Author: Rhys Gregory

Work to make the temporary road layout and cycleway on Castle Street permanent will begin at the end of February, following site surveys and removal of the traffic islands on Kingsway. Initial work will start on February 2nd, focusing on required surveys and preparation of the site. The main phases of the project will begin on February 23rd and are expected to take around 52 weeks to complete. The Council has appointed Knights Brown to deliver the works. Throughout the main phases of the project, Castle Street and the pop-up cycleway will remain open to traffic in both directions, except…

A generous funding package has been agreed to support the financial sustainability of Milford Haven Library. At its meeting on January 12th, Milford Haven Town Council agreed funding of £18,700 to support Milford Haven Library over three years. The decision follows a year of partnership working between Pembrokeshire County Council, the Port of Milford Haven and Milford Haven Town Council to find solutions to funding pressures on the library. A public consultation in 2025 had highlighted the importance of the library as a community asset. Discussions led to a generous contribution of £10,000 from the Port of Milford Haven and…

Newport has been confirmed as one of the top five recycling areas in Wales. The confirmation follows the publication of annual recycling figures for Welsh councils for the 2024 to 2025 financial year by the Welsh Government. Newport’s recycling rate of 71.4 per cent, announced in June, places the city fifth out of the 22 council areas in Wales for 2024 to 2025. This is the highest recycling rate ever recorded in Newport and means the city comfortably met the Welsh Government target of 70 per cent. The figure positions Newport as one of the best performing cities in Wales…

A future travel response for Blaenau Gwent has been considered and supported by the Council’s Economic Development and Environmental Management Scrutiny Committee. The response has been developed in response to the Citizens’ Forum on the Future of Travel which brought together local residents, representing the diverse population of the borough, to discuss how local travel can be made fairer, greener, and better for everyone. Over three days, forum members developed 10 recommendations for how the council, its partners and residents can improve travel in the area over the next five years. This initial response outlines actions the Council is able…

The iconic Menai Suspension Bridge marks its 200th anniversary this week. Ahead of the celebrations and unveiling of a plaque Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates paid tribute to the pioneering engineer, Thomas Telford, who designed the bridge which reshaped the economic and social landscape of North Wales. The Cabinet Secretary said: “For two centuries, the Menai Suspension Bridge has been a lifeline for residents, a strategic gateway for our economy, and a celebrated landmark for Wales and the wider engineering profession. “This bicentenary is a celebration not only of the bridge itself but of the generations…

More than £800,000 is being provided to help parents going through child protection processes, ensuring their voices are heard and they feel supported every step of the way. Speaking at the Parent Advocacy Network (PAN) Cymru Conference in Port Talbot, Minister for Children and Social Care Dawn Bowden confirmed £133,600 of the funding will be provided to roll out its popular Parent Café model to more areas. The cafés offer parent-led peer support spaces, helping families build confidence and resilience. Research shows parental advocacy reduces the number of children entering care, improves relationships between parents and social workers, and gives…

Recycling has increased again as Wales continues its journey towards being a zero-waste nation. Local authority municipal waste figures released this week, show the recycling rate has gone up from 66.6% in 2023-24 to 68.4% in 2024-25 – a complete transformation from around 5% pre devolution. Today’s statistics are the first annual data published since new workplace recycling measures were introduced in Wales, requiring all businesses, public and third sector workplaces and collectors to keep key recyclable materials separate. Since then, an extra 8,187 tonnes of recyclable material has been collected from workplaces by local authorities – up 42% on the…

Timber cladding continues to be specified across the UK for its environmental credentials, visual warmth, and adaptability to a wide range of building types. At the same time, fire safety has become one of the most closely scrutinised aspects of building design, particularly for external wall systems. The intersection of these two realities has reshaped how timber cladding is assessed, approved, and ultimately used. Public discussion around cladding and fire risk often lacks nuance. Timber is frequently described as either unsafe or prohibited, when in reality its use is governed by detailed regulation that focuses on system performance rather than…

Starting a business in Lithuania can feel deceptively simple: the country is digital, EU-based, and generally welcoming to founders. Yet many entrepreneurs hit the same friction points early – not because incorporation is complicated, but because a few initial decisions quietly determine what becomes easy or painful later. The real risk is not “doing it wrong,” but building on assumptions: choosing a structure that blocks investment, underestimating compliance duties, or leaving founder relationships undefined until the first conflict appears. This article focuses on the decisions that matter most when you want a company that is not only registered, but truly…

Are you thinking about switching to a company-based buy to let model? It can be a sensible move, and a professional tax advisor can help you find that out, as there may be significant cost savings. An increasing number of landlords are switching to this way of operating so that they can increase their investment opportunities. When researching this avenue, comparing standard buy to let and limited company buy to let figures will be one of the first ports of call. This guide will give you an understanding of how they differ. Company-based vs individual models First, it’s important to…