Author: Rhys Gregory

Abbey Construction has secured a seven-figure property development loan to help build 10 three-bedroom semi-detached homes in Churchstoke, Montgomeryshire. It is the first phase of a planned 30 home development in the mid Wales village. As well as using all local suppliers and sub-contractors, the company want to provide homes for families and first time buyers in the community. Phase 1 of the Ridgeway View development was registered with Help to Buy Wales, with eight of the 10 homes being sold with support from the shared equity scheme. Construction of Phase 2 – four more 3-bed homes will begin later…

The owners of an 18th century coaching inn, hotel and eatery in the heart of the historic market town of Machynlleth are investing in staff development as the business bounces back from the Covid-19 pandemic. Charles Dark and his wife, Sheila Simpson, from The Wynnstay, are confident of a busy summer ahead now that lockdown restrictions are being lifted. They hope that the predicted UK staycation boom will see a repeat of record business last August when takings were 40 per cent up on 2019. The couple have owned The Wynnstay, which has 24 bedrooms, for a total of 23…

The Football Association of Wales and Cadw are pleased to announce an exciting partnership that will link an exciting summer of football with Welsh history and culture. The Cymru National Men’s Team will be taking part in this summer’s UEFA EURO 2020 tournament, one of the biggest international football competitions in the world. Cadw is the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, working for an accessible and well- protected historic environment for the benefit of future generations. This is achieved through the delivery of ambitious conservation projects to ensure that the country’s built heritage continues to support Wales’s economic well-being, and…

The great British staycation getaway from the pandemic means that business is booming for a North Wales camper van conversion company. Simple Camper Vans, based in Caernarfon, turns conventional vans and SUVs into mobile holiday homes and owner Tommy Chamings has seen demand increase by up to 400 per cent as lockdown has eased. Tommy can turn over 20 different models into an adventure vehicle with the addition of an easy-to-fit fold-out kit that installs in minutes and is just as quick to take out. The kit doubles as sleeping platform and a seating area with table and already the…

On Monday (24 May), new artwork was unveiled in Glan Clwyd Hospital as Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) begins a rollout across its sites to celebrate the contributions of frontline NHS staff since the start of the pandemic. Over recent months, renowned Welsh artist, Nathan Wyburn, has captured the faces of over a thousand NHS staff members in striking and powerful collages as part of the ‘Thank You BCUHB’ project funded by the North Wales NHS Charity, Awyr Las, and The Arts Council for Wales. Nathan is famed for using non-traditional methods to create unique artwork, and some of…

Care homes in Wales will not be returning to the pre-covid “open house” approach after visiting restrictions were eased by the Welsh Government. That’s the warning from Care Forum Wales chief executive Mary Wimbury who sounded a note of caution saying that all visits would still need to be risk assessed before they were allowed go ahead. Ms Wimbury said it was still a challenging time for the social care sector and some care homes would be more nervous than other. One major stumbling block was the fact that insurance companies were now refusing to provide cover for any Covid-related…

With Plascrug Leisure Centre now returned to Ceredigion County Council’s responsibility, there is much to look forward to with the decommissioning work in full flow. Every part of the building was used when it was a Field Hospital. Hospital wards were created in the squash courts and the main hall, which involved the installation of new plumbing, electrical and ventilation systems, in addition to building temporary walls and installing hygienic surfaces. Changing rooms in the leisure centre and swimming pool were adapted for medical staff use and the centre’s sports equipment were removed to accommodate these temporary structures. In addition to…

BP Rolls Group has invested over £1.2 million in its second Newport servicing and repair depot creating local jobs in South Wales through the Pandemic. As other businesses contracted, BP Rolls Newport made the decision to invest in South Wales in order to support the Pandemic surge in home shopping fleet servicing and repairs, required to keep these fleets moving and providing a vital supply line to millions of homes. Offering in-house and 24hr mobile emergency vehicle servicing and repair for light commercial vehicles, alongside the commercial body shop, the existing Queensway Meadows Industrial Estate site simply couldn’t cope. “The…

A helping hand is being given to precious sealife that can flourish in the waters off Mumbles. Tests being carried out on specially designed concrete tiles will establish what types of pattern offer the best home for seashore animals and seaweeds. To help them in future decades, the most effective patterns could be used on parts of an updated sea defence system now being planned for Mumbles. A number of the new tiles have been fixed to the tide side of the existing sea defence structure. Scientists will study the results over the coming months. The tiling initiative – known…

It’s big, it’s bold, it’s becoming a familiar sight in Swansea Bay and now the Immbulance, the vaccination clinic on wheels, has made the Port Talbot Mosque its latest port of call. The Immbulance, a former mobile library converted by Neath Port Talbot Council staff into a mobile vaccination unit, is now run by Swansea Bay University Health Board professionals. The mobile clinic has been invaluable in reaching those in Swansea Bay who are unable to travel to vaccination centres or GP surgeries, either because of poor transport links or mobility issues. After Public Health Wales reported a lower uptake…