Author: Rhys Gregory

Swansea Council has completed an innovative new housing development in Manselton that delivers high‑quality, low‑carbon and energy‑positive homes for local residents. The former Brondeg House Education Centre—vacant since 2021 and demolished in 2022—has now been transformed into a development of 13 new social rented homes, helping to meet significant housing need in the area. The scheme provides 8 one‑bedroom walk‑up flats and 5 three‑bed family homes, all built to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) and the Welsh Development Quality Requirements (WDQR). They also incorporate a suite of renewable technologies under the Homes as Power Stations (HAPS) concept, including: Solar…

Tenby Harbour and North Beach users are being asked to be aware of heavy moving machinery as dredging work is carried out. Sand will be removed from the mouth of the Harbour and deposited at the north end of the beach. The work will not affect vessel movements at the Harbour. The work starts on Monday, March 16th and will continue to Wednesday, March 18th. Tenby Harbourmaster Chris Salisbury said a licence for the dredging is in place. “We ask that the public please keep clear of the operating area and that dogs are kept on a lead during this…

Rhondda Heritage Park Museum has received a major boost after being awarded the respected Visit Wales Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme accreditation. The accreditation recognises the museum’s high quality visitor experience and commitment to maintaining strong standards across all aspects of its operation. The Visit Wales Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assesses attractions across Wales based on factors including the welcome offered to visitors, interpretation, cleanliness, catering, retail facilities and the overall visitor journey. A nationally significant attraction Rhondda Heritage Park Museum continues to grow as one of Wales’ most engaging heritage attractions. Visitors travel from across the UK and around…

Specialist work to clean, survey and digitally record the historic murals at Newport’s Old Green roundabout will take place later this month. Experts will carry out extensive cleaning, surveying and digital recording of the murals, which depict historic scenes linked to the city. The work will help create an accurate 3D digital preservation package to support future conservation decisions. The project will produce high resolution 3D scans of the artwork, allowing detailed renders to be created for archival use and for engineers, artists and conservation specialists studying the murals. The scans will also provide true to scale measurements of all…

Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen councils have set out an ambitious shared vision for long term economic growth and regeneration across the region. The new plan, titled Thriving Together – Tech Valleys Growth Corridor, was recently scrutinised by the Economic Development and Environmental Management Scrutiny Committee, which welcomed the proposals and the commitment to involve local people in shaping the future of their communities. The Blueprint for Growth outlines a joint strategy to create a more prosperous region for residents, communities and businesses by 2035. The approach focuses on three key themes: infrastructure and investment, business and employment growth, and people…

Powys County Council has welcomed Welsh Government approval of its Outline Business Case for a new health and wellbeing hub in Newtown. The decision marks a major milestone for the project and signals strong backing for modern, integrated facilities designed to support people’s health and wellbeing in Powys. It also moves nearly £30m of Welsh Government investment in North Powys a step closer. Cllr Pete Roberts (Portfolio Holder for a Caring Powys, Powys County Council) welcomed the decision: “This is welcome news for the residents of northern Powys. This means we can move forward with the next stage of the…

Welsh hit zombie horror Sker Ritual is continuing to build on its global success with the release of its latest chapter Tides of Terror, supported by the Welsh Government via Creative Wales. Developed by Penarth-based Wales Interactive, Sker Ritual is a haunting zombie horror shooter inspired by Welsh folklore; a game that hit the ground running (and screaming) when it launched in April 2024. The game immediately stormed the global gaming charts, reaching the top 3 on Steam, top 5 on Xbox and top 10 on PlayStation, cementing its place as one of the world’s bestselling PC and console titles…

Wales’ major landowners are uniting for the first time to tackle the climate and nature emergencies, with the new group set up to drive tree planting and meet targets to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030. Nature Estate Cymru, convened by the Deputy First Minister, brings together organisations responsible for significant areas of Welsh land — including Natural Resources Wales, the three national park authorities, the National Trust, RSPB, Dŵr Cymru, and others — to collaborate on delivering real environmental change at scale. The new group will initially focus on tree planting targets and progress towards protecting 30% of Wales’ land, fresh water and sea…

Playing football across Swansea is set to become more attractive to an increasingly wide range of people thanks to new plans being driven by Swansea Council. An early result of the strategy will see the council work with the Cymru Football Foundation (CFF) to make major improvements to changing facilities at three popular sports field sites. The CFF is the charitable arm of the sport’s national governing body the FAW. The £750,000 investment will see members of community clubs benefit from new facilities. Council cabinet member Andrew Stevens said: “It’s great that we’ve secured this substantial funding from CFF to help…

A brand-new visitor experience combining a scenic heritage railway journey with a guided town walk is set to launch in the Dee Valley this spring, as the Llangollen and Corwen Railway partners with Dee Valley Tours to introduce “Tren a Thref: The Corwen Heritage Adventure.” The new experience will allow visitors to travel by heritage train from Llangollen to Corwen before joining a guided walking tour exploring the rich history, landscapes, and legends of one of North Wales’ most historic market towns. The first tours will take place at the start of the Easter Holidays on Wednesday 1 April and…