Author: Rhys Gregory

Projects to improve access to the countryside and boost the sustainability of Designated Landscapes are to receive funding of £7.2m, Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, Hannah Blythyn announced today. £4.7m has been awarded to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) to be invested in green infrastructure such as electric vehicles, retrofitting existing buildings with energy efficiency measures, and restoring peatland and woodlands. £100,000 has also been awarded to Pembrokeshire Coast NPA to allow them to lead on the National Landscape Partnership which will foster a closer working relationship across all Designated Landscapes in Wales. This…

The Welsh Government has stated its long-term ambition to see around 30% of Welsh workers working from home or near from home, including after the threat of Covid-19 lessens. This would be achieved by driving changes to Wales’ working culture that would give more people the choice to work in a way that helps their productivity as well as their work-life balance. Coronavirus restrictions have seen fewer people working in offices, which has meant a fall in road congestion, pollution and private car use. The Welsh Government has said it wants to give workers across Wales more flexibility to work…

A Barry-based drug dealer who flooded the valleys with heroin and crack cocaine must pay back more than half a million pounds. Yousef Woolcock, 37, of White Farm, Barry, was jailed for 17 and a half years back in December (2019) after prosecutors estimated that he was responsible for the distribution of as much as 18kg of class A drugs. A Judge ordered Woolcock to pay back the money at a Proceeds of Crime Hearing in Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday, 10 September, 2020, where it was agreed that he had profited from his crimes by £600,000. Cash and a…

Community groups, gardens, neighbourhoods, markets and social enterprises are coming together this month to create a new covid-safe festival of food and growing.  The Good Food Cardiff Autumn Festival will be a month-long programme of physically-distanced and virtual events, aiming to involve thousands of people in growing, cooking and sharing food throughout the city. The festival will run from 12th September to 18th October, culminating in celebrations around World Food Day on 16th October. Food Cardiff has launched the festival to build on the success of this summer’s Cardiff Growing Together programme which saw more than 14,000 plants, seeds and…

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…