Author: Rhys Gregory

A number of nature reserves, parks and outdoors spaces in Bridgend County Borough are set to benefit following a £580,000 Welsh Government grant approval. Part of the Cwm Taf Nature Network Project, the scheme aims to form a collaboration of organisations in the region to manage the green infrastructure for the benefit of people, businesses and communities. This will see green spaces undergo an audit and work undertaken in improving and regenerating access to high quality green spaces, and engaging with communities with plans to develop early years learning spaces and encouraging people to think about the way they interact…

Bridgend County Borough Council is urging anyone who is planning to make a journey using public transport to check in advance with providers in case services are affected by an ongoing national shortage of qualified drivers. Public transport companies are reporting that some services are running less frequently due to problems such as drivers moving on to post-lockdown jobs driving heavy goods vehicles, a backlog in processing new applications and delays in delivering training for newly qualified staff. Among the affected routes are the number 64 and number 65 services between Bridgend and Talbot Green, both of which are currently…

Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) has been awarded over £450,000 of funding to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The funding, provided by Welsh Government’s Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) Transformation Fund will see charging points installed on streets, car parks and at workplaces across the county borough. While exact locations are yet to be finalised, areas set to benefit from the scheme include: Brynmenyn Industrial Estate Bridgend Life Centre Porthcawl Ogmore Vale Life Centre A Maesteg town car park A Bridgend town centre car park Bryncethin Depot BCBC Civic Offices The project aims to meet Welsh Government’s vision for charging…

Work has started to bring new outdoor facilities for children and young people to the Bedwas and Trethomas areas of Caerphilly. Caerphilly County Borough Council is upgrading the existing children’s play area at Bryn Park, as well as installing a new multi-use games area.  The new facilities are being funded through the council’s Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) programme, along with a contribution of £20,000 from Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen Community Council. The council’s WHQS programme has already seen over £260 million invested into tenants’ homes and local communities.  This investment has included delivering a wide range of environmental improvements…

British Cycling has announced that the 2022 HSBC UK | National Track Championships will be held in the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales, in Newport, from 28-30 January 2022. The 2022 event will be the first to take place outside of Manchester since 1994, with Britain’s top riders battling it out for the coveted red, white and blue national champions’ jerseys. Tickets will be prioritised for family and friends of riders and for residents of Newport, to give local fans and riders the opportunity to see some of the world’s best racing in their home city. Further details on…

The incredible team at the National Lido of Wales, Lido Ponty, have done it again – extending the current season by another two weeks until October 17th! The much-loved Lido Ponty was set to close its doors for the main 2021 season on October 3, having welcomed over 85,000 visitors this year alone – despite the restrictions that remain in place due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. However, due to popular demand, it has been decided to keep the doors of Lido Ponty open for another two weeks, meaning fans have until October 17 to enjoy it. The timetable remains…

Following agreement by Cabinet, the Council will now adopt the proposed RCT Tourism Strategy to promote the County Borough to visitors – after the strategy was updated using feedback from a consultation earlier this year. At the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, September 23, Members considered an Officer report which outlined feedback from the consultation exercise and presented the updated version of the strategy. The strategy commits to a number of set priorities which will be delivered over the coming years. Thursday’s Cabinet report outlined the growth of the tourism sector over recent years, before the onset of the pandemic. In 2019, Rhondda Cynon Taf had 1.5…

Cardiff Council has confirmed its commitment to delivering recladding works to three of the authority’s high rise blocks, which had cladding removed after the Grenfell tragedy. Llandaff North’s Lydstep Flats are home to 126 households, and make up three of five council high rises which the local authority intends to reclad. Cardiff Council’s Cabinet met last week, Thursday, September 23 and agreed a way forward for the works to be carried out. Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: “We have a duty of care to our tenants living in Lydstep flats and following the removal of…

Economy Minister Vaughan Gething met global technology company Thales to see first-hand how work on the ResilientWorks test bed environment for electric and autonomous vehicles and energy infrastructure is progressing. ResilientWorks is set to be an industry leading magnet project, creating new, high-skilled jobs and economic opportunities whilst attracting organisations from start-ups to major international companies to help develop the next generation of low carbon technologies. The Welsh Government’s partnership with Thales is part of its £100m Tech Valleys investment programme. The programme has a commitment to create 1,500 sustainable jobs focused on Blaenau Gwent and hinterland by capitalising on…

On World Tourism Day, Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, says he wants to grow Welsh tourism in a way that supports Wales’ communities, land and people Monday 27 September marks World Tourism Day, a day focused on driving global awareness of tourism’s social, cultural, political and economic value. This year UNWTO (World Tourism Organisation) has designated World Tourism Day as a day to focus on Tourism for Inclusive Growth.  This is an opportunity to celebrate tourism’s unique ability to ensure that nobody is left behind and look to the future. Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, said: “Our ambition is to grow tourism…