Author: Rhys Gregory

The Future Generations Commissioner for Wales has called for a new  Community Right to Buy Bill, warning that much-loved pubs, parks, religious buildings, village halls and heritage buildings could be lost forever unless communities are given a fair chance to save them. This week, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, Derek Walker urges political parties to introduce a Community Right to Buy Bill, warning that opportunities to improve health, celebrate our heritage, generate local energy, and boost economies could be lost without stronger community rights. Mr Walker, who includes the call in his Future Generations Report as a recommendation to Welsh…

Motorpoint Newport is celebrating its 20th birthday, having first opened its doors to car buyers on 23rd August 2005.   Located on Queensway Meadow Industrial Estate, the store was Motorpoint’s fourth retail site and its first location in Wales. Since then, the used-car retailer has expanded significantly, with 21 stores, giving car buyers the flexibility to shop either in-store, online or over the phone.   With almost 40,000 customers having bought more than one vehicle from Motorpoint Newport, the store has built a solid reputation as the car buyer’s champion over the last two decades.  Drawing customers from across South Wales and…

Wales is set for a mixed spell of weather this week, with fine and bright conditions giving way to wet and windy spells later on, according to the Met Office. Today (Tuesday) will bring rather cloudy skies in the west with some hill fog and patchy drizzle. Elsewhere, any early fog will lift to leave a mostly dry day with some brighter spells. Temperatures will reach around 18°C. Tonight will be largely dry, although the north and west coast could see some drizzle. It will be cloudy for most, with some clear breaks leading to a chilly night and local…

Business confidence in Wales fell 40 points during September to 23%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds. Companies in Wales reported lower confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, down 38 points at 27%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, down 41 points to 19%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 23% (vs. 63% in August). Looking ahead to the next six months, Welsh businesses identified their top target areas for growth as investing in their team, for example through training (42%), introducing new technology (27%) and evolving their offering, for example by launching new…

A £520,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales has helped the owners of a Llandudno care business to renovate a newly-acquired home which had been closed for 10 years, turning it into a specialist dementia care facility. The investment addresses a growing demand for high-quality dementia care in north Wales. Qualified nursing professionals Steffan and Bethany Robbins have run Orme View Residential Home, a 14-bed care home on Llandudno’s West Shore, since the spring of 2023. In late 2024 the couple bought the former Abbey Nursing Home, a neighbouring home which closed in the mid-2010s. They have renovated the…

Radnor Preserves has been named the Outstanding Regional Star at the 2025 Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards, which recognise the very best in British fine food and drink. Selected from a shortlist of 25 standout businesses in the UK, the award recognises the best business to champion the skills, flavours, and traditions that define their region’s food heritage, offering a truly authentic taste of their region. Founded by Joanna Morgan, Radnor Preserves began in a candlelit cottage in rural mid Wales, where Joanna preserved fruit and vegetables from her garden using an old recipe book passed down from her grandfather. What started…

Nominations are now open for the UK’s most inspiring canine, as entries are being sought for The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award 2026. Presented at Crufts and supported by The Kennel Club Charitable Trust, the annual award shines a spotlight on the nation’s extraordinary dogs – from loyal companions to life-saving heroes – who make a life-changing difference to those around them. Nominations can be submitted across five categories: Extraordinary Working Dog – for those who have shown extraordinary qualities working in the army, police, RAF, airports, search and rescue etc. Hero Support Dog – celebrating all support and assistance dogs, from…

A man has been jailed for 16 years after committing serious sexual offences against a woman in Flintshire. Dumitru-Robert Lactus, 27, of Welsh Road, Garden City, appeared at Mold Crown Court today, Monday 29 September, after being found guilty of multiple offences including rape, assault causing physical harm, intentional suffocation and threats to kill. He was jailed for 16 years. He was also handed a restraining order to protect the victim lasting indefinitely and he must register as a sex offender with police indefinitely. Detective Constable Gareth Bostock said: “Lactus subjected his victim to shocking and violent behaviour that will…

With over 25,000 runners expected to arrive in Cardiff ahead of the Half marathon on Sunday 5 October, TfW is putting on additional train services to help people get to and from the event on time and stress-free. Those heading into Cardiff will benefit from earlier train services from key locations including Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Barry Island, Penarth, Hereford, and Newport. These services have been specially arranged to ensure smooth travel to the start line near Cardiff Castle, just a short 12-minute walk from Cardiff Central station. Building on customer feedback from last year’s event, TfW is able…

Llantwit Major Town Council will soon take over responsibility for a range of local public facilities following an agreement with the Vale of Glamorgan Council. Car parks at the Town Hall and on Wine Street are to be managed by the town council, as is the car park and toilet block on Boverton Road. This comes after the Vale of Glamorgan Council arranged a series of Community Asset Transfers (CATs), each with a 99-year lease, that will pass operational control from one organisation to the other once legal formalities are concluded. The Vale of Glamorgan Council has also carried out…