5. Will the First Minister publish a specific timetable for the development of Parc Bryn Cegin business park? OAQ52636

The development land at Parc Bryn Cegin is available for development now, and is being actively marketed via our commercial property agents Cooke & Arkwright, our property data base, as well as Gwynedd Council.

The first plans for this business park were published in the year 2000. New roads were built and a new roundabout, and a new entrance to the park was also opened. It was pledged that at least 1,500 jobs would be created. Now, 18 years later, not a single job—not a single job—has been created despite the millions of pounds invested to develop Parc Bryn Cegin. Isn’t it time for the Welsh Government to give priority, energy and enthusiasm to the task of developing Parc Bryn Cegin?

Well, the history of Parc Bryn Cegin is this, and the Member is right in saying that the history goes back 18 years. Planning permission had been granted as regards employment, namely factories and offices at the time. We invested heavily between 2006 and 2008 in order to prepare the site for development, namely putting the roads in and putting the services in. But, of course, in 2008 we saw the crash and after that it started to become difficult at that point to draw people in because of the crash. There is now hope that we may be able to progress the situation. I understand that the developers, Liberty Properties, have said that a multiplex cinema might be coming to the site itself and, of course, if that’s true, we look forward to seeing that being established in order to help to assist the site as they attract more businesses in, ultimately.