Author: Rhys Gregory

Plans to create a new multi-million pound campus for Bridgend College at the heart of Bridgend town centre have moved a step closer. The college has submitted pre-application planning proposals to Bridgend County Borough Council outlining how it wants to develop an all-new learning and skills campus at Cheapside. This would involve constructing brand new premises using land currently occupied by the town centre police station, which has already been purchased by the council for this purpose, and a nearby former multi-storey car park which closed in April 2021 due to serious structural faults. With police activities at the site…

The consortium behind the new arena for Cardiff today welcomed the decision by the Planning Committee to approve the plans for Phase One of Atlantic Wharf, Butetown. Phase One of the multi-million-pound regeneration of Atlantic Wharf comprises the new 17,000-capacity arena, hotel and associated landscaping. The consortium, who are the Council’s chosen delivery partners will now proceed with making the vision for the Arena a reality.  With Robertson Group as developers and Live Nation and Oak View Group as joint operators, the arena will offer Cardiff the opportunity to host some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry whilst…

New CCTV cameras will be installed in and around Bute Park as part of a crackdown on crime and to increase public safety, it has been announced today at the Cardiff city centre park. From April 2022, new CCTV cameras will be installed in six key locations to achieve coverage of main routes and entrances and will significantly improve the ability to prevent and detect crime in the park. The special announcement was made today with partners from South Wales Police and FOR Cardiff, as part of Cardiff Council’s commitment to promote the safe use of Cardiff parks. Cardiff Council Deputy…

Pupils from Cilffriw Primary School in Neath Port Talbot helped to celebrate the launch of a new 20mph speed restriction in the village today (March 16) as part of a Welsh Government trial to reduce the national speed limit from 30mph to 20mph in residential areas. Cilfrew Village is one of eight areas chosen to take part in the pilot scheme following the Welsh Government’s announcement in 2019 that 20mph should be the default speed limit on all residential roads in Wales. The 20mph area will encompass all of Cilfrew Village plus a section of the main road (A4230) around…

Safer and more convenient walking and cycling routes have been created throughout the village of Lamphey, thanks to a major project carried out by Pembrokeshire County Council. The scheme has involved the whole community, including the residents, Lamphey Primary School, Lamphey Community Council, and St Faith and St Tyfei Church. It was funded by the Welsh Government’s Safe Routes in Communities programme, receiving £758,918 in grant funding over three years. The first phase of the project was the completion of 15 separate measures to improve road and pedestrian safety in several different locations, including wider pavements, new footways, traffic calming,…

Communities wishing to hold a street party to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee on the June Bank Holiday weekend can now apply for a road closure – with the Council offering support to complete the process. Her Majesty The Queen became the first British Monarch to celebrate 70 years of service on February 6, 2022. To celebrate this anniversary, many events and initiatives are taking place across the UK – culminating in a four-day Bank Holiday weekend from Thursday, June 2, to Sunday, June 5. To help residents and communities come together and celebrate this historic milestone, and in the spirit…

John Bishop makes history by becoming the first official act to take the stage at the new £135 million Swansea Arena. The Liverpudlian stand-up filled the venue with laughter, as he brought with him his hugely popular observational comedy routine. It almost goes without saying, there is a lot of serious stuff going on in the world right now, not to mention the last 24 months. So, it was nice to take a step back with John Bishop and say ‘f**king ell, what are we doing’. In what can only be described as the first normal gig since the pandemic,…

A 67-year-old man from Somerset has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for a stranger rape dating back 42 years. Following an investigation by the South Wales Police Review Unit, Roland Long was arrested on September 15th 2020 at his home address in Somerset. His arrest was the result of enhanced forensic work into an incident that happened on Elm Street in Cardiff, on August 17th 1980. Detective Inspector Patrick Catto, former Head of the Major Crime Review Unit, said: “In 1980, a woman who had recently moved to the Cardiff area got off a bus and whilst on…

Early crop trials are underway in the Vale of Glamorgan ahead of a major UK-wide trial of Sunergy, a low maintenance crop that promises to absorb carbon, provide green energy and boost wildlife populations. Further uses, from human food to cosmetics and packaging, are also being explored. If the trials at Model Farm, near Barry, go well, Sunergy could replace maize as a rotation crop and solve many problems associated with crop rotation, from the use of pesticides to soil erosion. Looking towards a future where carbon credits will be traded and farms will be paid by companies to offset…

Menter Môn’s ambition to realise the potential of renewable energy has been given a boost with a £150K grant to fund research linked to its work on hydrogen. As part of a consortium led by Corre Energy, the funding will be used to complete a feasibility study into the concept of storing hydrogen as a liquid carrier – a world first. It is one of twelve projects supported by the UK Government as part of a two-phase programme to promote net zero innovation. If the first phase of the Corre and Menter Môn scheme is successful, further funding will be…