Author: Rhys Gregory

Work has begun to transform a retail unit in the city centre into a pop-up library for Newport residents. Central Library and Museum will be closing for several months from 23 July while work takes place in the building to create an “information hub”. While it is closed, residents will still be able enjoy a range of library services in a colourful and welcoming space in the Kingsway Centre. Councillor Debbie Harvey, Newport City Council’s cabinet member for community wellbeing, said: “I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to secure a unit not far from the John Frost Square building.…

Caerphilly County Borough Council has launched an information pack as part of a wider project to address the issue of empty properties. The ‘Caerphilly – No Use Empty’ pack aims to provide a resource for owners of empty properties and to signpost them to the wide range of support available to help them bring their buildings back into use. In December 2020, the Council’s Cabinet gave the green light to establish a dedicated team to deal with empty properties in the county borough.  The team has since developed an action plan and begun delivering this by building on the Council’s…

Merthyr Tydfil’s new bus interchange has picked up its fifth prestigious award in the space of a year, this time being named the best building project in Wales 2022. The £13m bus station was announced winner of the Building Project of the Year category in the annual Constructing Excellence in Wales (CEW) Awards, the second time it has been recognised by CEW in 12 months. “It’s clear why the interchange keeps on receiving these accolades,” said Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing Cllr Geraint Thomas. “It looks amazing, the materials and quality are of the highest standard,…

It has just been announced that the Foundation for Jewish Heritage has been successful in its funding submission to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) & Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme in respect of its plans to develop a Welsh Jewish Heritage Centre at the historic former synagogue at Merthyr Tydfil. The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant will cover Development Phase funding of just under £400,000 which will enable the Foundation to progress the detailed planning of the project working with its various institutional partners.  Assuming the Development Phase is successful, the Foundation will then make a second round submission…

A Powys staircase manufacturer is expanding its operations at a new site, helping to safeguard jobs and create new skilled employment opportunities thanks to support from the Welsh Government, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has announced. Welshpool-based Boys & Boden Limited, a regional builder’s merchant which has traded since 1895, will use a £232,000 Property Development Grant from the Welsh Government to expand the staircase manufacturing division of the business, Pear Stairs, at the old Laura Ashley site in Newtown. The move will address a space shortage for Pear Stairs, which makes and delivers staircases across the UK. It will also…

HRH The Prince of Wales will visit the National Botanic Garden of Wales to receive an oak sapling from the First Minister of Wales, as a gift from the people of Wales to HM The Queen to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The Pontfadog Oak, looked after by generations of the Williams family at Cilcochwyn Farm near Chirk, fell during a storm in 2013. At the time it was reputed to be one of the biggest and oldest oak trees in the world. In 2013, The Crown Estate successfully managed to propagate the original Pontfadog Oak tree and plant a tree…

The Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Sir Frank Atherton is reminding people to follow simple steps to protect themselves from the risk of catching Covid-19. This includes getting vaccinated, wearing face coverings in crowded indoor settings and taking a lateral flow test if you have symptoms. His comments come as coronavirus cases are once again increasing in Wales. The latest ONS figures estimate one person in every 30 has Covid-19. Cases of the omicron subtypes BA.4 and BA.5 have increased across the UK, with BA.5 now the dominant form of coronavirus across Wales. Sir Frank said: “The pandemic has not…

Action on climate change is the Welsh Government’s clear focus as First Minister Mark Drakeford announces the new Bills to be introduced in Wales in the coming year. The First Minister was addressing the Senedd as the government completes its first year, which saw the introduction of four Bills, including the unique Social Partnership & Public Procurement Bill, which will ensure the fair rights of workers and lead to more socially responsible public procurement. All five of the Bills to be introduced in the second year of the government’s legislative programme will help address climate change and support the environment.…

Actions to support the sustainable production of food, improve biodiversity, and strengthen the rural economy are part of proposals published today which outline the next steps in designing Wales’ landmark future farm support scheme. The Sustainable Farming Scheme proposals signify a major change and will be key in supporting Welsh farmers to play a leading role in delivering a more resilient environment and a more resilient rural economy. Financial support will be provided for the work farmers do to meet the challenges of the climate and nature emergencies alongside the sustainable production of food. The actions in the Scheme are…

If you’re hearing the chirping, rolling, or running noises up in the attic during the middle of the day, and don’t know what to make of it, congratulations – you probably have squirrels! Now, the first thing homeowners ask us when dealing with such a problem is, why do squirrels seem to love my attic so much? Why not other areas of the house? And of course, what can I do to get rid of them? If you want to skip straight to that last portion, we recommend that you visit squirrelattic.com to learn about humane squirrel removal. But for…