Author: Rhys Gregory

Environmentally-minded pupils at Neyland Community School are encouraging parents and carers to ‘No Idle’ and tackle air pollution at the school gates. The School’s Eco Warriors Group is running a campaign to get parents and carers to shut off car engines as they wait to drop-off or pick-up pupils. Or, even better, leave the car at home wherever possible. The No Idle campaign comes as the UK marks Clean Air Day (16th June) which aims to draw attention to air pollution and the simple steps we can all take to reduce emissions. Following a meeting with Pembrokeshire County Council Pollution…

A Rhondda Cynon Taf deputy headteacher has been named as a Silver Award winner at the Pearson National Teaching Awards 2022. Nicola Richards, of Caegarw Primary School, has been honoured with a Silver Award in The Award for Teacher of the Year in a Primary School category for their outstanding commitment to changing the lives of the children they work with every day. The judging panel heard that Mrs Richards is an inspirational teacher who places staff and pupil wellbeing at the heart of the whole school curriculum. She firmly believes that a happy school is a learning school. Her sunny and…

Aberdare Festival made a RECORD-BREAKING welcome return over the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend! Over 16,000 people from Rhondda Cynon Taf and beyond flocked to the two-day event in beautiful Aberdare Park, enjoying a free screening of Disney’s Encanto, live performances from LA Performing Academy, the DB Big Band and poptastic tribute acts Beyonce Fierce, Stepz: The Experience, In The Mix and the Vengaboyz Experience. It was the first time the popular Aberdare Festival has been held since 2019 due to the Coronavirus pandemic and it was clear people were delighted to see it return – especially as it…

Free public access Wi-Fi has been switched-on in Bargoed and Ystrad Mynach helping people to access local and national public services and economic opportunities. Rhymney and Risca High Street were the first town centres to ‘go live’ with free public Wi-Fi earlier this year as part of Caerphilly Council’s ongoing Council’s ongoing support to regenerate our town centres. With funding from the Welsh Government Transforming Towns Fund and the former Rhymney Valleys Task Force Fund, the project to install Wi-Fi infrastructure began in 2020 and has seen the preparatory works completed in 7 key towns. The initiative forms a key…

A new 3G multi-purpose sports pitch has been officially opened at Brynmawr Foundation School by Wales & Dragons rugby star Elliot Dee. The pitch is the result of an investment of over half a million pounds, thanks to partnership working between the school; Blaenau Gwent Council and Welsh sport agencies. The new development at Brynmawr means all of Blaenau Gwent’s secondary/all through schools now have access to such provision. The school is overjoyed at the chance to be able to deliver enhanced physical education and sporting opportunities for pupils on site. As well as being used by the pupils of…

Planning permission has today been granted for a glass bottle manufacturing facility in Ebbw Vale, which aims to bring around 600 jobs to the local area when it opens. CiNER Glass Property Ltd, which already operates a facility in Turkey, was formally granted permission for the construction and operation of a purpose-built glass manufacturing facility, and associated development at Rassau Industrial Estate. The first part of the facility, which will be called ‘Dragon Glass’, is expected to be operational late in 2024. The application was granted subject to a number of detailed planning conditions imposed by Blaenau Gwent Council’s Planning…

Wales & West Utilities is working to upgrade part of the gas network in the Newport Road area of Caldicot. The work, which starts on 20 June, will keep the gas flowing safely and reliably to local homes and businesses, keeping people warm for generations to come. The overall scheme is expected to be complete by the end of the year. The gas emergency and pipeline service has liaised with Monmouthshire County Council to plan the work and it has been agreed that rolling two-way traffic lights will be in place along Newport Road whilst work is ongoing. Some side…

Plans to build 32 one-bedroomed flats for council rent in a north Powys town have been given the go-ahead, the county council has announced. A planning application for the flats on the site of the former Robert Owen House in Newtown was approved by Powys County Council’s Planning, Taxi Licensing & Rights of Way Committee today (Thursday, June 16). The energy efficient flats will be managed by the council’s Affordable Housing Team. The new homes will be owned and managed by the council and allocated to applications on the Powys Common Housing Register. Cllr Matthew Dorrance, Deputy Leader and Cabinet…

Climate change poses a ‘serious health risk’ to the most vulnerable in Wales, Chief Medical Officer Frank Atherton has warned in his annual report. The report looks at the second year of the pandemic, as well as looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead. The report is made up of four chapters focusing on: how climate change will become a pressing public health issue increasingly dominating our lives; Wales’s population continuing to grow and becoming a predominantly ageing population with a decreasing working-age population; the impact of the pandemic on the most deprived areas of Wales, mortality rates and…

Better pay and conditions, greater job security, improving career progression and a commitment to creating a skilled future workforce are at the heart of a new vision to revitalise Wales’ retail sector being launched today by the Welsh Government. The Shared Strategic Vision for the Retail Sector sets out how the Welsh Government, the sector and trade unions will work together in social partnership to ensure retail has a bright and sustainable future in Wales, which provides fair and rewarding career opportunities for its current and future workers. The retail sector is hugely important to the Welsh economy. It is…