Author: Rhys Gregory

Brackla Primary School in Bridgend is set to substantially cut its energy bills after installing solar panels in January, this year. The new solar panels are designed to generate low carbon, renewable electricity which supplies energy to the school and offers an approximate cost saving of £2,800 per year. With an estimated life span of 20 to 25 years, it is hoped that the solar panels will continue to generate savings at the school for years to come. The school is also eligible to claim for any surplus energy exported to the national grid, which will also go towards the…

Work continues on the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site that’s due to become a new visitor attraction for Penderyn Whisky this year. The Swansea Council scheme will bring new life to the historic site’s powerhouse and outbuildings. An on-site distillery will add to the Wales-based company’s existing facilities. Main contractor John Weaver Contractors, based in Swansea, has forged ahead with work in line with government restrictions throughout the pandemic. The powerhouse roof is well advanced, meaning a weatherproof space for Penderyn’s future on-site distillery. Fellow South Wales firm Hayes Engineering & Cladding Ltd has fabricated – and is putting up – the…

A New Zealand-based company behind proposals to build an outdoor adventure park including ziplines, a sky swing, luge runs and a cableway system on Swansea’s Kilvey Hill is in the final stages of completing its due diligence. Despite the global pandemic having delayed progress, Geoff McDonald, Chief Executive Officer of Skyline Enterprises, says design work and land assembly is on-going. Proposals also include F&B offerings and a panoramic viewing platform on Kilvey Hill with views across Swansea Bay as part of an attraction which is aiming to open in 2025. Positive discussions with Swansea Council continue to take place alongside…

A forgotten landscape in the terraced ‘burgage’ gardens below Haverfordwest Castle has been transformed into a tranquil and restful green space, thanks to a project led by Pembrokeshire County Council and supported by Welsh Government. Wildflower meadows, native plants, new paths and seating have replaced the previously overgrown areas. The historic terrace walls have been refurbished and medieval bee hives – skeps – have also been introduced. The project is one of the first in Wales to receive funding under Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity grant. It also received funding from Pembrokeshire County Council and Welsh Government’s…

Half term week saw Islwyn High School offer a full series of events designed to ensure that all students in Year 11 are given every opportunity to prepare themselves properly for a return to formal examinations this summer. Teaching and support Staff, SLT and external providers all went the ‘extra mile’ in putting on sessions focussed on exam preparation, revision techniques, resilience and skills development and subject specific focus groups were put on in English. Maths and Science to provide students with opportunities to catch up in areas that had been affected by the impact of the pandemic. The school…

Visitors to the popular Reuse Shops at Llanfoist and Five Lanes recycling centres should make a date in their diaries as both shops reopen the week commencing 14th March for the first time this year. This year there is a change to the days that the shops are open, with Llanfoist Reuse Shop now open on a Tuesday from 10am-3pm, and Five Lanes Reuse Shop now open on a Wednesday from 10am – 3pm. Monmouthshire County Council’s Reuse Shops sit alongside Five Lanes recycling centre in Caerwent and Llanfoist recycling centre near Abergavenny and they offer salvaged items at bargain…

Exciting plans to create a new primary school in south Powys have been given the go-ahead by Cabinet, the county council has said. Powys County Council is proposing to merge Mount Streets Infants School, Mount Street Junior School and Cradoc C.P. School to create a new primary school as part of exciting Transforming Education plans for the Brecon catchment area. The new school would initially operate on the three existing sites, before moving to a brand-new building in Brecon, which will provide brand new, 21st century facilities for pupils. The target date for establishing the new primary school is September…

A national robotic-assisted surgery programme allowing surgeons to perform complex procedures with more precision and control is being introduced in Wales, the Health Minister has announced. The All-Wales Robotic Assisted Surgery Network, developed by health boards, the Life Sciences Hub Wales and the Moondance Cancer Initiative, will provide less invasive surgery for thousands of cancer patients across the country. The surgery involves the use of highly advanced robotic surgical instruments under the control of a surgeon. It will initially be used in Wales for some Colorectal, Upper Gastrointestinal, Urological and Gynaecological cancers. The Welsh Government will support the network with…

The UK’s first hospital-owned solar farm has surpassed expectations by providing enough electricity to not only contribute to the daily power needs of Morriston Hospital in Swansea, but to also cover 100% of its demand for 50 hours. This is despite only operating during the shortest days of the year. The £5.7m solar farm was built thanks to a loan scheme set up by the Welsh Government to decarbonise the public sector by 2030, and is repayable on an invest to save basis. It is estimated that the hospital has already saved an estimated £120,000 in electricity bills since it…

The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, has set out his vision for further education in Wales that puts supporting staff and learners at its heart. Speaking at Coleg y Cymoedd last week (10th March), the Minister set out actions to support the FE workforce over the next 12 months, including: A Professional Learning Plan for further education professionals; A fundamental review of Initial Teacher Education; A Knowledge Transfer Project to help bring in industry expertise to increase learners’ knowledge and learning experience in subjects such as digital, green skills, retrofit construction and engineering; and A recruitment campaign to…