Author: Rhys Gregory

SWANSEA’S Commonwealth Games heroes are to be honoured in a civic reception next week. The city’s athletes helped form the backbone of the Welsh team that collected 28 medals, including eight golds, six silver and 14 bronze, at the Games in Birmingham last month. More than 50 representatives from Swansea donned the red of Wales in Birmingham, to compete in many sports including Hockey, Wrestling, Athletics, Swimming, Netball, Rugby Sevens, Table Tennis, Lawn Bowls, Triathlon, Track Cycling and Gymnastics. There were bronze medals for Anna Hursey in Table Tennis, Eluned King and Will Roberts in Track Cycling, Medi Harris in…

Views are now wanted on a proposal to create a new pontoon at Knab Rock in Mumbles. Swansea Council is behind the proposal, which is aimed at making it easier for boat users to access the water there. These include fishermen, pleasure boaters and yacht users. If the pontoon gets the go-ahead, it would be attached to the slipway at Knab Rock. The pontoon would also give people with some disabilities better access to boats on the water there. Other benefits of the new pontoon would include the chance for local fishermen to offer a greater range of services, including…

Neath Port Talbot Council is facing an estimated rise in energy costs of more than £8m. The council currently pays just over £5m for its electricity and gas contracts but that figure could rise in 2023/24 by 162% to more than £13m. Cllr Simon Knoyle, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance and Social Justice, said: “There is an urgent need for government support otherwise we face the prospect of deep cuts to services which will have a damaging impact on local people at a time when we are working hard to respond to much higher levels of…

Work has started at Tudor Place, Tiers Cross to create 11 quality, sustainable and affordable Council homes. The Tudor Place development is the second Pembrokeshire County Council housing site in the Authority’s ambitious housing development programme Work at the site is due for completion in July 2023. The 11 homes will be constructed to replace ten pre-fabricated houses. The development will provide modern sustainable homes for future generations, designed to the highest standards to be highly energy efficient and built to have a positive impact on the environment. To celebrate work starting at the site, a Meet and Greet event…

RCT Council has provided an update on work to repair a retaining wall at High Street, Llantrisant. Full day-time road closures (9am-3.30pm) are required on weekdays starting from September 7, as the scheme nears completion. Work continues to undertake necessary and essential emergency repairs to the large wall following its deterioration. Specialist contractors are working to partially rebuild and repair the structure, which is a time-consuming process that is complicated by narrow road widths and the presence of other structures in close proximity. A one-way traffic system has been in place to ensure safety, and this was changed to operate…

Ystrad Rhondda Railway Station users are advised that the removal of the main footbridge between Nant Gwyddon Close and Brook Street starts from September 8, requiring temporary pedestrian arrangements locally. The work is part of a major scheme to replace Brook Street footbridge, which has reached the end of its design life. The replacement scheme is funded by the Council and Welsh Government, with Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd progressing work on site. The complex project must contend with the day-to-day operation of the railway station, and the presence of the river nearby. Progress throughout the summer has seen several of…

One of the most popular long distance races in the UK – the Tydfilians’ Roman Run – will be taking place this weekend (Saturday, 3 September) for the first time in three years. Up to 300 athletes from across Britain will converge on South Wales to run the testing, mostly uphill and often off-road terrain over 16 miles between Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil, tracing the route marched by the Roman Legions travelling between forts. Apart from 2020 and 2021, when all such events were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, the run has been held every year since 1980 –…

To streamline recycling services, the glass and paper recycling banks will soon be removed from the community recycling sites across the county. When the community recycling sites were first introduced, they provided Powys people with a way to recycle household items locally. However, with the weekly kerbside recycling service now available for all properties, both glass and paper can now be easily recycled from home. Recycling banks for other materials, such as cardboard or textiles, will remain at the community recycling sites. “The decision to remove these two materials from the community recycling sites was agreed by the cabinet earlier…

inister for Climate Change Julie James has today announced £32m for farmers and landowners to help Wales plant 86 million trees by the end of the decade to combat the climate emergency. The announcement follows a short, intensive review carried out by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change which looked at removing barriers to woodland creation. Wales needs to plant 43,000 hectares of new woodland by the end of this decade as part of the Welsh Government’s journey to making the country net zero by 2050. The two new schemes are: The Small Grants Woodland Creation scheme, which simplifies funding…

The Welsh and UK Governments are today inviting applications for Wales’ first freeport, which should be up and running by summer 2023. In May 2022, the Welsh Government reached an agreement with the UK Government to establish a Freeports Programme in Wales. Welsh Ministers agreed to support freeport policies in Wales following the UK Government’s agreement that it would meet the Welsh Government’s demands that both governments would act as a ‘partnership of equals’ to establish freeports in Wales. In addition, UK Ministers also agreed to provide up to £26 million of non-repayable starter funding for any freeport established in…