Author: Rhys Gregory

Councillor Elliot Penn was voted Mayor of the Vale of Glamorgan at the Council’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 08 May. At the same meeting, the Vale also welcomed Councillor Naomi Marshalsea as Deputy Mayor. During his year in office, the Mayor will preside over the principal meetings of the Council, and undertake various ceremonial roles on behalf of the County. As Mayor and Deputy, Councillor Penn and Councillor Marshalsea will also continue to raise funds for the Mayor’s foundation. The Foundation offers financial support to community groups, the voluntary sector, and not for profit organisations towards the cost of…

Cardiff Council’s Planning Committee have given the go-head for a brand-new home for Willows High School to be constructed on land off Lewis Road in Splott. The scheme represents more than £50m investment and will see the existing school relocated and rebuilt, providing capacity for 900 learners aged 11 to 16 years in addition to a 30 place Special Resource Base for pupils with Additional Learning Needs and offering access to excellent quality education environments to support and enhance teaching and learning. Delivered under Cardiff Council and Welsh Government’sBand B, Sustainable Communities for Learning programme, the new school will…

Eleven parks and green spaces in Cardiff could be permanently protected from future development if Cardiff Council plans get the go ahead. Subject to the results of a six-week public consultation,the Council is proposing to enter into a legal agreement known as ‘deed of dedication’ with Fields In Trust – an independent UK-wide charity dedicated to the protection of parks and green spaces. Fields in Trust legally  protect individual parks from development  and ensure they remain publicly accessible green spaces.Ten council-owned sites are already permanently protected under these arrangements. Grange Gardens – one of the parks in Cardiff already protected by Fields In Trust.…

Plans to improve mobile phone connectivity in Swansea city centre have taken a major step forward. A new agreement between Swansea Council and a company called Freshwave will see small cell technology installed on street lighting to help boost network capacity during busy times. Virgin Media O2 has committed to deploying up to 10 small cells initially in the city centre, with further investments anticipated. The small cells also support the potential implementation of other technology to monitor things like smart bins and air pollution. The agreement aligns with the Swansea Bay City Deal Digital Infrastructure Programme’s goal to generate…

The draft plan sets out actions that the council and communities can take to help improve the air quality in the most polluted areas of the city. These areas are referred to in the plan as air quality management areas (AQMAs). Newport currently has 11 AQMAs, five of which are about to be revoked having been fully compliant for several years. These five are all centred around motorway junctions. The draft plan, which is set to run through to 2028, focuses on our six remaining AQMAs, which are: Caerleon Caerleon Road and Chepstow Road Caerphilly Road Cefn Road George Street…

The first national scheme of its kind in the UK, which will protect Welsh local authorities and all fire and rescue services in Wales from cyber-attacks, has launched today (Friday, May 10). Led by the Welsh Government, in collaboration with Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, CymruSOC (Security Operations Centre) will help ensure key organisations can continue offering critical services without disruption due to cyber-attacks. The SOC service, which will be managed by Cardiff-based firm, Socura, will safeguard the data of the majority of the Welsh population, as well as 60,000 employees across the public sector. First Minister, Vaughan Gething said:…

Six new sites were named this week by Climate Change and Rural Affairs Secretary Huw Irranca-Davies on a visit to meet woodland volunteers at a site in Coed y Bont near Tregaron. The National Forest for Wales status scheme will create a network of woodlands running the length and breadth of Wales with interconnected ecosystems. The six new sites confirmed by the Cabinet Secretary are: Castle Copse in Abergavenny Cwm George and Casehill Woods in Dinas Powys Chirk Castle, Wrexham Warren Wood in Powys Coed Rhyal in Carmarthen Bay Penllergare Valley Woods near Swansea Mr Irranca-Davies said: “It was great…

Wales Airshow fans seeking an elevated experience can now buy tickets for the event’s Flight Deck. The Airshow is due to attract tens of thousands of people on July 6 and 7 July with a series of world class displays over Swansea Bay. Wales Airshow is free – but tickets are now on sale for the hugely popular Flight Deck, supported by Travel House. Right at the heart of the display area, this relaxed, fenced off and secure seating zone guarantees prime, unobstructed views of the air displays. Open from 11am-6pm on both days, there are tables, chairs, a marquee…

Sport Pembrokeshire have been delighted to host the 2024 Pembrokeshire Schools Disability Swimming Gala. The event took place at Fishguard Leisure Centre on Tuesday 30th April. This is the 16th year the event has been generously sponsored by Stena Line. There was a fantastic turn out and support, with nearly forty children from eight Pembrokeshire primary schools and secondary schools participating in the event. The gala gives disabled children a wonderful opportunity to showcase their skills and participate in a range of swimming styles. The children took part in ten events with lots of heats ranging from 9m assisted float…

Kier teamed up with Careers Wales to construct an outdoor learning space for the pupils of Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn Tawe in Swansea. The big build took place at the school earlier this year, with pupils taking part in the construction activity and gaining valuable careers learning. 43 pupils across years 9, 10 and 11 worked closely with the Kier team across the week, learning about the construction processes and working together as a team with help from local contractors Ian Williams Carpentry and HD carpentry. The participating pupils were given a full health and safety induction, before setting to…