Author: Rhys Gregory

A new mobile enforcement vehicle will hit the streets of Newport later this month as part of the council’s ongoing effort to tackle illegal parking. Since civil parking enforcement was introduced in July last year, almost 22,000 Penalty Charge Notices have been issued to motorists parking illegally across the city. Public feedback has been very positive, but reports have shown that the areas around schools continued to be problem areas. To help target this issue, Newport Council is introducing a new mobile enforcement vehicle to enforce zigzags outside schools, as well as pedestrian crossings, bus stops, taxi ranks, clearways and…

Paddle boarding is making its return to Pen y Fan Pond from 5pm-7pm on Wednesday 5 August. Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) is a popular water sport that delivers a full-body workout, a lot of fun and is a great way to enjoy the beautiful scenery and nature. It is a combination of surfing and kayaking and Pen y Fan Pond’s peaceful water offers the perfect environment to get started! Pre-booking is required with the cost of the session being £10 per person or £5 if you have your own board (Payments are cash only). Wet suits will be available…

Virtual reality environments have been developing at breakneck speeds. Discover key trends shaping tech evolution in 2020. Some of these applications may surprise you! Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have been gaining popularity for the past few years. Innovations like the SLR app are all the rage. However, there are many other uses beyond entertainment. 1. Travel & Tourism Thanks to COVID-19, international travel has been put to a halt. It is still unclear when the industry will recover. VR comes in handy as travelers can explore locations without leaving their homes. A VR headset allows you to…

A hugely popular seafront hotel in Aberystwyth has closed its doors permanently following a difficult year of trading. Renowned for its boutique rooms overlooking the Cardigan Bay coast and excellent on-site restaurant, Gwesty Cymru is one of few offering five-star rated accommodation in the area. You could even book a room with a bath that overlooks the seafront. Since lockdown, many businesses in the hospitality sector have struggled to keep their doors open in what would have been the busiest time of year. In a statement released by the proprietors, they have said despite best efforts they have ‘exhausted all…

Cadwyn Housing Association has successfully secured a £41M, 35 year, private placement and £21M revolving credit facility to support its ambitious growth plans to develop more social housing to help prevent homelessness.  Cadwyn, supported by Centrus, has a new treasury management strategy and has successfully entered into new facilities with Barclays and funds managed by Westbourne Capital.  This will enable them to deliver over 500 homes in the next five years in support of the Welsh Government’s ambition to build 20,000 affordable homes.  These homes will be affordable and environmentally sustainable resulting in high quality, energy efficient, and low carbon homes.  Kath Palmer, Chief Executive of Cadwyn said “As the new Chief Executive I am delighted to build on the successes of Cadwyn and to continue to provide excellent quality…

BT has announced an unprecedented package of support to help the 265,000 small businesses in Wales get better positioned for recovery and growth following the coronavirus outbreak and as they prepare for a post-Brexit future. In 2019, 99.4% of total businesses active in Wales were small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Wales has larger proportions of employment in SMEs than the rest of the UK, with SMEs accounting for 62.4% of employment, compared to 60% for the UK. Today’s launch of BT’s Small Business Support Scheme sees the company introduce a range of new measures to help small business boost…

Broadway Partners, an award winning telecoms company providing high quality broadband to rural parts of the UK, has today announced the launch of a £2m scheme, part-funded by a commercial loan from Monmouthshire County Council, to support the delivery of Gigabit networks across the whole county. Broadway’s objective is to provide a competitive source of gigabit backhaul in rural areas, thereby stimulating investment at the village level where connectivity is most needed.  The network’s use of both microwave and fibre will ensure exceptional value for money as well as high speed of deployment, with first connected customers expected within weeks,…

AN Ambulance Care Assistant who spent 11 weeks in intensive care after contracting Covid-19 has been discharged from hospital. Steve Bell, who works for the Welsh Ambulance Service’s Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service, left hospital to rapturous applause in a poignant moment that was captured on video. Steve contracted the virus in March and spent 92 days in Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, 78 of which were in intensive care, before being transferred to Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan to begin rehabilitation. The 59-year-old, of Ebbw Vale, has extended his thanks to his NHS colleagues for his care. He said: “The staff in…

South Wales Police is investigating a serious collision in Merthyr Tydfil which left a pedestrian in hospital with potentially life-changing injuries. Officers attended Gellifaelog Old Road, near the junction with High Street and New Road, Dowlais, at approximately 10.05pm (Saturday, August 1), following reports of a collision involving a blue Vauxhall Corsa and a pedestrian. Two men, aged 29 and 25, were subsequently arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury through careless driving and driving while unfit through drink or drugs. The 29-year-old, who was also arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs, remains in police custody. The 25-year-old…

The loved ones of a man who died following a single-vehicle collision in Swansea have paid tribute to a devoted family man who was “the centre of their world”. David Morgan died after his Volkswagen Caddy collided with a wall on Llwyn Mawr Road, Sketty, on the morning of Thursday, July 30. Father-of four Mr Morgan, 68, who ran a scaffolding business with his son Andrew, was known by friends as Dai Swan. Although born in Newcastle, he viewed Swansea as his home, after having moved to the area as a child. Paying tribute on behalf of his family, his…