Author: Rhys Gregory

Sophie Page, a BSc Architectural Studies student at Cardiff University has been announced as the regional winner at the Women in Property South Wales Student Awards.  The event, a celebration dinner held at The Classroom in Cardiff, provided employers in the property and construction sector with a platform to engage with some of the most promising undergraduates in the built environment sector. Sophie’s exceptional qualities stood out to the judges, who described her as “an outstanding candidate, confident and very focussed, clearly an incredible work ethic, a dedicated student with a passion for what she does.” Hannah Lewis-Jones, Chair of…

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) will begin restoring lost Atlantic rainforest in Pembrokeshire thanks to a long-term partnership with Aviva.  Yesterday, Monday 15th July, WTSWW revealed plans to improve habitats and recreate temperate rainforest at Trellwyn Fach near the Pembrokeshire coast. Rainforests used to cover much of the west coast of Britain though were destroyed over hundreds of years and today, only fragments remain.  Rainforest restoration forms part of a wider programme of nature-based projects to remove carbon from the atmosphere and help nature recover, funded by Aviva’s donation. Communities in Pembrokeshire will be closely involved…

Last week, officers carried out action to tackle illegal and anti-social use of e-bikes and bike theft in Swansea city centre as part of Operation Lathyrus. The operation, which was set up in response to continued incidents of bike thefts and anti-social bike use in the city centre, has seen numerous complaints received from concerned members of the public around the speed that e-bikes are being ridden around the city centre area. On Friday (July 12), officers were deployed to several locations around the city, with a bike-marking tent and stand set up in Castle Gardens. Officers provided education and…

The Rhyl Coastal Defence scheme has recently supported nine young people in Denbighshire to start their work experience journey. The work experience was arranged between Denbighshire County Council’s Llwybrau project and Balfour Beatty, the contractor undertaking the works for the Rhyl and Prestatyn Coastal Defence schemes. The young people, from Rhyl College and Christ the Word school, were given the opportunity to gain invaluable experience working on a transformative civil engineering project on their doorstep. They shadowed members of Balfour Beatty’s team, both in and out of the office, as they undertook various tasks associated with the coastal defence scheme…

Swansea Council has received grant funding of more than £7 million from Welsh Government which will be used to complete a series of sustainable transport schemes across the city. A report to Cabinet on July 18 will seek to approve a number of schemes all aimed at improving transport links and boosting sustainable travel, including: The Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro project – a regional transport project that includes Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire will receive £2 million to help continue the development of an integrated transport network for rail, bus and active travel. The installation of…

Views are wanted on the future of transport in South West Wales. Covering Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea, a case for change that’s been developed for a regional transport plan is now open for public feedback until Monday August 26. The case for change shows how the plan is essential to support the ongoing economic development of the region, while recognising its diverse communities and varying transport needs. Aims of the plan include improving walking and cycling routes to local services, as well as achieving a shift away from private car usage to more sustainable forms of transport.…

Neyland Community School’s is celebrating after being awarded a prestigious UNICEF award. The Rights Respecting Schools (RRS) Award is granted to schools that show commitment to promoting and realising children’s rights and encouraging adults, children, and young people to respect the rights of others in school. The Silver award is awarded to schools that make excellent progress towards embedding the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into its ethos and curriculum. Neyland Community School joins 1,300 schools across the UK that have achieved the Silver status. Headteacher Clare Hewitt, said: “UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation…

Lido enthusiasts will be delighted to hear that Lido Ponty’s main summer season resumes on Wednesday, August 14. Tickets for the second half of the summer season (covering the end of the school holidays) will be available from 9 am on Monday, July 22. Don’t forget, tickets for all sessions up to July 30 are on sale now. In addition to sessions up to July 30 and the August 2-10 sessions for Eisteddfod ticket holders, summer fun continues from mid-August. With the summer holidays in full swing, you can enjoy two early morning swims every day of the week, followed…

Alongside an appointed design partner, the Council is continuing to develop its plans for a new residential care accommodation that was previously agreed for Ferndale – with initial ground testing currently taking place. In February 2023, Cabinet agreed a major investment in state-of-the-art care accommodation that would transform the availability of local care provision, to support older and other vulnerable people and meet their changing needs and requirements. At that time, Members agreed a multi-million-pound investment to build modern facilities in Porth, Treorchy, Mountain Ash, Church Village and Ferndale. Suitable land has been identified for this new facility at the…

The Gwent Green Grid and Abergavenny Town Council collaborated on a project to enhance an area of Bailey Park in Abergavenny with a new art installation. Drawing on SPF (shared prosperity funding) funding in Monmouthshire, they commissioned local artist Danielle Farrington to create a mural on the ‘big wall’ in the park. The project aims to highlight the rich biodiversity of our natural environment in the area. The latest mural depicts plants and pollinators such as daisies, rosehip, orange tip butterfly and hoverfly; all found naturally growing and living in the surrounding area of the park. Bailey Park now features…