Author: Rhys Gregory

Ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) registrations across Wales shot up nearly 76% between July-August compared to the same time a year before. The Department for Transport’s (DfT) figures show that at the end of August, 12,900 vehicles belonged to Welsh residents, up from 7,330 on July-August 2020. The data shows the pace of moving to electric vehicles has also stepped-up, with Q3 2019 to Q3 2020 recording a 50% increase, up from a 33% rise on the year before. Merthyr Tydfil – 113%, Neath Port Talbot – 108% – and Torfaen – 92% – had the strongest take-up of electric…

AB Glass, the Swansea-based award-winning architectural aluminium specialist, has appointed a new Head of Finance as it embarks on a new chapter for the business. Kirsty James takes on responsibility for overseeing all financial aspects of the business reporting to Managing Director Nigel Harvey. She will be responsible for creating forecasting models, developing financial strategies, managing budgets and calculating risk. James has previously held senior financial positions with several organisations in sectors including electrical engineering. She brings a wealth of experience to her new role, primarily critical and analytical thinking around finance and a strategic approach to risk. She steps…

People and organisations are heading for a new web page to help Swansea tackle the climate emergency. A range of individuals and groups are making their actions and wishes known on Swansea Council’s online Climate Pledge Wall. It allows citizens to take a swift and simple step to tell others how they’re helping the planet. Each online pledge explains how the signatory is playing their part in helping Swansea become greener and carbon net zero. Many are pledging to ditch their cars in favour of public transport, with many cycling or walking for shorter journeys. Some want to cut down…

More than £13.6m has already been committed to fund over 50 projects as part of a Swansea Council scheme to help businesses and communities recover from the impact of the pandemic. Projects funded by the council’s economic recovery fund include a free bus scheme to help local shopping, the provision of free outside public space use for businesses to expand, and the installation of extra Christmas lights in the city centre over the festive period. The economic recovery fund has also enabled free use of sports pitches for many football, cricket and bowls clubs in Swansea. Grants of up to…

Haverfordwest High V.C. School is pleased to announce it has been removed from the list of schools requiring Estyn review. The school was removed from the list in December, after inspectors decided that HHVCS had made appropriate progress towards the targets in place since the last core inspection. Headteacher Jane Harries said: “The HHVCS team are delighted that staff dedication towards school targets have been reflected in the report. I would like to thank everyone for their support, including the hard work by governors, staff, students and our wider community. We are looking forward to continuing these high expectations as…

Neath Port Talbot Council has made an early start in delivering its ‘Recover, Reset, Renew’ agenda by strengthening a key front line community team that supports people who are going through a difficult time in their life. The eight new Local Area Coordinators will join an existing team of six to help support more people and communities across the county borough. Local Area Coordinators work with those who are at risk of going through a crisis in their life or help people recover if a crisis has already happened. Including people who are elderly, people with physical or mental disabilities,…

Coychurch Crematorium have donated £15,000 to Bridgend Samaritans after they were nominated as its chosen charity. The charity was chosen by the Coychurch Crematorium Joint Committee, which includes councillors from Bridgend County Borough Council, in recognition of their enormous support to children and adults through difficult times. We are delighted with this very generous donation from Coychurch Crematorium. This will have a major impact and reassurance for our branch. A spokesperson for Bridgend Samaritans Set up in 1972, Bridgend Samaritans is one of 10 local branches across Wales which work hard to support their communities and conduct crucial outreach work…

There are just a few days left for learners, parents, school staff and governors to have their say on ambitious plans to transform secondary education in mid Powys, the county council has said. Powys County Council wants to address issues with the current operating model of Ysgol Calon Cymru, a dual stream secondary school operating across two campuses. The campuses are located in Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells. In September 2020, Cabinet considered a Strategic Outline Case (SOC) which identified a preferred way forward that could address these issues, which was: A new 11-18 English-medium campus in Llandrindod Wells; plus…

Community broadband projects in Llangors, Pennorth and Llanywern and in Llangynidr have reached the stage where properties are now being connected with ultrafast fibre to the premises. Both schemes have been supported by Powys County Council (PCC) and have made progress thanks to the hard work of the community groups involved and their chosen supplier, Beacons Telecom. The connections, to households that have registered an interest and are willing to sign up to a 12-month contract with Beacons Telecom, are being funded by the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport through its Rural Gigabit Voucher Scheme and…

RCT Council will shortly undertake repair work to a 200m section of retaining wall and parapet wall adjacent to the A4054 Cardiff Road at Taff’s Well. The scheme will initially remove vegetation from all wall faces, which will enable the repointing and reconstruction of the majority of the parapet wall, reconstruction of one area of the retaining wall, and resetting of copings. The Council has appointed Centregreat Ltd as the contractor to deliver the scheme, starting from Wednesday, January 19, lasting around 12 weeks. The scheme is funded by the Council’s Supplementary Highways Capital Programme for 2021/22, using dedicated funding…