Author: Rhys Gregory

A decision on whether a proposed land exchange at Maindy Park is in the best interests of the Maindy Park Trust is to be taken on March 2ndby Cardiff Council Cabinet, acting in its role as Trustee of the charity. If the exchange is approved, an application will be made to the Charity Commission for its consent to land at Cae Delyn Park replacing part of the land at Maindy Park, currently held in trust by the charity. An independent Maindy Park Trust Advisory Committee,comprised of three independent members of the Standards and Ethics Committee, established to manage the conflicts…

Owners of long-term empty properties in Cardiff could be facing a further increase in their council tax charges under new plans to help alleviate pressures on housing availability in the city. From April, a council tax premium of 50% could rise to 100% for homes left unoccupied and unfurnished for more than a year in a bid to encourage owners to bring these properties back into use. Second homes in the city and furnished dwellings that are not anyone’s main home could also be charged a premium of 100% from April 2024 if recommendations being considered by Cabinet at its…

Proposals to make major sustainable travel improvements in Newport city centre have been unveiled. The plans, which were released by Welsh Government, Transport for Wales and Newport City Council on Friday 24 February, set out a series of improvements to Newport railway station, Queensway and Old Green roundabout. Members of the public are being invited to give their views as part of a six-week public consultation on the proposals which runs from today until 6 April. The proposals include: A new public transport interchange at Newport rail station, linking rail and bus services, making the station a hub for sustainable…

Caerphilly county borough council’s detailed budget plans for 2023/24 have been finalised. Councillors met on Thursday evening (23/02/23) to consider the final budget proposal following a period of public consultation. CCBC Cabinet Member for Finance, Cllr Eluned Stenner said “I am sure residents will welcome the news that our proposals do not include significant cuts to key services and that we have worked hard to protect the community due to our prudent approach.” “We continue to face huge budget pressures as a result of a number of external factors, but we are managing to successfully navigate our way through some…

The Minister for Education and Welsh language has announced that the Cynllun Pontio, a programme which trains primary school teachers to become secondary school teachers, will continue for the next academic year. The Cynllun Pontio gives qualified Welsh speaking primary school teachers training and support for them to become secondary school teachers in Welsh-medium schools. 20 places are available from September as part of the fourth year of the programme.  It has helped teachers to develop their careers and find permanent positions in secondary schools. The programme helps to increase the number of Welsh-medium secondary teachers. This is essential to…

Visitors to Cardiff Castle can show their love for Welsh food and drink this St David’s Day by sharing snaps of a specially commissioned heart-shaped daffodil installation. Featuring thousands of daffodils, the installation has been created as part of the Welsh Government Food & Drink Wales Trade Development Programme’s #CaruCymruCaruBlas #LoveWalesLoveTaste campaign. The installation, made from 12,000 daffodils, and donated by Welsh fresh produce brand Blas y Tir, is a tribute to Welsh food and drink producers as well encouraging Welsh consumers to share their pride and passion on St. David’s Day. Visitors to Cardiff Castle are being asked to…

Working together for better jobs, improved health and care services, a greener environment and a more prosperous economy are the missions at the heart of a new innovation strategy for Wales being launched today by the Welsh Government. The new cross-government vision of innovation for a stronger, fairer, greener Wales points the way to a different approach to innovation in the future; one which adopts a “mission-based” attitude and collaboration into the following four missions: Education: This mission helps ensure Wales has an education system that supports the development of innovation skills and knowledge throughout people’s lives in Wales –…

It can be very frustrating if you have problems with your newly laid turf. You don’t want to dig up and replace it on a frequent basis. Thankfully, there are solutions to these problems. Checking, maintaining, and treating your turf before problems arise is the best way to keep it looking great all year round. In this article, we will show you the most common problems you might face and the reasons why you should carefully choose your turfing service provider in London. 1. The edges and the gaps The edges and gaps of the turfing are a very common…

Thackeray Group, working closely with real estate advisors, Savills, and John Wotton Architects, has secured planning permission for a 52 bed apart-hotel, a ground floor café and refurbishment of the Grade II listed Market Chambers at 5-7 St Mary St. Constructed in 1886 by entrepreneur, Solomon Andrews, the building is a notable example of Victorian commercial architecture, with Cadw describing the frontage as ‘one of the most ambitious commercial frontages of mid-Victorian Cardiff, by its most ambitious entrepreneur’. The scheme, which will restore and repurpose an under-utilised building, represents further investment from Thackeray in Cardiff city centre. The site sits…

Automotive Engineering alumni and current students of University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) got together for a conference at the university’s IQ Building in Swansea to discuss careers in the field of Motorsport and Motorcycle Engineering. Alumni who now work at world-leading automotive companies such as McLaren, Gordon Murray, Arc, Bentley, Ford and Toyota Gazoo Racing returned to UWTSD to share their career journeys and successes with the current student cohort. The conference aimed to inspire students by providing insight from industry experts who begun their careers from the same place, highlighting the achievable possibilities and opportunities within reach.…