Author: Rhys Gregory

An organised crime group trafficking large amounts of drugs into Wrexham from Merseyside have been jailed for a combined total of nearly 35 years. Officers from North Wales and Merseyside Police thwarted the gang in October following an eight-month covert investigation into a conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and ketamine into the city. The movements and communications of those involved were investigated through obtaining phone data and messages. Officers found the drugs were being sourced from a supplier in Merseyside – who headed the gang – and were being brought into Wrexham by couriers. A number of warrants were carried…

On 16 January, excitement clung to the air at Afon Y Felin Primary School in North Cornelly, with the anticipated arrival of the First Minister, Eluned Morgan.  In just a short visit, the First Minister quickly learned of the school which, against the backdrop of socio-economic challenges, champions the children’s self-belief and aspirations. With a catalogue of achievements and extra-curricular activities secured, ranging from claiming the Siarter Iaith Gold Award for the school’s Welsh efforts on two occasions, to reaching the UK Formula One STEM Challenge Finals, it’s clear why the children walk with their heads held high around the…

Road users are being advised of planned works commencing Monday, 27th January, on one of Swansea Bay’s busiest roads to undertake an essential repair within Neath Port Talbot Council’s drainage network that serves Elba Crescent. Work will take place on the A483 Fabian Way westbound carriageway at a point between Elba Crescent and Swansea University’s Bay Campus. The work will require a temporary single lane closure on the westbound carriageway. The Fabian Way westbound carriageway bus stop will also be relocated for the duration of the project. Avoiding any unforeseen plant issues and weather permitting, the work should take approximately…

Pembrokeshire County Council is celebrating the completion of Phase 1 Llys Glasfryn, St Davids. The development was built by GRD Homes, and Phase 1 consists of 4 x 2 bed bungalows, and 3 x 1 bed bungalows. Phase 2 consists of 11 x 2 bed bungalows, which it is hoped will be completed early 2026. All properties within Phase 1 have been allocated, and Phase 2 properties will be available for bidding a few months before completion. A Local Lettings Policy is used to allocate these properties, which was created in conjunction with local members, St Davids City Council, and…

RCT Council is completing an engagement exercise to help inform and develop a Tonypandy Town Centre Strategy – which will set out an ambitious and clear vision for the town, and be the blueprint for future investment locally. Regeneration funding has been secured from Welsh Government, via its Transforming Towns Placemaking grant, to develop the Strategy in the months ahead. The Council has appointed planning consultants The Urbanists to help with this, with the intention of producing a draft Strategy during Spring 2025. The draft Strategy will then be formally consulted upon in the early summer of 2025. An initial…

Newport City Council is partnering with Zest, the UK’s fastest growing investor-operator of public access EV charging infrastructure, to deliver on-street charging facilities across the city. Under a 15-year concession agreement, Zest, a certified B Corp, will provide 144 EV charging spaces across 77 locations, providing Newport drivers with the essential infrastructure needed to transition to a more sustainable mode of transport. The project is equally funded by Zest, the Welsh government, and the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles’ On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme. Newport City Council is committed to reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2030 and works closely…

Thousands more post 16 learners in colleges and sixth forms will receive the Education Maintenance Allowance following a Welsh Government decision to uplift the household income thresholds resulting in more families being able to apply. Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a weekly grant of £40, designed to support 16 to 18-year-olds from eligible households with further education costs, such as transport or meals. EMA was ended in England in 2011, and is retained at a lower rate of £30 in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Currently over 16,000 students receive EMA but starting from the new academic year in September an estimated…

Amateur sleuths may have noticed something mysterious has been afoot recently in the usually sleepy Cardiff suburb of St Mellons. On an unassuming industrial estate, big adventures have been happening behind closed doors – filming for Prime Video’s latest TV series, Young Sherlock. Directed by Guy Ritchie and supported by Creative Wales, via the Welsh Government’s Production Fund, this brand new eight-part high-end TV series is a prequel to the original story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, in a re-imagining of the character’s coming of age. As a result of this support, the production is…

With global demand for timber set to quadruple by 2050, how can Wales benefit from expected growth while future proofing its forests? That is the question the Welsh Government would like your views on ahead of launching a timber industrial strategy later this year. When finalised, the new strategy will set out a clear roadmap for how government and industry will work together to achieve a thriving wood-based economy in Wales. It will include plans to future proof forests, create green jobs in the timber industry, develop more sustainable housing and boost decarbonisation. Earlier this week Deputy First Minister with…

A 24-year-old man from Llandaff has had a life sentence handed to him for the murder of his best friend. On Christmas Eve 2023, Dylan Thomas fatally stabbed his best friend William Bush at a house they shared in Llandaff, Cardiff. Following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court in November 2024, Thomas was convicted of his murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment at the same Court today (Friday, January 24). Thomas will serve a minimum term of 19 years discounting the 337 days which he has already served in prison. Officer in the case, Detective Constable Joanne Harris, said:…