Author Archives: News

The new facility, which is located within Holywell Leisure centre, will offer modern and vibrant facilities to local residents. 

Ken Skates hopes that the library’s location within Holywell  leisure centre will draw in new users who might not have visited a stand alone library. 

The library is a joint project between the Welsh Government and Flintshire Council and has been supported by a £120,000 from Welsh Government with the remainder of the funding coming from Flintshire Council. The total cost of the project is £235,580. 

The Economy Secretary was joined at the visit by pupils from  Whitford and  St. Winefride Primary Schools. He said: 

“I am really pleased to be officially  opening this excellent new facility in Holywell. It is the result of a successful partnership between Welsh Government and Flintshire Council and will offer vibrant and modern services to  local people. 

“The location of the library within the leisure centre will open up a wide variety of learning, culture and leisure opportunities to people who may not have visited their local library before. 

“This is something I am committed to as it will not only ensure that more people access the excellent services offered by Holywell Library, but also help to ensure the library’s long term viability.

“Another benefit of co-locating the library with the leisure centre is that some of its services will be available to users even when the library is not staffed – something I hope will attract even more users.” 

Leader of Flintshire County Council, Councillor Aaron Shotton, said:

“I am delighted to see the library relocated to its new home in the leisure centre.  This modern hub in Holywell is similar to the one which was opened at Deeside Leisure Centre last year.  

“Co-location means that customers are able to access a wider range of services in one convenient place.  This move supports the Council’s Community Asset Transfer programme.”

At the official opening the Economy Secretary also witnessed the signing of the co-operative agreement for the Holywell Leisure Centre which will see it being handed to the community. The agreement is between Flintshire County Council and the Holywell Leisure Centre Group with Holywell Town Council‎ providing funding support in 2017/18.

Monmouthshire Council will receive £4.5million funding through the Welsh Government’s Invest to Save Green Growth Fund, allowing it to run its own solar park on council owned land.

The Oak Grove Solar Farm in Monmouthshire has the potential to generate enough electricity to power around 1,400 homes. It will also save more than 2,000 tonnes of CO2e  per year by generating clean, renewable energy.

Flintshire Council will receive £3.13m for an ambitious project to upgrade 11,000 street lights to LED equivalents, saving the Local Authority around £360,000 and 1,387 tCO2e annually.

The change will also improve lighting levels and reduce the number of faults occurring on the network each year, cutting down maintenance costs as a result.

The approved funding brings the total investment by the Welsh Government through its Green Growth Wales initiative over the past year to £14million. This funding is helping local authorities to become more energy efficient and save money.

Incomes and savings generated by the local authorities from the projects will be used to repay the investment, support local community projects and leave the council with a net income.

The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said:

“Through our Green Growth Wales initiative, we are supporting the development of public sector energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. I am delighted we have been able to support these ambitious projects, which will save significant money for the future. These projects have huge potential and all public bodies should be developing green growth projects like this to deliver decarbonisation in Wales.”

Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Mark Drakeford, said:

“At a time of reducing budgets, public services need to think and work differently. I’m pleased to see this fund will not only enable these councils to generate savings but also become more energy efficient, improving the wellbeing of local communities.”

The Infrastructure Secretary has launched  ‘Moving North Wales Forward – Our Vision for North Wales and the North East Wales Metro’ – which outlines how ambitious proposals will help connect people, communities and businesses to jobs, facilities and services across the region, with the North East Wales Metro integral to these plans.

Economy Secretary Ken Skates said:

“Modernising the transport network across North Wales and delivery of an integrated North East Wales Metro are key priorities for the Welsh Government. They  will provide a fantastic platform to deliver sustainable economic development, connecting people, communities and business to employment, services, facilities and markets through reliable, resilient infrastructure.

“Brexit will mean it is more important than ever to have good connections to markets across the Wales – England border, which already sees around one million journeys per month. Direct links to and from key centres in the Northern Powerhouse, the Midlands and to London and direct public transport services to airports and key rail hubs will all help to drive economic growth. 

“I have already committed to projects of nearly £600 million for transport infrastructure improvements across the region whilst working hard to secure an additional £41 million of EU funding for transport schemes in the region. But it’s crucial that our investment and ambition does  not stop there. 

“I am proud to launch our vision for a fully integrated North East Wales Metro system which will transform transport links in North East Wales. This will be supported by our ongoing work on the future of local bus services, and by the new Wales and borders rail franchise which will be  in place from 2018.

“I am also pleased to announce plans for a designated team to work in collaboration with other public sector organisations, operators, business, the third sector and communities on both sides of the border to develop the vision and improve transport integration across all modes. This will help inform and deliver a transport system that meets the needs of North Wales, ensuring our vision for a connected North East Wales becomes a reality.

“There is huge potential to deliver increased economic growth in North Wales. A modern, high quality integrated transport system is fundamental to achieving that potential and I am committed to working to make that a reality.”

Councillor Dilwyn Roberts, Chair of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board said: 

“The announcement is a firm commitment by the government to support economic growth and prosperity in North Wales, putting it on an equal footing with the city regions in South Wales.

“I particularly welcome the ‘whole system’ approach outlined in the Vision that recognises the strong link between the health of the economy and an effective and modern transport system. The plan is enhanced by the recognition of the cross border commuter flows in the Mersey Dee area. 

“I look forward to working with the Cabinet Secretary to implement the vision for the benefit of all parts of North Wales.”

Cllr Samantha Dixon, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council and Chair of Growth Track 360, the campaign to secure £1bn of rail improvements for North Wales and Cheshire, welcomed the announcement and said: 

“The vision for a Metro for North East Wales will complement the integrated service and infrastructure improvements we are seeking as part of the Growth Track campaign.

“Such investment is essential if we are to create opportunities for generations to come. This investment would increase productivity and economic growth, increasing tax revenues and reducing unemployment across the region.”

The Economy Secretary, who also has responsibility for Culture and publishing in Wales,  has confirmed that an additional  £151k of capital funding will be allocated to the Welsh Books Council in 2016/17 to enable the Council to make improvements to its headquarters, further develop its  IT systems and keep pace with digital developments. 

The investment is in addition to the additional capital funding of £184k provided by the Welsh Government to the Welsh Books Council during 2015-16 and the additional revenue funding of £123k that the Council will receive during the 2017/18 . 

It reflects the Economy Secretary’s ongoing commitment to supporting Wales’ publishing industry. 

Ken Skates said:

“The Welsh Books Council plays a crucial role in promoting and supporting Wales’ publishing industry and ensuring the creation of a wide range of  Welsh language and English language publications. 

“In recent years, we have been encouraging publishers in Wales to embrace digital developments such as e-books.  This is something they have embraced and there are now approximately 1600 e-books available. 

“As we celebrate World Books Day I am pleased to confirm this additional funding which will help the Welsh Books Council to update its IT infrastructure and ensure it has the  business-friendly and accessible platforms in place to support the industry . It will provide a significant boost to both the Welsh Books Council and help to strengthen Wales’ publishing industry more widely.”

Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Welsh Books Council said:

“We are delighted to receive this additional funding, especially as it allows us to invest further in our distribution centre to the benefit of not only publishers but also booksellers and libraries. Government support such as this is central to sustaining an efficient service to the publishing industry in Wales offered during times of rapid technological change.”