Author: Rhys Gregory

Your views are now wanted on an exciting new vision for a more reliable, connected and accessible transport network in South West Wales. The draft regional transport plan – which covers Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea – is also looking to ensure transport in future is affordable and convenient to create more options for local people. With online feedback now available here until midnight on Sunday April 6, the plan will help support the delivery of a rail and bus metro system in South West Wales. It also comes in advance of the Welsh Government’s Bus Bill, which…

A full night-time road closure is needed on the A4119 between Coed Ely and Ynysmaerdy on Monday, February 17 – which is being held at night to significantly minimise disruption (9pm to 6am). The dualling scheme is a major transportation project to improve connectivity and encourage economic activity – providing a dual carriageway on the A4119 gateway to the Rhondda, from Coed Ely to Ynysmaerdy. A new active travel bridge was also installed just south of Coed Ely roundabout, to enable walkers and cyclists to cross the road from a new community route into the village. The main work is…

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles will today set out new standards and expectations for high-quality and safe maternity and neonatal services in Wales. Health boards will be expected to give mothers-to-be the full choice of where to give birth, even if that means using services beyond their health board boundary. Pregnant women and their families will be given greater say in the development of services to help improve outcomes and experiences. The new Quality Statement on Maternity and Neonatal care and Perinatal Engagement Framework which are published today set out how the NHS will improve services and what good looks like.…

Pupils aged 7-11 at Griffithstown Primary School in Pontypool are being taught how to recognise signs of an online scam, like offers that are ‘too good to be true’ or requests for personal information. This year’s UK Safer Internet Day campaign addresses the scams children and young people are the most vulnerable to which can include phishing emails, gaming scams, and online financial sextortion. To mark Safer Internet Day today, Tuesday 11 February, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle, joined pupils and staff at Griffithstown Primary School for a lesson on online safety. The pupils from years 5 and…

The Welsh Government is working with a sight loss charity to improve the voting experience for disabled people by launching a series of accessible voting trials in Wales. The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) recently published a report that found only a quarter of blind people felt the current system allows them to vote independently and in secret. In response, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government has announced £25,000 of funding for trials that will explore ways to make polling stations more accessible ahead of the 2026 Senedd Election. At the events, the Welsh Government, RNIB…

IRONMAN UK has announced that IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea 2025 had sold out of general entries. Over 2,500 athletes from all over the world are set to race, from countries such as the US, Germany and France with the majority of athletes racing on home soil. The race welcomes many first timer athletes as over 75% of the field are set to take on IRONMAN 70.3 Swansea for the first time, and 55% of the field are taking on their very first IRONMAN 70.3 race. It’s set up to be a special day for many! As well as the first timers,…

After the phenomenal success of The Big Retreat Festival, the team behind this much-loved event is delighted to announce their newest festival: The Big Family Retreat. Taking place from 29th May to 1st June 2025, this unique festival has been specially designed for families with young children—a magical weekend of discovery, wellbeing, and unforgettable adventures. The Big Family Retreat is the sister festival to the successful The Big Retreat Festival, which will be taking place from 23rd May to 26th May 2025.  While The Big Retreat will always remain child-friendly, the new festival is aimed primarily towards families with younger children. Set amidst…

he large-scale police search to find missing women Charlene Hobbs is continuing. Charlene, 36, hasn’t been seen for over 6 months – the last confirmed sighting of her is a mobile phone photograph taken at a property in Broadway, Adamsdown, at 06:07am on July 24, 2024. Her hair was in a bun, and she was wearing a dark strapless top. Charlene, has a distinctive dragon tattoo on her back. Officers investigating her disappearance have released previosuly unseen footage of Charlene – CCTV footage of her in Morrisons Local, Adamsdown, on July 23, 2024, the day before she was last seen.…

A series of exciting new menus are set to be served up on Transport for Wales’ long distance fleet thanks to a new preparation kitchen and a new head chef. January saw the completion of a brand-new preparation kitchen at Newport Station where a team of chefs will be busy putting together an array of dishes for customers traveling between Holyhead, Manchester and Cardiff. Head chef Mark Roberts who joined from Wagamama at the end of 2024 says he is excited to bring a mix of home cooking to customers with a dash of oriental flavour too. “I love classic…

The RNLI will continue to deliver a seasonal lifeguard service at beaches in Porthcawl after Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet approved an increase in funding to protect current service levels. The most recent partnership agreement ended in 2024, and Cabinet were asked to consider a number of options which included reductions to service level if no increase in funding was agreed. The new three-year agreement will cover beaches at Rest Bay, Coney/Sandy Bay and Trecco Bay, with a service in Pink Bay being delivered by the team based at Rest Bay. Throughout the previous contract, 949 people have been helped…