Author: Rhys Gregory

A ceremony was recently held to mark the official opening of the site since works began in 2022. Situated at the foot of the historic Bodelwyddan Castle, the site celebrated its official opening following the completion of the first phase of works. Denbighshire County Council’s Chairman Arwel Roberts officially opened the country park at the ceremony. The project received £900,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, with the work looking to address the condition of the parkland beginning in 2022. As a part of the works to reopen the parklands, woods and orchards to the public,…

Swansea Council is seeking views from residents for the installation of secure cycle storage units across the city. Using grant funding from the Welsh Government Active Travel Fund, the council is looking to install a number of cycle hangars is residential areas, where there is the most need. The innovative and secure ‘Cyclehoop’ bike hangars are already being used in other parts of the UK and provide an alternative option for cyclists who struggle with finding storage space in their home. Each bike hangar is made out of solid steel and can house up to six bikes. Residents will be…

Neath Port Talbot Council has welcomed the UK Government’s confirmation of a further £22 million for businesses affected by changes at Tata Steel, announced this week by the Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens MP. The additional funding channelled through the Tata Steel Transition Board will help more local firms invest, grow, and create jobs in 2026. Cllr Steve Hunt, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, said: “The news of additional funding before Christmas is fantastic boost for local businesses. We’ve seen strong interest and uptake in these business support funds, and this means our Business Support and Economic…

A recent Estyn report has championed the community at Ysgol Bro Preseli in Crymych. Inspectors found pupils were developing pride in their local area, thriving in their learning and social development and were prepared for the next stages of their learning. Ysgol Bro Preseli is an all-age school with 932 pupils currently on roll, including 118 in sixth form. The Estyn report found most pupils at Ysgol Bro Preseli have extremely positive attitudes to learning and they treat staff with respect and listen carefully to the contributions of their fellow pupils. It adds that in almost all cases, teachers demonstrate…

A by-election will be held in Fishguard North East following the sad death of County Councillor Jordan Ryan in November. A Notice of Election will be published on Monday 5th January 2026.  Anyone wishing to stand for election must submit their nomination papers to the Returning Officer between the 6th January and 14th January, between 10am and 4pm, further details regarding nominations can be found on the Notice of Election when it is published. For further information and to obtain nomination papers please email [email protected] or call the Elections Helpline number 01437 775844. The Statement of Persons Nominated will be published…

RCT’s Cabinet has endorsed important recommendations for the Council to work with partners to install a life-saving defibrillator at every one of its schools in Rhondda Cynon Taf. These emergency devices would be made accessible to the wider local community on a 24/7 basis, where appropriate and possible. The potential for this initiative was first raised as a motion to the Full Council meeting in November 2024, which was unanimously supported. As a result, officers were requested to consider the feasibility of having a defibrillator placed at every one of the County Borough’s schools, and to explore if these could…

A bid for funding to build a new health and wellbeing hub in Newtown has been submitted to Welsh Government by Powys Teaching Health Board and Powys County Council. The submission of the plan (known as an Outline Business Case) follows decisions by Powys County Council’s Cabinet and Powys Teaching Health Board on 16 December 2025 to support the bid. If the bid for funding is approved, and planning permission is granted, then construction work could start as early as 2027. The proposed new hub, due to be built on the site of Y Parc offices, would see a wide…

Mae’r stori hon hefyd ar gael yn Saesneg – cliciwch yma i’w darllen. Mae buddsoddiad mawr gwerth dros £8.94 miliwn i gryfhau amgueddfeydd, archifau, llyfrgelloedd a lleoliadau diwylliannol eiconig Cymru wedi’i gyhoeddi heddiw [ddydd Llun 22 Rhagfyr] i dyfu a chryfhau sylfeini diwylliannol “hanfodol” y genedl. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru eisoes wedi cynyddu ei gwariant ar gyfer y sector diwylliant ehangach 8.5% eleni ac wedi treblu buddsoddiad mewn lleoliadau a safleoedd o’i gymharu â degawd yn ôl. Mae’r cyhoeddiad heddiw yn adeiladu ar £11 miliwn mewn grantiau cyfalaf sydd eisoes wedi’u dyfarnu dros y chwe mis diwethaf ers lansio ei Blaenoriaethau ar gyfer…

This story is also available in Welsh – click here to read it. A major investment of over £8.94million to strengthen Wales iconic museums, archives, libraries and cultural institutions has been announced today [Monday 22 December] to grow and bolster the nation’s “essential” cultural foundations. The Welsh Government has already increased its spend for the broader culture sector by 8.5% this year and tripled investment in venues and sites compared to a decade ago. Today’s announcement builds upon £11million in capital grants already awarded over the past six months since launching its Priorities for Culture, alongside targeted initiatives supporting young people’s access…

As Christmas fast approaches, it is a busy time for local music services across Wales who are creating magical moments for pupils, families, and communities. Up and down the country, children and young people, with the support of the National Music Service , are enjoying performing at school, in concert halls and supermarkets to spread festive cheer. £12m in funding has recently been awarded to the National Music Service across the next three years. The service creates opportunities for children and young people from across Wales to play, sing, take part in and create music all year round — in…