Author: Rhys Gregory

Work to transform a former high school site in the east of the city into more than 200 new homes for Cardiff is now complete.   All 214 homes at Aspen Grove, the largest site in phase 2 of the Council’s Cardiff Living programme with national developer Wates Group, have now been built, creating an attractive and modern new community for residents at the development off Newport Road, Rumney.   The highly-innovative development, that has scooped national awards for its sustainability, climate resilience and low carbon footprint, is a mix of two, three, four and five bedroom homes, including 65…

Locals in Dale, Pembrokeshire successfully use UK Government’s Project Gigabit voucher scheme to connect the village with high-speed internet Dale, a small rural community on the coast of Pembrokeshire has long endured poor internet connectivity that has plagued its residents with little to no ability to use the internet for work, communication or entertainment.  With the movement of most services and day-to-day tasks to online, having limited internet access was having a detrimental effect on residents who were experiencing firsthand the digital divide. However, after being told about a UK Government funded project by Pembrokeshire County Council’s Digital Champions, this…

A rogue trader who conned a customer out of over £18,000 has pleaded guilty to Trading Standards offences at Merthyr Magistrates Court. Elegant Driveways and Landscaping Ltd. of Hazell Drive, Newport, has been ordered to pay £5,317 in fines and costs, along with £18,200 in compensation to a resident who received a sub-standard driveway. On Wednesday 2 October 2024, the Court heard how the business failed to provide a UV resin driveway as promised, did not carry out the work to a professional standard, did not provide products specified in the contract, as well as giving inaccurate business details. These…

Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change, Huw Irranca-Davies, has visited Aberaeron to see the progress of a £31.5m flood defence scheme. The Welsh Government has provided 85 per cent of the funding for the ambitious scheme which will reduce coastal flooding risk to more than 124 residential properties and 42 non-residential properties in Aberaeron. Speaking from Aberaeron, the Deputy First Minister said: “The scale of the work here in Aberaeron is a real eye opener – and is essential for Aberaeron and its community to be protected for generations to come. “I am incredibly grateful to the community…

A new Community Support Centre opens in Aberafan Shopping Centre today to provide support, guidance and retraining advice to individuals and businesses impacted by the decision by Tata Steel UK to transition to greener steelmaking at Port Talbot. The facility, being opened by the union Community with funding support from Welsh Government, will support and provide bespoke advice to Tata and supply chain workers, their families and affected businesses with bespoke advice and a single, physical point of contact. This will include directing people towards the help that’s available from the Employment Support Fund. This fund is backed by the…

James Douglas is eyeing up future growth after an incredibly successful period following its previous acquisition of Nuttall Parker in Newport. For the last nine months, the business has been co-branded which has enabled a seamless transition for clients, partners and the general public alike. From this autumn, the business is known simply as James Douglas to align with its branches in Cardiff and Pontypridd. Douglas Haig, Managing Director of James Douglas, said: “Our expansion into Newport is a significant step forward. The success of the co-branding phase has demonstrated the strength and synergy of our teams. “Newport is an…

SBW, a leading creative marketing and communications agency, has appointed Elinor Dafydd as its new Head of Client Services in Wales. She will lead the Cardiff team working on a range of positive impact, awareness and change of behaviour campaigns, as SBW gets ready to accelerate its growth and expand further in Wales. With over 15 years of experience in marketing, PR and communications and a first language Welsh speaker from Cardiff, Elinor was formerly a director at Freshwater, leading the agency’s marketing, strategy and creative teams and delivering multi-channel campaigns for clients including Welsh Government, Thompsons Solicitors, Unite the…

An Aberystwyth University graduate from Carmarthenshire has won the Farmers Weekly award for the best agriculture student in Britain. The Farmers Weekly Awards are the most prestigious in the agriculture industry, recognising farmers’ achievements across the country. Logan Williams, who has graduated with a first-class degree in agriculture with animal science from Aberystwyth University, beat other students to the coveted award for best agriculture student. He has represented Wales at both international and world-level sheepdog trials. He studied much of his course through the medium of Welsh and helped run a farm alongside his parents in Tirmynydd, Carmarthenshire while he…

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is calling on the Chancellor to deliver a decisively pro-small business Budget, saying SMEs are “sick of stagnation.” The UK’s largest small business group says the Budget, on 30 October, will be the Chancellor’s “first and best chance” to secure sustainable, long-term economic growth. It calls for specific measures to ease employment costs, remove barriers to access finance for investment, and lift more small firms out of the burden of business rates. FSB is also urging the Chancellor to resist pressure to introduce anti-enterprise tax rises, as new official figures highlight the urgent need…

Complete Remedial Solutions (CRS), an award-winning Wales-based provider of specialist insulation, heating, and energy efficiency solutions, has successfully completed a major transaction by establishing an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).  The EOT deal will see the trust receive a majority stake in the business on behalf of its 38 employees, empowering them to shape its future while maintaining a commitment to high-quality service across the commercial, residential, and public sectors. Founded in 2018, CRS has grown into an industry leader, known for its expertise in the retrofitting of insulation, heating, and renewable energy solutions. The business offers full-service operations, providing end-to-end…