THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 27 2017 Like us on Facebook


facebook.com/thellanelliherald


3 News 146 jobs at risk in Llanelli City Deal “could be signed within weeks” NEGOTIATIONS to secure the


biggest investment for South West Wales in a generation are nearing a conclusion, councillors heard this week. Leaders of the Swansea Bay City


Region are preparing to pitch their bid for a ground-breaking City Deal worth more than £1.3 billion – an investment that will transform the economic landscape of the area with high-spec digital infrastructure and world-class facilities in the fields of energy, smart manufacturing and innovation in life science. If successful, the City Deal will


The Department of Work and Pensions office in Llanelli: Could close down next year (Pic. Alan Evans)


IT WAS announced on Thursday


(Jan 26) that the Department for Work and Pensions office in Llanelli, located on Stepney Street, could close next year. The closure would affect 146


employees at the office; however, staff are being offered positions in Pembroke, Cardiff or Merthyr. The office is classed as a 'back


of house' service, with yesterday's announcement including plans to merge 78 small Jobcentre Plus offices in urban areas and closing 27 of the 'back office' buildings. It is hoped that more efficient and larger sites can be developed to replace them. Nia Griffith MP said: "The


proposed closure of the DWP offices is a real blow to the staff and their families and to the wider community in Llanelli. "This Tory Government's plans


for changes in the benefit system is already in complete disarray, and now is no time to be losing experienced staff. "It's no good pretending that


staff can be redeployed - if they are being offered Cardiff or Pembroke - that is just not going to be a realistic proposition to many people who have family commitments. "Town centre jobs are vital for


Llanelli, and this will mean another hit to town centre businesses and the wider local economy. "We need to fight this all the way


and I will be pursuing UK Government ministers as a matter of urgency." Lee Waters AM also commented


on the news, saying: "This is awful news for the town and for all the people directly affected. "The UK Government has been


talking this week about a new strategy to spread wealth across the UK and this type of action achieves the opposite. "This will hit the local economy


and impact on the way important public services are delivered. "Nia Griffith and I will be seeking


meetings to find out more and to see what help can be offered to all those who will lose out." Mid and West AM Simon Thomas has tabled an emergency question


in the National Assembly about the closure. Mr Thomas said: “I’ve asked the


Welsh Minister to make a statement about the 146 job losses in Llanelli. These cruel Conservative cuts will have a negative impact on Llanelli. We should be trying to encourage more activity and footfall in the town centre as the Plaid-led Carmarthenshire Council is doing, not take more people out of Llanelli Town Centre.” Carmarthenshire County Council


Leader Cllr Emlyn Dole said: “It is a great loss for Llanelli town centre and we will be taking up the matter with the Welsh Government. We will also be asking the Department for Work and Pensions to reconsider.” Speaking to The Herald following


the announcement of the job losses, Steve Donoghue, PCS full time officer and Llanelli Rural Mayor, said: “PCS is opposed to office closures unless they pose no issues for our members and no issues for our customers. “Unfortunately, many of


these proposals will cause serious difficulties for many members and will impact seriously on customer service. In these cases we will oppose the closures and campaign to keep the sites open. “PCS will provide full support to


all branches and members in dealing with these announcements. We will, where necessary, work to maximise redeployment options for members and will oppose any moves to make staff redundant. “The PCS will be considering


all options in response to these announcements. “These cuts are a further nail


in the coffin of Llanelli. As well as the decline of industry, over the last decade we have seen hundreds of well-paid jobs in the Civil Service being taken away from one of the poorest parts of Wales. “The loss of the MoD in


Llangennech and the Tax Office are just two of these. We will mount a campaign to retain these DWP jobs, not only for our members but also for the vital services that the provide to the public.”


deliver nearly 10,000 new jobs and increase the value of goods and services produced in the region by £1.8 billion. The Swansea Bay City Region


includes the local authority areas of Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Pembrokeshire and Neath


Port Talbot, joined by Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Hywel Dda University Health Boards, Swansea University and the University of Wales Trinity St David’s, and private sector partners. Partners have worked together for


over a year to develop and submit a detailed City Deal proposal to the Welsh and UK Governments, with 11 specific projects spread across the region. Following an intensive period of


challenge and negotiation with Welsh Government, the City Deal team will now make the final bid to the Secretary of State for Wales, other UK Ministers and their advisors within the next few weeks. It is hoped that Welsh and UK


Government will be in a position to sign the deal by the end of February, signalling the start of investment and development on an unprecedented scale. £241m of central government


funding, split between the UK and Welsh Government, would be added to £360m of other public sector funding and £673m of private sector contributions to make up the total investment package. Speaking to the Executive Board on


Monday (Jan 23), Chief Executive Mark James said that the area which made up the Swansea Bay City Region ‘has done


pretty poorly since 1999’. He added that if nothing was done, it would take the region until 2030 to return to the position it had been in in 2010. Mr James explained that the bid put


in had been for £240m, which would be added to £300m existing, and £3/4bn of private sector investment. “The aim is to transform the region’s economy and skills base,” he added. Carmarthenshire County Council’s


Executive Board and Full Council have agreed to delegate authority to the Leader, or Chief Executive, to sign a City Deal agreement on behalf of the council. In doing so, they said, they would


be securing a ‘once in a generation opportunity’ to increase prosperity and opportunity within the region. Cllr Emlyn Dole, Leader of the


Council, said: “Our City Deal is unashamedly bold and ambitious – designed to truly transform the fortunes of the region and take it forward as a beacon of enterprise and innovation for future generations. The scale of investment we are hoping to secure has not been seen in the Swansea Bay City Region before. “We have the vision, the ambition,


and the commitment of all partners – all we need now is the backing of the UK Government, and we’re hoping the strength of our bid will deliver just that.” He added: “We are fortunate and


very grateful that we have already secured great support for this deal - firstly from the Welsh Government, who were amongst the first to recognise the


potential this investment would bring to South West Wales, and secondly from fellow members across all political parties at Carmarthenshire County Council who have shown great enthusiasm about the opportunities we hope to bring.” In Carmarthenshire, the City Deal


would support three key projects – a Life Science and Well-being Village in Llanelli; a creative industry project at Yr Egin in Carmarthen; and a skills and leadership programme. The Life Science and Wellness


Village, planned for Delta Lakes, is being led by the County Council, and delivered as part of the ARCH project. Proposals include an Institute of


Life Science; laboratory and clinic space; business start-up facilities and commercial office space; a wellness hub which will house leisure and sports provision; a wellness hotel and an assisted living village. Yr Egin involves the construction


of a creative and digital hub and the development of a creative industry sector cluster. It will create around 203 jobs and help the local economy, along with boosting the Welsh language. A skills and leadership programme


will provide educational and training pathways to support the next generation workforce. It is thought, given the response


to a question from Cllr Dai Jenkins on Monday, that all of these projects are dependent on the success of the City Region bid.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12