Author: Rhys Gregory

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…

What do an 18th century chest used to select jury members, a Crimean war medal, and a box of mouches (beauty spots) from Paris have in common? Each of these items is stored in an independent museum or archive in Wales which is receiving funding to ensure the artefacts in their care are preserved for the long-term and that they have enough space to keep adding to their collections. The Welsh Government is investing nearly £500,000 in eight conservation projects across Wales to ensure thousands of objects (and the local stories behind their existence) are kept safe and available to…

Families and individuals across Wales struggling with the cost of food will receive vital support this winter through £1.7m of additional funding from the Welsh Government. This funding will provide help to those most in need and back community projects working to prevent and tackle food poverty in the longer term. The funding will: provide emergency food aid by helping local groups to store and distribute food to people who need it most, while also addressing the underlying causes of food poverty; support FareShare Cymru by purchasing equipment to store and deliver fresh food during the winter months and running…

ClwydAlyn Housing has published its fourth Environmental, Social and Governance report highlighting progress in its mission to beat poverty across North Wales over the last 12 months. One of ClwydAlyn’s priorities is to reduce fuel poverty and this has come to fruition for hundreds of residents. As part of ClwydAlyn’s work to make homes warmer and more affordable to heat, it has upgraded heating systems, carried out retrofit work on 127 homes and introduced new renewable energy solutions including the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on properties along with battery systems that store the energy for later use. As…

A SURGE in commercial clients led to the busiest period in a quarter of a century for a booming law firm. Mackenzie Jones Solicitors, based in Chester, St Asaph and Menai Bridge, has seen a “huge rise” in private sector contracts across multiple industries, notably tourism and hospitality, retail, health, and eye care. As the firm approaches its 25th anniversary, director Andrew Foley Jones says their strategic approach and opening a new North West office paid dividends in 2024, as the business legally represented clients on deals for major holiday parks, opticians, and high-level commercial property sales. “Despite taking on…