Author: Rhys Gregory

A Cardiff landlord has been ordered to pay just over £4,500 for failing to rectify faults relating to two flats he owns and rents out in Claude Road in Plasnewydd. Christopher Harper, from Spencer David Way, in Trowbridge, did not attend Cardiff Magistrates’ Court last Friday (February 24th) but was convicted in his absence. This latest case came to light, following Mr Harper’s refusal to comply with legal notices served on him to fix several faults at these rented properties, following a previous prosecution against him in September last year. The court heard that the defective fire alarm, inadequate structural…

A Royal Navy Merlin helicopter visited Haverfordwest Airport earlier this month to give staff a chance to learn more about these impressive aircraft. The visit enabled staff to get up close and hands-on with the helicopter and consider all aspects of safety when it comes to refuelling. The Royal Navy fleet occasionally use the Pembrokeshire County Council run airport for refuelling when training at the military zones of Pendine and Castlemartin ranges. The airport staff received training on where the emergency shut down switches are located, fuel shut down, main battery shut off, where to locate engine fires within the…

Cabinet has agreed with proposals to trial FREE bus travel for the entire month of March 2023. This applies to all local journeys made within Rhondda Cynon Taf, and will come into effect on Wednesday (March 1). At their meeting on Tuesday, February 28, Cabinet Members considered a report which outlined the proposed trial – applying to all local bus operators and to all journeys made in March 2023 (irrespective of the time of the day), that start and end within the Rhondda Cynon Taf county boundary. The trial, now agreed, will save Rhondda Cynon Taf residents up to a total…

Newport City Council has agreed the council tax level for the city and the resulting total revenue budget for 2023/24. Following an extensive consultation with the public and partners, Cabinet discussed feedback on the draft savings proposals at their meeting earlier this month and announced an additional £5m of investment in services the public said were most important. The proposed council tax increase was reduced by Cabinet to 8.5 percent rather than the proposed 9.5 per cent. With the majority of Newport households being in bands A to C, this means a rise of between £1.39 and £1.85 per week.…

Money from the Home Office’s Safer Streets fund is being invested into youth services in Brynmawr and Tredegar to support young people who are at risk of becoming involved in crime or anti-social behaviour. A dedicated youth worker will be appointed to engage with young people in areas where high levels of anti-social behaviour have been reported, and a bespoke youth shelter has been built in Welfare Park, Brynmawr. Young people from Brynmawr were consulted as part of the funding bid and said they would feel safer if they had a dedicated space to call their own. They helped to…

More Welsh language animation and live-action programming is set to be developed for children and young people in Wales thanks to a funding boost from the Welsh Government, Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden announced today. The Deputy Minister has confirmed eight projects will receive a combined £352,545 in funding from Creative Wales’ Young Content Fund, which will see Wales-based companies develop new bilingual content for children and young people. The fund, which is part of the co-operation agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru, is designed to stimulate the provision of programming for children and young…

As LGBTQ+ History Month draws to a close, the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership, Hannah Blythyn has visited a Welsh workplace already living and breathing recommendations from the recently launched LGBTQ+ Action Plan. The plan, which sets out how the Welsh Government will make a real difference to the lives, prospects and outcomes for all LGBTQ+ people, was launched at the start of LGBTQ+ History Month as part of the Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru. It underlines Wales’ intention to advance LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion and includes a wide range of policy-specific actions from improving safety, education, housing, health and…

The development of a new app, which allows users to share their health profile and potentially draw attention to rare or complex medical conditions with health services, both in the UK and abroad – like a passport – has been highlighted on Rare Disease Day by Health and Social Services Minister Eluned Morgan. The Care & Respond app has been developed in Wales with Welsh Government funding to support clinical decision making in cases of emergency and other time critical situations. It is hoped it will also improve coordination of care for those affected by rare diseases, like the Swan…

An additional £2.5m is being provided to continue the good work of controlling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animals in Wales, Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths has announced. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections in people and animals harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. Leaving AMR unchecked would have wide-ranging and extremely costly impacts, not only in financial terms but also in terms of public, and animal health, as well as trade, food security, and environmental and socioeconomic development. In…

The First Minister’s message to the people of Wales on St David’s Day Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus i chi. I hope you have a great day wherever you are this year. At a time when things can feel worrying and uncertain, today is an opportunity for us all to come together and celebrate Wales. It’s an opportunity for us to show who we are and what we stand for. Wales is a country proud of its open and progressive values. A nation of close-knit communities with a strong sense of social justice and fairness. A Nation of Sanctuary that welcomes…