Author: Rhys Gregory

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet has approved community engagement plans to address local concerns raised around the Bryn Group, including the reestablishment of a liaison group consisting of residents and other stakeholders. The Bryn Group, based in Gelligaer, operate a materials recovery facility, as well as a dairy farm, quarry and low carbon renewable electricity plant at the site. The site is complex with multiple operations and activities which are in part regulated by the Council’s Environmental Health and Planning teams and partly by Natural Resources Wales. During a meeting held on 19th October, Cabinet members agreed to several measures…

Work will commence on demolishing the Civic Centre in Ebbw Vale on Monday, 24th October 2022. The junction from the A4046 (Tesco road) down into the Civic Centre area will be closed from Sunday evening (23rd October) for the duration of the works, which are expected to last around 23 weeks. Access to Bridge Street Health Centre and Ebbw Vale Job Centre Plus will be maintained at all times via the B4486 Cemetery Road. The car park at the rear of the building (Western Terrace) will be fenced off, however a turning circle will be provided for motorists. The footpath…

Engaging with Higher Apprenticeships has helped Newtown High School to move out of special measures by improving leadership and management, teaching and learning standards. The school, which has 1,200 pupils, was put into special measures following an  Estyn inspection in 2015 when weaknesses were identified in leadership and management, self-assessment and overall planning for continuous improvement. To address these issues, 18 staff members have either completed or are working towards a Higher Apprenticeship (Levels 4 and 5) in Leadership and Management delivered by Cardiff-based training provider Portal Training. The school was removed from special measures in October last year and…

Bridgend County Borough Council’s Employability Bridgend team have officially opened a new support hub for job seekers in Porthcawl. The new hub, which is located at Old Portway Surgery, in the centre of Porthcawl, offers easy access to expert advice and support for all aspects of training and employment. The hub will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 9:30am to 2:30pm, offering a range of resources, from mentoring to jobs searching. They will also be hosting a monthly coffee morning for Ukrainian refugees and their host families, starting on 25th October, 12 -1pm Since 2016, Employability Bridgend has…

Stephen Daldry’s multi award-winning National Theatre production of JB Priestley’s classic thriller returns to the New Theatre Cardiff this week. When you hear the name An Inspector Calls, it immediately conjures up memories of GCSEs and reading the book in school. Be it some time ago, this production has been reinvigorated for the current time and echoes the current political and social climate of today, making it relatable for today’s audience as a timeless classic. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, let me bring you up to speed… When Inspector Goole (Liam Brennan) arrives unexpectedly at the prosperous…

City Hospice’s annual Light Up A Life campaign, which remembers and celebrates the lives of loved ones, has returned for 2022. This year’s campaign runs from October until December 31 and there are several innovative ways for supporters to get involved. The digital ‘Virtual Star in the Sky’ feature, which allows people to make a donation and leave a message of remembrance on a virtual star in the Cardiff skyline in memory of their loved ones, is back by popular demand. With no restrictions in place this year, remembrance and fundraising events will take place during the campaign period, including…

Lidl stores across Wales now have a brand-new range of Welsh beef products on shelves, as part of the retailer’s commitment to supporting local farmers. Already stocking Welsh dairy and eggs, as well as a Welsh lamb collection, the new Birchwood beef range takes Lidl’s investment in Welsh-reared cattle to a value of over £9m a year and £12m in Welsh livestock overall. Working directly with 130 farms and farming families across Wales, the new beef range is fully traceable from field to store; enabling Welsh shoppers to enjoy beef that is locally reared and of the highest quality. This…

The Snowdonia National Park Authority is reaching out to farmers and land managers to take advantage of a new scheme to restore traditional field boundaries in Snowdonia. Traditional boundaries form an integral part of Snowdonia’s landscape – from dry stone walls and hedgerows, to the rarer slate flag crawiau fences of the slate quarrying areas. As well as serving a practical purpose, these boundaries are also important for wildlife and the environment. Traditional boundaries of stone or hedgerows provide livestock with shelter from extreme winter conditions, or the heat of the summer sun, while providing a habitat for wildlife at…

An appeal for information has been launched by RSPCA Cymru after three cats have died in Flint from suspected poisoning. Tragically the cats – who were from different households – from the Romans Way area of Flint have all passed away in the last month. RSPCA inspector Rachael Davies, who is investigating, said: “It is so very sad to hear about these three deaths and our thoughts go out to their owners. “One cat sadly died from antifreeze – which was confirmed via a post mortem. The other two cats are suspected to have been poisoned due to the way…

Halloween has arrived early on S4C’s Stwnsh this year with the a new series of the challenging adventure show, Gwrach y Rhibyn (The Witch of Rhibyn). But this time, the challenge is even greater than before for the teams. It’s ‘Dydd y Dychryn’ (The Day of Horror) once again and the Witch is hunting. The aim is the same for the competitors, to reach a safe shelter before sunset. But this time not everyone will reach the end. The series, which returns to S4C on Thursday 27 October at 17.35 and online on S4C Clic, will follow pupils from Ysgol…