Author: Rhys Gregory

Cardiff Council is working in partnership with Llanrumney Hall Community Trust to provide a new Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) to be sited on land adjacent to Llanrumney Hall. Local councillors secured funding from the Council’s Neighbourhood Renewal Schemes programme, to bring a new sports facility to the community. This funding will enable the Community Trust to construct a 30m x 15m hard surfaced playing area that they will then manage and maintain. The MUGA will be free for the local community to use, and the ground will be marked out for netball, basketball and 5 a-side football. The new facility…

Caerphilly County Borough Council has announced the launch of two new Welsh Government funded grants available for community groups to apply for. The Healthy Living Fund has also been supported by the Welsh Local Government Association.  The fund aims to provide support in relation to household support, such as revenue grants to aid food banks and local community groups tackle fuel poverty. A Loneliness and Isolation Grant is also available which will be used to support community based activities, and build the capacity and sustainability of front line grass roots voluntary organisations, to bring people of all ages together and…

A new deal between Monmouthshire County Council and Abergavenny Town Council has created a partnership to support and develop the town’s historic Borough Theatre. The county council is undertaking a major redevelopment of the historic Grade 2 listed facility that is costing over a million pounds. It will create a facility that is fit for purpose and able to serve the local community for many years to come. The County Council’s Cabinet member for Community Wellbeing, Councillor Lisa Dymock, said, ‘This deal shows the strength of the relationship between our two councils. We are looking forward to developing a strong…

Cyfarthfa Castle Museum will be closed for 10 days this month to allow its stored collections to be rehoused ahead of future refurbishment of the castle site. Around 10,000 items donated to the museum over the past 100-plus years are to be transferred to a temporary new home at the Council’s Unit 5 premises in Triangle Business Park, Pentrebach. For health and safety reasons, the museum will be closed from 21-31 March as the collection is moved down the valley. “The castle will be renovated as part of the Cyfarthfa Plan’s vision to transform it into an international quality venue…

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…