Author: Rhys Gregory

Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE has reconfirmed his decision not to seek re-election in 2027. For this reason, Cllr Morgan will step down as Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf in advance of the Council’s Annual General meeting in May 2026. Cllr Morgan, who also leads the Welsh Local Government Association, is the current longest-serving local government Leader in the UK, leading Rhondda Cynon Taf Council over the last 12 years. Andrew Morgan makes this announcement at the same time as Full Council considers the local authority’s Panel Performance Assessment, which praises the Council as a good, well run and ambitious Council, focused…

A scheme offering Newport residents the chance to access green home energy upgrades has reopened for applications. Newport City Council has selected iChoosr, who are independent experts in group-buying, to bring the Switch Together scheme to the city’s homeowners. Switch Together, which was formerly known as Solar Together, previously offered residents the chance to join together in a group-buying scheme to purchase solar panels. Now, the relaunched scheme is offering access to a much wider range of green home energy solutions, including heat pumps, battery storage, electric vehicle chargers, and smart energy tariffs, in addition to solar panels. The new…

Caerphilly County Borough Council is pleased to share a further update on the proposed new integrated Children’s and Adults’ Respite Centre in Pontllanfraith, Blackwood. The statutory Pre-Application Consultation (PAC) has now officially closed, and the Council has confirmed that no objections were received in response to the proposals. This represents a significant and positive milestone for the project and reflects the constructive engagement and feedback received from the local community and partners during the early stages of the project. The proposed development includes a new purpose-built, six-bed Children’s Respite facility for children aged 5 to 18 years located alongside a…

Plans to build a new school that will transform education for vulnerable learners in Powys have taken an important step forward with the appointment of a construction contractor, the county council has announced. Powys County Council has appointed SJ Roberts Construction to build the new school for Brynllywarch Hall School in Kerry, near Newtown. The new facility will provide an environment suitable for meeting the complex emotional, behavioural and social needs of its learners, who range from 8 to 19 years old. This project is a key part of the council’s Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys, which aims to…

Residents across Bridgend County Borough will see significant improvements to local green spaces over the next 15 months as a project to create more welcoming natural places gets underway. Bridgend County Borough Council and the Bridgend Local Nature Partnership have been awarded almost £962,000 by Welsh Government through the Local Places For Nature 2025-27 programme, which aims to develop new natural spaces within urban parts of the county borough. It is designed to offer a wide range of benefits such as bringing nature closer to people’s doorsteps, supporting wildlife and habitat connectivity, improving health and wellbeing, encouraging greater social interaction,…

The first women’s health hubs have launched in Wales this week, bringing menopause, contraception and menstrual health services closer to home. By March, there will be a hub in every health board, tailored to meet local needs. Some will operate over multiple sites and others will be accessed online but they will all adhere to the same holistic approach to women’s health. The hubs will improve access to vital healthcare services through extended clinics, education sessions and online guidance and signposting. They have been designed with women to fit around women’s lives. Some services will be referral-based and others will…

A new programme is being developed helping people get earlier support for ketamine-related health problems. Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Sarah Murphy visited the Cardiff and Vale Drug & Alcohol Service (CAVDAS) office in Barry to see how local health services are leading the way in early intervention and prevention. Ketamine use has risen in recent years, with Cardiff and Vale services seeing a 53% increase in ketamine presentations since September 2024. Cardiff and Vale’s Community Addictions Unit (CAU) has also seen contact with 73 individuals using ketamine more than once a week in the past year – a…

Some garments are shaped by the seasons: others move beyond them. The trench coat is unmistakably one of the latter. Designed with purpose, refined over decades, and quietly present in wardrobes across generations, it has earned a place that no shift in temperature or trend cycle can undermine. Its appeal is not driven by novelty but by the way it fits into real life – consistently, seamlessly, and with a certain understated authority. What makes the trench coat remarkable is not its longevity in fashion, but its relevance outside of it. It adapts to changing habits, new rhythms, and contemporary…

Specialist business property adviser Christie & Co has been instructed to sell the Nisa Local convenience store in Church Village near Pontypridd. The large store offers 5,500 square feet of trading space. Previously a Co-op-branded store, the shop is surrounded by other complimentary businesses and has a large customer car park. The sale of the store presents an exciting opportunity for a new owner to take on a large, well-established retail store in a prominent position. The owners, Mr and Mrs Patel, are selling the store due to personal circumstances. Mr Patel commented, “It is with a heavy heart that…

Two popular Cardiff city centre bars have closed with immediate effect after the owner of the Revolution chain fell into administration, resulting in hundreds of job losses across the UK. The Revel Collective, which owns Revolution, Revolucion de Cuba and Peach Pubs, has shut 21 venues nationwide, affecting 591 employees. This includes both the Revolution and Revolucion de Cuba venues in Cardiff. The company, which operated 62 pubs and bars across the UK, had put itself up for sale in October, citing a continued period of external challenges facing the hospitality sector. Despite saying earlier this week that talks with…