Author: Rhys Gregory

A £55 million investment that will help future-proof the Swansea Bay City Region’s digital infrastructure has taken a major step forward. The Swansea Bay City Deal’s Joint Committee has approved a programme of digital infrastructure and connectivity improvements which will now be submitted to the UK Government and Welsh Government for final approval. The City Deal digital infrastructure programme will benefit residents and businesses in all parts of the City Region, which includes Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea. It’s estimated to be worth £318 million to the regional economy in the next 15 years. Led by Carmarthenshire County…

A health expert has warned coronavirus levels in the Swansea Bay area could soon reach catastrophic levels unless people follow the rules on social distancing during the Christmas season. Swansea Bay University Health Board Director of Public Health Dr Keith Reid warned that if people don’t do the right thing and keep their distance from others as much as possible, the virus will have a stranglehold and risk bringing health and social care services to their knees. Neath Port Talbot has record levels of Covid-19 infection rates which are the highest in Wales and numbers are rising rapidly and Swansea…

Communities in the Caerphilly county borough are set to benefit from new outdoor gym equipment, thanks to investment through a Council home improvement programme. Caerphilly County Borough Council is delivering the brand-new outdoor gyms as part of its Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) programme.  The WHQS programme will see around £260 million invested into tenants’ homes and their communities, including environmental improvements such as new play areas, skate parks and outdoor exercise spaces. New outdoor gyms have already been installed as part of the programme in Penyrheol, Gilfach Park Estate, Fochriw and Aberbargoed.  A contract for an investment of around…

Caerphilly County Borough Council is reminding horse owners that the deadline to microchip their animal is approaching. The Equine Identification (Wales) Regulations 2019 sets a legal duty for owners and keepers in Wales to ensure that their horses are microchipped by 12th February 2021. Mandatory microchipping will allow local authorities and Police to track the owners of abandoned, lost or stolen horses, so that they can be reunited with their owners more easily. Registered keepers should have received a letter informing them of what they need to do to comply with the Regulations.  More information can also be found at:…

Schools in Rhondda Cynon Taf will only be open to high priority vulnerable learners and staff on December 17 and 18. All other learners will be provided with digital or distance learning opportunities and wellbeing support in the home setting on December 17 and 18. This decision has been taken in consultation with headteachers and is deemed essential to keep our learners and staff safe. While our schools have well-established preventative measures in place, the rise in COVID-19 in our communities is having an impact on our schools and a number of key actions are now required These arrangements will support…

The first COVID-19 vaccine is being rolled-out across Wales from today (Tuesday 8 December 2020), the Welsh Government has confirmed. Wales was the first country in the world to receive supplies of the vaccine last week, and has today become one of the first to begin protecting people against coronavirus. The Welsh Government and NHS have been preparing for today since June. The start of the vaccination programme comes just days after the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the first Covid-19 vaccine for use in the UK, confirming its safety and effectiveness for mass vaccination centre use,…

The Welsh Government has announced plans for the safe return of students to Welsh universities after the Christmas break. Students will be invited to return to campus over a four week period, starting from 11 January, with a phased return to in-person teaching. Universities will prioritise students who most need to return early, such as those studying in healthcare professions, those on placements or who need access to campus facilities. The safe return of students will be supported through the continuation of the lateral-flow testing pilots, for asymptomatic students, which began at Welsh universities in late November. Students will be…

Parents and carers on low incomes with children who are self-isolating will be eligible for a £500 support payment. The Self-Isolation Support Scheme was launched last month to provide financial support to people on low incomes or facing financial hardship when they were asked to self-isolate by the NHS Wales Test Trace Protect service. It will now be extended to help parents and carers who have to take time off work to look after their children when they have to self-isolate because of a coronavirus outbreak in their school or childcare setting. First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “Working from home…

Today the Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething has announced record funding of over £227m to expand health professional workforce training places in Wales, an increase of over £16m from last year. The additional money amounts to an 8.3% increase. It will see £9.124m more being allocated to help fund training across all education and training programmes for healthcare professionals in Wales. An extra £5.312m will be used to support GP training numbers and an increase of £0.762m for the pharmacy training budget across Wales. The announcement today also sees an additional £2.3m being allocated for extra medical…

Propco Developments Limited has completed the second phase of Waterside Business Park with all eight units on the Lamby Way site in Rumney, Cardiff now fully let or sold. Part-funded by a six figure loan from the Development Bank of Wales, phase two is a £1.5 million site that includes eight industrial units. Six have been sold to occupiers that include Richard Kemble Ceilings, Puma Floors and Absolute Performance with two units having been let on ten year leases. Propco first developed phase one of Waterside Business Park in 2007 which consists of 18 similar sized flexible use units. For…