Author: Rhys Gregory

Around 140 Powys households could be missing out on extra help with their rent and other housing costs, through Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP), the county council believes. It has used data analytics to identify the relevant homes and will be writing to all of them over the next few weeks to encourage them to check if they are eligible. If they are, they could get extra money on top of their Housing Benefit or the Housing Costs element of their Universal Credit. The council believes around 40 of them are its own tenants, while the rest are living in private…

The time is upon us once more, where the Royal Welsh Winter Fair Food Hall is set to be full to the brim with up-and-coming Welsh food and drink producers, ready to inspire visitors in the run-up to Christmas. On November 24th and 25th, one of the prime stock shows in Europe will entice crowds from all over the country and beyond, to enjoy everything that the showground has to offer. From competitions to Christmas shopping, livestock to the lively food and drink hall, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy at the Winter Fair. This year’s Food Hall…

Reports of animals being abandoned have sky-rocketed in Wales this year – with incidents raised with the RSPCA rising by 12.5% percent in the first ten months of the year. Up to the end of October, 1,396 incidents about an animal being abandoned or dumped had been raised with the charity’s emergency line in Wales – up from 1,241 in the first 10 months of 2024. The top five counties with the most abandonment incidents so far this year (Jan-Oct) are Rhondda Cynon Taf (181) Swansea (121), Cardiff (105), Caerphilly (88) and Carmarthenshire (83). Meanwhile, the five counties who have seen the biggest increase in…

Swansea is bursting into festive spirit as a trio of major Christmas attractions take place across the city. The celebrations include the Christmas Parade, the Victorian Christmas Fayre and the return of Waterfront Winterland. Organised by Swansea Council in partnership with LSD promotions, the Victorian Christmas Fayre lasts until Sunday November 23. Visitors can expect around 50 artisan stalls, Victorian-costumed traders, street food, roaming entertainment and live performances on Oxford Street, Portland Street and Princess Way. Waterfront Winterland also returns to Museum Park from Friday November 21. It includes a covered ice rink, funfair rides and a giant wheel, as…

Modernised visitor facilities and restored historic features at Neath’s 240-acre Gnoll Country Park are now open to the public after a major £12m redevelopment. Led by Neath Port Talbot Council and funded by the UK Government through the Vale of Neath Heritage Corridor project, the project has created: A brand new, fully accessible two-storey visitor centre, replacing the former ageing building – offering a modern café, a stylish south-facing balcony with spectacular lake views, flexible event and meeting spaces, and a dedicated children’s soft play area (the play area will open in the coming weeks). ‘Gnoll Towers’ woodland adventure playground,…

Cheaper bus travel will return across Rhondda Cynon Taf this December, with single fares capped at £1.50 for all journeys that start and end within the county borough. The subsidised fares will be available from Monday 1 December to Wednesday 31 December 2025. The initiative is funded through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and marks the eighth time since 2023 that the council has introduced reduced fares during key periods such as school holidays and festive seasons. The offer was most recently in place during the summer holidays earlier this year. The £1.50 fare will apply on all local…

Duke Street Car Park in Aberdare has reopened following the completion of major improvement works led by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council. Work began in early September to improve pedestrian access, drainage and surfacing across the entire site. The project included the removal of ageing blockwork, some of which had been in place for almost 30 years and had begun to loosen and sink. Much of the scheme was carried out while the car park remained open, but the site was closed last week to allow the final resurfacing stage to be completed. The car park reopened to the public on…

The National Lido of Wales in Pontypridd has confirmed the return of its popular Boxing Day and New Year’s Day swim events, offering visitors the chance to celebrate the end of 2025 and welcome 2026 at the open air attraction. The seasonal events mark the end of yet another brilliant year for Lido Ponty, which, in 2025, celebrated 10 years since it officially re-opened following a £6.3m regeneration of the original lido that has stood in Ynysangharad War Memorial Park since 1927. To date, 850,000 swims have been enjoyed at Lido Ponty by people of all ages and from all…

Work is progressing well on a major project to transform one of Newport’s heritage icons, the Newport Transporter Bridge. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Welsh government, Newport City Council, UK government and the Wolfson Foundation, the project is seeing restoration work on the Grade 1 listed bridge, ensuring it will remain an iconic part of the Newport skyline, and a tribute to Newport’s city’s industrial heritage for generations to come. The project has also seen the construction of a brand-new visitor centre, which will fully open to the public once the restoration work on the bridge has been…

A popular and long-standing Caerphilly Councillor has sadly passed away. Cllr Christine Forehead, who represented the Van ward in Caerphilly, passed away on Tuesday 18 November aged 81, surrounded by her family. The Leader of Council, Cllr Jamie Pritchard, paid tribute to Christine’s legacy, “The community of Caerphilly, and the wider county borough, has lost a dedicated and long-standing councillor who has always worked tirelessly to improve the lives of everyone in the local community. Christine held a number of senior roles within local government over the years and was also active in the local community council and within school…