Author: Rhys Gregory

Many thousands of residents and businesses throughout South West Wales will benefit from a funding boost worth £132m over the next three years. The UK Government has approved a regional investment plan for Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea, helping unlock Shared Prosperity Fund money that had already been earmarked for the region. The region’s local authorities are now working at pace to develop projects linked to the key themes of the funding, which include improving urban and rural communities, boosting people’s skills and supporting small businesses. Grant schemes are also being developed to enable businesses and other organisations…

A Met Office Yellow weather warning of ice affecting parts of Rhondda Cynon Taf has been issued from midnight until 6pm on Thursday, December 8. Motorists are advised to take extra care at this time and drive according to the winter conditions. The weather conditions will be closely monitored and the Council’s Highways and Streetcare crews will be treating the main County Borough network, high routes and car parks in preparation for the icy conditions and during the weather warning. Crews have also checked Grit Bin supplies in advance at locations across the County Borough and additional staff resources are…

Caerphilly County Borough Council is asking residents to give their views on how it deals with empty homes. Its draft ‘Private Sector Empty Homes Strategy 2023 – 2028’ sets out the Council’s plans to tackle the issue of high numbers of empty homes in the county borough. It also sets out the range of initiatives available to the Council to help owners bring their empty homes back into use. This strategy only refers to private sector empty homes and does not extend to empty homes within the Council’s own housing stock or those owned by other Community Landlords. Residents can…

Owen Davies and Robert Arthur who work at Heolddu Leisure Centre stepped into action when a member of Bargoed Gold Club had become unwell. The Golf Club contacted Heolddu Leisure Centre requesting assistance until an ambulance arrived for a gentleman who had collapsed on the course whilst playing golf. Owen and Robert, both of whom are first aid qualified, were able to assess the gentleman upon arrival and move him onto a spinal board. The gentleman was then carefully transported inside the building to wait for an ambulance. The gentleman remained conscious and talking whilst waiting for the ambulance and…

Plans to introduce a Welsh-medium stream at a south Powys primary school will be considered by Cabinet next week, the county council has said. Ysgol y Cribarth in Abercraf is currently an English-medium school providing education for pupils aged 4 to 11. Powys County Council is proposing to move the school along the language continuum by establishing a Welsh-medium stream at the school. If it goes ahead, the proposed change would see a Welsh-medium stream introduced at Ysgol y Cribarth from September 2023, operating alongside the school’s English-medium stream. On Tuesday, December 13, Cabinet will be asked to start formal…

Exciting plans to create a new primary school in south Powys could be delayed by 12 months if a recommendation is accepted by Cabinet, the county council has said. Earlier this year, a proposal to merge Mount Streets Infants School, Mount Street Junior School and Cradoc C.P. School to create a new primary school was approved as part of Transforming Education plans for the Brecon catchment area. The target date for establishing the new primary school, which would operate on the three existing school sites, was September 2023. However, since the proposal was approved, a request was submitted to the…

First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced Derek Walker will be Wales’ next Future Generations Commissioner. Derek Walker will take up the position after the current Commissioner Sophie Howe’s tenure ends in early 2023. Wales is the first country in the world to create an independent office to act as a guardian of future generations. The Future Generations Commissioner is a unique position that provides advice and support on sustainable development, encourages Government and public bodies to take a longer-term view on policy decisions, and protect and promote the needs of future generations. Following a rigorous recruitment process, First Minister Mark…

Roulette has been around, in forms, since ancient Greek and Roman times. Soldiers were known to spend spare time spinning shields, swords and all sorts of weapons, whilst betting on the outcome. It was in the 17th century that the primitive version of the Roulette wheel we know and love in the modern-day was created, and since then, the game has evolved into the casino staple we see so frequently today. With different variations of the wheel to spin, like American and European Roulette, for example, online casinos have taken this game of chance to a whole new level –…

Fleas remain one of the worst infestations every homeowner dreads. These pesky small insects steal the comfort of your home, leaving you and your pet itching. What’s more, the nature of these insects makes it difficult to control them in case of an infestation. They are small and jump from one place to another, so the infestation will continue if you treat one place and accidentally leave out a part. This is even made worse by the resistance of the flea eggs to many pesticides. Before calling emergency pest control London, read about some measures to take when these uninvited…

More children and young people will benefit from a wealth of educational opportunities following a formal agreement between Cardiff Council and Cardiff University to extend‘Passport to the City’- CardiffChildren’s University. ‘Passport to the City’- CardiffChildren’s University, has been future proofed afterCardiff Council’s Leader, Councillor Huw Thomas and the Vice Chancellor of Cardiff University, Professor Colin Riordan, joined together to sign a partnership agreement to support the ambition for young people in Cardiff as set out in the Council’s Stronger, Fairer, Greener agenda. The project aims to encourage and develop a love of learning by providing pupilswith access to activities including…