Author: Rhys Gregory

Pembrokeshire County Council has now completed the purchase of the assets of Edwards Bros Coaches of Tiers Cross and will be operating all contracts previously run by the company. Council officers across the Authority, led by the public transport team, have undertaken a huge piece of due diligence, checking aspects such as legal, property, finance and human resources matters to reach this point. The move is to ensure the Council can maintain its statutory duty to provide public and school transport and to save money as part of an invest to save strategy. The Council stepped in when it became…

A public consultation is now underway on updating the current Local Flood Risk Management Strategy – and residents are invited to share their views to help influence how flood risk is managed over the next six years. The consultation has been started following Rhondda Cynon Taf Cabinet’s decision in November 2022 to commence a review of the strategy, which was initially published in 2013. The review process will enable the Council to update the strategy as required under Section 10 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, to align it with the objectives, measures and policies of the National…

MonLife, which runs Monmouthshire County Council’s heritage service MonHeritage, has secured two funding awards totalling over £415,000 from Welsh Government and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The award will enable MonHeritage to work closely with communities in Monmouthshire, over the next two years, to ensure everyone’s stories are told in the county’s museums. The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £241,697 for the project ‘Dynamic Collections – Opening the box’ discovering and sharing Monmouth’s local history collection. This work will transform how Monmouth’s local history collections are documented, making them relevant to today’s communities. The project will run between April 2023…

South Wales Police have joined forces with the Council and local hospitality businesses to ensure the safety of residents and visitors having nights out in town this Christmas. Licensees and members of staff from pubs, clubs and restaurants attended a training session at Redhouse Cymru teaching them how to be on the lookout for customers in vulnerable situations, particularly women. The session provided by the police covered violence against women and girls, and the Ask for Angela scheme, which helps people who feel uncomfortable in someone’s company to get discreet support from bar staff. Officers also educated attendees on their…

Powys residents who have signed up to three community broadband schemes – Llanfan Fawr and Llanwrthwl, Aberedw and Glascwm, and Dwyriw and Manafon – are to get their ultrafast fibre connections in the new year. The new network in Llanafan Fawr and Llanwrthwl will reach 353 properties, with 170 of these already registered to receive the improved service, following an investment of more than £250,000. In Aberedw and Glascwm the plan is to reach 240 properties, with 134 of these already registered, following an investment of more than £200,000. And in Dwyriw and Manafon the new network will reach 461…

Following the recent UK Government announcement on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), the regional investment plan for Mid Wales has received formal approval. A report, setting out the strategy on the Mid Wales UKSPF was presented to both Ceredigion and Powys County Council’s Cabinets where members approved the governance and management arrangements for the Mid Wales allocation of the fund. Confirmation has since been received from UK Government that the investment plan has been approved. This now leaves the authorities to review, finalise and agree the terms and conditions of funding – before looking to implement it with local…

The Welsh Government has published its new Budget to help protect public services and the most vulnerable in the face of a “perfect storm of financial pressures”. Announcing the Draft Budget for 2023-24, the Minister for Finance and Local Government Rebecca Evans said it has been one of the hardest since the start of devolution. This year’s Draft Budget builds on the spending plans set out in the three-year Budget published last year. Difficult decisions have been made to reprioritise funding from within Welsh Government budgets to maximise support for public services and for people and businesses most affected by the…

Although the pandemic undoubtedly made it much harder for many budding entrepreneurs and small businesses to get off the ground and survive, the number of entrepreneurs willing and brave enough to take that leap soared. The pandemic seemingly created just the right conditions for entrepreneurship to flourish. With many people working from home and taking time to reflect on the big questions, answers came in the form of innovation, passion and drive. Twill’s ‘Breaking free from the 9-5’ interview series sheds light on some of the important steps needed to start a new business. 1. Be open to learning There…

Christmas in Cardiff was in full swing last night, as the Definitive Rat Pack brought its sell-out set to St David’s Hall. Audience members were treated to a little taste of Vegas on a cold winter’s evening in Cardiff. It may sound a little cheesy, but with the frosty weather outside, it gave the perfect backdrop to some very iconic Christmas tunes performed by the Rat Pack trio. On stage, you will have find the very charming and talented Stephen Triffitt as Frank Sinatra, Mark Adams as Dean Martin, bringing his own camaraderie to the role, and the witty tiptoeing…

As temperatures plummet, and with snow, ice and fog in many UK areas, RSPCA Cymru is urging people across Wales to follow its urgent advice and 15 top tips to keep pets, livestock and wildlife happy and healthy this winter. With a Met Office yellow warning for snow, ice and fog in many parts of the UK until Thursday (15 December) – and temperatures having recently plummeted across Wales – the animal welfare charity is calling on people to do their bit to help animals. RSPCA pet welfare specialist Dr Sam Gaines said: “It’s really important we help our animal…