Author: Rhys Gregory

Fearless charity fundraiser Rob Lloyd has received a huge boost to his yearlong campaign of gruelling sporting challenges for the disability charity SENSE. Rob, who only recently recovered from cancer has just discovered that he’s received an anonymous donation of £20,000. Rob commenced his campaign with a marathon bike ride, terrifying sky dive and SAS march across the Brecon Beacons before abseiling down London’s Orbit building blindfolded. The donation comes in his toughest week so far, involving him in three gruelling challenges in just four days. On Tuesday, (10th August) Rob took part in a 6am swim at Llyn Padarn, on Wednesday, he…

Demand for residential and commercial funding is fuelling record investment levels in property development by the Development Bank of Wales. The Development Bank reported loans totalling £48.8 million for 37 property development investments in the year ending 31 March 2021. This represents an increase of 43% compared to the previous year with support provided for 402 new homes and 70,892sqft of commercial space. Led by director Cenydd Rowlands, the team of specialist property investment executives has recently expanded from 14 to 18 across Wales with the appointment of four new property investment executives to respond to the increase in demand…

Covid-19 prompted a wave of innovation as businesses pivoted their operations to survive, according to a Lloyds Bank survey. Almost half (49%) of Welsh businesses said the pandemic forced them to be more creative and innovative in finding new areas of growth. More than half (52%) have made changes to their business since the start of the pandemic, such as making operational adjustments (23%) and offering products and services online for the first time (22%). Crucially, a significant number of businesses are benefiting from the pivots, with 49% saying that they will keep their changes in the long term. And…

Organised and delivered by Coleg Cambria Llysfasi, the Sustainable Beef programme includes suckler and dairy beef production systems and is supported by market leaders. The programme is tailored to the land-based college – based near Ruthin in Denbighshire – and will provide learners with a broad range of input through a series of specialist talks and workshops, site visits to farm businesses and practical training. Dewi Jones, Farm Manager at Llysfasi, said: “There are many opportunities for progression. “Beef production is a vitally important part of farming in Wales so it will be great for Llysfasi students to have access…

Residents of a Bynea housing development in Llanelli are soon to become the latest to benefit from the ultrafast, ultra-reliable full fibre broadband that Openreach engineers are currently installing up and down the country. A number of residents in the estate on Yspitty road along with some adjoining streets had been left without decent connectivity after developers failed to plan for fibre broadband. While some properties were connected as a result of the successful Superfast Cymru (a partnership between Openreach and the Welsh Government) a number of residents missed out as that programme came to an end. Working closely with…

Work on regenerating the Harbourside Strategic Employment Site in Port Talbot’s former docklands is progressing well and on Friday (August 13th, 2021) senior members of Neath Port Talbot Council and others visited the site to see the ongoing work for themselves. The regeneration work includes remediation of former brownfield land, construction of an access road, the upgrading of existing highways, flood mitigation measures and an extension to the car park adjacent to Port Talbot’s Parkway Railway Station. The Improvements will be the catalyst for Neath Port Talbot Council’s redevelopment of the town’s former docks area into a thriving waterfront business and…

A number of children’s play areas across Bridgend County Borough have been earmarked for refurbishment work as part of a £700,000 uplift. As part of the first phase due to take place early next year, more than 30 play areas are set to benefit from a range of refurbishment works including installation of new equipment or re-laid safer surfaces. Appraisals were undertaken last month to establish which Bridgend County Borough Council owned play areas would benefit the most from refurbishment. The sites approved for the first phase of the scheme include: Caedu Park, Ogmore Vale Evanstown Welfare Park Park Terrace,…

Merthyr Council is consulting residents on what they would like to see on the site of the old bus station which closed in June when the new bus interchange at Swan Street opened. Initial ideas include a street market, permanent food and drink stalls, children’s play areas and multi-use community space. The site could have a mixture of hard and soft landscaping, designed to look good and be useable all year round.  This could include open, grassed areas, encouraging small scale gatherings – for exercising, studying or picnicking.  There could also be quieter, planted spaces for people to relax in…

HQ Theatres (HQ) – part of premium international live entertainment business, Trafalgar Entertainment – has officially become the new operator of Cardiff’s New Theatre following the successful conclusion of a competitive bidding process run by Cardiff Council.  HQ will sign over the lease for the building on Monday 16 August and is targeting a full reopening on Sunday 19 September. The 115-year-old, 1,144 capacity Edwardian theatre becomes the 12th venue to be run by HQ Theatres, the UK’s largest specialist regional theatre operator. Lease arrangements under which HQ will operate the capital city theatre will run for 25 years and…

A £30m scheme on the A55 to improve safety, further protect against flooding and provide a new active travel route is progressing well, Minister for North Wales Lesley Griffiths said after a visit to the site. The Aber to Tai’r Meibion scheme will improve safety and resilience along a 2.2km stretch of the carriageway by removing direct accesses off the carriageway as well as removing eight gaps in the central reservation which currently allow slow moving agricultural vehicles to cross the A55.  It will also further protect the carriageway from flooding, building on work already done to deal with the…