Author: Rhys Gregory

In the year Elaine Sommers started work at Penyrheol Primary School, Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States, Abba were top of the charts and viewers across the world tuned in to the soap opera Dallas to discover who shot JR. A lot has changed since 1980 but Senior Dinner Supervisor Mrs Sommers is still at Penyrheol and pupils and staff have just celebrated and thanked her for her amazing 40 years of service. Every day Mrs Sommers, now aged 78, walks from her home in Grovesend to the school for her one hour lunchtime shift. And all…

Margam Country Park has been voted among the top ten most popular parks and green spaces in the UK after a month long public vote. The accolade comes after a UK-wide “People’s Vote” organised by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy to find the country’s ten best Green Flag Award-winning parks and green spaces. The Green Flag Award scheme is the international quality standard for parks and green spaces, and this year a record-breaking 2,061 achieved the award. And later, the British public were invited to take part in the “People’s Vote” for their favourite park with tens of thousands joining…

Neath Port Talbot Council has issued an improvement notice to a pub in the Upper Afan Valley after checks by council staff found non-compliance with Covid-19 safety guidelines. Council licensing staff found The Refreshment Rooms at The Old Station, Cymmer, failed to take reasonable measures to ensure: • There was a person controlling entry to the premises and allocating a limited time period during which customers could stay in the premises. • That face coverings were worn by customers other than when seated. • That customers were seated when ordering food or drink, being served with food or drink and when consuming food…

Work on the community athletics hub at Rhiw Syr Dafydd Primary School in Oakdale is nearing completion, with the facility expected to be fully open by spring 2021. The new synthetic athletics track will be the first of its kind in Caerphilly County Borough and will allow residents to train all year round on the durable surface. As well as featuring a six-lane, 300 metre floodlit running track – the facility will also include additional area for off field athletic events such as long jump, high jump, shotput and javelin. The area inside of the track will remain grassed to…

The RSPCA received more than 300 reports of abandoned animals across Wales last winter* and is worried a surge in pet ownership could result in more unwanted animals this year. Last winter*, the charity received 4,650 reports of abandoned animals including 316 in Wales. The highest number of reports coming from Cardiff (38), Swansea (28) and Rhonnda Cynon Taff (26) – full table below. Of these reports were six rabbits abandoned in a box in Cardiff in February and Eggnog the hamster who was dumped in Swansea in December last year. Already this November, there have been 985 reports of…

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is extending the opening of its mobile COVID-19 testing units in Caerphilly County Borough, and moving between differing locations across the borough over the weekend. The mobile testing units will provide a walk up testing service to residents of the county borough. If you have symptoms of Coronavirus (Covid-19) – a new continuous cough, high temperature or loss of taste and/or smell, please call 0300 30 31 222 to book a quick, safe test. Remember these symptoms can be very mild. Schedule as follows: – Date: Operations times: Address: 04/12/2020 09:00-12:30 Former Aldi Carpark,…

RCT Council has made important progress in the process to repair Penydarren Tramroad Bridge in Trecynon – and has submitted designs of a scheme to restore the Scheduled Monument for Cadw’s review. The Grade II Listed structure, and the Public Right of Way it supports, was previously closed due to significant scour damage and structural steelwork defects that were identified in the bridge. The structure was then further damaged in unprecedented weather brought by Storm Dennis in February 2020, and the subsequent storm events which followed shortly afterwards. The Council is aware of the historical importance of the bridge, and…

Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, has announced routine testing of asymptomatic frontline health and social care staff will start this month in Wales. Lateral flow tests (LFTs) will be made available to test frontline health and social care workers twice weekly. Mr Gething said: “I am pleased to announce that we will now be introducing a programme of regular asymptomatic testing of frontline health and social care staff and others in contact with patients and those receiving social care. This builds on the asymptomatic testing of health workers in Wales to assist with outbreak control and those working in care homes.…

The Chief Veterinary Officers for England, Scotland and Wales have agreed to bring in new measures to help protect poultry and captive birds, following a number of cases of avian influenza in both wild and captive birds in the UK. The new housing measures, which will come into force on 14 December, mean that it will be a legal requirement for all bird keepers to keep their birds indoors and to follow strict biosecurity measures in order to limit the spread of and eradicate the disease. Public health advice is that the risk to human health from the virus is…

The Welsh Government is calling on people, businesses and organisations across Wales to help shape a new strategy setting out how digital, data, technology and AI can improve lives, drive sustainability and grow the economy. A series of blogs from guest contributors including Deputy Minister for Economy, Lee Waters and the Welsh Government’s Chief Digital Officer Glyn Jones will help shape the conversation. The Welsh Government wants people to comment on the blogs and provide feedback, which will be crucial in the development of the strategy. The aim is to publish the final version next year. The new strategy will…