Author: Rhys Gregory

The Swansea Bay City Deal has awarded a state-of-the-art dark fibre network contract to Virgin Media O2 Business. This new network – which will be fully available by December 2025 – will offer significantly improved capacity and speed, while allowing large amounts of data to be securely shared and saved. Virgin Media O2 Business has been appointed to build a dedicated dark fibre network to 36 public sector sites throughout Swansea and Neath Port Talbot. The new network will improve connectivity in the region to local authorities, healthcare and education partners. Dark fibre network models offer practically limitless capacity and…

Street Food Circus will be bringing the pirate spirit to the National Events Deck at Saundersfoot Harbour on the weekend of 6-8 September, with street food and entertainment based around the harbour’s life-size Coastal Schooner. Harbour Feastival is bringing flavours from around the world to Saundersfoot for the weekend with traders coming from throughout Wales and the south West of England. The street food line-up includes: Ceylon & Beyond – Sri Lankan street food Church of Churros – buckets of churros and Spanish chocolate sauce Fire & Flank – sous vide flank steak with cheesy garlic mash Gourmet Warriors -…

Presteigne town centre is to see improvements, that will add to its appearance, after a funding bid submitted to Powys County Council was successful. Presteigne and Norton Town Council is to receive up to £50,710.80 towards the cost of refurbishing 10 business frontages on High Street, Broad Street, Hereford Street and Green End. The funding is being provided in the form of a Welsh Government Placemaking Grant, through its Transforming Towns programme, in this instance, for up to 70% of the total cost. The town council is working as a facilitator for the scheme, in partnership with the county council.…

SMALL businesses have shown their love for an enterprise agency creating opportunities for growth and prosperity in west Wales. With the support of Antur Cymru, traders in the region successfully received grants from the Cynnal y Cardi Fund, which is delivered by Ceredigion County Council via the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. Two in particular – Brodwaith Tysul Embroidery, and Cariad Glass – have gone from strength-to-strength post-pandemic, with added assistancefrom both the Cymorth Busnes Lleol/Local Business Support and SMART Busnes project teams. Based in Llandysul, they praised Antur Cymru for the guidance and advice received and for helping them…

Welsh Government has awarded Pembrokeshire County Council a further £6.5million towards the cost of building the new integrated health and social care hub in Pembroke. The grant has been awarded through the social care Integration and Rebalancing Capital Fund (IRCF) for the plans underway at the Pembroke Hwb regeneration project at South Quay. The Pembroke Hwb will be a modern, accessible social care, health and community hub and supports the region’s aim to build active, resourceful, connected, sustainable and creative communities as we shift away from managing need to creating capability. Taking an integrated service approach, the Hwb will deliver…

Transport for Wales will now offer discounted fares for Hywel Dda staff on certain TrawsCymru bus services. Following a three-month free travel pilot, Transport for Wales (TfW) has teamed up with Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) to offer long term discounted bus travel for health board staff to encourage workers to travel more sustainably and to help reduce pressure on NHS car parks. The bus services included within the promotion are the T1, T1A, T1X and T2, T28. Hywel Dda UHB staff will be able to catch the TrawsCymru T1 service, operated by First Cymru, that runs between Carmarthen…

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates has confirmed plans that will enable a major rail capacity boost on the North Wales Mainline in 2026. Transport for Wales will increase rail capacity by 40%, with 50% more timetabled services, supported by an £800m investment in brand new CAF trains and the recruitment of additional drivers and train crew. Changes at a number of level crossings are required to be able to operate these additional services on the line. To support this, Network Rail and Transport for Wales are jointly undertaking a programme of local consultation, planning and…

Corporate law is an unusual beast, and one which poses unique challenges to the businesses and practices that make their bread within it. It is a field with many different avenues and specialisms, from the governance of intellectual copyright to the exploration of legal compliance with respect to any number of different sectors or disciplines. Corporate law also has something of a negative reputation, not in the least due to litigious behaviour from large businesses that ranges from pragmatic to predatory. One recent such story relates to Disney, who made headlines in late 2024 for a creative approach to denying…

The global publicity generated by Wrexham AFC’s Hollywood owners is attracting high-spending international visitors to North Wales, according to a tourism chief. Jim Jones, the Chief Executive of North Wales Tourism, described the impact of A-listers Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds taking over the club as “an absolute gamechanger”. The subsequent success of the club on the pitch and the popularity of the hit TV series, Welcome to Wrexham, were attracting a growing global audience. Mr Jones was speaking ahead of the annual Go North Wales Tourism Awards at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Thursday, November 21. The Oscars-style ceremony…

Swansea local communities are being given the chance to host their own heritage-themed events. Funding of up to £7,000 is being made available for each one by Swansea Council. Events could range from a food festival to a shop local campaign or from a festival of lights to a fair featuring craft suppliers. Council cabinet member Robert Francis-Davies said: “We want great ideas to boost our local communities. “We want these events to drive footfall and to support existing businesses. “All our local areas have their own strengths and unique heritage – and they’ve all played a key role in building Swansea’s…