandemic have undone some of these gains. A recent Welsh Government report on reading and numeracy attainment has detailed some of the impacts. A new maths plan has been developed aiming to raise standards. New engaging ways of learning will be developed as part of…