Cash boost to help businesses prepare for Brexit

First Minister Carwyn Jones has today announced a significant cash boost to help Welsh businesses and public services plan and prepare for Brexit.

North Wales South East Wales South West Wales The EU Transition Fund – supported by an initial £50m – will be developed in partnership with Welsh businesses, public services and other key organisations, to provide tailored support as the UK prepares to leave the EU.

The fund will provide a combination of financial support and loan funding, and will support the provision of technical, commercial, export-related and sectoral-specific advice for businesses.

In addition, the EU Transition Fund will be designed to help employers retain and continue to attract EU nationals, who make a crucial contribution to Wales. The fund will underline Wales’ welcome to people from other countries who have made Wales their home.

The fund will also provide dedicated development support for Wales’ agricultural industry as it prepares for transition and the future once the UK has left the EU.

Carwyn Jones said: “Brexit poses different challenges and opportunities for each and every aspect of Welsh life – from our local businesses and major employers, to our farmers, hospitals and universities.

“The EU Transition Fund will help meet the challenges that lie ahead. Developed in partnership with our businesses and public services, it will provide targeted and innovative support, which will help them survive and, indeed, thrive outside the EU.

“I am making an early announcement about this fund, so we have the greatest opportunity to design this fund with those organisations and businesses it is intended to help.

“My priority is to ensure Wales is in the best possible position to deal with the challenges and opportunities ahead. As a government, we are committed to providing solutions which work for Wales and we will continue to work with partners to make the most of every opportunity.”

The £50m EU Transition Fund is supported by an initial £10m down payment in the 2018-19 final budget. It builds on £5m allocated for Brexit preparedness over 2018-19 and 2019-20 as part of the 2 year Budget agreement with Plaid Cymru.

The EU Transition Fund will provide support in devolved areas.

MP backs charity which helps people into work

"We should do every we can to support long-term unemployed people, people with disabilities, and others who may find it difficult to get into the world of work."

That was the message from Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones (pictured) who was the keynote speaker at an event in Parliament for the Shaw Trust.

Susan said: "The Shaw Trust is a major national charity that supports almost 50,000 people every year, providing job opportunities, skills development training and other practical help.

"The charity which operates in 200 places across the UK is a major commissioner of services from the Department of Work and Pensions, the National Offender Management Services and other bodies.

"I think there are few things more important in our country than supporting people into the world of work. The Shaw Trust is an excellent organisation - and I am really pleased to promote their work in Parliament in this way." 

Part of town without EE signal since Thursday

A number of people in Llangollen have been without an EE phone signal since early yesterday afternoon (Thursday).

llanblogger has questioned EE about this and this morning (Friday) at 8am received the message:

"There is a problem with a site in the vicinity of ll20 ... which may be affecting your service. Our engineers are on site working to repair the fault. Unfortunately the resolution time is currently unknown. We’ll continue to keep you updated."

AM highlights fears over speeding traffic

* Cllr Dana Davies on the B5605 through Ruabon.

An Assembly Member has renewed his calls for action to tackle speeding in Ruabon.

Ken Skates and Cllr Dana Davies say residents are continuing to raise concerns about drivers breaking the 30mph limit on the B5605.

The pair secured assurances from North Wales Police in late 2016 that the issue would be looked at, but they say the situation hasn’t changed.

Clwyd South AM Mr Skates said: “Residents are still reporting problems with speeding on the main road through Ruabon – something has to be done.”

Mr Skates has again contacted Wrexham Council to urge the authority to look at traffic-calming measures.

He added: “This issue isn’t going to go away all of a sudden and people in Ruabon want to see some action. I will also be contacting North Wales Police again.”

Cllr Davies said she feared there could be a serious injury if something isn’t done and questioned why the council removed a flashing sign warning drivers of their speed.

She said: “The police were great last time we contacted them and sent traffic officers out to do speed check and carry out enforcement action. But there’s only so much they can do, they can’t monitor the road 24/7. The council needs to step up.

“If someone is hit by a car doing 30mph there’s a 50% chance they will die. If that vehicle is doing 40mph, it’s 90% likely that person will die. That should be enough to stop people speeding, but sadly it’s not. We need action.”

Police boss backs communites with his buying power

* North Wales PCC Arfon Jones.

A pioneering police boss is aiming to use £30 million in buying power to enhance the lives of communities across North Wales.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones made the pledge during the official launch of his new social value policy.

He is the first police and crime commissioner in Wales to introduce such a policy.

This aims to see public bodies, such as his office and North Wales Police, buying in services in a way which is not necessarily the cheapest but pumps extra cash into the local economy and boosts employment and volunteering opportunities.

The launch event, hosted by Mr Jones at Conwy Business Centre, was attended by over 30 suppliers and representatives of organisations which already benefit from social value schemes, including a number directly supported by his office.

In his introduction Mr Jones said: “My vision is to lead and work with the North Wales public sector in embracing social value, which follows on from two pieces of legislation, the Public Service Act of 2012 and the Welsh Government’s Well-being of Future Generations Act of 2015.

“It is about building an enhanced and strengthened local economy, creating economic growth, jobs and opportunities for local people.

“Around 80 per cent of our budget goes on salaries and pension so we spend something like £30 million on consumables. My aim is to use this wherever possible to enhance the well-being of communities across North Wales through social value.”

He added: “It is important to note that this is a move away from awarding contracts at lowest cost and is of extra significance given the increased pressures on public spending we are having to deal with across all sectors.

“It is my responsibility to ensure that by having this approach savings can be made to tackle wider community problems.”

The PCC said that in line with the spirit of the conference on modern day slavery he had hosted recently and would ensure that everyone involved in the chain of supply to his own organisation and North Wales Police adopted practices that are free from unethical trading and human rights violations.

One of the keynote speakers at the launch event was Stuart Davies, director of specialist company Sustainable Supply Chains Ltd based in Buckley, Flintshire, who devised the new social value policy for the PCC.

He said: “Every pound spent locally can generate local community good and research shows that if the 687,000 people who live in North Wales all spent £50 a year with local suppliers an extra £34.3 million of income would be generated for local economies.

“Social value can benefit people through the creation of work and volunteering opportunities, increase local spending and also improve health and well-being.

“However, we have quite a way to go as currently less than 25 per cent of councils have a social value policy.

“The policy I designed for the PCC and North Wales Police is based on my Social Value Wales strategy and will now be applied to every contract, in two categories above and below £50,000.

“The advantages will be cost savings, a reduction in waste, use of fewer resources and the avoidance of damage to reputations through unethical trade and human rights.”

At the end of the launch event, Arfon Jones said: “It has been a very useful and interesting day and I am grateful to everyone who attended for their support.

“An event like this gives you the chance to find out about what various organisations are doing to deliver social value to the people of North Wales, creating new opportunities in terms of work and the well-being of future generations.”   

         

Corwen railway extension now half way there

* Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones on a visit to the project site at Corwen.

Volunteers working on the Llangollen Railway Trust’s major civil engineering project to build a new terminus at Corwen reckon they are just on half way to completion, with the prospect of trains running by early 2019.

Looking forward to progress in 2018 project leader Richard Dixon-Gough said: “By this time next year, we anticipate being in a position to infill the gap in the embankment which was created to provide Welsh Water with access to the Corwen Water Treatment plant.

"The building of a new access road from Green Lane into the plant allows the earlier route to be recovered.

"Subject to the on-going need for resources, manpower, materials and fiancé, we expect to be able to lay track from the existing rail head to connect up with the station loop line installation.

"Once the new terminal rail layout has been ballasted and tamped, and inspected to be fit for operation, we hope that trains will run into Corwen Central in the early part of 2019, although a date for a public opening cannot be announced at this time.”

As the new year begins the plan is to install the foundations for the water tower at the eastern end of the platform.  This will allow provision of the water supply from the borehole which was drilled in February 2017.

A pump house structure has been fabricated using mostly recycled materials and is now in place to secure the installation.

The building of the wall for platform 1 will follow and will involve excavating footings for 16 loads of concrete and the installation of 200 easi-blocs as the modern means of building a platform before the corbeling, or overhang, is built on top.

When complete  the area for the island platform and will require  some 10,000 tonnes of spoil to infill the base prior to paving the large area.

The installation of drainage and piping for water, sewage and cabling has already taken place, and the accessible ramp for wheelchair access is being built at the western end. 

By this time next year it is expected the  infilling the gap in the embankment will commence. This gap was created to provide Welsh Water with access to the Corwen Water Treatment plant.

The building of a new access road from Green Lane into the plant allows the earlier route to be recovered.

Subject to the on-going need for resources, manpower, materials and finance, the team will be laying track from the existing rail head to connect up with the station loop line installation.

Most of the work has been undertaken by the team of volunteers - average age 68 - aided by contractors when specific skills and equipment were required.

Estimated value of the volunteer hours put into the project last year exceeds £200k, without which it would be unaffordable.

Aside from grant aid provided by the Welsh Government’s European development fund for rural Wales, which is paying for 80% of the cost of the platform, the remainder of the cost is being raised through donations and share purchase in Llangollen Railway plc.

Since the railway's Big Push Corwen share appeal was launched last April nearly £100k has been raised but shares to a total of £250k remain available to support the completion of the Corwen project.

Commenting of the prospects for extended operations on the line, railway general manager Liz McGuinness said: “The prospect of trains running into the new station during 2019 means that the current, temporary platform at Dwyrain Corwen East, will remain in use for the 2018 season.

"However, we will call a halt to operations on the extension beyond Carrog as of October 2018 and the temporary platform will be dismantled as part of the engineering work needed to connect to the new station layout.

“The temporary station has served us well since it opened in 2014 but has always been recognised as operationally inconvenient and it lacks the immediacy of access to and from the town centre and car park.

"Terminating trains at a station central to the town, the bus interchange and the car park is key to opening up a new market segment to attract more passengers from North West Wales to Llangollen Railway, with important prospects for the town of Corwen to gain extra visitors."

Three key staff members leave canal team

* North Wales & Borders stalwarts Howard Griffiths, Wendy Capelle and Neville Preece.

One of the people who helped to run the Llangollen Canal has left the helm for the last time.

Howard Griffiths is one of three key members of staff to retire from the Canal & River Trust’s North Wales & Borders Waterway team who between them have notched up nearly a century of service to the canals.

Aged 59, he has stepped down as customer service supervisor for the Llangollen and Montgomery canals.

Based out of the Ellesmere office, he has lived all his life on the Montgomery Canal, mixing work and pleasure in a career spanning 39 years caring for his local waterways.

His father was also a canalman for 24 years and Howard has spent his entire life living in the same lock keeper’s cottage at Aston Locks, near Oswestry, where he was born, raised, married and brought up four daughters of his own.

Howard said it was the people – friends, colleagues, customers – who have helped to make his job extra special.

“All the teams I have worked with have been top notch. Our job involves the Llangollen Canal, which is one of the busiest waterways in the country, and the Montgomery – one of quietest and most peaceful, well-known for its nature.

“You get to know everyone and when the sun’s shining and everything is going well, it’s hard to beat it.”

His colleague Roger Birch now steps up to become supervisor.

Also retiring is waterway manager Wendy Capelle. Based in the Northwich office, she left after 18 years’ service just before her 60^th birthday on Christmas Day.

As a qualified management accountant, she initially joined British Waterways in the finance department, but for the last eight years has been at the helm of North Wales & Borders, leading a team of up to 60 staff looking after canals and navigations in Cheshire, Shropshire and North Wales.

She said: “I have loved working for the Trust. I’ve worked with some great people and I’ve appreciated all the opportunities I’ve been given in different roles.  The charity is doing some great work to improve the nation’s waterways and make them a special place to visit, and I will miss being part of the enthusiastic team making this happen.”

Experienced waterway manager David Baldacchino will take over from Wendy, with interim responsibility for North Wales & Borders from January 1.

Third staff member leaving is Neville Preece, 62), who will retire in early 2018.

Neville is the supervisor for the southern section of the Shropshire Union Canal, based out of Norbury. He first started working on the waterways 41 years ago as part of the dredging fleet on the River Weaver Navigation, which was then still used by commercial cargo vessels.

Over the years he has taken on a number of roles from length foreman and harbour master to a supervisor in Chester.

He recalls: “The waterways were very different when I first started work. Hundreds of coasters travelled along the River Weaver to ICI at Winnington, near Northwich, every year, carrying soda ash, chlorine, cement and raw talc. They then went via Marsh Lock into the Manchester Ship Canal and sailed to Scotland, Ireland and beyond.

“I love talking to people. Every day is different. It is the sort of job that if you like it, you’re here for the rest of your life.”