Author: Rhys Gregory

The temporary COVID testing centre at The Pavilions, Clydach Vale, CF40 2XX, will be open for drive though and walk-in appointments this weekend (12- 13 September).  Opening times: 10:00am-4:30pm If you are unable to book an appointment to be tested (if symptomatic) via the online booking system, for this weekend only, you can just turn up at the centre and will be guided through the testing process by the team of healthcare professionals on site. Visitors to the test centre in Clydach Vale, either by car or on foot, will be kept at a safe distance from each other through…

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has issued its first Premises Closure Notice to a licensed premises within the County Borough for failure to comply with COVID-19 guidance and regulations.  Using its designated powers, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council has imposed, with immediate effect, a Premises Closure Notice on Players Sports Bar, 2-3 Broadway, Pontypridd, CF37 1BA, for failure to comply with the obligations imposed by Regulation 12 (2) ‘Reasonable measures to minimise the risk of exposure to coronavirus. Specifically on Sunday, September 6, CCTV footage witnessed: Patrons stood within premises, not sat at tables as per guidance Groups of patrons…

Dealing with COVID-19 has cost Cardiff Council £39m in the first four months of the financial year. The huge costs are revealed in a report to the Council’s Cabinet which will also hear projections for next year’s budget, which could see the council having to find ways to bridge a £25.5m budget gap in 2021/22 in order to balance the books. The £39m cost of COVID-19 is made up of both expenditure and lost income. The council has spent £26m on services related to tackling the effects of the virus and a further £13m has been lost in income. A…

In January, the Welsh Government announced the £8.04m Single Advice Fund to enable support services, led by Citizens Advice Cymru, to provide free advice on debt, housing, employment, welfare benefit and other issues until December 2020. This funding has now been extended until March 2021. The Deputy Minister and Chief Whip, Jane Hutt, said: “It’s vital that the most vulnerable people in our communities have access to free and impartial advice that they can trust, especially during these difficult times. “Between January and June, more than 52 thousand people in Wales accessed advice services to help solve issues including welfare…

South Wales Police are appealing for information and vigilance following two incidents in Roath. There have been two street robberies in consecutive nights involving lone females. Extensive enquiries are underway by detectives to identity and arrest those responsible. The suspects are two males on push bikes. Extra patrols are being carried out in the area. Incident 1: A woman aged in her 30s robbed of her handbag in Alfred Street at around 10.15pm on Monday, September 7. Incident 2️: A woman aged in her 40s robbed of her handbag in Keppoch Street at around 11.50pm on Tuesday, September 8. South…

Nowadays, people are concentrating on working at home. With this trend, there is a need to have improvements since you will be spending most of your time in the house. You can improve several things, some of your own, while others can consult someone to construct or build them for you. What are those ideas? In this article, we will discuss some of the ideas you can do to improve your home. 1. Shelving Units Do you know you can save a lot of space in your house by having shelves? Designing or constructing shelving units will not only increase…

Face coverings will become mandatory in indoor public places across Wales from Monday as rules are tightened to prevent a fresh coronavirus crisis. First Minister Mark Drakeford will announce a new limit on the number of people who can meet indoors as evidence shows indoor gatherings are the main source of transmission for the virus in Wales. People will also continue to be encouraged to work from home wherever they can to limit person-to-person contact and local authorities will be given new powers to shut down premises and events on public health grounds. The latest changes will come into effect…

Businesses across Wales and England like pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and cinemas, are being encouraged to have NHS QR code posters visible on entry, so customers who have downloaded the new NHS COVID-19 app can use their smartphones to easily check-in. The move comes ahead of launching the NHS COVID-19 app across Wales and England on Thursday 24 September. Checking in with the app will enable people to keep a diary of the locations they have visited, which will be held securely in the app. If there is a COVID-19 outbreak linked to their visit, users will get an early warning…

RCT Council has provided an update on the significant scheme to replace the Brook Street footbridge at Ystrad Railway Station – with the design phase now complete and work on course to begin on site in the New Year.  The bridge, now at the end of its design life, provides an important link from Ystrad to Nant-y-Gwyddon Road, and is the only ramped access to the railway station’s northbound platform. The demolition and replacement scheme is very complex as it must contend with several factors including the day-to-day operation of the station, while work must also take place above a…

People who are terminally ill in Wales can now have their benefits applications fast-tracked online thanks to a campaign by Macmillan Cancer Support. Before this change, people with fewer than six months to live had to apply for some benefits they were entitled to by post. This was usually through a health professional, such as their clinical nurse specialist, who then posted the forms to benefits advice teams to process and send on to the Department of Work and Pensions. This sometimes led to delayed claims – or claims that got lost in the post – and some claimants sadly…