The North Wales Economic Ambition Board welcomed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales, Minister David TC Davies to North Wales on Thursday (20 May) marking his first Ministerial visit to the area since Covid restrictions eased.
During his visit, the Minister had the opportunity to visit projects including the Glynllifon Rural Economy Hub, Morlais Marine Energy and the Tourism Talent Network. UK Government Minister for Wales David TC Davies said:
“The projects I have seen today further demonstrate the commitment the UK Government has to bringing greater investment and opportunities to communities throughout North Wales.
2021 is going to be a significant year for Wales as we look to build back better and stronger from the Covid-19 pandemic. It is crucial that we continue to build our momentum across the entire City and Growth Deal Programme, creating and sustaining new jobs and revitalising local economies."
All three projects visited by Minister Davies are part of a £1.1billion investment for North Wales, backed by £240m funding from the UK and Welsh Governments that will build a sustainable and resilient economy for the region.
One of those was the Morlais project, a £34 million investment near Holy Island, Anglesey. Morlais is one of the more advanced Growth Deal projects, it aims to create one of the largest tidal stream energy sites in the world. Developing up to 35sqkm of the seabed, generating hundreds of new jobs and creating up to 240MW of electricity - with sufficient energy to power 180,000 homes.
Chair of the Economic Ambition Board, Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn was delighted to welcome the Minister to North Wales and to discuss progress made:
“Welcoming the Minister, in person, to see some of our exciting projects here in North Wales has been a privilege after such a long time constrained by the Covid restrictions.
The visit has been an opportunity to update him on all the hard work that’s continued during the pandemic, and showcase some of the projects set to benefit from the Growth deal investment.
We look forward to welcoming him back in the future.”
Following his tour of the North Wales Growth Deal Projects, Minister Davies took the opportunity to visit Adventure Parc Snowdonia, a development backed by over £7m from the Welsh Government, to mark the attraction’s post-pandemic reopening.
A hub of indoor and outdoor activities, Adventure Parc Snowdonia is home an inland surf lagoon, an attraction the Minister experienced first-hand after receiving a tour of the wider facilities from the Parc’s executive team.
Minister for Wales David TC Davies said:
“It’s heartening to see the hard-hit tourism sector re-opening with first-class attractions like Surf Snowdonia, part of Adventure Parc Snowdonia, on offer throughout Wales and available once again to the public.”
A vibrant and strong tourism industry is crucial to Wales as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, and while there is much still to do we are on the right path.”
For more information on the North Wales Growth Deal, visit www.northwaleseab.co.uk or follow @buegogleddcymru or @northwaleseab on Twitter.
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The North Wales Growth Deal is an investment of £1.1 billion funded by the Welsh and UK Governments and driven by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board.