Author: Rhys Gregory

Small businesses across large areas of Wales are being offered support with tech research and development from experts at the University of South Wales (USW). CEMET – the Centre of Excellence in Mobile and Emerging Technologies, which is based at USW – has been successful in securing funding to run a project which will support start-ups, micro companies, SMEs, and social enterprises, through a bespoke six-to-eight-week fully-funded programme. The funding for the programme has come from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which CEMET has secured from a number of local authorities across Wales, including Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire,…

The first new modular homes on an innovative development to help tackle the immediate shortage of affordable housing in Cardiff are ready to welcome their new residents. Development partner Wates Group has handed over four new apartments on the former Gasworks site at Ferry Road to the Council, as well as a new community building and on-site office. The pre-manufactured homes are part of a scheme that will ultimately deliver 155 highly energy-efficient properties in phases at Ffordd Y Rhaffau, Grangetown. The new modular homes, will help to alleviate pressures on local homelessness services and increase the availability of temporary…

Swansea is on track to have 300 new life-saving defibrillators in place in communities across the city by the end of the year. The latest round of installations has seen 40 defibrillators located in Swansea’s Pay & Display Car Parks thanks to funding from the council. Swansea Council has teamed-up with the charity Heartbeat Trust UK to install 300 easily accessible defibrillators covering all its wards as it aims to become the UK’s first ‘Defib-friendly’ city. As well as this training on how to use them is taking place across Swansea thanks to the British Heart Foundation Cymru and St…

A new Swansea residents rewards app has been launched, giving access to offers in shops and restaurants and information about what’s on in Swansea city centre. Funded by Swansea Council and run by Swansea Business Improvement District (BID), the Big Heart of Swansea app is now available to install for free on mobile devices from app.bigheartofswansea.co.uk The new app replaces the old Big Heart of Swansea app. As well as access to exclusive offers for Swansea residents, the app also includes a searchable directory of city centre businesses, along with their opening hours, locations and directions to get to them.…

New classrooms and a Welsh Language Immersion Centre were officially opened on Friday, October 13th, 2023 at Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Pontardawe by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles MS. The £2.3m project was funded by the Welsh Government as part of its Welsh Medium Grant programme. YGG Pontardawe, a 3 – 11 Welsh-medium school, is fast approaching its capacity of 335 and 59 nursery places necessitating the expansion and modernisation of its facilities. The project has enabled the school to increase capacity by 60 pupils and the existing childcare setting by 12 full time places. The work…

This is the moment a reckless driver was brought to a stop, after he pushed through miles of traffic which had been brought to a standstill at the scene of a fatal collision, and sped off in the wrong direction. Craig Roach, 42, of Croespenmaen, Caerphilly County Borough, forced his way through the traffic on the A465 near Resolven on Friday evening (September 8), and failed to stop despite a direction by officers who were in attendance at a collision, in which a local man lost his life. A short pursuit entailed, with further directions for Roach to stop the…

Minister for the Economy, Vaughan Gething, has today (Monday, October 16) unveiled a first-of-its-kind action plan between a devolved nation and Innovate UK setting out how Wales will build a strengthened innovation economy. Speaking at the start of Wales Tech Week at ICC Wales in Newport, the Minister was joined by the CEO of Innovate UK, Indro Mukerjee, to launch the joint Collaborative Innovation Plan. The plan aims to harness the country’s innovative spirit, helping business and organisations share ideas and use new technologies. It  follows through on commitments made over the past 12 months, building on the Welsh Government…

Seven members of an Organised Crime Group (OCG) were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on September 22nd following an operation led by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales. Operation Cruz was a complex investigation which tackled the group’s wholesale supply of cocaine across the southern Wales region. The OCG was headed up by Joshua Matthews, from Pontyclun who bought his drugs from several upstream suppliers. On 21st July 2023, Vincent Aquilina, a known associate of Matthews, was seen leaving an address in the Caerau area of Cardiff, carrying a bag. Aquilina then met Matthews and handed him…

Transport for Wales’ ambitious plans to improve public transport move one step closer, with public consultation on designs for five new railway stations in South East Wales and new train services launched today. Members of the public are being invited to share their views as part of a 13-week consultation which runs from today (16 October) to 14 January. The consultation is available on: Haveyoursay.tfw.wales/sew-new-stations-and-services Transport for Wales is looking for feedback on the designs of potential stations at Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Llanwern and Magor and Undy, including the types of facilities that people would like to see…

One of Cardiff Council’s flagship projects to transform education across the city is set to clear a major hurdle with the approval of funds to begin building the pioneering Fairwater Community Campus. A new report, which goes before the council’s Cabinet this week (Oct 19), recommends approving funds that will allow the main building work to go ahead on the redevelopment of the Cantonian High School site. When the campus is completed in the 2026/27 academic year, it will incorporate three existing schools – Cantonian, Woodlands and Riverbank – and form the largest project in the Welsh Government Sustainable Communities…