Rhun ap Iorwerth’s column for the Holyhead and Anglesey Mail

I’m looking forward to the end of this winter. Waking up to another storm has become the norm. Over the past week, I’ve held meetings with Dŵr Cymru-Welsh Water and Anglesey Council about what can be done to deal with the effects of bad weather.

With Dŵr Cymru, I was able to press for action on sewage and drainage across the island, from Llangoed to Pentre Berw, Dwyran and Newborough. Hopefully some persistent problems which cause misery to many, will be resolved soon.

The Council came under huge pressure in the harsh weather of December and January, and worked all hours to battle the effects of the storms. The next battle is for Government support to deal with the damage and build in more resilience. I shall help in any way I can.

Economic storms persist throughout the UK (and further afield), but thankfully there are good signs here on Anglesey. I welcome the announcement that work is set to start on the Orthios Eco Park in Holyhead. The development is set to create over 500 permanent jobs, as well as others in the construction phase.

This is great news, not only in terms of job opportunities – both at the site itself and in the supply chain – but also in terms of bringing new business activity to a site that has been so important to Anglesey and Holyhead’s economy in the past.

Economic regeneration was also a hot topic in Cardiff Bay last week. In a Plaid Cymru debate in the Senedd, I made the important point that economic regeneration has to cover the whole of Wales. One important piece of legislation that Plaid Cymru would introduce in government would be a regional regeneration Act. We can’t allow wealth to accumulate in one part or certain parts of the country at the expense of others. So, we would make it a legal requirement to ensure that investment brings benefits to all parts of the nation.

In the Assembly this week, I intend to question the Welsh Government about the plan to build new pylons across Anglesey and its possible effects on the environment. We need to build a strong case to the National Grid to make them realise what impact the pylons would have on the island, and pressing on them the need to make the necessary investment in an alternative solution.

Two consultations and the packed public meeting in Gaerwen before Christmas have already sent a clear message that the vast majority of the people of Anglesey oppose any overhead cable development. The meeting with the Grid this Friday will be another chance to reiterate that view.