Author: Rhys Gregory

A man from Neath Port Talbot has been jailed after pleading guilty to possessing and distributing indecent images of children and animals. 40-year-old Chris Williams, from Cwmavon, was identified when a Kik account associated with his email address uploaded two Category A indecent images of children, one of which featuring beastiality, to the internet in November 2024. An investigation found that Williams was in possession of a total of 62 accessible images portraying images of extreme pornography involving children and animals. Williams pleaded guilty to possessing extreme pornographic images, three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child, one…

Drivers are being advised to plan ahead as an overbridge on the A40 will close in both directions for more than two months to allow essential renewal works to take place. According to Traffic Wales, the overbridge at Pitt Village on the A40 will be closed in both directions from Monday 6 July until Monday 14 September 2026. The closure is required to enable essential renewal works to be carried out safely. A signed diversion route will be in place throughout the works, and motorists are being urged to allow extra time for their journeys and follow the official diversion.…

Parents, carers and members of the local community are invited to attend a public engagement event to find out more about proposals for a replacement Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Ogwr as part of Bridgend County Borough Council’s school modernisation programme. The engagement session will take place ahead of the statutory pre-planning application consultation process. The proposed development includes a new Welsh-medium primary school, sports pitches, floodlighting, parking, drainage, landscaping and associated engineering works on land north of the Princess Way roundabout in Brackla. The event will provide an opportunity to view the proposals, speak directly with members of the project team…

A new 136 space car park is now open at Pontneddfechan as part of a Neath Port Talbot Council project to support sustainable tourism in Waterfall Country. The car park is part of a wider suite of new visitor facilities including a play park, accommodation and shop that will all open later this year. Work at the development has progressed well, with considerable efforts made to open the car park ahead of schedule to help manage the impact of peak summer visitor traffic on the local community. The project is purposely designed for better management of existing visitor numbers and…

A rogue trader who carried out fraudulent roofing and property maintenance work across Neath Port Talbot has been jailed following a lengthy investigation by Neath Port Talbot Council’s Trading Standards team. Richard Murnane knowingly carried on a business called RM Property and Maintenance for a fraudulent purpose between 13th July 2021 and 1st June 2023.  The 42-year-old also operated under a second business, S & R Roofing, between 7th December 2022 and 1st April 2023 for similar fraudulent activity. The case involved five victims, who collectively lost approximately £40,000 because of shoddy workmanship at their homes. Many of the victims…

Plans to revitalise Tenby Market Hall are progressing following a successful public engagement event that attracted strong interest and valuable feedback from residents, traders, businesses, and stakeholders. The engagement event provided an important opportunity for the community to share its views on the future of the historic Market Hall. Feedback received has been carefully reviewed and is now being incorporated into the developing proposals, helping to shape plans that reflect local priorities and aspirations. In addition to the wider public engagement, the Council has undertaken early discussions with Market Hall traders, providing an opportunity to showcase the emerging designs and…

Two successful prosecutions have been secured following separate fly-tipping investigations carried out by Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Environmental Enforcement Team. A male from Old St Mellons, Cardiff, appeared before Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court on 21 May 2026 after pleading guilty to a fly-tipping offence under Section 33(5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The prosecution followed a review of CCTV footage provided by Draethen, Waterloo and Rudry Community Council, which captured a fly-tipping incident on lanes between Michaelstone-y-Fedw and Draethen on 5 August 2025. Investigators established that the defendant was the person in control of the vehicle involved in the incident…

Monmouthshire County Council is bringing back its Nature Isn’t Neat campaign this summer, encouraging a more relaxed approach to grass cutting to help wildlife thrive. Now in its sixth year, the initiative coincides with Wales Nature Week (4-12 July) and focuses on how cutting grass less often in selected areas can boost biodiversity across the county. Instead of regularly mowing verges, parks and open spaces, the council leaves some areas to grow through the spring and summer. This allows wildflowers to bloom and creates vital habitats for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. The approach was first piloted in Monmouth in…

With just one-year-to-go until the Tour de France arrives on Powys roads, the National Cycle Museum in Llandrindod Wells is hoping to be among the organisations and businesses that benefit. On 4 July 2027, the best cyclists in the world and 10s of thousands of visitors will be descending on the county, as stage three of the world’s biggest annual sporting event races between Welshpool and Cardiff. In between it will travel along the Severn Valley to Newtown, through Llandrindod Wells, Builth Wells and Brecon – after climbing Mynydd Epynt – before heading out of Powys through the Bannau Brycheiniog…

£5 million is being made available to upgrade and transform spaces where people in communities gather across Wales. The Welsh Government is allocating the additional funding to the Community Facilities Programme (CFP) this year, subject to Senedd approval in July. CFP helps voluntary and community organisations improve well used and much needed community facilities – like community centres, grassroot sports facilities and libraries – through refurbishment leading to improvements that benefit local people. This year, the investment will be used to allow more community led projects to access funding. Through the programme, grants of up to £300,000 can be made…