Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar has called on the new Welsh Secretary to intervene amid concerns that electricity grid connection problems could push the major green steel project months behind schedule

URGENT action is being demanded to prevent delays to the new electric arc furnace being built at Port Talbot steelworks.

Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar has written to the newly appointed Secretary of State for Wales, Stephen Kinnock, following reports that problems delivering the necessary National Grid connection could delay the project by several months.

Mr Kinnock, who represents Aberafan Maesteg, was appointed Welsh Secretary on Monday, July 20.

The £1.25bn electric arc furnace is intended to form the centrepiece of Tata Steel’s transition to lower-carbon steel production in Wales. The UK Government is contributing £500m towards the project, with Tata Steel providing the remaining investment.

Tata had previously expected the furnace to be commissioned from the end of 2027. However, recent reports have suggested that delays in securing sufficient electricity access could push the timetable back by between six and eight months, with unions warning that the grid connection could be delayed by as much as a year.

National Grid’s Margam Connection Project involves expanding the existing electricity substation and connecting it to a new substation at the Tata Steel site through an underground cable.

Mr Millar said any delay would prolong the uncertainty already experienced by steelworkers, contractors, their families and businesses throughout the wider supply chain.

In his letter dated Thursday, July 23, he asked the Welsh Secretary to confirm what discussions had taken place with National Grid and Tata Steel and what action the UK Government was taking to accelerate the required infrastructure.

He also called for an assurance that the overall timetable for the electric arc furnace would be maintained.

Mr Millar said: “The people of Port Talbot have already put up with broken promises from Labour and years of uncertainty. They cannot afford another delay to a project that is vital to the future of steelmaking in Wales.

“Reports that National Grid may not deliver the electricity connection on time and therefore delay the whole project are deeply concerning.

“The UK Government must now demonstrate that it is doing everything possible to keep this project on track.”

The final blast furnace at Port Talbot was closed in September 2024 as Tata moved away from traditional coal-powered production, resulting in thousands of workers losing their jobs or facing changes to their employment.

The new furnace will use electricity to melt scrap steel and is expected to reduce carbon emissions from steelmaking at the site by around 90 per cent.

Mr Millar added: “Labour promised steelworkers it would secure the long-term future of Port Talbot. That promise has already been undermined by the closure of the blast furnaces.

“Ministers must now ensure there are no further failures that put the future of the electric arc furnace at risk.

“Steelworkers deserve confidence that this project is being treated with urgency. The UK Government must work with National Grid and Tata Steel to give steelworkers confidence that it is committed to securing the long-term future of steelmaking in Port Talbot.”

The letter also asks what support would be provided to steelworkers, contractors and supply-chain businesses should delays prove unavoidable.

Despite the concerns over the electricity connection, construction work is continuing at the Port Talbot site. Tata Steel said in June that major areas had been cleared and prepared, with key furnace equipment expected to arrive in South Wales later this year.

Deputy First Minister urges new UK Justice Secretary to reconsider funding for proposed women’s residential centre in Swansea

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT as renewed its call for justice and policing to be devolved to Wales, as ministers seek a new working relationship with the recently appointed UK Government.

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality, Sioned Williams, has written to the new Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Norris, asking him to make an early commitment to transferring responsibility for the justice system and policing to Wales.

She said such a commitment would demonstrate that the UK Government was serious about adopting a revised approach to devolution and working in partnership with ministers in Cardiff Bay.

Justice and policing remain controlled from Westminster, despite many of the public services which interact with the criminal justice system, including health, housing, education and social care, being devolved to Wales.

The Deputy First Minister also wrote separately to Ministry of Justice Minister Catherine McKinnell, raising concerns about the disproportionate effect of the justice system on women in Wales.

A central issue is the proposed Residential Women’s Centre in Swansea, which was intended to provide an alternative to custody and support women with complex needs closer to their families and communities.

However, the previous UK prisons minister informed the Welsh Government that funding for the project had not been secured.

Ms Williams has now urged the new ministerial team to work with the Treasury and reconsider the decision as soon as possible.

She said: “I am looking forward to working constructively with the UK Government on justice in Wales.

“We need to reduce the disproportionate impact on women of the ‘jagged edge’ between devolved and non-devolved responsibilities in the criminal justice system.

“This includes ensuring that fewer women sentenced in Wales are held in prisons in England, far from their families and support networks.”

Wales has no women’s prison, meaning women given custodial sentences are routinely sent to facilities across the border.

Ms Williams added: “Unfortunately, I was informed by the previous Minister for Prisons that it had not been possible to secure funding for the Residential Women’s Centre in Swansea.

“I have urged the new minister to work with Treasury colleagues to ensure that this decision is revisited as soon as possible.

“The importance of the centre has also been highlighted by the Welsh Affairs Select Committee.

“I am eager to continue to work with the UK Government on our shared ambition for women’s justice.”

The Welsh Government has repeatedly argued that devolving justice would allow services to be designed around the needs and circumstances of communities in Wales, while creating greater accountability for criminal justice policy.

A CALL to let a small rural Pembrokeshire caravan site keep a glamping pod sited without planning permission has been lodged with county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Janice Palin seeks retrospective permission for the retention of a glamping pod and change of use of land for short-term visitor accommodation at Woodstock, Cold Inn, near Kilgetty.

A supporting statement accompanying the application says the application for the 2023 retrospective scheme follows a conversation with one of the authority’s enforcement officers.

It adds: “The property comprises of the main dwelling and associated garden as well as a caravan site which is a Caravan and Motorhome Club Certificated Location (CL) with a capacity of five caravans or motorhomes. The glamping pod is contained within the garden of the main dwelling.

“The CL is located just south of the glamping pod, separated by a hedgerow. A single car parking space is located just off the main access to the caravan site and a pathway allows access to the pod adjacent to the hedgerow. The glamping pod utilises the existing access for the caravan site from the main road.”

It goes on to say: “The glamping pod has been used for short-term holiday accommodation since June 2023. The structure is capable of removal and does not represent permanent built development. The operation of the glamping pod since 2023, provides valuable evidence regarding its actual impacts.

“During this period there have been no known complaints relating to noise, disturbance, privacy, highway safety, drainage or landscape impact. The operational history demonstrates that the use functions successfully within its setting without giving rise to unacceptable effects on neighbouring occupiers or the wider area.”

It finished: “This development only comprises of one additional glamping pod, a modest diversification and enhancement of an existing tourism enterprise rather than the creation of a brand-new tourism site.

“The glamping pod has already been operating for a number of years and it has contributed to the provision of visitor accommodation within this area of Pembrokeshire. It helps to support the objectives of maintaining a diverse and high-quality tourism offer, whilst still being low-impact and well contained in an enclosed area of a private garden. The proposal provides a different style of accommodation to the existing touring pitches, broadening the range of accommodation available to visitors.”

The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.