Author: Rhys Gregory

A brand new play area for West Cross and an upgraded play area for Pontarddulais have been completed just in time for the busy school holidays. Work has been finished at the West Cross site near the seafront at West Cross with updated play facilities also completed at Coed Bach park in Pontarddulais. At the same time the council has agreed plans for improvements at seven other locations where work is due to start in coming weeks. On top of that there are plans in the pipeline for 18 other council play areas in parks all across the city. Robert…

Members of Neath Port Talbot Council’s new Coalition Cabinet will discuss a range of important issues at what will be their second meeting on July 28th. At the meeting, the Cabinet could approve spending £4.25m to “clean up and green up” towns, valleys and villages across Neath Port Talbot. The money comes from additional Welsh Government funding and the council’s approved spending programme. New Leader Cllr Stephen Hunt said earlier this month improving the ‘public realm’ in Neath Port Talbot was one of the Coalition’s early priorities. Also on the agenda will be proposals to extend the Welsh Government’s flagship…

Neath Port Talbot Council is working in partnership with Brecon Beacons National Park Authority and local transport operators DJ Thomas and Forge Travel to reintroduce the free Waterfall Country Park Ride Service this summer. Starting at Lancaster Close Car Park in Glynneath, the service will run on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Monday from Saturday 23rd July to Sunday 4th September 2022. Originally introduced in 2021, the Waterfall Country Park and Ride pilot project has been extended for a further two years with the aim of having a positive impact on the local community by easing intense visitor parking pressures…

Customers of Pembrokeshire’s Mobile Library Service are delighted that the service is fully operational following the Covid pandemic as they say it delivers an excellent service and was much missed. Both parts of the service, Library at Home (Housebound) Service and Village routes are back up to full speed. If you, (or a family member or neighbour) enjoy reading or listening to books but are unable to leave your home because of poor health, not having access to transport, or being unable to carry heavy items, the Library at Home service could be of interest to you. If you’re eligible…

Excellent progress has been made with the construction of new £4.7m school and childcare facilities at Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Aberdâr – with the vast majority of work now complete ahead of the new school year in September. Contractor Andrew Scott Ltd started work on site last summer, and has now substantially completed the construction phase on schedule – with the project being delivered in time for the 2022/23 academic year. The new facilities for the primary school in Cwmdare will be handed over to the Council this week. The total £4.706m investment is supported by Welsh Government and is split…

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has paid tribute to Councillor Anthony Burnell, who sadly passed away on Tuesday, July 19. Councillor Burnell (Plaid Cymru) was a serving elected member of the Council, representing the Ynysybwl ward, having been duly elected during the local elections held in May 2022. He was also a member of the Council’s Democratic Services Committee, Governance and Audit Committee and the Corporate Parenting Board. Councillor Wendy Treeby, Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf, said: “On behalf of the Council, I would like to express our deepest sympathies to Councillor Burnell’s family on their loss; our thoughts are with them…

Newport councillors approved a new public space protection order regarding the control of dogs in public spaces at the July council meeting. The new order covers all public spaces within the city, replacing several site-specific measures that were already in place. The order sets out that dogs in public spaces must be kept under control at all times. This does not necessarily mean dogs must be kept on a lead, as long as they are under their owner or walker’s control. However, owners and walkers must put their dog on a lead if asked to do so by an authorised…

Collaboration between Derwendeg Primary school and Gwent Police has seen a new approach to teaching and promoting community safety – by using Minecraft. As part of the educational pilot, pupils at the school have been building a new digital world that reflects their own community, one including local landmarks like their primary school and playground. The result will be a fully interactive and safe online world in which players/learners can interact with non-playable characters (NPCs) – created by Gwent Police community support officers (CSOs) – to learn more about things like staying safe online, how to report crime and knowing…

Students at Pen Y Dre comprehensive school in Merthyr Tydfil have taken part in a film called ‘Look at Us’ a short film highlighting the issue of bullying, based on sexual orientation. Ffilm Cymru in collaboration with Cymoedd Creadigol decided that Pen Y Dre should be the school to bring the script to life which was written by pupils from Porth County Community School RCT, who have faced this type of bullying themselves Pupils from the school, with the support of their drama department went on to produce and direct a short film taking on a variety of roles such as…

Work on a strategy that will guide the scale and location of new development in the county has begun, Powys County Council has announced. Cllr Jake Berriman, Cabinet Member for a Connected Powys, made the announcement at a reception held at Tŵr Brycheiniog on the last day of the Royal Welsh Show (Thursday, 21 July). The council has started a three-and-a-half-year process to prepare a new development plan which will cover all of Powys, excluding the Brecon Beacons National Park. The current Local Development Plan (2011-2026) is used by the council to guide and manage development, providing a basis by…