Author: Rhys Gregory

Work to create a new street plaza-style facility for skateboarding and other wheeled sports at Swansea’s Victoria Park is expected to be finished by the end of March this year. Early activity has now begun on site, following the appointment of a specialist contractor to deliver the project. It’s part of a £3m Swansea Council investment in wheeled sports across the city. The existing skate park area at Victoria Park is now closed while the works are being carried out. If possible, the mini ramp there will be retained and relocated. The scheme has been designed with support from Curve…

Neath Port Talbot Council has published a report outlining the Council’s progress to biodiversity and nature recovery, including over £2million in grant funding secured for ecology, community and green infrastructure projects. Highlighting key milestones and progress against the Council’s Biodiversity Duty Plan 2023 – 2026 objectives, the report shares how the Countryside and Wildlife Team continue to deliver against its Biodiversity Duty and takes action towards the Wales-wide Nature Recovery Action Plan. From 2023 – 2025, the Council’s Countryside and Wildlife Team have collaborated with services across the Council to support strategy development and implement positive change for biodiversity. The…

Caerphilly county borough council has agreed to consult on its draft budget proposals for 2026/27 and wants residents to have their say on the plans. The council’s Cabinet agreed the draft budget on Monday 12 January and a period of public consultation will now run from Tuesday 13 January for 3 weeks to gather feedback from the local community. One of the key highlights of the draft budget is a significant boost in funding to clean up the community, with plans to increase the council’s cleaning and greening budget by 50 per cent. Other key highlights of the 2026/27 budget…

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council is moving forward with plans for a new Blaenau Gwent Deal following strong public engagement through a wide ranging consultation. The proposed Deal aims to create a new way of working between the council, residents, communities and partner organisations, with a focus on improving health and wellbeing and reducing inequality across the borough. More than 1,500 people visited the council’s online consultation to find out more about the plans, with 250 surveys completed. Engagement also took place face to face, with hundreds of residents spoken to in town centres and at local events in the…

Powys County Council’s Cabinet will next week consider proposals for a balanced budget for 2026-27, which aims to protect vital services, support the most vulnerable, and invest in the county’s future, despite ongoing financial pressures. The draft budget, published today, has been shaped by feedback from residents, councillors and partners, and reflects the priorities identified in the recent budget survey. If agreed by Cabinet, the proposals will be recommended to Full Council for final approval in February. The draft budget proposes a 4.9% Council Tax increase—lower than many expected—while prioritising investment in schools, social care, and road maintenance. Schools…

A new gaming programme designed to accelerate the growth of games companies in Wales has launched, fully funded by Creative Wales and delivered by award-winning tech hub Tramshed Tech. The Gaming Academy Programme will provide intensive business support to 12 games companies over eight months, equipping developers with the skills, mentoring and connections needed to build commercially viable and investor-ready ventures. The programme is being offered to recipients of the latest round of Creative Wales’ Development Funding, who have already received between £25,000 and £50,000 to help them develop their ideas for commercial release. The Gaming Academy Programme aims to…

Digital medication devices, trialled over a 12-month period in Bridgend, have helped over 70 participants manage their medication independently. The two piloted devices – Pivotell™ Advance and YOURmeds™ – prompt the user to take their medication and deliver the appropriate dose at the right time. They can also alert family members as well as the council’s alarm receiving centre if a dose is missed, prompting timely support. Mrs Jones trialled the medicine dispenser and was very pleased with it. The device is filled by a local pharmacy every two weeks and provides an alert when it is time for Mrs…

An additional £20 million of funding has been allocated this year to support essential capital repairs and maintenance across schools and colleges in Wales. This funding, which is part of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, will support large scale maintenance works such as replacement of roofs, window systems, heating and ventilation systems, and electrical works. The Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme has rebuilt or refurbished 20% of the school estate over the last decade, and the funding for capital maintenance during 2025-26 now totals £50 million. The Welsh Government’s total 2025-26 investment allocation through the Sustainable Communities for Learning…

Schemes across Wales which encourage children and young people to adopt healthy walking habits are going from strength to strength The organisation Living Streets has delivered a travel tracker which has a reward system to encourage children to travel to school by active and sustainable travel. Between 2023 and 2025 the organisation worked with over  55,800 pupils in 189 primary schools and 7700 pupils in 42 secondary schools, logging over 5.4 million journeys as part of the Welsh Government funded Walk to School programme. . Three Welsh Schools featured in the UK wide Top Ten “WoW tracker” schools’ leaderboard. Due…

Iris Care Group has acquired Awelon Healthcare, expanding the group’s highly regarded residential provision with two further specialist services. Awelon Healthcare has provided high quality residential services in South Wales for adults with learning disabilities and complex needs for over 15 years. Iris Care Group was established to deliver a fully integrated pathway of specialist services for people with complex care and support needs, bringing together specialist hospitals, nursing services, residential care, supported living and special educational needs provision across South West England and Wales. With this acquisition, Iris Care Group strengthens its established residential care division, which already includes…