Author: Rhys Gregory

More than £37m has been paid out in financial support to businesses in Bridgend county borough since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. In March last year, Welsh Government launched the first phase of grants for businesses and charities affected by the coronavirus lockdown and restrictions, with £30,065,000 paid out by Bridgend County Borough Council since then. Another £5,475,000 has been paid under the Non Domestic Rate Lockdown Grant scheme since November and £1,840,000 from the Business Restrictions Fund launched in December. A total of 4,931 grants have been given to businesses in Bridgend county borough through these funds. As…

Authorities across the UK are reporting problems with street lights which are switching themselves on and off in large numbers. Bridgend County Borough Council’s Street Lighting team are currently investigating and estimate that around 7,000 local lighting columns could be affected. The fault is believed to be a software problem affecting global positioning technology which calculates what time the sun rises and sets. Residents are being reassured that they do not need to report the issue as it is already being dealt with. Most of the 20,000 street lights that we have in Bridgend County Borough rely on photocells which…

Welsh Rugby legend Sam Warburton has had many titles in his career – a Grand Slam, the Six Nations, youngest ever World Cup captain – and now he’s retired, Cardiff Dogs Home Ambassador. It’s this new role that is the focus of Sam’s attention now, as he’s joined forces with local registered charity The Rescue Hotel to try to raise £500,000 to refurbish the kennels at Cardiff Dogs Home, which looks after up to 1000 stray dogs from Cardiff a year. Speaking about the fundraising effort, Sam said: “I’ve had dogs my whole life. I’ve had two dogs from Cardiff Dogs…

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has officially opened its new Emergency Control Centre, to be used in the event of major incidents which affect the County Borough and the safety of its residents. The facility, in a central location, is in addition to the Council’s 24/7 out-of-hours contact centre and is designed to allow the Council to manage a major incident at a ‘Strategic Level.’ It is divorced from the operational side of any response but will allow for contact to be maintained with key individuals and is designed for managers to have access to as much accurate information as quickly as possible to support the critical decision-making process. The RCT Emergency Control…

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet has agreed an ambitious draft budget that does not include any proposed new cuts to services for 2021/22. Leader of Council, Cllr Philippa Marsden, welcomed the decision at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting (Wednesday 13th January), “I am proud of the way this authority continues to manage its budget thanks to our ongoing sound financial management and prudent approach. “We are working hard to ensure that the council remains financially resilient during these uncertain times and I would like to thank all those involved for making this possible.” “I fully support these draft budget proposals and I’m…

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet has yesterday (Wednesday 13th January) unanimously agreed an approach to help tackle the issue of long-term empty properties. The Enforced Sale Policy will enable the Council to use statutory powers to target long-term problematic empty properties, derelict commercial buildings and land; bringing them back into use where possible. As well as offering opportunities to increase the supply of affordable housing, the Policy will also aim to free up public sector resources, recoup debts owed to the Council and improve local communities.  Such sales can only proceed where the Council has a financial charge secured against…

At yesterday’s (Wednesday 13th) meeting of Caerphilly Council’s Cabinet, a set of parking tariff proposals were unanimously agreed, including the removal of the existing pay and display fees in 5 of the authority’s Country Parks, as Cabinet recognise the significant health benefits of utilising the sites. The meeting follows the recent decision taken by Cabinet to extend the suspension of parking charges across the county until the end of March, in a bid to support key workers and encourage residents to shop local for essential supplies. The proposals will see FREE parking continue in the council owned car parks of Parc…

The freedom to play your favourite casino games online in the comfort of your own home is a revolutionary convenience. Even so, players in Norway should be cautious of casino scams. Relying on Google can feel overwhelming if you’re trying to find a trustworthy and feature-rich provider. For beginners, casino guide sites such as nettcasino provide a list of safe and credible online casinos to help Norwegian players get started. These sites make the process to pick the service that’s right for them go much smoother. Online Gambling in Norway Most people who live in Norway are familiar with the…

Enterprise owners have much in common with successful penny stock traders although few recognize the relationship. Entrepreneurs boast all of the necessary character traits that a trader must possess so enterprise leaders that want to learn how to day trade get to start off from a position of strength. Traders Are Entrepreneurs Penny stock traders understand there is no guaranteed salary and there are expenses that must be paid no matter what. But most important, traders are opening themselves to risk and must commit their own capital or money raised from investors. Sounds familiar? Entrepreneurs certainly know the feeling. Enterprise…

During the 2020 lockdown over 350,000 people in Wales* (18%) stepped outside their front doors to run for their daily exercise. With gyms closed once again and running clubs not able to exercise together, Run Wales is looking for first-time joggers, power walkers and race finishers to join their new campaign From My Door and be a part of a new running movement in 2021. From My Door hopes to encourage 500,000 people to use the only gateway to exercise we have right now, the front door, as the starting block for fresh air, exercise and thinking time. Whether it’s…