Author: Rhys Gregory

Welsh Government Ministers have announced £6.5million to support local authorities and people affected by flooding during the Alert Level 4 lockdown. The funding will allow local authorities to claim for the costs of responding to flooding including support to residents to address the immediate cost of water damage and replacing necessary belongings. Welsh Government has already announced it will support households who have suffered flooding in their homes or were evacuated with payments of £500 and £1,000, similar to the support provided during storms Ciara and Dennis last year. Housing and Local Government Minister Julie James said: “Dealing with the…

The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales has confirmed Avian Influenza H5N8 in pheasants on Anglesey. A temporary control zone (TCZ) has been immediately imposed around the infected premises, to limit the risk of the disease spreading and as part of the wider surveillance and disease control measures. Further laboratory results to determine if virus is a Highly Pathogenic type are expected in the next 48 hours.  If so, the TCZ will be replaced by 3 km protection and 10 km surveillance zones. Mortality of birds on the premises is high and all those surviving in the affected group will be…

An emergency bill to ensure the next Senedd election can happen safely, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, has been introduced before the Senedd by the Welsh Government. The Welsh Elections (Coronavirus) Bill introduces a range of measures to make it easier for those affected by the pandemic to vote. It would also prevent an extended hiatus where the Senedd would not be able to meet to consider legislation related to the spread of the Coronavirus. While it is the policy of the Welsh Government to hold the election on 6th May 2021 as intended, if the public heath situation allows,…

The Welsh Government has launched a campaign urging young people who are at risk of homelessness or already homeless to call a free Housing Advice Helpline run by Shelter Cymru and Llamau. Now in its second year, the youth homelessness campaign highlights the problem of hidden homelessness amongst young people – raising awareness of the fact that homelessness doesn’t always live on the streets. Hidden homelessness most commonly takes the form of ‘sofa surfing’ at the house of friends or family, but can also include staying somewhere temporarily like a hostel or bed & breakfast, or somewhere that’s unsafe or…

Swansea Council’s roads teams are getting on with repairs and improvements despite the poor weather and the challenges of the pandemic. Late last year Swansea Council’s Cabinet agreed a £2m cash injection for the work which is being spent on street re-surfacing in locations around the city with more to follow in the coming weeks. Mark Thomas, Cabinet Member for Environment Enhancement and Infrastructure Management said the extra cash was much needed and add to £7.4m already committed to highways maintenance during the current financial year, including upgrading pavements and street lighting. In recent months the council has resurfaced almost…

New funding secured from the Valleys Taskforce is now available to provide Covid Recovery support to businesses in 28 local retail areas across Rhondda Cynon Taf – that builds on an existing grant launched in December 2020 for town centres. Around 700 small and medium-size businesses across the County Borough will this week receive a letter from the Council to outline the new funding, and details about how to apply. As a result of the new funding, businesses in 28 identified community retail areas – as well as traders in our eight town centres – can now apply for up…

New funding through the Bridgend County Economic Taskforce will be available to Bridgend businesses in the coming months. The funds, from Bridgend County Borough Council’s Economic Futures Fund, will support start-ups, adaptations to business properties and innovative proposals which help support the economy both during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond. They include: Business Start Up funding providing grants of between £250 and £4,000 to new businesses.  Initially £150,000 will be available in 2021/2022. A Local Economy Innovation Fund offering up to £50,000 to innovative projects which help support the economy during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.  Initially £200,000 will be…

Merthyr bus station main contractor Morgan Sindall has filmed footage using a drone to show how close to being completed the building is. The video shows how much progress has been made at the site, even with the constraints of the pandemic, with the station on schedule for opening in the spring.“We were thrilled to have the opportunity to fly a drone over the new build and see that the vision of the project has come together,” said Morgan Sindall Project Manager Ross Williams. “There is a great sense of satisfaction across the site,” he added.  “Tradespeople take an immense…

A new mass vaccination centre is to be established in the Caerphilly county borough to help increase capacity and ensure as many eligible residents as possible are able to access the new vaccine. Over recent weeks CCBC’s headquarters at Penallta House has been used as a vaccination hub, but now an alternative, site at Newbridge Leisure Centre has been agreed between the council and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. Newbridge Leisure centre is a larger site providing increased capacity and the facility will be operational from this Saturday 30th January Leader of Council, Cllr Philippa Marsden welcomed the move, “This…

Saving money is not easy. Today, you need cash to play at the trusted online casino Canada, tomorrow you have to pay your rent. And if you want to save some money and avoid worsening your financial situation, the Kakebo method will help you.     What You Need for Kakebo To do the Kakebo budgeting, you will need two notebooks, a large one and a small one. In the big one, you will record all your income, expenses, and savings. The small one you will have to carry with you to record all expenses in real time and not to forget…