Author: Rhys Gregory

As COVID-19 continues to limit contact between individuals, one Welsh training company has developed a unique new way of delivering its leadership courses to ensure they continue to be an immersive and challenging experience – even when completed virtually. Call of the Wild has long specialised in delivering training programmes that challenge participants both physically and mentally by using the incredible landscape and geographical features around its headquarters in the Brecon Beacons to create unforgettable learning experiences for clients. With lockdown preventing such physical interactions, the company quickly pivoted its offering into the virtual world, conducting sessions via video link.…

Swansea Council’s award-winning pension fund is on course to cut its carbon footprint to 50% of index levels by next year, Full Council will be told next week. The £2.1bn fund looking after the retirement funds of 47,000 members has already taken major steps to reduce its carbon footprint by cutting the amount of cash invested in oil companies and other organisations with a high carbon intensity. And earlier this year it agreed a £30m investment in green energy production companies around the world. In a special report to Council next week that looks at Swansea’s commitment to tackling climate…

Swansea city centre is set for cleaner streets following the launch of new innovative cleaning vehicles. Swansea Council has strengthened its cleansing workforce by purchasing two mini cleaning vehicles called the Hako Citymaster. The council is hopeful the micro sized street cleaning machines will get to parts of the city other vehicles have previously not been able to access. The versatility of the new kit will also enable street cleaning teams to get to grips with gritting, snow removal as well as power washing heavily walked footways. Mark Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment Enhancement & Infrastructure Management, said: “Visitors to…

Swansea businesses and other organisations that occupy scores of council-owned property are to be given an extra rent break to help cope with the cost of the firebreak. The council’s Cabinet agreed the move at its meeting on November 19 and it means eligible tenants will get 16 more days rent free on top of the rent holiday they got during the main Covid-19 lockdown earlier this year. The council’s rented and leased property portfolio is diverse and comprises a wide range of lessees and tenants. The rent break will apply to assets based on a market rent basis, properties…

Work will be carried out to replace the storm damaged Blaengwrach River Footbridge on the night of Saturday, November 28th to permanently restore the link between Glynneath and Blaengwrach. The 70-year-old footbridge had to be partially demolished earlier this year after being critically damaged during Storm Dennis – but has since remained open albeit with a restricted width. Shortly after the damage took place, Neath Port Talbot Council approved the design and supply of a replacement bridge. As well as providing an essential link between the villages of Blaengwrach, Cwmgwrach and Glynneath, the footbridge also carries the gas and water…

In July, following the death of George Floyd and a month of action by the Black Lives Matter movement, First Minister Mark Drakeford ordered an urgent audit of statues, street and building names to address Wales’ connections with slavery and the slave trade. The audit published today (Thursday 26 November 2020) shows the slave trade was embedded in the Welsh economy and society and reflected in many of our statues, street and building names today. The audit identified 209 monuments, buildings or street names, located in all parts of Wales, which commemorate people who were directly involved with the slavery…

Welsh Government is pushing forward in its ambition to make active travel a realistic alternative by making it easier for people to tell their local councils where existing routes need to be improved and new routes built. An interactive map to gather opinions from communities about local walking and cycling paths is being launched today in several areas across Wales. Hosted by Commonplace, the website invites people to let their local councils know where they’d like to see improvements to walking and cycling paths. This could be because routes are interrupted, feel unsafe or even don’t exist where they are…

RCT Council and Awen Cultural Trust will begin the next stages of consultation for the planned £4.5m investment in Pontypridd’s Muni Arts Centre – including engaging the public and stakeholders virtually starting in December. In late 2019, Awen Cultural Trust became the Council’s preferred tenant and operator of the Muni, announcing an ambitious long-term plan to refurbish the building with architects Purcell. The aim is to secure the Muni’s heritage and celebrate its stunning gothic architecture – while establishing the much-loved building as a unique regional arts and music venue with a sustainable future. An important public consultation progress is…

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet met yesterday (Wednesday 25th November) to set out its vision for a green Caerphilly. Cabinet members agreed a Green Infrastructure Strategy which aims to build on the significant work already carried out by the Council to develop Caerphilly into a green and healthy place to live with an established, multi-functional green infrastructure of high quality spaces; interlinked by a network of corridors that benefit both people and nature. In 2019 the Council became only the second in Gwent to declare a climate emergency and commit to becoming carbon neutral by 2030.  As part of these…

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has branded the UK Government’s decision to slash Wales’ agricultural budget as a ‘Brexit betrayal’, after chancellor Rishi Sunak revealed in Wednesday’s (November 25) spending review that the budget would be cut by at least £95 million for the coming financial year. Following a 2019 Conservative Manifesto promise, the Wales’ agricultural and rural development budget was expected to have been £337 million, but the 2021-2022 budget will now be £242 million – a cut of around 28% – while the full loss when projected RDP spend and the 15% pillar transfer is taken into account…