Politics
Multi-billion infrastructure upgrade promised
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Rhun Ap Iorwerth: ‘Plaid could be a driver for economic growth’
A PLAID CYMRU government will deliver a multi-billion pound investment in Wales’ infrastructure to reboot the economy, the Party of Wales’ Shadow Economy Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has said. He said that a Plaid Cymru government, if elected in May, would be a driver for economic growth.
Rhun ap Iorwerth said that one of his party’s main goals is to bring wealth generated per head in Wales up to the UK average. Currently the figure – at 71.4% of the UK average – is the lowest of any UK nation or region.
Earlier this week Rhun ap Iorwerth set out his plans to revive Wales’ economy, planning to re-establish the WDA brand for a new trade and investment body, establish National Infrastructure Commission Wales (NICW), and to help Wales’ businesses grow by establishing a National Bank of Wales to bridge the funding gap of £500m a year faced by Welsh SMEs.
Through NICW, he said, Plaid Cymru will deliver a major a multi-billion pound investment programme that will upgrade physical and digital infrastructure in Wales.
Plaid Cymru Shadow Economy Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “A Plaid Cymru government can be a driver for economic growth. Our over-arching objective is to reverse Wales’ ever-widening economic attainment gap with the rest of the UK within a generation. There is no reason for Wales to lag behind, yet the wealth generated per head is lower than any other part of the UK, wages in Wales are around £100 per week lower than the UK average, and unemployment in Wales is higher.
“As part of our plans, we propose to establish a new body, National Infrastructure Commission Wales, an independent public corporation that will plan, fund and deliver the aspirations set out in the National Infrastructure Investment Plan.
“NICW will raise funds independently of the government, and will invest in both physical and digital infrastructure. “It’s an ambitious plan, but it is Plaid Cymru’s opinion that we cannot afford not to upgrade our infrastructure and build the foundations for a period of steady economic growth. We must secure the right transport, technological and connective environments for businesses in Wales to thrive.
“It’s time to reboot the economy, and a Plaid Cymru government can be a driver for the economic growth we need.”
The WDA was credited with bringing a number of major companies to Wales, including Ford and Toyota, between its creation in 1976 and its ultimate demise 30 years later. However, in 2014 the record of the WDA over the last 15 years of its existence was criticised by First Minister Carwyn Jones, who claimed that it had done ‘absolutely nothing’ during this time, in response to Conservative claims that a new arms-length body should be set up to attract inward investment.
“The WDA prospered at its best in the late 90s, and all they did was put a huge amount of money on the table and said to businesses: ‘come to Wales, there’s money on the table,’” he said. “When that money went, the businesses went as well.
“They said to people – come and invest in Wales because wages are lower than anywhere else. The WDA had its day 20 years ago. But for the whole of the last decade, and most of the 90s, it delivered absolutely nothing.”
In 2014 Rhun ap Iorwerth said: “The WDA achieved some successes especially in attracting branch factories of foreign companies to Wales which countered much of the unemployment at a time of de-industrialisation.
“However, Plaid Cymru at the time emphasised the need to encourage Wales based companies with R&D [research and development] capabilities which would be less likely to migrate and increase GDP. We were proved right.”
News
Community asked for views on allocation of new St Davids homes
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THE FIRST phase of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Glasfryn housing development in St Davids is progressing well with the second phase also underway.
The development being built by GRD Homes Ltd, began in November 2023, with a first phase completion date of Winter 2024 looking hopeful, ahead of the scheduled plans.
The first phase consists of seven properties, including a mixture of one and two bedroom bungalows
As completion draws closer the properties will be advertised via Pembrokeshire Choice Homes.
Ahead of this, the Council’s housing team will be holding community engagement on the 13th August 2024 at the Ty’r Pererin Centres, Quickwell Hill, St Davids, SA62 6PD, 5pm-7pm.
This will be a chance for officers to liaise with the local community about the allocation process for these properties.
Glasfryn’s second phase is well underway, with the initial groundwork already completed. This phase includes a further 11 two bedroom bungalows, with a completion date in late 2025.
These bungalows will meet the latest Welsh Government’s Development Quality Requirement, and will be energy efficient, built to EPC A specification and include solar panels to help tenants with running costs.
The Glasfryn development is funded in partnership with Welsh Government.
Cabinet Member for Housing Cllr Michelle Bateman said: “We are really keen to work with the community on a local lettings policy for these new properties, as we have done for our developments in other parts of the County.”
If you have any queries please email the Customer Liaison Team on [email protected], phone them on 01437 764551, or visit Housing’s Facebook page.
Business
Legal call to stop £6m expansion of holiday park still ongoing
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A LEGAL request to overturn a Pembrokeshire County Council-granted approval for a £6m expansion of a south Pembrokeshire holiday park is still ongoing despite a previous announcement it had been turned down, county planners heard.
Back in February, Pembrokeshire planners were informed a legal challenge to a November 2023-granted application for works at Heritage Park, Pleasant Valley/Stepaside had been launched.
The holiday park scheme had previously been backed twice by county planners after a ‘minded to approve’ cooling-off period was invoked as it was against repeated officer recommendations to refuse.
The controversial scheme by Heritage Leisure Development (Wales) Ltd includes the installation of 48 bases for holiday lodges, a spa facility at a former pub, holiday apartments, a café and cycle hire, equestrian stables, a manège and associated office, and associated works.
It is said the scheme, next to the historic remains of the 19th century Stepaside ironworks and colliery, will create 44 jobs.
Officer grounds for refusal, based on the Local Development Plan, included the site being outside a settlement area.
Along with 245 objections to the current scheme, Stepaside & Pleasant Valley Residents’ Group (SPVRG Ltd) – formed to object to an earlier 2019 application which was later withdrawn – also raised a 38-page objection, with a long list of concerns.
A failed legal challenge to try and overturn a council decision to approve three separate planning applications at Heritage Park was launched in 2021 by SPVRG Ltd, which failed in early 2022; the council awarded costs of £10,000 despite external legal fees paid totalled £34,000 plus VAT.
At the June meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee members were told the recent judicial review call by SPVRG Ltd had been refused by the high court, the grounds put forward “not considered to be reasonably arguable”.
Committee chair Cllr Simon Hancock said a council request for SPVRG Ltd to pay costs incurred by the county council in defending the claim had now been submitted.
Following that, at the July planning meeting, in his chair’s announcement, Dr Hancock gave a clarification on the position.
“I can advise that whilst the application for judicial review was refused by the High Court Judge on May 31, 2024, the appellants have challenged this decision.
“This matter is listed for a renewal hearing, and accordingly the legal challenge is still in progress; I’m hoping that’s a clarification from the announcements I made back in June.”
Responding to the clarification, Trish Cormack of SPVRG Ltd pointed out it was not “an appeal,” adding: “Firstly, we are ‘requesting the decision to be reconsidered at a hearing,’ which is a bit less dramatic than ‘challenging the decision’.
“Secondly, the claim remains open for seven days after the decision on the papers in expectance of you requesting the hearing, and the form 86B comes attached to the decision with the case number already filled in for you. This is just part of the process for a judicial review. If the Judge really thought there were no merits to the case, he was free to issue a ‘without merits refusal’.
“That would have ended the claim there and then. The only way to resurrect it would have been to take it to the appeal court. But he didn’t.
“Thirdly, the announcement makes it sound like our ‘challenge’ had happened after their previous announcement, whereas in fact we only had seven days from May 31 in which to make the request, so they knew the moment we did (June 7) because we had to simultaneously email it to the court, PCC and the developer’s agent. So, they knew full well that there would be a renewal hearing.”
Farming
Farm building scheme near Lawrenny given go-ahead by planners
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AN APPLICATION for a storage building at a south Pembrokeshire farm, made by a family member of an officer on Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning service, has been given the go-ahead by the authority’s planning committee.
In an application recommended for approval at the July 23 meeting of the authority’s planning committee, Laura Elliot sought permission for the erection of an agricultural storage building at Tedion Farm, a dairy farm near Lawrenny.
The application had been brought to committee, rather than being delegated to planning officers, due to the family connection.
The farm, near to the Pembrokeshire coast National Park border, comprises 270 milking cows and dairy heifer replacements kept on the farm comprising land over 138 hectares. The farm is mainly down to grass and the cows are paddock grazed in order to utilise grass efficiency.
No objections had been received from local community council Martletwy.
A report for members said: “The application seeks consent for the erection of agricultural storage building. The erection of an agricultural building will be used to store stay, hay and farm machinery.
“The building would be located within the existing farm complex, to the north-east of the site, adjacent to the main farm dwelling. The building will measure 18 metres in length by 13.6 metres in width, with a pitched roof height of 5.71 metres.”
Approval was moved by Cllr Alistair Cameron, seconded by Cllr Brian Hall.
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