2. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on commemorating our industrial heritage in Wales? OAQ(5)0166(EI)

Yes. We are incredibly proud of our rich industrial heritage in Wales. Over 1,000 industrial structures have statutory protection as listed buildings or as scheduled monuments. Industrial heritage also features prominently in our pan-Wales heritage interpretation plan focusing on ‘Wales: the first industrial nation’.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. A sense and celebration of our history is important, not just to our sense of place today, but to build the foundations for our future as well. We have a particular rich industrial heritage across the Dee coast in north-east Wales, from the steelworks in the east, going across to where Courtalds was in Flint, and then to the Point of Ayr Colliery. Earlier this year, the Point of Ayr community heritage project received £40,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund in a grant, and this will enable Point of Ayr to build a miners trail and a circular walk, which will meet with the coastal path and the site of the colliery, and will also link the town to Ffynnongroyw and Talacre. I was lucky enough to meet with the Chair, John Wiltshire, at an event down in the Senedd, and, last month, I was at the opening of the start of the trail. It was a privilege to be there as the Assembly Member representing the area, but also a particularly proud moment for me, as my ‘taid’ and uncle, and many members of my family, worked at the Point of Ayr. Now, the 23 July will be the grand opening of this trail, where one of the old pithead wheels will actually be reconditioned and opened. Cabinet Secretary, will you join me in congratulating the Point of Ayr heritage project, and John Wiltshire and his team, on all that they’ve done, and also urge others across Wales to learn from the group? And, of course, if you were free on 23 July, I’m sure the invitation is open for you to attend.

Well, I’d be more than delighted to attend that special occasion, and I, too, would like to congratulate those volunteers who are investing so much time and energy in promoting their local heritage. I was delighted to meet some of the volunteers with the Member recently, and, in addition, we know that this particular facility, this site, the Point of Ayr Colliery, is of enormous significance for the community of Talacre, but also for the communities of Mostyn and Ffynnongroyw, Llanasa, Pen-y-ffordd, Flint and Holywell—Indeed, a crucial tourist attraction for that part of north-east Wales. In addition nearby, we have the Brymbo ironworks, which has received, in recent times, £110,000 in grants from Welsh Government—again, a crucially important facility to attract tourists and to bring the community together. I was pleased also to recently attend the opening of the Rhydymwyn tunnels, again in my friend Hannah Blythyn’s constituency, in Rhydymwyn, where it was quite apparent how much value the local community place on that facility. And I’d like to pay tribute in particular to David Hanson. He was honoured for the work that he’s done over many years in ensuring that it can be open to the public, and indeed to Mark Isherwood, as an Assembly Member, who remains steadfast in support, as does Hannah Blythyn, for the community group that made this happen.

Coincidental, but thank you for your comments. In the context of the Pontcysyllte aqueduct world heritage site, it’s now, I think, eight years since that was awarded, and I think eight years since the then Welsh Government first established a regional partnership body to drive forward the regional industrial heritage offer, incorporating potentially Llangollen railway, the canals, the Ceiriog valley, Brymbo, as you’ve referred to, but stretching across to Flintshire’s heritage trails, Rhydymwyn valley, Greenfield Valley Trust, and so very much more. But we still haven’t got that joined-up approach now. We haven’t got the through-ticketing, which bodies such as Llangollen railway are proposing. And a concern raised with me has been that the bodies have had insufficient representation from tourism and heritage bodies in the region themselves. It’s good that Glandŵr Cymru are on board, but where are all the others? Do you agree with me that we therefore need to incorporate better those wider voices, so that, together, they can bring forward the proposals that can at last achieve, I think, the objectives that we both share?

I’d agree entirely with the Member. I’ve been keen to encourage movement speedily, and with dynamism, in the direction that he outlines. I’d like to see more through-ticketing for sure. I’d like to see greater co-ordination between and amongst the various organisations that are involved in the culture and heritage sector in industrial north-east Wales. And, for that reason, I think it would perhaps be very sensible to convene a culture and heritage summit during the summer, to bring together those organisations, including Glandŵr Cymru, who the Member rightly identifies as a lead partner in the Pontcysyllte world heritage site activity, and I think, in drawing together those various interests, we may be able to make progress.