Author: Rhys Gregory

The Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care have visited the construction site in Porth, where work to provide our new extra care housing development continues. They saw for themselves the good progress being made to deliver the state-of-the-art development with Linc Cymru (Linc). Last year, project contractor Intelle Construction started its activity at the former Dan y Mynydd Care Home site, to bring the area back into use with a first-class development made up of 60 extra care apartments in a four-storey building. Other amenities in the modern building will include a dining area, hair salon,…

Work has started this week on improving the pedestrian crossing by the entrance to Newport railway station on Queensway. The crossing point is being upgraded and widened to meet active travel standards. The central islands will be removed, a new cycle crossing point will be installed, and there will also be improvements made to the drainage around the crossing. Removal of the central islands will make the crossing point safer to use, with crossers no longer having to navigate three separate bits of the road, or wait at either of the islands. The upgrades are part of our work on…

Recycle Right is an innovate digital tool that provides residents with easy access to accurate, real-time guidance on how and what to recycle. Designed to operate like Google search, the new digital tool allows users to enter an item or material and in return, you receive clear instructions on how to dispose of it within the borough. Recycle Right provides tailored, step-by-step guidance on the best disposal options available, ensuring that materials are either repaired, reused, recycled or disposed of in the most sustainable way possible. The new digital tool is part of the Council’s Waste and Recycling Strategy to…

Work to strengthen education services and improve outcomes for the county’s learners is being led by an internal Accelerated Improvement Board, it has been announced. The Accelerated Improvement Board has been established by Chief Executive Emma Palmer, following consultation with the council’s Leader and Deputy Leader. The priorities for the new board, which will drive and accelerate council-led improvement in education in Powys, include: Support the development of strong and purposeful leadership and performance management of education improvement including a whole council approach to excellent education in Powys Provide robust review and input into the direction of educational improvements Problem-solve…

A new deal between the NHS and the public is at the heart of a plan to continue to drive down the longest waiting times this year. Health Secretary Jeremy Miles is set to unveil the ambitious strategy to reduce the waiting list by 200,000, eliminate two-year waiting times for planned treatment and restore a maximum eight-week wait for tests by March 2026. He will also set out a new “patient deal” to help people track their place on the waiting list and to crack down on the 700,000 outpatient appointments which are missed or cancelled every year. It is…

The Welsh-medium capacity building grant gives secondary schools the opportunity to find innovative ways to tackle short-term staffing problems, increasing numbers of Welsh-speaking teachers and teaching assistants. Open this week for applications, schools can apply for the grant, for use from September 2025, with £900,000 available for the next academic year. Ysgol Rhydywaun in Aberdare received the grant in 2024 to train teachers already teaching at the school, to teach subjects outside of their usual specialism. This enabled the school to teach two extra A Level subjects, Psychology and Criminology, meaning students were able to continue their studies in Welsh…

The Welsh Government has awarded Swansea Council £780,000 in Transforming Towns grant funding to transform a long-term vacant building into a vibrant arts and culture centre. The former JT Morgan department store has been vacant for more than 15 years and this renovation will transform it into a multi-purpose arts centre. Elysium Art Limited, an artist led organisation, is delivering the project to support and promote the arts in Swansea and beyond. The project will create a new cultural destination in Swansea city centre, helping to regenerate the area and attract more visitors. Once renovated, the first and second floors…

The Renault 5 is back – and it’s not just here to cash in on nostalgia. This reinvented icon has been reborn as a bold, all-electric supermini, and after getting behind the wheel, we can safely say it’s one of the most exciting new cars of 2025. Thanks to the team at FleetEV, we had the chance to be among the first in the UK to drive the new Renault 5 ahead of its full launch. And from the moment we pulled away, it was clear this isn’t just a fun design exercise – it’s a seriously compelling EV in…

The RSPCA is calling on people to ditch popular misconceptions and “be kind to rats” this World Rat Day 2025 (April 4). The animal charity is advocating for wider recognition and appreciation of rats and hopes the day will encourage people to find out how smart and sensitive rats truly are. Despite the bad press they sometimes receive, rats are friendly, intelligent and playful animals and can make excellent companions. While some people might not be keen to spot a wild rat in their gardens, many will be surprised to learn they are very social animals – capable of experiencing a…

SEVEN groundbreaking projects to research and find better treatments for brain tumours in Wales have been awarded over £1 million in funding. The money is from the Brain Tumour Research Initiative (BATRI), which is run by the Welsh cancer research charity – Cancer Research Wales. Launched in April 2024, BATRI aims to establish Wales as a world-leader in brain tumour research. It brings together scientists, clinicians and neurosurgeons from across Wales to drive forward discovery and innovation in brain tumour research. Research funded by BATRI will also bring hope for people living with brain tumours and their loved ones across…