Author: Rhys Gregory

A NEATH PORT TALBOT teacher has won a top award at the sixth Professional Teaching Awards Cymru. Rhian Thomas, from Catwg Primary School in Neath, was awarded ‘Teacher of the Year in a Primary School’, in recognition of her enthusiasm for outdoor learning. Rhian creates engaging learning experiences in Catwg Primary’s Forest School, from running pre-school playgroups, to weekend learning sessions for the local community. Rhian was one of a number of the most inspiring educators in Wales to be announced as winners of the sixth Professional Teaching Awards Cymru at a special ceremony held at Soughton Hall in Mold…

Members of the public are being asked to provide feedback on Council Tax premiums in Pembrokeshire. Pembrokeshire County Council is carrying out a consultation on the premiums that apply to second and long-term empty homes. The consultation seeks views on: ·       Current Council Tax premiums for second homes ·       Current Council Tax premiums for long-term empty homes ·       Whether the Council should use its discretion following Welsh Government’s reform to self-catering holiday accommodation thresholds, to be in non-domestic rates. The consultation provides context and background information on the current Council Tax premiums and housing locally. It also provides the definitions…

Work to construct the next phase of the Rhondda Fach Active Travel Route – the section that stretches across Ferndale – will begin from this week. There is expected to be minimal overall disruption to the community throughout. The Rhondda Fach Active Travel Route will create a 10km pedestrian and cycle path between Maerdy and Tylorstown, and will be delivered across five phases of work. Phase one was completed in late 2023, from a location north of the Maerdy industrial estate to a point near the Gateway Memorial. Phase two has been completed recently. It resumes the route through Maerdy,…

In July 2023, Rhondda Cynon Taf’s Cabinet approved proposals to redevelop the Rock Grounds Building in Aberdare Town Centre. These plans form part of the adopted Aberdare strategy and will see the Rock Grounds Building redeveloped into a high-quality hotel with a restaurant, bar, and spa, available for both visitors and the local community. As part of the Council’s Office Accommodation Strategy, council employees have now vacated the Rocks Grounds Building in preparation for the site’s redevelopment. After conducting a recent procurement exercise, the Council is engaged in discussions with a potential development partner. This partner has submitted a comprehensive…

The space at Jack’s Wharf, along the riverside in Pillgwenlly, give artists a place to display their works, while bringing a splash of colour to the area, and reducing the level of graffiti in unauthorised areas. The graffiti wall is along hoardings that stretch all the way around the wharf. It has been set up as part of a project led by the council, working in partnership with Gwent Police and the force’s volunteer police cadets, who helped clear the wall ready for opening, and Newport City Homes, who have kindly donated the wall to the project. This is the…

Caerphilly County Borough Council (CCBC) has been awarded a grant from the Chewing Gum Task Force, administered by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, to help clean up gum and reduce gum litter. CCBC is putting plans in place to remove the chewing gum that blights local streets after receiving a £7000 grant to tackle the issue. The council is one of 54 across the country that have successfully applied to the Chewing Gum Task Force, now in its third year, for funds to clean gum off pavements and prevent it from being littered again. Established by Defra (Department for Environment,…

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…