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News

Labour ‘gave up fight’ to save Welsh steel, Senedd told

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LABOUR faced accusations of giving up the fight and making false promises after more than 100 years of traditional steel production came to an end in Port Talbot.

Rhun ap Iorwerth pointed to pre-election promises from prime minister Keir Starmer to fight for every single job at Tata Steel and the future of Welsh steelmaking.

During first minister’s questions on October 1, the day after the closure of blast furnace four, the Plaid Cymru leader asked: “Can the first minister tell us why Labour gave up that fight?”

Eluned Morgan argued Labour was able to negotiate a better deal than the Tories, with improved redundancy and skills packages as well as retention for training.

The first minister said: “There has been an assurance that the £500m that is going to be invested by the UK Government will be clawed back if jobs are not delivered.

Unimpressed: Plaid Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth (Image: File)

“None of that was in the agreement that was negotiated by the Conservatives.”

Up to 2,800 jobs are expected to be lost as part of the transition to cleaner, cheaper electric arc furnaces at the UK’s largest steelworks.

In a statement on the same day, Rebecca Evans said the deal between the UK Government and Tata Steel “at least brings certainty to the future and next steps”.

Wales’ new economy secretary, who was appointed in September, told the Senedd the “enhanced” deal includes 100 jobs as part of a furlough-type scheme paid for by Tata.

She stated about £25m has been invested in employment programmes such as ReAct+ and Communities for Work+, with more than 700 workers accessing upskilling schemes.

Pledging to support supply chain businesses, she explained that Business Wales has launched a fund as part of the £80m committed to transition by the UK Government.

“The deal builds a bridge to a competitive and sustainable future for Welsh steel,” she said.

But the Conservatives’ Tom Giffard said many workers will have voted Labour in July’s general election due to the promises made by the party.

He said claims the agreement is substantially different to the one his party proposed “stretch past the point of credibility”, with BBC Wales describing the deals as “virtually identical”.

He told the chamber or Siambr: “Jubilation from the Labour party about minor changes in the smallprint will be of little comfort in homes where workers face the reality of losing their jobs.

“It’s also not what they were sold by a Labour party and a prime minister who on so many fronts said one thing before the election, only to do the exact opposite.”

Mr Giffard, who represents South Wales West, urged Labour to apologise for false promises.

Luke Fletcher, Plaid Cymru’s shadow economy secretary, said the Conservatives and Labour could have prevented the loss of primary steelmaking in Wales.

He told the Senedd: “Members on Labour benches … repeatedly told us that they had a plan to save Welsh steel – that all we had to do was sit tight and wait for Keir Starmer. And I held out hope … but, in the end, Labour had no plan.”

Mr Fletcher accused senior Labour politicians of posturing for the past year, criticising Welsh and UK ministers’ “refusal” to explore all options.

He told the Siambr: “What was needed was political will and political courage from our leaders and that’s exactly what we never got.”

Mr Fletcher added: “We were told to wait and wait and wait – until it was too late. I’m not sure the workers in Port Talbot, their families or the wider community will forgive us for what is happening this week – and I can’t blame them.”

David Rees, who represents Aberavon and chairs the Senedd’s cross-party group on steel, stressed that Tata would not budge on closing the blast furnace.

“We now need to look ahead,” he said. “The people of Port Talbot don’t want political point scoring in this chamber today. They want to know what we are going to do to support them.”

The Labour MS warned that moving to electric arc furnaces will take four or five years as he called for support to ensure workers, families and communities survive the interim.

Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams said she now feels nauseous looking at Port Talbot’s skyline, knowing the hopes of thousands have been extinguished in an “unjust” transition.

Labour’s Mike Hedges, a former steelworker, who worked in Port Talbot, said: “I find it’s a very sad week. We’ve seen the end of iron and steel making in Wales.”

Community

Ground breaking event marks start of key Haverfordwest Public Transport project

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KIER and Pembrokeshire County Council held a traditional ground breaking event at Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange (HPTI) last month – celebrating the official start of work on site.

Council members including the Leader Councillor Jon Harvey, Deputy Leader Councillor Paul Miller, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Councillor Rhys Sinnett and for Haverfordwest Castle ward Councillor Thomas Tudor, joined Kier for the event with the ceremonial breaking of the ground marking a key milestone in the project’s progress.

The scheme includes the construction of a modern bus station and multi-storey car park to Haverfordwest’s town centre, providing a new interchange for buses and coaches, with upgraded passenger facilities.

Designed by architects BDP and built by Kier, the completed scheme will include more than 300 parking spaces, seven bus bays, public toilets and accessible changing facilities for people with disabilities.

The project also has a number of sustainable features including electric vehicle charging facilities and an array of solar panels on the roof which will supply  the vast majority of the building’s energy usage and help Pembrokeshire County Council meet their commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030.   

Ian Rees, regional director at Kier Construction Western & Wales, said: “We have been on site for a number of months now undertaking essential enabling works, this ground breaking ceremony is an important milestone as we progress into the construction phase of this vitally important transport hub. 

“This transport interchange for Pembrokeshire County Council will really begin to take shape over the coming weeks and months and will ultimately deliver a much-needed, modern transport hub for the local community, improving connectivity and accessibility for residents and visitors alike.”

Cllr Paul Miller, Deputy Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, said: “It’s great to see work starting on this new transport interchange, which is an important part of the wider Haverfordwest Masterplan. It’s designed to make it easy and convenient to visit Haverfordwest town centre which is a key part of our efforts to regenerate the town.

“I think we can all agree the previous multi-story car park had reached the end of its useful life.

 “Once we’ve completed this project, the town centre will be easily accessible both by bus and of course by car with the car park element of the project benefiting from wider spaces, EV Charging, single tap exit and payment and of course a much nicer, lighter and safer environment for users.”

Architects, landscape architects and civil and structural engineers from multidisciplinary design practice BDP designed the transport interchange.

Matthew Mayes, architect director at BDP, said: “This significant regeneration scheme will be transformational for local people, offering improved access to bus, taxi and cycling facilities with excellent connectivity to the riverside, shopping centre and railway centre.

“Our designs include striking aluminium fins that wrap around the building with stone cladding at ground level to reflect the town’s historic features and a new public square with plenty of greenery and seating for people to relax.”

Built on the site of a demolished multi-storey car park and bus station, HPTI will form part of the South West Wales Metro project, which aims to better integrate sustainable modes of transport and complements the wider regeneration work in Haverfordwest.

The design of HPTI is being funded from the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund.

 Kier has significant experience in south-west Wales spanning over 60 years and has included the delivery of schools, hospitals and even the home of Welsh television, S4C, in Carmarthen.

This project was procured by Kier through the South West Wales Regional Contractors Framework (SWWRCF).

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News

Welsh Government unveils new legislation to transform bus services

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PROPOSALS to overhaul the way local bus services are planned and delivered across Wales have been published today, with the aim of improving services for passengers and encouraging more people to use public transport.

A new Bill has been laid before the Senedd which, if passed, will grant powers to establish a fully integrated bus network that puts passenger needs first.

Key proposals include creating one network, one timetable, and one ticket system across Wales. Services will be designed based on local knowledge but coordinated nationally by Transport for Wales, working in close partnership with local authorities and Corporate Joint Committees. The new system would primarily operate through franchised contracts delivered by private, public, and third sector operators.

Welcoming the Bus Services (Wales) Bill, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said the legislation had the potential to transform bus travel for communities across the country.

“This is a historic day for public transport in Wales as proposals for bus reform begin their journey through the Senedd,” said Mr Skates. “This is about putting people first—offering one network, one timetable and one ticket across Wales.

“Change is needed. While some areas are well-served, it’s not the case everywhere. I want a bus network that is reliable, affordable, easy to use, and better integrated with other modes of transport such as trains and active travel.

“The benefits are clear: improved access to services, greater equity for those most reliant on public transport, and a meaningful alternative to car travel.”

Buses carry around 190,000 passengers a day in Wales and account for three-quarters of all public transport journeys. The Bill aims to address common barriers to bus use—such as poor reliability, lack of ticket interoperability between operators, and weak links with other transport modes.

The public will benefit from clearer, easier-to-navigate timetables and more seamless transitions between buses and trains. Ticket revenue will be reinvested across the country, improving services in both rural and urban areas.

Mr Skates highlighted current examples of successful integration, including the TrawsCymru T1 service, which already offers joint bus and rail tickets, and the 1bws ticket in North Wales, valid on almost every local bus in the region.

“These examples show what can be achieved with joined-up thinking,” he said. “I don’t underestimate the scale of change this Bill represents, which is why the rollout will happen region by region. But when complete, it will be truly transformational.”

The rollout is expected to begin in South West Wales in 2027, followed by North Wales in 2028, South East Wales in 2029, and Mid Wales in 2030. However, Mid Wales will benefit from earlier improvements through the Bridge to Franchising programme, already underway.

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Education

Welsh pupils harness Minecraft to explore offshore wind and climate careers

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PUPILS at Golden Grove School in Pembrokeshire are diving into the world of renewable energy and marine conservation through the immersive Minecraft Education world Offshore Wind Power Challenge—a collaboration between The Crown Estate and Microsoft UK.

Available in both Welsh and English, the virtual world enables students to design and build their own offshore wind farms to power a coastal village. Along the way, they gain insights into climate change, environmental protection, and careers in sustainability, engineering and conservation.

The initiative has now been expanded with new classroom resources tailored for younger learners and aligned to the Welsh curriculum. Lesson plans for teachers are also being provided to support the integration of the material into everyday teaching.

As part of their focus on developing green skills in schools across Wales, The Crown Estate partnered with education specialists Dosbarth to create the new learning content. The organisation is currently delivering taster sessions across the country, including to Year 5 and 6 pupils at Golden Grove.

Wales is emerging as a leader in renewable energy, with new floating offshore wind farms set to be developed in the Celtic Sea under The Crown Estate’s latest seabed leasing round. These projects have the potential to generate up to 4.5GW of electricity—enough to power more than four million homes. Independent research estimates the economic value of these developments could reach £1.4bn, supporting up to 5,300 jobs.*

Rebecca Williams, Director of Devolved Nations at The Crown Estate, said: “This is an exciting collaboration that brings new educational content to schools through the best-selling game of all time. This Minecraft Education world provides students and teachers with a fun way to explore the opportunities and challenges of our energy transition while protecting the natural environment, through the languages that matter most to them.

“The Crown Estate is committed to creating partnerships that have a positive impact. We hope this initiative will inspire young people to develop their skills and discover the green careers of the future.”

Karen Jones, Managing Director of Dosbarth, added: “By creating new materials for younger audiences that align with the Welsh curriculum—and providing accessible lesson plans for busy teachers—we believe these resources will inspire even more pupils across Wales to become the next generation of environmental leaders and problem-solvers.”

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