Author: Rhys Gregory

Wales will be taking on Fiji on Sunday 10 November at Principality Stadium. With the kick-off taking place at 1.40pm – there will be a full city centre road closure from 9.30am until 5.40pm to ensure all ticket holders can get into and out of the stadium safely. The M4 motorway is expected to be very busy due to this rugby match – so please plan ahead – and avoid the congestion in Cardiff by using the park & ride at the former Toy’s R Us site car park in the Sports Village – CF11 0JS. For up to date…

Top tourism awards for brilliant destinations, businesses and experiences are set to be dished out next week. November 14 sees the return of the much-anticipated Swansea Bay Tourism Awards, which recognise and reward excellence in the sector. Tourism Swansea Bay, supported by Swansea Council, Neath Port Talbot Council and Welsh Government, will run this year’s awards. Roy Church, Director of Tourism Swansea Bay said: “We are delighted with the number of entries this year, which have now all been independently verified and scored. The finalists have been invited to a formal presentation on 14 Nov in the Guildhall, where the…

The Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council Cllr Steve Hunt, and fellow Cabinet Members, will once again be holding a series of face-to-face meetings with residents to discuss ongoing financial pressures. They have announced dates and venues for a series of roadshows to discuss the current turbulent economic conditions and what these could mean for our residents and for vital council services. They will be setting up stands at popular public venues in the county borough in November where local people can discuss and offer suggestions on the best way to approach the council’s upcoming 2025/26 budget. The dates, times…

Pembrokeshire County Council is seeking £10.3 million grant funding from Welsh Government for a range of important transport improvement and active travel projects. The projects will benefit local communities all over the county, said Cllr Paul Miller, Deputy Leader. Cllr Miller added: “By approving the need for these bids to be submitted we are demonstrating our commitment to improving communities for all residents, across Pembrokeshire.” Among the Local Transport Fund grants bids being made are Public Transport Interchange Improvements at Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock. A detailed scheme update on the Milford haven scheme was provided to the Cabinet last month.…

RCT Council has received the contractor Alun Griffiths’ latest progress update for the major Rhigos Mountain Road repairs. The final phase of work has proven extremely challenging, with a further 700 tonnes of rock needing to be removed and transported from the site, which was unexpected in the initial work programme. Despite the best efforts to bring the target completion date forward, the latest projection indicates the work will continue until Friday, November 22. This will ensure the safe and full completion of this major scheme. The mountain road between Treherbert and Rhigos was closed from July 22 as an…

Running from 2pm to 5.30pm on Saturday 16 November, Countdown to Christmas will feature live music, fairground rides and celebrity guests, culminating in the official switching on of Newport’s city centre Christmas lights and a breathtaking fireworks display. The main support acts for the event have been announced today, with the headline star – a chart-topper with four number one singles and sales of more than three million in the UK – along with the special guest switching on the lights to be revealed on Friday. Four rising stars of Welsh music will be taking to the main stage at…

The Cabinet Secretary for Education has this week outlined the key improvement priorities for school in Wales as well as more funding for initiatives to improve attainment in literacy, maths and science. The additional £1.1 million will boost existing and successful literacy and numeracy programmes and provide enhanced support to teachers and learners by Expanding professional learning to help children develop a love for reading Providing targeted support for younger learners struggling to read by expanding the RILL project delivered by Bangor University, which has seen children gain between 6 and 12 months learning in their reading. Widening the provision…

With Talk Money Week underway, Social Justice Secretary Jane Hutt is encouraging people to check what financial support they’re eligible to receive and might be missing out on, including pension credit. Since 2022, Welsh Government programmes and support for people in Wales, targeting help at those who need it the most, and putting money back in people’s pockets, has been worth almost £5bn. The Here to Help – Claim What’s Yours campaign, Single Advice Fund, Discretionary Assistance Fund, support with council tax and Help to Stay are some of the programmes which continue to be key in supporting people. Between…

The Design Commission for Wales partnered with Land Studio for an event looking at the future of rural and urban communities in North Wales. The event, which was held at Ty Pawb in Wrexham, explored the potential for a place-led, people-focused approach to help shape the region’s future and to capture wider benefits. There were a number of speakers including Simon and Kate Richards, both directors of Land Studio, a landscape architecture engineering design and ecology studio, Vicky Payne, a strategic planning and urban design consultant, David Rudlin, Urban Design Director at BDP, Clare Wilks, director at LDA Design and…

A Welsh asbestos consultancy is to take on 7 staff following a £50,000 investment by Tata Steel subsidiary UKSE. Enquin Environmental of Cardiff will use the Fast Track Loan for a new website and marketing to enhance its reputation across the UK as one of the leading businesses in this crucial environmental field. The firm has been operating for 22 years and has a purpose-built laboratory and UKAS accreditation. ”This support from UKSE is very helpful and timely and will enable us to invest in recruitment of staff, marketing and equipment. We enjoy an excellent reputation across the UK and…