Author: Rhys Gregory

New consumer research has found a majority of people supporting the principle that tourists should contribute towards the costs of maintaining and investing in the destinations they stay in. Rebecca Evans, the Minister for Finance and Local Government, will today confirm plans for a visitor levy in Wales are proceeding and legislation enabling local authorities to introduce a levy in their areas will be put to the Senedd within this government term. The levy will be a small charge paid by people staying in commercially-let overnight visitor accommodation. Similar charges are commonplace around the world, used in more than 40…

People are being urged to check if they can have the mpox vaccine ahead of the busy summer and festival season. Many people across Wales have already been vaccinated against mpox – previously known as monkeypox. The number of mpox cases in Wales has to date been very low. But there have been large numbers of cases across the UK as part of a global outbreak of the disease. Mpox is the new preferred term given by the World Health Organisation to what was previously known as Monkeypox. The new term seeks to move away from the racism, negative connotations and…

Project Destiny 2 is an MMO shooter that has become a logical continuation of the first part of Destiny and Halo, games about space and the struggle of mankind for their own survival and the opportunity to explore the universe. New players are waiting for the unknown universe, which is decorated with cutting-edge graphics and endless space and beautiful visual and sound accompaniment. The project is constantly updated and supplemented with new territories, bosses, weapons and armor, levels of the main characters and classes, a subclass system and much more. Each new update significantly increases the threshold for the maximum…

A syndicate of 10 business angels led by Angels Invest Wales lead investor Ashley Cooper has made a follow-on investment in Swansea-based 2B Enterprising, the company delivering an engaging and bilingual enterprise  education programme for primary schools throughout England and Wales. This brings the aggregate number of angel investors over the two funding rounds to 21. The investment of £390,000 includes a second round of funding of £125,000 by the Development Bank of Wales’ Wales Angel Co-investment Fund. It follows a £400,000 investment in November 2021 which helped the business to appoint Chief Executive Jayne Brewer and recruit a team…

A leading businessman has launched a campaign for North Wales to have its own Metro Mayor to ensure the region doesn’t continue to miss out on funding. Askar Sheibani, Chief Executive of Comtek Network Systems and chairman of Deeside Business Forum, decided to act after all planned major road schemes  in North Wales were scrapped by the Welsh Government. He says this will hamstring the area’s manufacturing industry and its potential to provide a major source of cheap, green energy for the country. According to Mr Sheibani, it was yet another example of how the North-South divide is putting the…

Statkraft, Europe’s largest renewable power generator, has announced that its first green hydrogen project in the UK has moved forward, with changes to the proposal following feedback from local communities, stakeholders, and the wider public. Early engagement with local communities held in October and November 2022 has influenced plans for Trecwn Green Energy Hub in Pembrokeshire. These are reflected in the Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report that has now been submitted to Planning and Environment Wales As a direct result of the feedback received from local people, Statkraft’s project team is now considering two options for the site of the…

Plantasia Tropical Zoo in Swansea is hosting a range of fun family activities for visitors of all ages over the Easter holidays. At Plantasia, guests enter the indoor Tropical Zoo by stepping through a giant tree into a real rainforest. From crawling through the undergrowth to climbing high in the canopies, visitors can explore the zoo and come face to face with all manner of animals and creepy crawlies, from pythons and tarantulas to parrots. As part of the zoo’s Easter activities, guests can  get more acquainted with the animals, with the Zoo’s VIP Animal Encounters handling experiences. The VIP…

Wales’s leading alternative network provider – Ogi – has revealed plans to bring it’s bespoke full fibre network to Cardiff in a multi-million-pound bandwidth boost to the Welsh capital’s business offering. Work beginning this month [March 2023] will bring the UK’s fastest-capable full fibre broadband technology to parts of the city that have seen significant growth in recent years. Offering symmetrical speeds of 10Gbps and higher, this new dedicated full fibre capability will bring ultrafast and reliable connectivity to businesses across the city without the need for expensive leased lines. For decades, companies in the city have had to rely…

Siderise Insulation have opened a new £1million innovation centre at their Maesteg site which reinforces the company’s long-term commitment to the county borough as well as creating more employment opportunities for local residents. The business first moved to Maesteg in 1991 and the new centre was recently opened by First Minister Mark Drakeford. Siderise have a global presence in the design, manufacture and supply of fire protection solutions which help to deliver safer buildings all over the world. Their purpose-built facilities feature a specialist fire test furnace, which will help to put Bridgend County Borough on the world stage as…

More of Cardiff’s green spaces are to become wildflower meadows, providing important sources of food and habitat for pollinators, like bees and butterflies. An additional 110 hectares of nature-friendly green space, where the grass is not mown until September have been proposed by Cardiff Council this year. Mowing these areas once a year allows wild plants and flowers to bloom all spring and summer, and gradually over time, wildflower meadows to flourish. In total, the proposals will see 197.7 hectares, an area the equivalent in size of 439 football pitches managed under this more relaxed mowing regime – an increase…