Author: Rhys Gregory

Pembrokeshire County Council is highlighting the local health board’s announcement that young people aged 12 to 15 can access their COVID-19 vaccine this week without appointment. The vaccines are available until Sunday 31 October at Pembrokeshire’s two mass vaccination centres – Pembrokeshire Archives in Haverfordwest, and Tenby Leisure Centre. Please note, Hywel Dda University Health Board will be unable to vaccinate anyone under 16 if they turn up at the vaccination centre alone.  A parent or guardian will need to accompany them to consent to them having the Pfizer vaccine. For opening days and times at Pembrokeshire Archives and Tenby Leisure…

Local residents are being consulted on plans to construct a plastic recycling and processing facility that would create more than 100 local jobs. As well as providing around 110-plus direct employment opportunities and 44 indirect supply chain jobs, the plant would reduce the amount of waste being disposed by landfill, reducing the country’s carbon footprint. The applicant, UK plastics recycling market-leader Jayplas, is currently running a month-long ‘pre-application’ consultation exercise seeking residents’ comments, before submitting a planning application to the County Borough Council in December The Council will conduct its own public consultation period, once the planning application is formally…

Caerphilly County Borough Council is asking its tenants to give their views on the rent they pay. Tenants are being asked whether they think their rent is fair, affordable and if the housing service they receive from the council is value for money. A brief online survey can be found on the council’s website.  Everyone who completes the survey and provides their contact details will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive £150 and three will win £50 in shopping vouchers. The survey will end on Tuesday 16 November 2021. For more information or for help…

Detailed information about plans to provide Penygawsi Primary School with a new 21stCentury building in autumn 2023 are now available to view online and in the community – and residents can give their feedback up until November 24. The proposals would utilise potential funding from Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools and Colleges Programme, which the Council is currently of applying for. It follows Cabinet’s agreement in September 2020 to submit an initial business case to secure Mutual Investment Model (MIM) funding – the revenue funding route for Band B of the 21st Century Schools Programme. The funding application process continues,…

An energy scheme aimed at addressing fuel poverty has provided 113 Homes in Penrhiwceiber with new heat and cost-saving energy measures since September 2020. The Arbed am Byth Scheme – delivered in partnership with Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, the Energy Saving Trust and Welsh Government as part of the Warm Homes scheme – aims to address fuel poverty as well as helping to  reduce Carbon Emissions in the pilot area.  The scheme aims to provide insulation and efficient heating systems to households in the Penrhiwceiber area struggling with the cost of high energy bills. Energy measures installed to the 113…

From the UK’s first carbon-neutral potatoes to plant-based desserts and alcohol free botanic drinks, Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths has announced more than 200 new food and drink products will be showcased by Welsh businesses at BlasCymru/TasteWales, which returns today. The number of products developed during what has been an incredibly challenging year is clear proof of the resilience and innovation within the sector in Wales. The event is taking place at the International Convention Centre (ICC Wales) in Newport and provides a crucial platform for producers from across Wales to show their products to trade buyers from retail, foodservice…

Is the health insurance chatter all you can hear off late? That is no surprise, considering how the world turned upside down while we were busy with our lives. Now that you’re curious, let’s break down health insurance and when you should consider getting one! What Is Health Insurance? Health Insurance helps you to cover medical expenses that you may incur during accidents or illnesses. Any individual can opt for a monthly or annual subscription, and during this period, specific hospital expenses will be covered by the insurance provider. In general, insurance companies have tie-ups with the top hospitals to…

Students tend to be rather dismissive about editing and proofreading their academic assignments. It is a common belief that you have nothing to worry about as long as you do a spellcheck and take a perfunctory glance over your essay once you have finished it. It is a convenient approach in the sense that it frees you from responsibility as soon as you are done with writing per se. But if you follow it, you probably do yourself a poor favor. Many essays can get a higher grade if you apply just a little bit more effort when you edit…

StudentDigz, Swansea’s largest independent student letting agency, has completed the acquisition of a large Swansea-based lettings business in a deal that doubles the size of the company’s portfolio of properties under management. The deal means that StudentDigz is now responsible for letting or fully managing more than 500 properties in South West Wales, which become a home to some 2,000 students every year. It now employs seven staff in Swansea as well as an even larger number of subcontractors that manage the upkeep and repairs of the properties. Since the deal was first signed in late 2020, also the year in…

A £30 million Swansea Bay City Deal Skills and Talent programme for South West Wales has been approved by the UK Government and Welsh Government. The regional programme will provide opportunities for thousands of people to access skills opportunities and will support businesses to grow through developing a talented workforce across the Swansea Bay Region focussing on industries with high demand for workers. Opportunities will be aligned to areas of growth and regional strengths such as the digital, construction, energy, health and wellbeing and smart manufacturing sectors with opportunities for upskilling the current workforce as well as preparing the next…