Author: Rhys Gregory

ALMOST half of adults in the UK have not written a will.   A report by the National Will Register also revealed 42% have not spoken to anyone about what should happen to their estate upon their death. This is a growing issue nationwide, which is why Mackenzie Jones Solicitors – based in St Asaph, Menai Bridge and Chester – has added prominent Wills and Probate lawyer Matthew Skeels to its award-winning team. Originally from Pembrokeshire and now living in Wirral – an area where the company has experienced growth in past months – the University of Chester graduate urged…

Officers from Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), working in partnership with the Gambling Commission, HMRC and Cardiff City Council Licensing, executed six warrants across Cardiff on Wednesday February 28, following intelligence that an illegal gambling den was operating in Splott. Two males were arrested on suspicion of money laundering and gambling act offences. The den, which occupied the upstairs area of an industrial unit in Splott, was searched, and all gambling paraphernalia seized and removed. The seizure included six poker tables, a spinning prize wheel, poker coins and chips, and multiple flatscreen televisions. Kay Roberts, Gambling Commission Executive Director…

ymru U21 head coach Matty Jones has announced his squad for the 2025 UEFA EURO Under-21 qualifier against Lithuania and friendly against Morocco. Jones has named three uncapped players in the squad for the first time, including Liverpool duo Terence Miles and Lewis Koumas and West Bromwich Albion defender Alex Williams. Luca Hoole returns after missing out in the last window through injury, while Ben Lloyd, Joel Colwill, Oliver Ewing and Pat Jones are the other changes to the squad from November’s matches. Cymru’s first game of the window sees them take on Lithuania in their penultimate home qualifier at Rodney…

Contactless tap in, tap out ‘Pay As You Go’ rail payment option has now been extended to the Ebbw Vale line (from Mon 18 March). Making it faster, easier and cheaper to travel, Transport for Wales launched the pilot scheme in January on journeys between Cardiff Central, Newport and Pontyclun. Following the success of the pilot, the scheme has now been extended to the Ebbw Vale line – making it a total of 11 stations taking part. By the end of 2024 TfW aim to expand the scheme to all 95 stations across the South-East Wales Metro. Alexia Course, Chief Commercial…

Building new council homes at a time of unprecedented demand for housing and homelessness services remains paramount for Cardiff Council over the coming year. In its Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan for 2024/25, the authority sets out the key priorities for its wide range of Housing services, helping to deliver the strategic commitments set out in the Council’s ‘Stronger Fairer Greener’ vision. Following an extremely challenging year in which the Council declared a housing emergency due toexceptional pressures and unabating demand for homelessness services,delivering more affordable housing at scale and pace is at the top of the list to…

Cardiff Council has proposed making changes to its school’s admissions policy following a public consultation process carried out at the turn of the year. The authority has to review its admissions policy annually and has sought views from headteachers, governing bodies, church representatives and neighbouring education authorities. The consultation which concluded in January, drew out a number of responses which have now been addressed in a new report to be discussed by the Council’s Cabinet on Thursday 21st  March. Cllr Sarah Merry, the Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, said: “It’s very important that we review our admissions…

Plans for a £25m investment in two blocks of flats in the city are in the pipeline as part of the council’s high-rise recladding scheme. Nelson House and Loudoun House in Butetown are the next of the Council’s blocks to undergo recladding and improvement works in phase two of the programme. Cladding was removed from five Council high rise blocks in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. While the retro-fitted, external cladding on the Council’s high rise blocks was not the same as the highly flammable ACM-type that was used at Grenfell, it did not meet current fire safety…

Haverfordwest Town Museum are excited to announce the opening date for a new pop-up museum and exhibition space, funded by UK government’s Shared Prosperity Fund as part of the Levelling Up agenda. The pop-up museum opens its doors on 25th March in Riverside Shopping Centre, Haverfordwest, just in time for the Easter break! The museum temporally closed in 2023 in preparation for construction works at Haverfordwest Castle, to make way for the creation of a new flagship heritage attraction on the site. While the museum eagerly awaits its new home, curator Simon Hancock and the museum’s volunteers are delighted with…

Staff and pupils in Pontyclun have welcomed the Council’s Cabinet Member for Education on a recent visit – to celebrate the progress being made towards constructing their brand new primary school building by 2025. Councillor Rhys Lewis visited Pontyclun Primary School on Friday, March 1, where the brand new facilities are being constructed on the existing school site. The investment is being jointly funded by the Council and Welsh Government through the Mutual Investment Model, which is the revenue funding stream of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme. Pontyclun Primary School will receive a new two-storey building with capacity for…

School meals served to Powys learners will now use more Welsh produce thanks to a new partnership between the council and Wales’ leading independent food service wholesaler. Powys County Council has teamed up with Cross-Hands based Castell Howell, who will now be the main supplier of fresh and frozen foods that will be used by the council’s Catering Team to make healthy and nutritious school meals. Cllr Jake Berriman, Cabinet Member for a Connected Powys, said: “This is an exciting partnership and I’m delighted that the council will be working with Castell Howell to continue to provide healthy, nutritionally balanced…