Author: Rhys Gregory

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…

The Development Bank of Wales has exited Carebeans, a pioneering healthcare operations software company. Monmouth-based Carebeans has been acquired by RLDatix, a specialist in connected healthcare operations software and services.  Providing unique benefits and functionalities for different users, Carebeans offers a cloud-based system for residential and nursing care homes and the full spectrum of supported living including domiciliary care, disability, and mental health services. Carebeans was first established by Chief Executive Nick Lawford in 2019. He said: “The value fit between Carebeans and RLDatix was immediately clear – not just the commitment to delivering integrated health and care solutions, but…

This week, fans of all ages took a pew next to Paddington as STUDIOCANAL unveiled a statue of the marmalade loving bear in Cardiff. Launched as part of Paddington Visits, a trail of Paddington Bear statues across the UK and Ireland to celebrate the forthcoming release of PADDINGTON IN PERU, arriving in cinemas on November 8th, Paddington took a seat on a bench in St David’s Centre and was immediately embraced by the local community. With passersby stopping for selfies, Cardiff is one of 23 locations taking part in Paddington Visits, a trail which will see the special statues appearing…