6. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government: Supporting our Town Centres

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:18 pm on 28 January 2020.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 6:18, 28 January 2020

(Translated)

Of course, I welcome any initiatives to ensure that there is investment in our town centres. I look forward to working with various organisations and town councils on Anglesey to see how we can take advantage of this—and working in Amlwch, for example, one of the places that has seen town-centre decline over the past few years.

But I just wanted to mention one specific idea in the town of Holyhead. It's important, of course, in planning our town centres, that we work across various departments and bring different public bodies together. There is a crisis in primary care in Holyhead at the moment; the health board has taken over two surgeries because of a shortage of doctors, and we do need to build a primary care service anew. Now, it's been drawn to my attention that the old Woolworths shop in the middle of Holyhead—the kind of site that could be ideal for opening a multidisciplinary health centre—would be perfect, because of the kind of building it is, in the town centre and there's parking available. It would then bring people in as footfall to the centre of Holyhead in a way that could cause economic regeneration. Now, other options are being considered, of course, but I have put forward that idea, as it was drawn to my attention, to the health board, and I hope that the local authority will take it seriously too. But, whilst not asking you to make a decision today, or to provide funding for it, do you agree with me in principle that that kind of initiative is one that truly ties in a number of elements that we need to do in order to have an impact on our town centres, and that it deserves detailed consideration?