Author: Rhys Gregory

A man from Swansea has been jailed for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, as well as importing a weapon. 33-year-old Andrew Hanley, from Townhill, was the intended recipient of a parcel which contained a police-style extendable baton that was intercepted by Border Force in November 2024. When officers attended to search Hanley’s address, they located four large sandwich bags containing a substantial amount of white powder. Hanley then directed officers to several other substances which were stored around the address. He has been sentenced to 42 months in prison. Sergeant Geraint Thomas said: “For Andrew Hanley to…

Up to 780 local businesses will once again be eligible for business rates support after Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet agreed to adopt Welsh Government’s Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Rates Relief Scheme for the 2025/26 financial year. Applications are now open for 2025/26 – Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Rates Relief. Eligible businesses will benefit from a reduction of 40% off their business rates bill. The total amount of relief available is £110,000 across all properties occupied by the same business throughout Wales. The business must be in the retail, leisure, hospitality or tourism sectors, for example shops, markets, pharmacies, opticians,…

Denbighshire Council is participating in a new, innovative project to identify residents who are missing out on over £42 million of unclaimed benefits. Over 13,000 Denbighshire households are missing out on financial support resulting in over 28,500 missed claims. Led by the Welsh Government, 12 local authorities across Wales are participating in the project from January-December 2025 to identify and reach out to residents who may not realise they’re eligible for support. Last year, pensioners across Denbighshire gained £872,442 in unclaimed benefits following a proactive Pension Credit campaign. In total, 115 residents benefitted, with £215,142 Pension Credit claims however, other…

A new conservation project that aims to protect and restore woodland in North Cardiff that has been damaged by unauthorised trails has secured £346,000 funding. Led by Cardiff Council and funded by Welsh Government, the ‘Routes to Resilience’ project covers the Cardiff Beech Woods Special Area of Nature Conservation including Garth Woods, Fforest Ganol and Fforest Fawr, as well as adjacent woodlands and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Cwm Nofydd and Y Wenallt. The project will see Cardiff Council working with partners including Natural Resources Wales, the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, Rhondda Cynon Taff CBC and Breedon…

Over three quarters of a million – that’s how many people have visited Swansea Building Society Arena since it opened three years ago. The arena – which opened in March 2022 – has hosted a huge number of ticketed events, conferences, exhibitions and university graduation ceremonies. Stars to have taken to the stage there include Johnny Depp and Alice Cooper with The Hollywood Vampires, Gladys Knight and Michael McIntyre. Forthcoming events there include The Manic Street Preachers, Ocean Colour Scene and Greg Davies. Visitor figures are outperforming initial projections, along with ticket sales with an average of more than 80…

Neath Port Talbot Council is to invest £67.7m into a raft of improvement measures including flood prevention, school upgrades, bridge strengthening, road resurfacing and other capital spending projects. Capital spending invests in long-term assets like building new schools or improving existing buildings and in constructing or updating infrastructure like footpaths, roads and bridges. The majority of funding for capital projects comes from external sources including the Welsh Government but the council has been extremely successful in attracting funding from other sources. These include the UK-wide Levelling Up Fund (LUF) which aims to improve everyday life in the UK. The Capital…

Pembrokeshire Library Service recently took part in the Books Council of Wales ‘Stars of the Shelves’ Initiative – to bring school children into libraries to meet local authors. Grant funded by Welsh Government, the initiative aims to engage primary school pupils with literature and reading through author-led sessions in local libraries. Pembroke Dock, Narberth, Milford Haven and Fishguard Libraries all took part and welcomed around 200 children at various sessions during March. Welsh authors Kerry Curson and Rebecca F John were commissioned to deliver the workshops which were a fantastic chance for learners to interact with professional writers, explore storytelling…

Newport City Council has welcomed the announcement from Welsh government that Newport will play host to a major international investment summit in December. The event, which will take place at International Convention Centre Wales and the Celtic Manor Resort, will focus on promoting Wales as a destination for overseas investors. “This is Newport’s time to shine, and this summit being held in Newport shows that.” said Councillor Dimitri Batrouni, leader of the council. “We are the fastest growing area in Wales and our economic potential is enormous. Many investors are already recognising this, and I welcome this great opportunity for…

Ystrad Mynach’s latest spring fair saw a remarkable turnout, with footfall counters recording over 5,000 visitors throughout the day. This was an impressive increase of nearly 4,000 visitors compared to the previous Saturday, making it the busiest day of the year so far. The event attracted a diverse crowd, including families, couples, and friends of all ages, all enjoying the lively atmosphere. Despite it being a windy day, the weather remained dry, perfect for exploring the wide selection of stalls. There was a huge selection of food, drink, craft, and information stalls and the younger visitors were entertained by punch…

ICAX Limited, a leading cleantech innovation company specialising in the design of renewable and heat pump systems, is proud to announce the receipt of a Business Development Grant from Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council. This grant will support ICAX’s efforts to validate and certify its innovative products, further solidifying its position in the renewable energy market. The grant will be used to fund external consultancy for third-party product performance validation, specifically for the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). MCS provides independent certification of low-carbon products, ensuring their quality and safety. Achieving MCS certification for the ICAX Seren 10 Heat Pump will…