Author: Rhys Gregory

Cardiff’s awe-inspiring statue which honours Wales’ first black headteacher, Betty Campbell MBE, has won the public vote at a prestigious awards ceremony. The celebrated statue secured the win at last night’s, (Thursday November 24),Public Statues and Sculpture Association (PSSA) Marsh Awards 2022 for Excellence in Public Sculpture.  The Betty Campbell monument was designed and created by renowned figurative sculptor Eve Shepherd and was unveiled in Cardiff city centre in September 2021.The sculpture was commissioned following the Hidden Heroines campaign organised by Monumental Welsh Women, broadcast on BBC Wales. Betty Campbell topped a public vote to decide who would be the…

An international consortium of big-hitting companies is on board to help deliver a major renewable energy project in Swansea. Engineering and construction giants HDR and infrastructure solution specialists Enable are among the firms to have signed up, along with Siemens, a global technology company focused on electrification and digitisation for industry, infrastructure and transportation. The consortium is also working with a major energy company, and further announcements are planned for release in the coming weeks. Facilitated by Swansea Council and led by Bridgend-based Batri Ltd and DST Innovations, the substantial Swansea project in the SA1 area of the city encompasses the…

Neath Port Talbot councillors have agreed to put forward for Welsh Government funding five school building projects with indicative costs totalling around £106.2m. The approval came from members of the Education, Skills and Wellbeing Cabinet Board on November 24th. The projects represent the council’s next phase (Band C) of investment under the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme. They are: Llangatwg Comprehensive A replacement 11-16 Secondary school for 850 places and new 16 place Learning Support Centre (LSC). It is proposed to construct the new school on the playing fields of the existing site. On completion, the existing buildings…

Neath Port Talbot councillors are being asked to approve free Christmas parking for Neath, Port Talbot and Pontardawe town centres from Saturday 10th December 2022 to Sunday 1st January 2023. Members of Neath Port Talbot Council’s Environment, Regeneration and Streetscene Services Cabinet Board will be asked to agree the offer at their meeting on December 2nd, 2022. An officers’ report to the Cabinet Board says: ”Our town centres and the traders who operate in them have been significantly affected during the pandemic with many experiencing a decline in trade. “To support our town centre economy it’s acknowledged that providing free…

A Newport shop owner had disposable vapes with higher amounts of nicotine-containing liquid than allowed on sale, a court was told. Vapes were found in Lifestyle Express on Corporation Road with between 2,500 and 3,500 “puffs” in each tank. The legal limit is around 600 puffs or two millilitres. Patel, aged 53, pleaded guilty to one offence of having disposable vapes available for supply that breached the regulations. He admitted a further three offences of failing to include an information leaflet with the products. Cwmbran magistrates fined him a total of £1332 and ordered him to pay costs of £1046…

Woodfieldside Senior Citizens Group has been able to continue staying connected thanks to funding from Caerphilly County Borough Council. The group, who have been running for over 30 years, recently found themselves struggling to cover the costs of travelling to meetings and activities, due to the rising costs of transport. Community Connectors, based within the Council’s Caerphilly Cares Team, helped the group overcome this issue by working with Paramount Travel to arrange transport for members of the group to their weekly sessions and one off activities, including their annual Christmas meal. One of the group members, Mrs Baker, said “I…

Developing connections along the two canal corridors within Powys is the focus of the Canals, Communities and Wellbeing project and, whether you’re a resident or a visitor to Powys, we’d love to know what you think about our canals. Until 11 January 2023 we’re gathering your thoughts and comments so that we can shape our future plans around your ideas and needs. Whether that’s what you’d like to see improved, or what currently prevents you from making the most of the canals and their surrounding areas. Working within a corridor of 5km along each side of the Montgomery and Monmouthshire…

 As one of the most important events in the Welsh rural calendar takes place the Minister for Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, is encouraging visitors to this year’s Royal Welsh Winter Fair to call in to the Welsh Government stand The Minister will be attending the event today [Monday, 28 November] and the stand in the South Glamorgan Hall will be open on both days. Information on the Sustainable Farming Scheme, Farm Health and Safety, Agricultural Pollution, avian flu and many other topics will be available with staff on hand to help with queries. The Winter Fair will also provide the…

The Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden has announced £4.5m over the next three years to support the delivery of the culture, heritage and sport goals and actions in the Welsh Government’s Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan. The Action Plan is part of the Welsh Government’s Programme for Government and the Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru. More than £2.8m has been shared between 22 local, regional, national or independently run culture, heritage and sport organisations across Wales. All projects receiving funding have a focus on co-production, demonstrating a commitment to placing lived experience at the centre of policy, service…

New biosecurity and housing requirements will be implemented for poultry and captive birds in Wales as surveillance of avian influenza suggests a heightened risk of disease for Wales over the winter months. Interim Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, Dr Gavin Watkins, said these steps were being taken now to get ahead of a possible increased level of avian influenza virus in the environment and build extra resilience to the important measures introduced in October through the Wales Avian Influenza Prevention Zone. These will come into force across Wales on Friday, 2 December. From this date, it will be a legal…