Author: Rhys Gregory

A mural has recently been completed on an empty wall in Bargoed High Street, adding a touch of colour and vibrancy to the town centre. The wall underneath the Emporium Building was identified as a suitable location for painting, and Andy O’Rourke of Malarky Arts was commissioned by CCBC to create the mural. Andy is a renowned local artist from Newport who has experience of delivering similar artwork across local authorities, including the Riverside Park project under the A472 in Newbridge. The mural theme highlights the boom in biodiversity on old colliery spoil sites and how that might mirror the…

Llandrindod Library is to move a short distance and into the same building as Radnorshire Museum, Powys County Council has announced. The move will follow the same model of service delivery adopted in Brecon, Llanidloes and Welshpool where both museum and library share space, resources and staffing. Llandrindod Library is currently based at the Gwalia. However, the council approved the disposal of the building earlier this year (February) so a future new home for the library was needed. Cllr Richard Church, Cabinet Member for a Safer Powys, said: “Our libraries and museums are trusted spaces, free to enter and open…

Health Secretary Eluned Morgan has today announced the rollout of a new vaccination programme to protect against a common but potentially dangerous respiratory infection. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a very contagious virus, which infects 9 out of 10 children before their second birthday. More than a thousand babies in Wales are hospitalised every year with RSV. It can also lead to serious health complications for adults aged over 75, resulting in around 125 deaths every year in Wales. For most people RSV causes a mild respiratory illness with cold-like symptoms.  However, for babies under one year and the elderly…

Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, has, today (Wednesday, July 17), confirmed a number of schemes to support farmers and landowners before the Sustainable Farming Scheme is introduced in 2026. In May, a new timeframe for the Sustainable Farming Scheme was introduced as part of a Welsh Government commitment to listening to farmers and rural communities. The scheme will now begin in 2026, giving more time to engage with key partners. Speaking ahead of the Royal Welsh Show, the Cabinet Secretary has announced that the 2025 preparatory phase will include a number of schemes which will…

A Bill to reform the local tax system in Wales, including non-domestic rates and council tax, has this week (16 July 2024) been passed by the Senedd. The Local Government Finance (Wales) Bill establishes a series of changes to improve the tax systems. It will make them fairer and work better for the future needs of Wales, by ensuring local taxes reflect economic circumstances more regularly. For non-domestic rates (also known as business rates), the Bill will: increase how often the values of all non-domestic properties in Wales are updated, to once every three years; provide more flexibility to make changes to…

Openreach employees have once again demonstrated their commitment to the community and surrounding environment by volunteering their time to help restore one of Wales’ historic canals. The Montgomery Canal is a partially restored 33 mile canal that runs from the Llangollen Canal down through Newtown and Welshpool before crossing the border to Shropshire. In total eighteen Openreach engineers have supported the Canal & River Trust restoration project to help bring the ‘Monty’ canal, which has been designated  both a Special Area of Conservation and Site of Special Scientific Interest, back to its former glory. The restoration work includes reconstructing bridges, dredging…

Wales find themselves in League B for the 2024-2025 Nations League after being relegated in the previous season, where they finished fourth place in their group. The Dragons will be looking to redeem themselves and make it back to League A, but that all depends on how they fare against their current group opponents. So, let’s take a look at who Wales will be facing and what their chances look like. Wales’ Competition in Group B4 The draw for the UEFA Nations League group phase took place on February 8th, 2024, in Paris. Wales was drawn against Iceland, Montenegro, and…

Vaughan Gething has resigned as Wales’ First Minister after just a few months in office, following significant internal turmoil within the Welsh Labour Party. His resignation was precipitated by the departure of four senior ministers who protested against his leadership. Despite initial resistance, Gething acknowledged that a period of rebuilding under his leadership was not feasible. Gething’s brief tenure faced numerous challenges, including a lost vote of confidence and allegations of misconduct linked to campaign donations and management decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Labour leader Keir Starmer praised Gething’s historic role as the first Black leader of a European country,…

A new record number of Green Flags are flying at green spaces across Wales today, following Keep Wales Tidy’s announcement of Green Flag and Green Flag Community Awarded spaces for 2024/25.  The 291 sites include parks, university campuses, community farms, cemeteries, allotments and housing associations.  The Green Flag Award, delivered in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy, aims to connect people with the very best parks and green spaces. The awards benchmark parks and green spaces, so visitors know wherever there is a Green Flag, they’re visiting an exceptional place with the highest standards.  Newly awarded Green Flag sites for 2024/25…

Restoration work on Wales’ last working windmill has completed, allowing the sails of the 18th century flour mill to turn again. Richard Holt, former head pastry chef in London for the well-known Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Marcus Wareing, returned to his homeland of Ynys Môn in 2019 to take over the Melin Llynon mill from the local authority, with an ambition to bring his skills as a pâtissier to help revive this iconic landmark. Since then, and following an extensive renovation project, the 31-year-old entrepreneur has been successful in several endeavours, drawing on his extensive expertise, from the creation of…