Author: Rhys Gregory

The upland landscape between Neath Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taf has a wealth of natural assets, which if managed correctly, can have a big impact on our contributions to the climate and nature emergencies declared by nations around the world – including the Welsh Government. Within this vast area of wilderness lies the most southerly interconnected upland deep peat resource of any significant size in Wales – one of the largest areas of its type in the UK. Peatland management is crucial in the world’s approach to achieving its carbon goals – and for good reason. They are amongst…

A statutory notice proposing the closure of a small south Powys primary school will be published later this month (November), 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 on 31 August 2022. During April and June 2021, the council carried out a seven-week consultation on the proposal. Yesterday (Tuesday, November 9), the Cabinet gave the go-ahead for a statutory notice to be published formally proposing the…

Merthyr Tydfil Council is about to commence work on a series of walking and cycling improvement projects as part of its Welsh Government-funded Active Travel programme. Monday 15 November will see the start of work on: Upgrading the existing crossing point on Victoria Street to a zebra crossing – this will take until Christmas to complete. A shared route for pedestrians and cyclists running alongside Bethesda Street – this will take until 31 March 2022. A shared route for pedestrians and cyclists running alongside Avenue de Clichy from Caedraw roundabout up to the gyratory system (31 March). Work will begin…

RCT Council has confirmed it is currently considering development options for several vacant buildings on Taff Street, as part of its regeneration strategy for Pontypridd – including the former Marks and Spencer building. Cabinet will consider a report on Monday, November 15, which provides a progress update on important regeneration schemes across Pontypridd town centre. These were included in a regeneration framework for the town (‘Pivotal Pontypridd – Delivering Growth’) in 2017, when it was identified as one of five Strategic Opportunity Areas due to its potential for economic development. The Cabinet report notes what has been achieved so far…

More than £1.2m is set to be invested in six new bacterial analyser machines that can identify bacteria from infections in minutes instead of hours. Ensuring speedy identification of the bacteria causing the infection means patients will get the right antibiotic therapy quicker, improving their treatment and recovery. Timely and effective treatment can also prevent infections developing into sepsis. This also contributes into the wider public health strategy to reduce antimicrobial resistance by effectively killing the bacteria and preventing the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria. The Welsh Government funding will replace four analyser machines – which are currently based…

All primary and secondary school pupils in Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil will soon be able to engage with an exciting range of local science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) employers as part of a new effort to inspire and encourage more young people into high-skilled STEM careers, the Welsh Government has announced. The Welsh Valleys Engineering Project (WVEP) is an initiative developed jointly by the Panasonic Trust and the Royal Academy of Engineering that started in 2018, funded by the Trust and delivered by the Academy. Its aim is to create centres of excellence in STEM teaching and improve…

A new fund is being launched by the Welsh Government to back local businesses offering the goods and services that support the wellbeing of everybody in Wales, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has announced. The Backing Local Firms Fund will support businesses in parts of our local everyday economy, also known as the Foundational Economy, to deliver more of the products and services required by the public sector, helping to create more and better jobs closer to home. The Foundational Economy is made up of locally owned businesses, rooted in local communities and providing fair work, covering sectors such as care…

Members of the Senedd have approved the extension of the NHS COVID pass to cinemas, theatres and concert halls in Wales. Following the vote, the Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan said: “I am pleased the extension has been agreed today following the vote. Covid has not gone away and cases remain high and we need to continue take steps to Keep Wales Safe.  The NHS COVID Pass is one measure among many to help to keep businesses open while also helping to control the spread of the virus. “The decision to introduce them has not been taken…

British Wheelchair Basketball has today announced the line-up of the four teams competing in its inaugural Women’s Premier League. The British Wheelchair Basketball Women’s Premier League will be the first of its kind for women’s wheelchair basketball, and the very first professional para-sport league in the UK. The season will begin in January 2022, with Cardiff Met Archers, East London Phoenix, Loughborough Lightning and Worcester Wolves competing for the inaugural title. The franchises are linked to four universities which will be centres of excellence for wheelchair basketball in the UK for both men and women. These High-Performance Partnerships will develop and…

Bike share operator nextbike is temporarily removing its OVO Bikes schemes from the streets of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan after months of vandalism, thefts and threats against its team in Cardiff. And nextbike – who had to hire a private investigation firm to help the situation – have warned that the schemes could be permanently closed down if the situation does not improve when the fleets are reintroduced early next year. Nextbike launched its Cardiff fleet in 2018 to provide sustainable and affordable transport across the city and since then, combined with the Vale of Glamorgan fleet which…