Thank you, Alun, for bringing this debate to the Chamber today. I think it's a very important debate and I'm really grateful to you for giving me some time to speak.

One of the key lessons that I drew from your remarks was that you are right to say, 'Okay, levelling up is a new political buzzword,' if you like, but it is not just the responsibility of the UK Government. The UK Government absolutely has to play a role, but I think that all levels of government, and the private sector as well, have a role to play.

To that end, I wanted to use my remarks today to specifically hone in on my experience as a local councillor in Bridgend, and specifically the application of the LDP process and how that is failing its Valleys communities. Because, in my mind, that is a case study in and of itself. So, to that end, I will first declare my interest in this matter as a current councillor at Bridgend County Borough Council.

I see that the Member for Ogmore is here, and so I won’t need to explain the geography of Bridgend. But, for those who don't know, you have got your three main valleys in the north of the constituency—the Ogmore, Llynfi and Garw valleys—and your larger towns in the south. But, unfortunately, looking at that planning process, and the LDP process in Bridgend, it shows through a prism of a real tale of two halves.

I will give you an example: in Bridgend council's 2018-33 LDP, just 14 per cent of the homes planned to be built are in those Valleys areas, or the Valleys gateway area. Or, to put it another way, just 1,360 of the 9,200 homes planned are situated in those communities. The question that we need to ask ourselves is, 'Why?' Why is our LDP process in Bridgend—and presumably elsewhere—failing our Valleys communities?

There are, of course, some places in Bridgend with significant brownfield land that could be built on in these Valleys communities. I have had these discussions with officers and, in the past, they have told me that these areas just aren't as attractive to developers. But, surely, that's the tail wagging the dog. We need to ensure that houses are being built where they will do the most public good— [Interruption.]—rather than just flood other communities because they are more attractive. [Interruption.]