Author: Rhys Gregory

Monmouthshire County Council has confirmed its support for the Wales Placemaking Charter, joining 101 other leading Welsh organisations in the fight to tackle climate change and support recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. As the latest local authority to sign the Placemaking Charter, Monmouthshire County Council joins Neath Port Talbot Council, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Swansea Council. Other signatories include 29 architecture or design practices, 20 membership bodies, ten Government organisations, 11 housing associations including Pobl Housing and seven private housing developers including the UK’s leading housebuilder Redrow and Magor-based Edenstone Homes.  All have pledged to: Involve the local…

One in seven men (14%) in Wales still think the man should pay the bill on a date. This compares to almost one in five men (19%) surveyed from across the UK. Interestingly less than one in ten of all women (9%) surveyed agree that men should be the ones to pay. This is according to polling carried out as part of the new Men’s Heads and Hearts report from leading relationships charity Relate and relationships experts eharmony. The report combines insights from interviews with Relate counsellors and consumer polling plus service data. It looks at how men are feeling…

Savills has completed the freehold sales of the ibis Budget Newport and Hotel ibis Swansea to a private buyer for an undisclosed price with the hotels subsequently being leased to AGO Hotels, a hybrid lease operator providing a combination of guaranteed fixed rent and profit participation. The Hotel ibis Swansea comprises 99 bedrooms, a 50 cover restaurant and two meetings rooms. It is located on the A483 which is the main arterial road providing access to the city centre. The ibis Budget Newport comprises 103 bedrooms, a 30 cover breakfast room and bar. The Hotel benefits from its from proximity…

The boss of Marks and Spencer has hailed a new super bakery in North Wales as one of the best in the world. The praise from CEO Steve Rowe came during a visit to the Jones Village Bakery’s new state-of-the-art, 140,000 sq ft production facility on Wrexham Industrial Estate. Mr Rowe was there for a major relaunch of retail giant’s Plan A environmental strategy to combat climate change, reduce waste, use sustainable raw materials, trade ethically and help customers to lead healthier lifestyles. He chose the eco-friendly Jones Village Bakery for the reboot following a visit to see the new…

An epic swim across 60 kilometres of some of the wildest water in Wales’s seas, rivers, lakes and reservoirs is no birthday party – as TV presenter Gaz Top discovered. Gareth Jones: Nofio Adre (Gareth Jones: Swimming Home) – tells the tale of how the St Asaph-born star of ITV shows like How 2 with Fred Dinenage and Carol Vorderman and The Big Bang tackled two-metre waves in the Bristol Channel, a Mid Wales reservoir where Dambusters explosives were tested and the lake which swept away a village in the Conwy Valley. To get the energy to fuel his efforts…

Principality Building Society has announced a collaboration with Cardiff based energy tech company Sero, to accelerate the transition to net zero for new and existing mortgage customers. Using Sero’s Building Passport app, Principality Building Society will look to gain a better understanding of the energy performance and carbon impacts of its existing portfolio, to speed up the development of future green finance products. The collaboration will allow customers to gain a greater understanding of the carbon footprint of their home, how they can make it more energy efficient, and track the progress of the home on its pathway to net…

Today, McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Bridgend launches a new sustainability initiative to help guests tackle textile waste and dispose of unwanted clothes responsibly.  The brand has partnered with CTR Group to deliver a circular recycling scheme with 100% of the donations reused, re-worn or recycled.    The Recycle Your Fashion initiative is part of a larger corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitment for the business which aims to recycle 25 tons of clothing by 2022/23, whilst also supporting local community partners.   The proceeds from each bag of recycled garments  are donated to the centre’s chosen local causes, allowing McArthurGlen guests to make a real difference to their community. MMcArthurGlen Designer Outlet Bridgend is supporting Ty Hafan, a Welsh children’s hospice, recognising…

A growing Llandrindod Wells-based company set up last year to turn uninhabitable buildings into good quality, affordable housing was a winner at the Powys Business Awards. Cherry Build Ltd, which has 20 employees, collected the Start-up Business Award, sponsored by NPTC Group of Colleges, at the drive-in awards ceremony in Newtown last Friday. Organised by Mid Wales Manufacturing Group, the Powys Business Awards showcase business excellence across the county. Heather Gorringe, a director of Cherry Build Ltd, said: “We are absolutely delighted and very surprised to win the award because the other finalists in our category were fantastic. Win or…

Buying a drinks wholesale business in the middle of a pandemic, whilst all licensed trade was shut, would definitely seem a risky move. But Rhys and Chyrelle Anstee did just that and have made their new venture, Cellar Drinks Company in Crickhowell, a success by launching online sales, opening new accounts, securing partnerships with large brewers and moving to larger premises. Their success was recognised at the Powys Business Awards in Newtown where Cellar Drinks Company won the Micro Business Award, sponsored by Welshpool Printing Group. Organised by Mid Wales Manufacturing Group, the Powys Business Awards showcase business excellence across…

Some of Gwynedd’s young residents recently took part in the High Sheriff’s Charity Golf Competition held at Porthmadog Golf Club. The event was to raise money for PACT (North Wales Police and Community Trust) and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, selected by this Year’s High Sheriff of Gwynedd, Gwyn Peredur Owen. The Ieuenctid Gwynedd golf team, which included Tomos Dobson, Jamie Williams and Siôn Endaf Parry, was one of 14 teams that took part on the day. The team was sponsored by Councillor Simon Glyn, Chairman of Gwynedd Council with youth worker Andrew Owen keeping a close eye on the…