Author: Rhys Gregory

Work has started on a new super bakery that will be four times the size of the one it’s replacing after it was destroyed by a fire. The Village Bakery are creating the 210,000 sq ft production facility in Ash Road on Wrexham Industrial Estate which the company say will be the most modern in Europe. Groundworks contractors are already on site and building work is due to start in the next month or so. The site is just around the corner from the bakery that was devasted by the blaze on August 19. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and the…

Swansea University and the Welsh Government has this week (30 October 2019) announced a £5.6 million investment in LegalTech and Access to Justice, as well as in countering terrorist and criminal use of the internet. Backed by £4 million of funding from the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government, Legal Innovation Lab Wales will be a unique research and innovation facility housed in the University’s Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law. The project will deliver a range of sector-leading facilities, including: A cyber-threats research suite, with data research laboratories and facilities that support collaboration with partners such as…

The Brexit impasse is contributing to perceptions that the Commercial Property Market in Wales is in the downturn phase of the property cycle, according to the Q3 2019 RICS Commercial Property Market Survey. The latest results show the highest proportion of Welsh respondents sensing the overall market is in the downturn phase of the property cycle since the series began in 2015 (+55% up from +29% in Q2), with anecdotal evidence suggesting that Brexit is having an increasingly detrimental impact on market activity. This is a similar picture to the UK as a whole, where +62% of respondents said that…

TheCityUK National Conference 2019, in partnership with PwC, is an opportunity for delegates to join senior policymakers, practitioners and academics to discuss critical issues and growth opportunities for financial and professional services across the UK. The conference theme is ‘Making an Impact’, with keynote speeches focusing on how the financial and related professional services industry supports people and businesses across the UK. Event headliners include The Rt Hon the Lord Heseltine CH, Richard Theo, UK Government FinTech Envoy for Wales, and Chief Executive Officer for Wealthify, Economy Minister Ken Skates AM and the Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP, Secretary of…

If you’ve caught a bus in south Wales, you’ve heard Sara Owen Jones – one of the best-known people you’ve never seen. While thousands of bus users across South Wales hear her soothing tones daily, her identity has up until now remained a mystery. Since bilingual next stop announcements were introduced on buses as part of the Welsh Language Standards, Sara, who works at Traveline Cymru’s call centre in Penrhyndeudraeth, has been the voice of buses. The Welsh speaker from Porthmadog, is the voice of several operators including Newport Bus, First Cymru Buses and New Adventure Travel. Traveline Cymru took…

One of the UK’s leading employment screening companies, CBS, has recently taken big steps to improve its services after a woman complained her employment screening check made her feel ‘identityless’ and upset. After taking a 21-year employment break to raise a family, Debbie Brady had been offered a part-time position at RDT, a Kent-based insure-tech software house that has a long-term partnership with CBS for vital employment screening. As someone that did not claim any benefits or earn her own salary, all of Debs’ household bills were in her husband’s name, meaning the paper trail was very limited to show…

Ship Street Advisors and ADAPT Real Estate, acting on behalf of Jersey based investor UKRO, has acquired the long leasehold interest of 6 Park Street in Cardiff from clients of Mayfair Capital Investment Management in an off-market transaction for a price of £10 million. The property at 6 Park Street extends to 50,983 sq ft of Grade A office accommodation over six floors and is fully let to Media Wales, which is owned by Trinity Mirror, and Deloitte. Constructed in 2008, it is situated adjacent to Central Square, Cardiff’s prime office development, which is the site of the new BBC…

The Ivy Cardiff has announced its inaugural Welsh brasserie will welcome its first guests on Monday, 18 November, with reservations now open. In celebration of the opening, a spectacular display of daffodils, adorning the restaurant’s exterior has been revealed, complete with giant Ivy letters beautifully decorated in Ivy. This magnificent scene, perfect for brightening a winter’s day, represents a not-to-be-missed photo opportunity for passers-by and visitors alike. In addition, to mark this important occasion, the famous Ivy Bus, embellished in green Ivy will take to the streets of Cardiff for one week, bringing a touch of ‘Ivy magic’ to some…

A man has been charged with the murder of 21-year-old Lauren Griffiths in Cathays, Cardiff. Lauren’s body was found at a flat in Glynrhondda Street at around 6.30pm on Tuesday, April 30 2019. Madog Llewellyn Rowlands, 22, from Wrexham, has been charged with murder and is remanded in custody to appear at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court tomorrow. Lauren’s family, who live in the Oswestry area, have been updated and continue to be supported by family liaison officers. Detective Inspector Stuart Wales, from South Wales Police Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “Today is a significant development in our six-month investigation into Lauren’s…

ALWEN WILLIAMS is “coming home” to help drive forward the £1bn North Wales Growth Deal. After 24 years with telecoms giant BT, Alwen will begin a new role as Programme Director for North Wales Economic Ambition Board in January. Originally from Gwytherin, near Llangernyw, she is looking forward to leading a Programme Office that will coordinate the Growth Deal from 2020 onwards. Now living in Mold with husband Damian, Alwen is relishing the challenge and eager to get started. “It is a big step leaving BT and the private sector after almost a quarter of a century, but this is…