Author: Rhys Gregory

Dragon Taxis has donated a variety of food items to support children and young people experiencing poverty in the county. The Torfaen Santa Appeal, run by Torfaen Social Services, provides food and gifts to young people who would otherwise miss out at Christmas time. Dragon Taxis, a regional hub of the UK’s leading private hire operator Veezu, donated dry and tinned goods, as well as sweet treats, which will be used to make up hampers for young people aged 16 and over who are living alone. Jack Price, Dragon Taxis Regional Director, visited one of the dedicated drop off points…

Loan sharks are turning to social media to hook people into a cycle of dangerous debt, according to the Wales Illegal Money Lending Unit (WIMLU) and Credit Unions of Wales. WIMLU manager Sarah Smith says that there are concerns that in the Covid pandemic and with Christmas around the corner, more people are falling prey to unscrupulous lenders online: “Loan sharks are increasingly using social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, to advertise their illegal loans and target potential victims. “They also use social media community groups and local selling pages.” Citizens’ Advice has reported that over 280,000…

VITAL public services including GP surgeries, libraries and hospitals are benefiting from ultrafast internet speeds and better connectivity. The Coronavirus pandemic has not stopped major progress being made on the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and North Wales Economic Ambition Board £8m roll-out of the highest quality gigabit capable broadband to 350 sites across Denbighshire, Anglesey, Conwy, Gwynedd, Flintshire and Wrexham. The switch from copper-based provision – as part of its Local Full Fibre Network (LFFN) Programme – has seen the DCMS work in partnership with the Ambition Board since the initial bid for funding was made…

The new Youth Mayor of Neath Port Talbot pledged to “champion the rights of children and young people” at a virtual inauguration ceremony held last Thursday (10th December). Erin Sanderson, aged 18 from Waunceirch, takes up the position of Youth Mayor having served a year as Deputy Youth Mayor. The positions are elected annually by Neath Port Talbot’s Youth Council to give young people a voice and help them to have their say on local issues. Erin is a former Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School pupil and was recently chosen to become a mental health ambassador for Inspirational futures, an organisation set…

Business rates in Wales will not be subject to an inflationary increase in 2021-22 Finance Minister Rebecca Evans has confirmed today. Freezing the multiplier next year will help support around 54,000 ratepayers across Wales, who are not already receiving 100% rates relief. This takes the total amount of savings businesses have received on their rates bills to more than £90m, since 2018-19. Earlier this year the Welsh Government also announced a rates relief package worth £580 million to provide businesses with the support they needed to survive the pandemic. Finance Minister Rebecca Evans said: “We recognise the pressures that businesses…

The Welsh Government’s new Export Action Plan will provide the most ambitious and comprehensive programme of export support put in place in Wales. Welsh goods and services have long been exported worldwide, helping Wales become a strong and successful trading nation. Between 2015 and 2019, the value of Welsh goods exports grew at a faster rate than the UK as a whole and, in 2019, reached £17.8bn. However, the prolonged negotiations of the future relationship between the UK and EU has stifled businesses’ ability to fully plan and prepare. Economy Minister Ken Skates has said this has placed incredible pressures…

If you are planning to move to a different country, spending a large amount of time and effort to research and find a new home is essential. During their travels, many Brits get tempted to buy homes in tourist hotspots that they fall in love with. The exchange rates can make foreign real estate extremely tempting. Whatever reason you have for buying a house abroad, there is a lot of research that needs to be done, and information you need to know, to make the right decisions. To help reduce the risk of poor property investment choices and legal pitfalls,…

Work is taking place to increase biodiversity at the sand dunes near Swansea Marina and to prevent non-native species from damaging the habitat. Swansea Council manages the dunes and has been working with expert botany consultants to increase native sand dune plant species benefitting wildlife at the site. But a number of non-native species including Italian Alder and Japanese Rose have taken root. These are being removed by the council’s Nature Conservation Team to protect the dunes by stopping them establishing themselves and spreading. Much of this work is funded through Welsh Government grants for biodiversity recovery and follows detailed…

SWANSEA Council is to consult residents and businesses on plans to introduce new powers to tackle anti-social behaviour in some areas of our city. If approved it would mean trained council officers and police would be able to confiscate alcohol in the street and have additional powers to tackle issues such as drug-taking and drunkenness in the city centre, the Marina and parts of Morriston. Known as Public Space Protection Orders, or PSPOs, they can be introduced in areas where anti-social behaviour needs to be brought under further control. A six-week consultation on applying them to the city centre, including the…

A Pontardawe pub, where a party appeared to be going on with no social distancing on the day Welsh Government rules were brought in restricting alcohol sales and shutting pubs early, has been fined. Following a joint inspection between Neath Port Talbot Council’s Licensing section and South Wales Police on December 4th , 2020, a fixed penalty notice was served on the Castle, Pontardawe. The notice was served using powers under the Welsh Government’s Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Wales) (No 4) Regulations 2020. A Fixed Penalty Notice – including a fine of £1,000 – was issued to the premises licence…