Author: Rhys Gregory

BCRS Business Loans has passed a milestone in providing over £1 million of finance to help small businesses across Wales. As the fund manager for the smaller loans fund (£25,000 to £100,000) for the British Business Bank’s £130m Investment Fund for Wales, BCRS is celebrating the milestone having supported the growth of 19 SME’s from across the country in just under a year. The Investment Fund for Wales, which was launched by the British Business Bank in late 2023, operates across the whole of Wales and includes a range of finance options with loans from £25,000 to £2 million and…

A Bridgend man has been disqualified from keeping all animals for 10 years after he caused unnecessary suffering to a female bull breed dog. Roxy was handed into Hope Rescue in Llanharan as a stray. She was emaciated and had pressure sores. The charity contacted the RSPCA after information had come to them following an appeal which identified a possible owner. Following veterinary care and rehabilitation at Hope Rescue, Roxy – now named Mia – has recovered fully and has been happily rehomed. Jordan John Davies of Shwt, Nr Bettws, Bridgend, pleaded guilty to one offence under the Animal Welfare…

A former police officer who was sacked before being sentenced to life in prison for online child sex offences has appeared in court charged with further offences. Lewis Edwards, 24, from Bridgend, was jailed in October 2023 for 161 offences which included inciting children to make indecent images online and to engage in sexual activity. He was charged with perverting the course of justice by concealing mobile phones and three further charges of possession of indecent images. The images were discovered after a mobile phone belonging to Edwards was found concealed in the garden of his home address. Edwards pleaded…

North Wales Police are warning against buying stolen or fake good being offered for sale in the lead up to Christmas. Officers are urging people to purchase with caution and if the price that is offered is too good to be true then it probably is. It is a criminal offence for anyone to sell or offer to buy goods they know which have been stolen. Before purchasing something online, we are asking you to stop and think before making a purchase. The most common types of online shopping fraud include: Purchase on social media marketplaces where criminals will ask…

On an isolated island like Flat Holm, with no mains water, gas or electricity supply to connect to, simple things like boiling a kettle and staying warm in the colder months can be more complicated than they are back on the mainland – and also create more climate-damaging carbon emissions than they have to. Now, the Cardiff Council owned nature reserve is going greener than ever before with the help of a new 14 panel solar array with battery storage, the installation of thermal-lined doors in the island farmhouse, and a new gravity-powered rainwater harvesting system. The green technology is…

Neath Port Talbot Council, working with Powys County Council and CADW, have brought an ancient aqueduct back to life as part of a complex, sympathetic restoration project. Neath Port Talbot Council’s Engineering Team, in consultation with Powys County Council and CADW, planned the successful reconstruction of the Ystalyfera Aqueduct parapet wall which was being seriously damaged by vegetation. The wall has been rebuilt and re-pointed with locally sourced stone and lime mortar which matches the existing structure as closely as possible. Powys County Council was consulted and agreed to fund the restoration in collaboration with Neath Port Talbot Council so…

RCT Cabinet has given final consideration to the proposed school organisation changes in Tonyrefail and Trallwn, following consultation on the respective proposals. Having considered all of the information presented by officers, Members have decided not to proceed with the proposals. Two separate reports were discussed at the Cabinet meeting on Monday, December 16. They related to the respective proposals to close Tref-Y-Rhyg Primary School in Tonyrefail (with pupils transferring to Tonyrefail Community School, by September 2025) and to close Trallwng Infants’ School (with pupils transferring to Coedpenmaen Primary School, by September 2025). Monday’s reports to Cabinet outlined the feedback received…

A project to install solar panels at Newport’s biggest car park has won a national award. The project, led by Newport City Council and supported by Inspire Green and Newport Norse, won renewable energy project of the year at the edie Net-Zero Awards. The awards recognise and reward the individuals and organisations spearheading the UK’s transition towards a net-zero carbon economy. It comes after the project was highly commended earlier this year at the Energy Efficiency Awards Wales in the regional large scale project category. The project saw solar panels installed onto the roof of the car park. The panels are able to…

The Twisted Chimney (Welsh: Simnai Ddirdro) will be restored after a community survey showed a majority of people were in favour of renewing the weather-damaged structure. The works are possible thanks to Caerphilly County Borough Council’s allocation of £114,395.28 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) under the W4 intervention. Funds spent under this intervention must be used to refurbish or restore local cultural and heritage assets. The decision to fund the project follows a community survey undertaken in February 2024. 55% of respondents said they would prefer for the sculpture to be maintained and renewed.…

Moe Forouzan, Team Manager – Business and Innovation at Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, has been elected to the Board of the Institute of Economic Development (IED), the UK’s leading professional body for economic development and regeneration practitioners. With 19 years’ experience in local government, Moe heads up Blaenau Gwent’s Economic Development Unit, specialising in driving business growth, addressing retention challenges, and managing industrial and office premises, including employment land. His strategic oversight encompasses the development and management of the Council’s business and economic functions, focusing on implementing economic stimulus initiatives, and fostering collaborative networks that both enhance local supply…