Author: Rhys Gregory

A very small south Powys primary school will close later this year after being given the go-ahead by Cabinet, the county council has said. Powys County Council is looking to reconfigure and rationalise the primary school provision in the county as part of its Strategy for Transforming Education in Powys 2020-2030 and is proposing to close Llanbedr Church in Wales School from 31 August 2022. Last year, Cabinet gave the go-ahead for a statutory notice to be published formally proposing the change, which was published in November. During the statutory notice period, nearly 350 objections were received. This week (Tuesday,…

More accommodation is likely to be needed in the county for gypsies and travellers over the next five years, according to an assessment carried out by Powys County Council. The council’s Housing Service has completed the latest Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA). The Welsh Government requires all local authorities to produce an assessment once every five years. The assessment is intended to give the council the information needed to plan strategically for meeting the current and future needs of gypsies and travellers. It also contributes to the evidence base for the preparation of the local development plan (LDP), the…

Businesses recruiting full time disabled apprentices over the next year can expect to receive an additional incentive of £2,000, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has announced today. The Welsh Government Employer Incentive Scheme for disabled apprentices, which was designed to encourage employers to get first-hand experience of the benefits of recruiting disabled people, is being extended from April 1st 2022 until the end of March 2023, and increased by £500. The commitment supports the Welsh Government’s new employability plan, Stronger, Fairer, Greener Wales: A Plan for Employability and Skills, published earlier this week, which prioritises supporting those people who are furthest…

UK citizens will start receiving “danger to life” alerts on their phones informing them when they are in mortal danger, including advising them on what to do to stay safe. This service will be included in the list of government-provided services and is set to launch later this year after successful trials were conducted last summer. Basically, “danger to life” alerts are messages sent to your phone by emergency services as long as you are within mobile phone network coverage. Once the phone receives the alert, it makes a loud siren noise even when it’s on silent mode. Unfortunately, one…

FIFA has confirmed that Cymru’s 2022 FIFA World Cup Play-off Semi-Final against Austria in Cardiff on Thursday, 24 March will go ahead as planned. Ukraine’s request to postpone their play-off semi-final against Scotland on the same evening has been granted by FIFA. The FAW supports FIFA’s decision in this matter and stands in solidarity with Ukraine and reiterates its condemnation for the use of force and the atrocities being committed by Russia. If Cymru win against Austria, they will play the winners of the Scotland v Ukraine play-off semi-final at Cardiff City Stadium on a date to be confirmed in…

Lee Whitlock, 53, from Barry, has today been sentenced for the murder of Robert Farley. Yesterday, March 7, Whitlock pleaded guilty to killing Robert, after leading officers to his dead body on September 3rd, 2021. Upon arrest, Whitlock claimed that Robert, known as Bobby, was his friend and acted as though he knew nothing about his death. CCTV footage shows him walking past Robert’s home and staring at the window, after he had murdered him. Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Lewis said: “The show that Whitlock put on for officers at the scene, claiming to know nothing of…

THE UNDERTONES have confirmed a run of rescheduled UK live dates throughout March and April 2022. Supporting them will be Hugh Cornwell and Neville Staple (Sheffield date only) The Undertones emerged from Derry in 1976, the result of five friends (John O’Neill, Damian O’Neill, Fergal Sharkey, Billy Doherty and Michael Bradley) learning how to play basic rock and roll.Even by the standards of that decade Derry was not the rock and roll capital of anywhere. With no live bands worth watching, they learned by listening to mail order records, reading one of the few copies of NME that made it…

The family of a Swansea sprinter who now has a way named in his honour have visited the city to celebrate the milestone. Cupid Way – which links the city centre with the Copr Bay district – has been named in recognition of Cyril Cupid, a record-breaking athlete of the 1930s. Cyril was the Welsh champion over 100 and 220 yards from 1930 to 1934. He was the first Welshman to run the 100 yards in under 10 seconds, clocking a time of 9.8 seconds. Family members to have now visited Swansea to celebrate the way naming include Sonya Aleksic,…

Family-owned business Leekes Retail & Leisure Group, which celebrates its 125th year in 2022, has agreed a new bank finance package split equally between HSBC UK and Barclays. The funding is earmarked to support growth plans across the fourth-generation family business’ divisions: Leekes Retail, the Vale Resort, Hensol Castle Distillery, and its property arm. The group continues to invest across all areas of its operations, with short term priorities including the £12m renovation of Leekes Retail’s longest-standing department store in Llantrisant, South Wales which is currently underway. In addition, £5m of the funding will contribute to the development of new…

To support International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, an organisation that represents training providers across Wales is to host three discussions during the month focused on achieving gender balance and diversity in apprenticeships. The National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW) discussions will focus on finding sustainable solutions to address gender imbalance in apprenticeship opportunities in sectors including construction and engineering. The Welsh Government has tasked the NTfW with providing more apprenticeship opportunities for females in male dominated sectors and males in female dominated sectors. The global #IWD2022, which has #BreakTheBias as its theme, celebrates the social, economic, cultural and…