Author: Rhys Gregory

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has conducted more than 10,000 video appointments since it rolled out the NHS Wales Video Consultation service in April. The popular service enables patients to attend their hospital appointment from the comfort of their own home or without having to leave work. It has given thousands of patients the option of safely continuing to see their clinician face-to-face throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to giving patients more flexibility in how they attend their appointment, the service is helping to minimise traffic and improve parking at Health Board sites, reduce levels of pollution locally,…

The first public electric bike share scheme in Wales has been launched in Penarth by global bike share operator nextbike, thanks to funding from The Vale of Glamorgan Council. The fleet of 50 e-bikes and five stations were launched on Thursday November 12. Vale Council received numerous requests from the public to introduce its own scheme following the huge success of the nextbike cycle hire scheme in Cardiff, which has clocked up more than 892,525 rentals since it launched in 2018. It’s hoped that once people start using the Penarth fleet, it will help to reduce congestion and CO2 levels,…

Personal service is the missing ingredient when it comes to dealing with the telecoms giants, according to entrepreneur Matthew Brain. His business, MBDEV has just moved into a new home at UKSE’s  Ebbw Vale Innovation Centre, from where it will offer network services including internet and phone, cloud storage, IT, networking and cybersecurity to clients around the UK. “With the big companies you are, inevitably, a number, but with us we treat our clients as a person,” he said. While offering competitively-priced packages, MBDEV specialises in a flexible approach backed up by a high level of pro-active, personal service. “We monitor…

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has given a cautious welcome to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs’ announcement of the outcome of a consultation on simplifying agricultural support in Wales. The Sustainable Farming and our Land: Simplifying Agricultural Support consultation, which ended on the 23 October 2020, proposed eleven changes to the Basic Payment Scheme and a number of major changes to the principles underpinning the Rural Development Programme. Responding to the announcement, FUW Deputy President Ian Rickman said: “We welcome the fact that the Welsh Government has accepted many of the concerns we raised, including in terms…

Highways improvement works at a busy junction on a North Wales expressway have been completed, with the contractor now turning attention to the final activity of streetlighting replacement. Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK delivered the pinch point scheme at junction 19 of the A55 on behalf of the Welsh Government to make the route safer for all users. It provides an improved and safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists and is separate from the main carriageway. The project aims to improve efficient traffic flow using a sophisticated traffic signal system at the Glan Conwy Roundabout where the A470 meets the…

A popular visitor attraction in Mid Wales has announced plans to create a magical Christmas for visitors next month. The Silver Mountain Experience, located alongside the A44 between Aberystwyth and Llanidloes, will be opening the doors of its popular Elves’ Workshop and Santa’s Grotto from December 19-23. Visitors will be able to see the elves busily prepare for the big day and meet Santa who will have an early present for children. This visit will be completely private to each ‘social bubble’ meaning that visitors can have their own personal tour. The Christmas event must be pre-booked, and each timed…

A camping, glamping and touring caravan park located within Snowdonia National Park has been brought to the market with a guide price of £995,000. Tyn Cornel Camping is set in 12 acres of idyllic countryside, less than half a mile from the National White Water Centre, around four miles from the historic market town of Bala, and within convenient driving distances of the cities of Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham. Robert Smithson, senior surveyor at sector specialist Colliers International, said: “This award-winning site has been independently owned and family operated, and is set within breathtaking rolling countryside whilst being highly accessible…

The Community Transport Association (CTA) – the voice of Wales’ community transport sector – has appointed Porthcawl-based Rachel Burr as its new Director in Wales. The Community Transport Association is a national charity and membership organisation that represents and supports providers of community transport. It supports 75 local charities and community groups in Wales who provide transport services that fulfil a social purpose and provide community benefit. With offices in Neath and Llandudno Junction, the CTA’s team in Wales supports members to ensure that their lifeline services are available to everyone who needs them. Ms Burr, who lives in Porthcawl,…

New funding arrangements to replace those previously administered by the EU, which will empower local decision-makers to support investment closer to the communities they serve, have been published today by the Welsh Government. With EU funds set to tail off at the end of this year, the new ‘Framework for Regional Investment for Wales’ is our strategy for achieving prosperity across the nation and a more inclusive economy, with a greater role for our regions in how funds are spent. Jeremy Miles, Minister for European Transition, said that in order to deliver this Framework, the UK Government must keep the…

Plans to ensure the people of Wales can vote safely at the 2021 Senedd elections, and that they take place as planned on 6 May 2021, have been set out by the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford. The 2021 Senedd elections are already set to be historic – they are the first elections to be subject to laws made in Wales, and for the first time, 16 and 17 year olds, as well as qualifying foreign citizens, will have the democratic right to vote. However, the Coronavirus pandemic has created significant challenges to maintaining the safety and integrity of…