Author: Rhys Gregory

Major national retailer NEXT has been given the green light to open its first store in the Caerphilly county borough. Planning permission has been granted for NEXT to establish a new store within a vacant unit on Gallagher Retail Park, conveniently located close to Caerphilly town centre. NEXT will invest £1.9million developing the new 1,373sqm store, resulting in 21 new full-time jobs. The store will offer clothing, footwear and homeware and features a mezzanine at first floor level as well as a café Leader of Council, Cllr Jamie Pritchard said, “This is great news for residents and is a real…

From 15 June, Pride organisers across Wales can apply to the Grassroots Pride Fund to help cover the costs of local Pride events across Wales held in 2026/27. Pride events supported by the fund have grown significantly in recent years – from 6 events supported in 2022/23 to 21 last year. The fund has £69,250 available this year, up from £17,700 in 2022/23. Several local Pride events take place across Wales this month. Together for Colwyn Bay used Grassroots Pride Fund support to deliver a free, full weekend of celebrations, live music, entertainment, family-friendly activities, community stalls and food vendors.…

Three men from Swansea have been jailed after they were part of a seven-figure fraud scheme. 32-year-old Matthew Holloway from Birchgrove – a DVLA employee – accessed his employers’ systems to manipulate records and amend vehicle registration documents to sell vehicles with a false history in order to make a financial gain. Holloway was working alongside two car dealers – 44-year-old Ashley Harris, from Llansamlet, and 32-year-old Joshua Sawyer, from Morriston. All three men pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit fraud by false representation on January 19. Matthew Holloway has been sentenced to 63 months in prison. Joshua Sawyer will…

Swansea city centre NPT officers seized 29 illegal e-bikes in the months of April and May 2026. Riders are given words of advice in most cases as officers aim to provide education on the law in the first instance. PC Scott Pearson said: “These bikes have been seized under Section 165 of the Road Traffic Act due to the riders not having a license or proof of insurance. In either case, the e-bikes are also not registered for use on UK roads. “Riders seen driving dangerously will not receive words of advice and will be prosecuted.” Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles…

South Wales Police are continuing their investigation into the fatal road traffic collision which occurred on A48, The Tumble, Cardiff, at approximately 8pm on Saturday, June 6, 2026. The collision involved two cars, a grey MG and a black Land Rover Defender. Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, an 18-year-old man died at the scene. Police have confirmed that his name is Dominic Luke Bailey from Cardiff. The driver and passenger of the Land Rover were conveyed to hospital where they currently remain. The family of Dominic Luke Bailey have given the following tribute: “Dominic was finishing his…

A new art installation has been revealed at Llandudno railway station, created by students from the local Additional Learning Needs (ALN) school, as part of a project marking 200 years of the modern railway. Students from Ysgol Y Gogarth have worked alongside local artist Mel Roberts of Mazin Mosaics, teachers and support staff to create colourful mosaic panels inspired by their own experiences of travelling the beautiful Conwy Valley Line, the history of the railway, and the places and landmarks that make this part of North Wales so memorable. Over 12 weekly art sessions, funded by Transport for Wales, the…

DPP Planning, one of the UK’s leading independent planning consultancies, has welcomed three new planners to its Cardiff headquarters, with Nia Williams, Frank Walsh and Kuba Sala joining its ranks. Nia Williams joins DPP as Planner, having recently completed a Masters in Spatial Planning and Development at Cardiff University. Nia also has a degree in Geography from the University of Bristol and is currently working to gain her MRTPI accreditation. During her studies, Nia worked at Pembrokeshire County Council as part of their planning admin team, before moving to a small consultancy in Cardiff for a year as an Assistant…

Avon Engineered Rubber’s domestic and overseas growth ambitions have been bolstered with a prestigious international endorsement. The 100-plus staff at the manufacturing firm, based in Maerdy, South Wales, are celebrating after securing an important official seal of approval from the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). ISO 50001 certification for energy management has been confirmed after Avon Engineered Rubber demonstrated how the company proved its commitment to enhance energy performance. It marks progress for the aerosol seals and gaskets manufacturer, which is part of the Bristol-headquartered Avon Group, and employs more than 100 people, exporting worldwide from its Valleys premises. Vincent Minchella, Managing Director of Avon Engineered Rubber, said:…

Dr Gabriel Gallagher explains why Welsh firms should pay attention to HNTAS before billing, compliance and development decisions become harder to unpick. A change that deserves more attention in Wales I run a technical consultancy based here in Wales, working with public, private and third-sector clients on heat network projects across the UK. Like many Welsh businesses, I have spent the past 18 months watching one of the most significant pieces of UK heat network regulation in a decade move towards implementation. The Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme, or HNTAS, is the UK Government’s new framework for technical performance, data…

Andrew Weston explains why Welsh SMEs should look beyond link volume and focus on authority, citations and trust. Link building has changed for Welsh firms I have worked in UK SEO and link building for more than a decade, and the conversations I have with Welsh business owners today are different from those I was having even three years ago. Whether they are family-run businesses in the Valleys, hospitality operators on the North Wales coast, professional services firms in Cardiff or independent retailers in Swansea, owners are asking sharper questions about how they appear in search results. That is partly…