A view from Clwyd South’s Member of the Senedd

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here).

Clwyd South MS Ken Skates writes…

While we had disappointing news on the City of Culture bid last week, the thousands of people who supported the campaign can be proud of what they helped achieve.

We have a lot to be proud of here, and I hope Wrexham Council is able to use this momentum as a springboard to invest in and improve the whole county borough.

There is still much to be optimistic about for Wrexham. The separate designation of City Status will present opportunities for inward investment that the council must take advantage of, and I have written to Economy Minister Vaughan Gething for assurances that the Welsh Government will continue to support our area.

Despite the double Wembley disappointment for Wrexham AFC, it’s clear that it’s now a club that, like the town, is on the up. I hope the UK Government will soon respond to the calls from the club and from across the political spectrum to step up and give the Wrexham Gateway project – which includes the redevelopment of the Racecourse Ground’s Kop stand – the same level of support that the Welsh Government has pledged.

This campaign is one that transcends political differences, and which should unite everyone in supporting the transformation of Wrexham and its iconic stadium so it can once again host international fixtures. A new Kop would be the final piece of the jigsaw in achieving this.

However, to realise Wrexham’s ambitions, UK Government money is needed to supplement the major investment the Welsh Government has already committed.

I am still receiving regular queries from constituents about what is happening with the B5605 at Newbridge following the news in April that the Welsh Government had awarded Wrexham Council a further £2.8m to repair and reopen the road.

The council applied for the funding in late February, and it was awarded in early April. The matter is now in the council’s hands, and I have written to them to ask for an update and a time frame for the work to reopen this crucial route connecting Chirk with Cefn Mawr, Plas Madoc, Ruabon and numerous other communities in the heart of Clwyd South. Not only does it serve as a busy commuter route, it provides a diversion option for the A483.

I will share the WCBC response with Wrexham.com and on social media as soon as I have it.

It was a pleasure to officially open the new community hub and revamped visitor centre at Minera Lead Mines, another site which plays an important role in showcasing the proud heritage of our corner of north-east Wales.

In the Senedd, I called for the new national Citizen Voice Body (CVB) to be based in north Wales, which has the country’s largest health board.

From April 2023, the CVB will represent the voices and opinions of the people of Wales in respect of health and social care services. It will be independent of government, the NHS and local authorities, but will work with them to support continuous improvement.

As Wrexham.com reported, I also asked for an update from the Health Minister, Eluned Morgan, about the Welsh Government’s plans to improve services across the region.

The people of north Wales must know whether progress has been made against the improvement plans, which were announced by the former Health Minister as the next stage of improvement after BCUHB was taken out of special measures.

I’ve also written formally to the Minister, and will share her response when I receive it.

As a proud vice president of Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, I look forward to welcoming visitors back to the town’s showpiece event for the first time since 2019.

This year marks the 75th year of the iconic event. Given what is happening around the world at the moment, particularly in Ukraine, the Eisteddfod’s message of international peace and harmony is as important and poignant now as it was when it was created in the aftermath of the Second World War.

The Welsh Government has provided crucial financial support to help keep the Eisteddfod going in recent years, and I hope it will continue to show its support for major events in north Wales. I send my congratulations and best wishes to the organisers as they prepare to welcome back international visitors to Clwyd South once again.

If you need advice or support, please email [email protected] and include your home address and a contact number. You can also find regular coronavirus updates on my Facebook page and sign up to my weekly newsletters here.

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here).