Author: Rhys Gregory

Four drug smugglers have been sentenced over a plot to smuggle more than a ton of cocaine on a fishing boat off the coast of Cornwall, after a National Crime Agency investigation. The crime group members were found with more than a ton of the Class A drug on board their boat, the Lily Lola, in September last year. Michael Kelly, 45, and Jake Marchant, 27, pleaded guilty before trial. Jon Williams, 46, of Windmill Terrace, St Thomas, Swansea, and Patrick Godfrey, 31, of Danygraig Road, Port Tennant, Swansea, were convicted after a trial in March of smuggling the £100m…

Transport for Wales (TfW) is continuing to deliver the transformation of the Cardiff Bay line, with the development of a new two-platform station in northern Butetown and the redevelopment of Cardiff Bay station. As part of the South Wales Metro, the Bay line will also be electrified to enable enhanced service frequency and to introduce brand-new electric trains. The Cardiff Bay line will close from Saturday 10 May to Sunday 25 May so teams can carry out engineering work for the delivery of the transformation. During this time, no services will run between Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Bay. The…

Three businesses are set to open at Swansea’s former Debenhams unit in early 2026 in a major boost for local jobs and the city centre. Swansea Council is now signing heads of terms agreements with two well-known high street retailers and a leisure operator for the building. The names of the shops and the leisure business will be announced as soon as leasing discussions are completed. Located in the Quadrant Shopping Centre, the ground floor of the former Debenhams building will be subdivided into two units for the well-known retail tenants and the upper floors will be repurposed for the…

Ground works are taking place at the former Ewenny Road Industrial Estate in Maesteg to prepare the site for an ambitious redevelopment and regeneration programme which will seek to transform the area with new homes, shops and facilities. Using Cardiff Capital Region funding, Bridgend County Borough Council and Clowes Developments are working together to remove redundant infrastructure from the derelict site, ensure that previous mine shafts and culverts are filled in, and that unused pipes and cables can be diverted. With planning permission already in place, this work will make the site ready for a developer to carry out new…

The Development Bank of Wales has successfully exited Torfaen-based Freight Logistics Solutions (FLS) just four-years after making a strategic investment of £2.2 million to help the company to become one of the UK’s leading providers of end-to-end supply chain solutions. The exit comes as a result of FLS taking the opportunity to refinance the business with NatWest in preparation for further growth. The value of the return for the Development Bank has not been disclosed. FLS operates primarily within the UK and EU road freight space. FLS is a digital road provider with an extensive network of road freight vehicles…

Two fly-tippers prosecuted by Caerphilly County Borough Council and ordered to pay a total of £960 in fines and costs. Tayona Watson of Edward Street, Ystrad Mynach, appeared before Cwmbran Magistrates Court on the 20th of February 2025, where she pleaded guilty and ordered to pay a fine of £200 prosecution costs £200 and a £80 victim surcharge. Tayona admitted dumping household waste on rear lane of Edward Street, Ystrad Mynach on the 6th of June 2024 in breach of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 section 34(2a) as the defendant failed to take all such measures available to her to…

A Monmouthshire property in a fabulous historic rural setting described as being ‘out of this world’ is up for auction. The former Observatory in the village of Trellech, once the haunt of star gazers and those looking to the heavens, has been brought firmly down to earth by its current owners. The unique home, which in years gone by attracted astronomers from across the globe to focus telescopes to search its clear skied vistas for distant stars and planets, has now been transformed into a property focussing on ultra luxury whichever way the house is viewed. Gemma Vaughan, of South…

A man from Neath Port Talbot has been jailed after he pleaded guilty to making and distributing indecent images of children. Following an investigation by the South Wales Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT), 23-year-old Dean Hanford, from Blaengwynfi, made a rare admission via his barrister in court of being sexually attracted to children. Evidence found during a warrant at Hanford’s address in 2023 showed that he had been receiving payments from others online in exchange for child pornography videos. He has been sentenced to a total of 28 months in prison. He will be a registered sex offender for the…

Denbighshire’s planning committee has approved plans for a visitor hub at Moel Famau Country Park. The visitor hub will provide a grab and go facility to be able to offer light visitor refreshments, an information point, toilet facilities and a small ranger and volunteer space, with associated works including a pump and pumphouse to feed water up to the main site. UK Government confirmed their intention to provide £10.95 million of grant funding for 10 capital projects aimed at protecting Ruthin’s unique heritage, wellbeing, and rural communities. This funding has been awarded exclusively for successful projects included in Clwyd West…

The Vale of Glamorgan Council has unveiled the newly transformed Engine Room Business Centre in the heart of Barry Waterfront’s Innovation Quarter. The completion of the Engine Room Transformation Project marks a significant milestone in the Council’s commitment to supporting local economic growth and sustainability. The centre now offers 11 high-quality business units designed to meet the needs of a growing local business community, with enhanced facilities that promote collaboration, flexibility, and a greener way of working. As part of the transformation, the main entrance has been redesigned to create a more welcoming, accessible space as well as communal spaces…