Ambition is Critical*

Blaenllechau is beautiful. Nestled at the top of the Rhondda Fach, it is surrounded by mountains and forestry, a rural idyll with no through road. If it was in south Dorset, where I recently spent a weekend with an old friend, the houses would be worth at least half a million each. But this is the valleys, where good quality former chapel buildings, with planning permission for conversion to a residential property are on the market for offers of around £30,000.

In the last five years, tiny Blaenlleachau has lost its post office, shop, primary school and its community centre has closed. They used to have a polling station on election day, but the council has taken that away now too.

Just outside Blaenllechau, a social enterprise called Rhondda Life has rebuilt the local rugby club and have plans to promote the area to tourists as well as activities for local people.

And on the mountain just above Blaenllechau is one of the valleys hidden gems, my personal favourite of the Valleys Essentials - the Brynffynon in Llanwonno.

And Vic Doyle is linking up with the Bryncynon Strategy to turn the land at Ffaldau Farm into a permaculture food production business, training local young people in horticultural and business skills.

All of these give Blaenllechau hope. But ambition is critical.

Vic is backing the Greenprint for the Valleys because he sees the proposals as one way to stop the decline in places like Blaenllechau, a chance to turn things around, because he has ambition for Blaenllechau. And he'll have the chance to tell Wales's Minister for Economic Development all about it next week.

* with thanks to David Hughes, Swansea poet, 'Ambition is critical'.

Electrifying success

The electrification of the rail line from London to Swansea is good news. So good that sometimes it's easy to forget that not that long ago Network Rail were publishing plans that showed the electric line not coming to Wales.

What made the difference and made sure that Wales got an electrified line? Well the work of the Plaid's Ieuan Wyn Jones AM was an important part of it. His hard behind-the-scenes lobbying as Deputy First Minister has helped to secure this project.

The benefits of electrification have been demonstrated in other countries - that's why Plaid has been campaigning for this since as far back as 1977. And we'll continue to campaign to ensure that the rest of Wales is well connected to Europe ’s major networks - electrification of the London to Swansea line is a major step in the right direction.

This news comes on top of the boost to public transport recently announced by Ieuan in the National Transport Plan. Amongst a host of measures announced, in the region I represent, there are plans to increase the capacity, quality and performance of the Valleys Lines network by creating additional platforms at Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Barry. There are also plans to introduce additional services on the lines from Pontypridd and Caerphilly to Cardiff and for additional half-hourly services on the Vale of Glamorgan line.

Green groups endorse M4 relief road decision

Environmental groups have endorsed Plaid's decision to focus investment on public transport and to scrap plans for an M4 relief road:

GREEN GROUP WELCOMES SCRAPPING OF GWENT LEVELS
MOTORWAY

Friends of the Earth Cymru today congratulated Transport Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones on scrapping the Gwent Levels motorway scheme.

The six lane toll road would have cost £1 billion, cut a
swathe through the protected Gwent Levels and led to an increase in traffic and
carbon emissions.

Friends of the Earth Cymru, a leading member of CALM, has campaigned against the Gwent Levels motorway, and proposed cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternatives, since the scheme was first proposed over 10 years ago.

Ditching the scheme is an opportunity to resolve the existing road's safety and maintenance problems by lower cost measures along the M4 and other local routes.

Neil Crumpton, Friends of the Earth Cymru campaigner said:

"The scrapping of the unaffordable and traffic-generating Gwent Levels motorway is vital to tackle climate change and cut Wales’ carbon emissions.

“It also provides a huge opportunity for the Assembly Government to resolve the M4's increasing safety and maintenance problems by investing in much more
cost-effective and less damaging measures along the M4 and other local
routes.

“The £1 billion road scheme is a victim of its own price tag in a credit crunch which was partly sparked by rising oil prices. To create a strong and resilient economy Wales must anticipate the global realities of rising fuel and carbon costs in its future transport and economic development plans.

“Ieuan Wyn Jones is to be congratulated for taking this bold decision in the face of a growing climate crisis.”