Author: Rhys Gregory

With little over six weeks to go before the end of the EU withdrawal period and many areas of agreement reached between the EU and UK in trade negotiations – but the subjects of fisheries and state aid rules still major obstacles to progress as the negotiations reach their final stages – the FUW has urged both the UK and EU to avoid the catastrophe of a no-deal Brexit at all costs. The call comes a day after Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs George Eustice acknowledged on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show that the sheep sector…

The Welsh Government today published its new draft Transport Strategy pledging a major reduction in carbon emissions from the transport network in Wales. Transport currently makes up 17% of Wales’ carbon emissions but the Welsh Government has committed to set new and stretching five year priorities to tackle carbon emissions as it seeks to meet decarbonisation targets. The draft strategy, ‘Llwybr Newydd – New Path’, was launched on Tuesday and will shape Wales’ transport system over the next two decades. It sets out a range of new ambitions to reshape transport in Wales, including a new sustainable transport hierarchy that…

People on low incomes who have coronavirus or have been told to self-isolate by the NHS Wales Test Trace Protect service are now able to apply for a £500 payment. The new self-isolation payment scheme has been designed to encourage people to stay-at-home by removing any financial barriers to self-isolating. The scheme is open to anyone receiving Universal Credit and other specified benefits, who has to self-isolate because they have coronavirus or have been told to by Test Trace Protect. There will also be a discretionary element for those who do not meet the criteria but who face financial hardship…

Information about a significant proposed investment for Ffynnon Taf Primary School is now available for residents – including details of a new school block which would be heated by Wales’ only thermal spring. RCT Council will deliver four classrooms for foundation phase pupils through a permanent new-build block at the school in Taff’s Well, to be used alongside its existing Victorian-style building which has recently received investment to upgrade and modernise the school interior. A new hall will also be built for the school and the wider community, along with improvements to the existing yard area. The scheme will increase…

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is extending the opening of its temporary testing facilities in Bargoed and at Caerphilly Leisure Centre. The testing units will be open until 23/11 and will provide a walk up testing service to Caerphilly residents. 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 test. Remember these symptoms can be very mild. Morning Walk Up Tests (Booking Required) Caerphilly Leisure Centre, Virginia Close, Caerphilly, CF83 3SW Operating Hours: Morning (08:30am-11:30am) Operational dates: Open until 23/11…

Applications for September 2021 primary school places open today, (Monday 16 November 2020) and a new campaign has been launched to provide guidance to parentsapplying for a place. Cardiff Council’s School Admissions teamhave identified 7 tips to assist families by explaining how the admissions process works, the importance of using all preferences available to them and why they should apply on time. Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry said: “The application process for school places can feel complicated and it is important that families have a clear understanding of how best to apply for a place.…

For many years, the number of females beginning careers in butchery, processing and distribution was below 10%, in what is a historically male-dominated arena. But in past weeks, FDQ Limited – a specialist awarding body pioneering innovative qualifications in food – revealed women have accounted for 18% of their butchery assessment successes this year, with the figures continuing to rise. And in management roles there has also been a sea change, with colleges across the UK offering courses in various positions. Among them is Coleg Cambria, and one of its learners, Esther Dyke, has risen to become a supervisor at…

A retired nurse who treated soldiers injured in the Battle of Dunkirk has revealed the secret of her long life as she celebrated her 103rd birthday – a small tot of whisky in her cup of tea in the morning. Staff and residents at Pendine Park’s Gwern Alyn care home, where Hilda Richards now lives, tucked into an afternoon tea and a birthday cake to mark the momentous milestone. At the party, she explained her recipe for longevity. She said: “The secret is a tot of Bell’s whisky in my morning cup of tea. I always had that.” Pointing skywards…

The go-ahead has been given for 107 new homes in the Conwy Valley which are “ideal for homeworkers” and will provide a £60 million boost to the local economy. Conwy County Borough Council’s planning committee gave their blessing to the Maes-y-Felin scheme on the outskirts of Glan Conwy. According to Calon Homes, it will also create 500 jobs, with 95 per cent of the people employed coming from within a 20 mile radius of the 13-acre site just off the A470. The community-conscious company have also committed to training local apprentices and to use local suppliers wherever possible. Around 30…

A big-hearted trailer firm has come to the rescue of a GP practice that desperately needed a separate clinical area to assess patients with Covid-19 symptoms. Ifor Williams Trailers worked with the doctors at Corwen Family Practice to design and build a bespoke mobile clinic that’s now parked outside the town’s health centre in Green Lane. To ensure there is no cross-contamination, the insulated clinic has two different entrances – one for the patient and one for the doctor. On the doctor’s side there is a clean room where the PPE is stored and an internal door to the clinic…