Author: Rhys Gregory

Once-in-a-generation reforms to strengthen democracy in Wales have passed into law this week (24 June) with the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act gaining Royal Assent. The landmark legislation, which was passed by a supermajority of Members of the Senedd in May, will create a modern, more effective Welsh Parliament to serve and represent people in Wales. Under the new law, the Senedd will gain increased capacity to scrutinise policies, laws, spending plans, and hold the Welsh Government to account. Key changes to be implemented in time for the 2026 Senedd elections include: 96 Members of the Senedd, elected using…

Azets has announced the formation of a new property tax team in South Wales. The new division, led by Amy Buckley, Head of Tax for Azets’ Central & West Region, will assist clients in key areas such as property investments and transactions. The creation of the specialist team within Azets comes on the back of OECD 2023 figures confirming property-related taxation amounted to 11.5% of GDP demonstrating how significant this area is in the UK. Commenting on the new team, Amy Buckley said: “As a business and as a region, we are delighted to be able to provide this specialist…

Whether it’s upgrading your home to be more energy-efficient, improving the safety and security of your property, or making necessary repairs, homeowners in the UK may find themselves faced with high costs. Luckily, there are various government grants and support available to help ease the financial burden. The main focus of this article is the energy efficiency grants, schemes and initiatives that the government has set aside for homeowners.  Energy Costs & Savings for Homeowners  Throughout the period of 2021-2023, homeowners and tenants all grappled with the unpredictability of the vulnerable energy market. The global energy crisis impacted everyone, from…

Patryk Kantor drove 120 miles to meet the girl in a park close to her home and drove her to an Air BnB. During his online conversations. he had pretended to be 17 years old but was in fact 25. The alarm was raised by the girl’s mother, who became concerned about some comments that she made. Kantor was arrested on March 28, 2024, two days after the initial call to police. He was identified and arrested thanks to CCTV enquiries and automatic number-plate recognition checks on his vehicle. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a…

New Theatre Cardiff have announced initial casting for this year’s magical pantomime, Cinderella which runs from Saturday 7 December 2024 – Sunday 5 January 2025. TV’s Morning Live and radio broadcaster Gethin Jones will lead the cast as Prince Charming. Alongside Gethin will be BBC Radio 2 presenter Owain Wyn Evans as Dandini, celebrated New Theatre Cardiff panto Dame extraordinaire Mike Doyle as the Baroness with Denquar Chupak returning as Cinderella and Stephanie Webber joining as the Fairy Godmother. Gethin Jones currently hosts the hugely popular Morning Live, every weekday on BBC1. His career started by chance on S4C. After…

A new first-time buyer study from the UK’s biggest property website Rightmove reveals that the average first-time buyer mortgage payment has risen by 61% since the last election year of 2019. Over the last five years, the average mortgage payment for a typical first-time buyer home has risen from £667 per month to £1,075 per month, as average mortgage rates have risen and remained elevated. The increase in average mortgage payments for first-time buyers has significantly outpaced wage growth. Over the same five-year period, average wages are up by 27%. The mortgage payment calculations assume first-time buyers are taking out…

Around 1,500 Tata workers based in Port Talbot and Llanwern will begin all-out indefinite strike action over the company’s plans to cut 2,800 jobs and close its blast furnaces. The strike action, which begins on 8 July, will severely impact Tata’s UK operations. It is the first time in over 40 years that steel workers in the UK have taken strike action. The escalation in industrial action comes after the workers, who are members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, began working to rule and an overtime ban on Tuesday (June 17). Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Tata’s workers are not just…

Work is underway on 124 new energy efficient homes in Cardiff as Redrow begins construction of phase three at Churchlands and phase four at Plas Ty Draw. Both developments are in the sought after suburb of Lisvane. All of the new homes feature underfloor heating and air source heat pumps as the leading housebuilder moves away from traditional gas boilers. Electric vehicle charging points are optional.  This is in line with Redrow’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon by 2050. Phase four of Plas Ty Draw will feature a selection of 35 three and four bedroom homes including the classically styled…

COLEG CAMBRIA celebrated the dedication and skill of learners and apprentices at its annual Student Awards. The college’s Yale site in Wrexham held events for Further and Higher Education (FE and HE) and Work-based Learning (WBL) and Adult and Community Learning (ACL) this week. Chief Executive Yana Williams and Cath Sullivan, Deputy Chief Executive for People, Experiences and Culture, hosted proceedings over two nights. “Congratulations to everyone on your success in the last year,” said Ms Williams. “Also, a big thank you to your families, friends and those who supported you on your journeys. “You are a credit to Coleg…

Operation Tredegar relates to a large-scale family run Conspiracy to Supply Class A drugs, namely cocaine, by an Organised Crime Group (OCG) headed by brothers Thomas Davies, 38, and Jack Davies, 37, based in the Rhondda valleys. This case features nine defendants, all with a varying role within the OCG from couriers to money launderers. The further six members of the OCG hae been sentenced to 37 years and 10 months at Newport Crown Court. Thomas Davies arranged the purchase of multi kilogram amounts of cocaine from several different sources which were then driven to South Wales by couriers at…