Author: Rhys Gregory

Work to expand Y Lanfa: Powysland Museum and Welshpool Library, will start this week after a contract was awarded by Powys County Council to SWG Group. It will see additional floor space added under the canopy area, to create a new foyer and a flexible community and display space above it, a remodelling of the museum’s galleries and the installation of a new public toilet, lift, solar panels and air handling units. The work complements and extends the refurbishment work undertaken when the library moved into the building in 2020. The wharf area will also be resurfaced to reduce the…

Pupils from Ysgol Sant Baruc, a leading educational institution in Barry, have planted 420 new trees on their new campus with the help of Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales. Having transitioned from the school’s original Victorian site just over a year ago, Ysgol Sant Baruc’s state of the art campus now boasts extensive outdoor spaces which can be used for teaching, along with hard and soft landscaping for learning and playing. The grounds also include habitat areas to develop wildlife and encourage biodiversity; eager to make the most of this resource, the school applied for Coed Cadw’s popular…

Adrian Russell Coxon, 48, of St. Mary Close, Pencoed, was arrested in November 2021 after we received a report from the victim that they had been sexually assaulted. He appeared in court on Thursday, May 2, where he was sentenced to six years in prison for sexual assault by penetration and supply of Class C drugs. He was also made to sign onto the Sex Offenders Register and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). Detective Constable Rebecca Evans said: “Whilst no sentence will make up for the impact he has had on the victim, I hope the…

A 71-year-old Wrexham man has been jailed for the sexual abuse of a child. David Rowland, of no fixed abode, admitted sexually assaulting a child over a period of time between August 2022 and June last year. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison at Mold Crown Court last week. Rowland was reported to police in June last year when a child, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, disclosed to her mother she had been sexually assaulted by him on multiple occasions. He was arrested and devices including his phone and laptop were seized. Examinations of the devices…

The team at Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm has launched two exciting new products in partnership with Feast, the kitchen behind the amazing food at Tap and Tân, a collaborative venue that brings the very best in independent craft beer and live fire cookery right in the heart of Tenby. The two sauces to be created are Feast Hot Chipotle sauce and Feast House BBQ sauce, with each of the new flavours is crafted to cater to a wide range of culinary preferences and dishes, promising to bring a new dimension of taste to kitchens across the UK. The Feast Hot Chipotle sauce…

Helping safeguard and boost local employment, a new luxury kitchen showroom will soon be opening in Mumbles. Run by locally-based Green’s Kitchens and Furniture, the showroom on Newton Road will enable the business to showcase its luxury and bespoke joinery works. Thanks to business growth grant funding from Swansea Council through the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Green’s have also been able to develop a strong relationship with Sub Zero and Wolf – a luxury kitchen appliance company based in London. This means Green’s will become the largest showroom of their appliances outside Knightsbridge. Green’s is one of many…

Bodnant Garden’s prized collection of rhododendrons and azaleas are currently putting on a dazzling display, as recent photos show. Cared for by National Trust Cymru, the garden is a must-see for its array of blossom and spring colour that fills almost every corner. Each year, the conservation charity’s #BlossomWatch campaign encourages people to get outside and experience the simple joy of blossom. With five National Collections at Bodnant including Rhododendron forrestii and Bodnant Rhododendron Hybrids, flowering alongside tulips, viburnum, the Himalayan Blue Poppy and the Firebush of the Andes, there is no shortage of vibrant blooms at Bodnant. This year,…

Visitors to Pontypridd will soon notice work activity to improve the condition and appearance of a block of Council-owned buildings at Taff Street. The scheme will likely cause minimal disruption, with all premises remaining open. RCT Council will undertake a range of improvements to 103-110 Taff Street from Tuesday, May 7. The block is owned by the Local Authority and has been identified as needing refurbishment for its continued use by businesses. The scheme will improve the buildings’ appearance and functionality – with the work including roof and canopy repairs, the renewal of cladding, rendering enhancements, and shop front improvements…

Housing associations across Wales are supporting the launch of an innovative net zero hub aiming to cut carbon emissions from new and existing social homes. As innovators in home decarbonisation, registered social landlords are coming together with developers, residential social landlords, and owners to share their knowledge and expertise as part of the new Welsh Zero Carbon Hwb. The Hwb, which will be phased over three years, is aiming to become a central point for net zero design, construction and housing performance information in Wales. It will also coordinate and support learning from existing innovative projects and initiatives across the…

HEINEKEN UK is investing £39m in upgrading and reopening pubs in its Star Pubs’ estate in 2024 – demonstrating its confidence in the resilience of the great British local in the face of global uncertainty. The move will create an estimated 1,075 new jobs. A quarter (612) of HEINEKEN UK’s 2,400 pubs are in line for improvement, with 94 of these set for makeovers costing on average £200,000. The investment will also cover works to reopen 62 long-term closed locals in 2024. By the end of the year, HEINEKEN UK will have reopened 156 such pubs since the start of…