#sioned-williams-ms — Public Fediverse posts

FUNDED CHILDCARE: Swansea families set to benefit as Welsh Government pumps £55m into expansion

Hundreds more two-year-olds across Wales will get funded childcare under a new cash injection — with Swansea already among the first areas to offer it.

Hundreds more families across Wales are in line for funded childcare after the Welsh Government announced a £55 million investment.

The money will speed up the rollout of 12.5 hours of funded childcare a week for all two-year-olds, delivered through councils including in Swansea.

Swansea was the second area in Wales to offer the scheme to every two-year-old, after Merthyr Tydfil, with Newport following soon after.

Wrexham has now joined that list, becoming the first North Wales authority to reach the milestone.

The £55m forms part of the Welsh Government’s First Supplementary Budget for 2026-27.

It includes £10m of capital funding to expand and improve childcare settings, aimed at boosting the quality and number of places available.

Ministers say the cash will help providers manage rising demand and stay afloat financially, while also supporting Welsh-medium childcare.

That ties into the long-standing target of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

The investment is a step towards the government’s wider promise of 20 hours of funded care a week for every child aged nine months to four years old.

At full rollout, ministers claim that offer will be the most generous anywhere in the UK.

Sioned Williams, the Plaid Cymru Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality, who holds the childcare brief, said the move showed the government was “accelerating our commitments to the families of Wales.”

“Childcare costs in Wales are the highest in the UK and I am determined to help families all over Wales, while also supporting children’s development,” she said.

She added that she was “particularly pleased” Wrexham was now expanding its offer, and that the government would keep working with councils to roll it out everywhere.

Research by Coram Family and Childcare last year found Wales had the highest holiday childcare costs of the British nations, lending weight to her claim.

A new expert steering group will advise on the next stages of the rollout, focusing on training enough staff, digital applications and improving access for families.

The funding lands just days after the policy behind it caused chaos in the Senedd.

Reform UK tabled a debate on 11 June demanding the new Plaid government publish full costings and a timetable for its childcare offer within its first 100 days.

But the motion was amended to point out that Reform’s own election manifesto contained no childcare commitments — and in a tangle that drew mockery, 11 Reform members ended up voting for the amended motion attacking their own party.

Reform has claimed the full childcare offer could cost between £388m and £710m a year, well above the roughly £400m figure Plaid has cited.

The latest announcement also marks a change of guard, with funded childcare milestones celebrated earlier this year by the then Labour government’s children’s minister, Dawn Bowden.

Welsh Labour lost power to Plaid Cymru at May’s Senedd election and now sits in opposition.

The party gave the funding a cautious welcome.

Lynne Neagle, Welsh Labour’s spokesperson for children, education and lifelong learning, welcomed the news that Wrexham would offer free childcare to all two-year-olds, and said she hoped more councils would follow.

She said the previous Welsh Labour government had worked to expand Flying Start provision across Wales, and that it was “great to see the government commit to our manifesto pledge and continue this work.”

But she said questions remained. “We await further information on the government’s supplementary budget, but as it stands there are still many unanswered questions around the funding commitments,” she said.

Flying Start is the Welsh Government’s flagship early-years programme, offering childcare, parenting support and health visiting to families with young children.

Funded childcare for two-year-olds is being expanded in phases, with the latest cash intended to widen access ahead of the next academic year.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Swansea becomes second area in Wales to offer Flying Start childcare to all two-year-olds
How the city reached the milestone in February.

Reform members split in childcare row as Plaid policy ‘could cost £710m’
The Senedd debate that descended into confusion.

South west Wales politicians take key roles in first Plaid Cymru cabinet
How Sioned Williams became Deputy First Minister.

Free childcare scheme to expand across Swansea says council
What the funded hours mean for two- and three-year-olds in the city.

SENEDD: Local Reform members split in childcare row — and Plaid’s flagship policy ‘could cost £710m’

Plaid Cymru’s flagship childcare policy is at the centre of the new Senedd’s first major row — one that has split Reform UK‘s local members down the middle and set the chamber’s two largest opposition parties at each other’s throats.

The universal offer — 20 hours of funded childcare a week, 48 weeks a year, for all children aged nine months to four — was the centrepiece of Plaid’s election campaign, and is billed by the Welsh Government as the most generous in the UK.

It was Reform’s own debate on the policy on Wednesday that lit the fuse — and the party’s Swansea Bay and Carmarthenshire members ended up on opposite sides.

Steven Rodaway, Reform Member for Gŵyr Abertawe, voted for the final, amended motion — while his party colleague in the same constituency, Francesca O’Brien, voted against.

The split was repeated in Sir Gaerfyrddin, where Carmelo Colasanto backed the amended motion while fellow Reform Members Gareth Beer and Sarah Edwards opposed it — and David Mills and Iain McIntosh, Reform Members for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, which takes in Pontardawe and the Swansea Valley, also voted in favour.

In all, 11 of Reform’s 34 Members backed the final motion, 21 voted against and one abstained.

The sequence matters. Reform’s original motion — demanding the Welsh Government publish full costings and an implementation timetable for the policy — was defeated by 39 votes to 52, with only the Welsh Conservatives in support.

An amendment from Plaid Cymru’s Heledd Fychan then deleted Reform’s wording and replaced it — inserting a line noting that “Reform UK had no commitments on childcare in its Welsh manifesto”. It passed by 50 votes to 41 with Conservative support, and every Reform Member present, including the 11, voted against it.

It was the final vote — on the motion as amended, which by then also recognised the Welsh Government’s commitment to provide an update on the policy’s initial costings and phasing — that split the Reform group, passing by 61 votes to 29.

The Welsh Conservatives pounced. Sam Rowlands, the party’s shadow minister for education and families, said better childcare had been a key part of his party’s manifesto and that it would “vote with any party seeking to increase childcare provision”.

“What surprised everyone was that 11 Reform MSs voted with us and Plaid to attack their own party,” he said. “Either Reform MSs have no idea what they were doing or one third have decided to attack their own party. Either way it does not suggest that they are a party ready for Government.”

Reform hit back within hours — in a letter to Conservative leader Darren Millar from Llŷr Powell, the party’s Member for Blaenau Gwent Caerffili Rhymni, accusing the Conservatives of voting with Plaid Cymru to “delete” Reform’s motion demanding the costings.

Mr Powell turned Mr Rowlands’ own debate words back on him — “If a policy is genuinely affordable, then publishing those full costings should strengthen confidence in it, not weaken it” — and asked whether it was “now Welsh Conservative policy to give the Plaid Government a blank cheque on the implementation of all of their policies”.

The letter opened with a barb about Mr Millar’s absence — “I hope you’re well, given your absence from the Chamber yesterday” — and the voting record shows the Conservative leader did not vote in any of the four divisions.

Reform also escalated the costs argument — publishing a costing paper, produced under the party’s Reform Wales branding and described by its shadow finance minister Cai Parry-Jones as independent, claiming the childcare offer would cost between £388m and £710m a year at full rollout, with a central estimate of £587m and a cost across this Senedd term of nearly £1.4bn.

That is far above the figure of around £400m a year cited in the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ post-election briefing — a figure Reform’s paper claims does not appear in Plaid’s manifesto and “appears to have been supplied” to the IFS by the party. The IFS itself warned last month that finding £400m a year “would likely require cutbacks to other services or increases in taxation”.

The debate itself saw criticism of the government’s timetable from across the chamber — Welsh Labour’s Lynne Neagle said the Senedd had heard “warm words and vague timelines”, while Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds said it was “very perplexing” that Reform had brought the motion despite having made no childcare commitment in its own manifesto.

Plaid’s Sarah Rees went on the attack over Reform’s record on the issue, describing a claim made by one of the party’s candidates during the election campaign — that abuse in nurseries would rise under expanded childcare — as “misogyny and fearmongering, plain and simple”.

The minister delivering the policy is also a local voice — Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams, Plaid Member for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, representing the same constituency as two of the 11 Reform Members who backed the amended motion.

The day before the debate, she unveiled an Expert Steering Group to drive the rollout, with 12.5 hours of funded childcare for all two-year-olds delivered first — saying the offer would “help families with the cost of living” and “give all children the best start in life”.

Swansea Bay News asked Mr Rodaway and Mr Colasanto why they voted for the amended motion having opposed the amendment itself, and asked the Reform UK Senedd group whether the vote had been a free vote. No responses had been received by our deadline; any received will be added to this article.

Childcare was a prominent theme across nearly every party’s manifesto at May’s election — and with Plaid governing as a minority in a 96-seat chamber, Wednesday’s debate is unlikely to be the last time the arithmetic produces a result nobody quite intended.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

SENEDD ELECTION 2026: The new political map of Wales
How May’s election transformed the region’s representation.

SIR GAERFYRDDIN: Reform UK and Plaid Cymru take three seats each as Welsh Labour wiped out
The election-night result that reshaped Carmarthenshire’s representation.

GŴYR ABERTAWE: What can Swansea expect from new Plaid Cymru MS Gwyn Williams?
Our profile of one of the constituency’s new Members.

AMMANFORD: County’s only nursery school to close — taking Carmarthenshire’s last full-time nursery places with it
The childcare provision story on the ground as the policy row plays out in Cardiff Bay.

COAL TIP SAFETY: Welsh Government to revise tip boundary above demolished Godre’rgraig school this autumn — as council launches new public information hub

The tip boundary above the former Godre’rgraig school — evacuated in 2019 and later demolished after a geotechnical report identified landslide risk — is to be officially revised by the Welsh Government this autumn, Neath Port Talbot Council has confirmed.

The disclosure was made in a press release announcing the launch of a new public information hub bringing together technical reports on every known coal and quarry tip across the county borough.

For the first time, residents can read the specific technical reports relating to the tips above the former Godre’rgraig school — a site at the centre of one of the most contested coal tip safety decisions in recent Welsh history.

Pupils at Godre’rgraig Primary School have been taught in temporary portakabins in Pontardawe since the original building was closed in July 2019. The Cilmaengwyn tip above the school had been identified as posing a medium risk of landslide. The school building was eventually demolished.

A subsequent proposal to merge Godre’rgraig with Alltwen and Llangiwg primary schools into a single ‘super school’ at Parc Ynysderw, Pontardawe, was scrapped in 2022 after community opposition and a High Court ruling that found the council had failed to properly assess the impact on Welsh-medium education.

Godre’rgraig pupils have remained in portakabins ever since. The council has applied to the Welsh Government for funding to build a replacement school — but the bid has run into difficulties, with officials reportedly assessing it as if it were for a brand new school rather than a replacement.

In September 2025, then-opposition Plaid Cymru MS Sioned Williams — now Deputy First Minister in the new Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government — accused the then-Labour First Minister Eluned Morgan of giving a “shameful” answer in response to questions about the delay. Welsh Labour’s then-Education Secretary Lynne Neagle later agreed to visit the school.

Councillor Wyndham Griffiths, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Transport and Connectivity, said the technical reports being published on the new website set out the basis for the original decision.

He said: “The reports set out the risks of movement on the hillside next to the former Godre’rgraig school building had it remained open for children or other users.”

He added: “Following the agreed recommendations of the Council, consulting engineers, and the Mining Remediation Authority, the Welsh Government will revise the tip boundary shown on its national register in its next update in autumn 2026.”

The boundary revision now falls to the new Plaid Cymru Welsh Government, which took office on 13 May following the Senedd election. First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth leads a minority administration after Plaid won 43 of 96 seats. Sioned Williams — who represents Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, the constituency that includes Godre’rgraig — has championed the school’s cause from opposition for years, and as Deputy First Minister now sits in the cabinet that will sign off the boundary revision.

Community campaigners have raised questions about how the Godre’rgraig case has been handled. A group calling itself Save Our Schools has been publishing a detailed investigation series on social media, which it says raises concerns about how the tip boundary has been recorded and how that information has been used in subsequent decisions about the site.

Swansea Bay News has asked Neath Port Talbot Council for a response to the specific points raised by the campaign group.

The launch of the new web hub comes against a backdrop of significant change in how coal tips are regulated in Wales. Landmark coal tip safety legislation came into force requiring modern monitoring and inspection, and the Welsh Government has confirmed plans to establish a new Disused Tips Authority for Wales.

From April 2027, that new body will take on responsibility for inspecting disused tips across the country — a role currently handled through a combination of the Welsh Government’s National Coal Tip Register, the Mining Remediation Authority (formerly the Coal Authority) and local councils.

Neath Port Talbot has one of the highest concentrations of disused coal tips in Wales, many of them close to homes, roads and rivers. Earlier this year the council secured £3.6 million in Welsh Government funding — part of a wider £80 million programme — to inspect and maintain more than 620 former coal tip sites across the county borough.

The funding is supporting a dedicated Tip Management Team, ongoing collaboration with the Mining Remediation Authority, and targeted mitigation works.

Cllr Griffiths said: “Safeguarding communities from unsafe coal tips is vital. This new online resource is part of our commitment to keeping residents informed about the work being undertaken.”

He added: “Combined with the funding we have secured, it demonstrates our proactive approach to managing coal tip safety and addressing the challenges posed by the sites. We hope this provides reassurance to residents that their safety remains a priority.”

The new resource is at www.npt.gov.uk/coal-tips.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Minister agrees to visit Godre’r Graig school after six years in portacabins
Education Secretary Lynne Neagle agrees to visit after Plaid Cymru MS Sioned Williams raises the issue in the Senedd.

‘Shameful’ answer from First Minister on replacement for demolished Swansea Valley school
Sioned Williams MS accuses the First Minister of playing politics with the future of Godre’r Graig Primary School.

£3.6m secured to make more than 620 coal tips safe in Neath Port Talbot
Welsh Government funding supports a new Tip Management Team and targeted mitigation works.

New data reveals rising coal tip risk in Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot
Three Godre’rgraig coal tips reclassified to Category D — the highest risk level requiring the most frequent inspections.

TGJONES: New Deputy First Minister raises alarm over Neath Post Office threat as she writes to chain over closure risk

Wales’s newly-appointed Deputy First Minister has written to TGJones demanding answers about the future of its Neath store — warning that its closure would put a Post Office counter used by some of the town’s most vulnerable residents at risk.

Sioned Williams, Plaid Cymru MS for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, wrote to the chain on 12 May raising concerns about the impact of the proposed restructuring on communities in her constituency, where both the Neath and Brecon branches have been rumoured to be among those at risk.

The Neath TGJones store currently hosts a Post Office counter — a service that Williams said raises concerns not just about the variety of shops in the town centre, but about continued access to basic services for residents, especially older people and those with limited mobility or access to transport.

In a Facebook post accompanying the letter, Williams said: “I am concerned to hear that the Post Office in Neath may be at risk given the proposed closure of TGJones stores across Wales — where the Neath Post Office currently sits.”

She added that any loss of the sites would raise concerns not only about retail provision, but about access to basic services for residents who depend on them.

The letter, addressed to TGJones management, asks the chain to clarify whether any Welsh stores are currently under active consideration for closure or subject to landlord negotiations, how community impact and service dependency are being assessed when decisions about store viability are made, and what engagement has taken place — or is planned — with Post Office Ltd, local authorities, or other stakeholders where stores host essential services.

Williams also called for alternatives to full closure — including relocation, service-only retention, or partnership approaches — to be explored in locations where the loss of a store could significantly affect a town centre.

The intervention comes as seven TGJones branches across south-west Wales face an uncertain future — including the Swansea Quadrant, Neath, Llanelli, Carmarthen, Bridgend, Tenby and Haverfordwest — after owner Modella Capital announced plans to close up to 150 stores nationally as part of a major restructuring.

The financial picture facing the chain is bleak. Documents circulated to creditors revealed that TGJones owes £8.4 million to HMRC, with a six-month payment agreement struck in April — and a further £3.4 million in business rates arrears, with bailiffs reported to be a real threat if payments are not maintained.

WH Smith, which sold its 480 high street stores to Modella Capital in March 2025 before they were rebranded as TGJones, has separately refused to fund enhanced redundancy payments for staff who could lose their jobs.

The restructuring requires approval from a High Court judge, with a hearing expected in late June. Landlords are likely to face demands for severe rent reductions, and those who refuse could simply have their stores handed back to them.

Post Office has previously said it will update communities if any of its services hosted within TGJones stores are forced to relocate as a result of the closures — but has given no guarantees that services would remain in the same towns.

Williams’s letter represents the most senior political intervention in the TGJones crisis in Wales to date. She was this week named Deputy First Minister in Wales’s first ever Plaid Cymru government — notably, the letter was written on 12 May, the day before the cabinet was announced.

The High Court hearing in late June remains the key date for staff and communities across south-west Wales with an interest in the future of the affected stores.

The Neath branch is one of three TGJones stores in south-west Wales known to host a Post Office counter — the Swansea Quadrant and Carmarthen branches also provide the service. Post Office Ltd has previously pledged to update communities if any hosted services are forced to relocate, but has given no guarantee that alternative provision would remain in the same town.

Our TGJones coverage

Seven south-west Wales stores at risk as chain announces 150 closures
The full list of at-risk branches across the region.

Bailiff threat and tax debts cast fresh doubt over south-west Wales stores
TGJones owes £8.4m to HMRC and faces a bailiff threat as WH Smith refuses to fund redundancy.

Post Office promises to update communities if any branches are forced to relocate
What the closures could mean for Post Office services hosted within TGJones stores.

WH Smith sells high street stores — which will be renamed TGJones
How the chain ended up in Modella Capital’s hands in the first place.

SENEDD: South-west Wales politicians take key roles as Rhun ap Iorwerth names his first Plaid Cymru Cabinet

Rhun ap Iorwerth has wasted no time in putting his stamp on the Welsh Government, naming a full Cabinet within hours of being confirmed as First Minister — and going with experience, with politicians from south-west Wales given some of its most significant roles.

The most senior appointment from the region is Sioned Williams, one of the six Members of the Senedd elected for the Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd constituency, who has been named Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Social Justice and Equality. Williams, who served as a Plaid Cymru MS in the sixth Senedd, becomes the second most powerful figure in the Welsh Government — a remarkable rise that places a familiar face from the region at the very top of Welsh politics.

Speaking after her appointment, she said she was “humbled” to have been named Deputy First Minister. “This Government for all is committed to turning promise into immediate action for the people of Wales,” she said, pledging to focus immediately on the childcare offer and tackling child poverty.

Adam Price, who was elected in Sir Gaerfyrddin after returning to the Senedd from third on Plaid’s list, has been handed the brief for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy. The former Plaid Cymru leader, who previously served as MP and then MS for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr before stepping down as leader in 2023, returns to the frontline of Welsh politics with one of the most economically significant briefs in the Cabinet.

Cefin Campbell, who topped the poll in Sir Gaerfyrddin as Plaid’s lead candidate in Carmarthenshire, has been appointed Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education. A former MS who served in the sixth Senedd, Campbell is a well-known figure across the county — his brother Darrel, a teacher at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, was among those caught up in the knife attack at the school in April 2024, an incident that shocked communities across the region.

The three appointments reflect ap Iorwerth’s clear decision to go with experience for his first Cabinet. Williams, Price and Campbell all served in the previous Senedd, giving the new administration a significant bedrock of knowledge and political credibility from day one in government.

The full Cabinet also includes Elin Jones as Cabinet Minister for Finance — a significant appointment given the questions already raised about Welsh Government funding commitments under the new administration, including the 75% funding pledge for the new Ysgol Heol Goffa in Llanelli.

Heledd Fychan has been appointed Trefnydd — the Welsh Government’s equivalent of Leader of the House, responsible for managing the government’s legislative programme and business in the Senedd — alongside her role as Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport.

Other Cabinet appointments include Mabon ap Gwynfor for Health and Care, Anna Brychan for Education and the Welsh Language, and Siân Gwenllian for Local Government, Housing and Planning.

Ap Iorwerth said the Cabinet would have a “relentless focus on doing what’s best for Wales.” He added: “United and filled with talent and experience ready to serve, my government will believe in the art of the possible, working as one team every day to improve the lives of the people of Wales.”

Welsh Labour said it would play an active role in holding the new government to account. A spokesperson said: “We look forward to being an effective opposition, scrutinising and holding the new Welsh Government to account. We’re living in a world with much uncertainty and all governments face challenges. No one knows better than our party that it is a privilege to govern and that immense responsibility now rests on different shoulders.”

Dan Thomas MS, Leader of Reform Wales, offered a cautious welcome while stressing his party’s intention to scrutinise the government. “The people of Wales need this Cabinet to deliver,” he said. “Our NHS, our schools and our economy need urgent change, and while I may disagree with Plaid, we all need them to succeed.”

He added: “We will scrutinise their actions and work to ensure that their attention is on our public services and not Welsh independence.”

With Cabinet now in place, Wales’ first Plaid Cymru government is formally up and running — just 24 hours after ap Iorwerth was confirmed as First Minister in the Senedd on Tuesday, ending 27 years of Labour leadership of the Welsh Government.

More on the new Welsh Government

Rhun ap Iorwerth confirmed as First Minister as Plaid Cymru makes history
How Wales’s first Plaid Cymru First Minister was confirmed in the Senedd.

Sir Gaerfyrddin: Reform and Plaid take three seats each as Labour wiped out
The Carmarthenshire result that returned Adam Price and Cefin Campbell to Cardiff Bay.

Mike Hedges warns Wales could face another election next year
The challenges facing the new minority government from day one.

Plaid Cymru largest party, Reform UK historic breakthrough — the new political map of Wales
The full story of the election that changed Welsh politics forever.

Politicians demand action as M&S closure sparks row over council “vanity projects”

Liberal Democrats have accused Swansea Council‘s Labour leadership of making “ridiculous” assurances about the impact of multimillion-pound regeneration schemes, pointing to recent claims that the new library would drive footfall to M&S.

Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams MS has written to the Welsh Government demanding support for the 92 staff facing redundancy, describing the closure as a “sickeningly familiar story” of high streets losing historic stores.

The political fallout comes just days after M&S confirmed it will shut its Oxford Street store later this year, ending nearly a century of trading in the city centre.

Welsh Liberal Democrat lead Senedd candidate Cllr Sam Bennett said: “Time and time again the Labour Council Leader has assured us that the massive city centre projects would be the saving of the high street, and this announcement raises big questions.

“At the most recent Council meeting the Leader went as far to say how people were celebrating that the move of the library meant they could now go to M&S, this now sounds ridiculous.”

Cllr Chris Holley, Leader of the Opposition on Swansea Council and Welsh Lib Dem Group Leader, went further, claiming the council had privately assured them M&S would remain once the Yr Storfa development opened.

“We have continually asked and been told that Labour’s vanity projects would be the saving of our high street, and even been told in a meeting M&S would stay once Yr Storfa had opened,” he said.

“This is deeply embarrassing for Labour, and is a tragedy for the city centre workers and shoppers as the Swansea high street takes another blow.”

The Liberal Democrats say they have long called for cheaper and easier parking to encourage city centre use, alongside reforms to business rates and VAT cuts to support high street retailers.

Torsten Bell, Labour MP for Swansea West, struck a more conciliatory tone, expressing “deep disappointment” at the closure and focusing on the impact on staff and customers.

“This decision will be a blow to the many loyal customers who regularly use the store, and for the dedicated employees, some who have worked for M&S over many years,” Mr Bell said.

“They need to be shown the dignity and respect they deserve, while it’s vital they are treated fairly during this difficult time. I have already contacted Senior M&S Managers, with a meeting arranged for next Friday to discuss this further.”

Mr Bell noted the closure comes “at a time when the City Centre has seen huge regeneration at key sites and more top retailers showing confidence in Swansea.”

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for South Wales West, drew parallels with M&S’s departure from Neath in May 2024, saying the closures represent more than just job losses.

“As with Marks and Spencer’s departure from Neath in May 2024, this is more than losing a job or losing a shop, it’s losing a piece of local history,” she said.

“The Oxford Street store is an important part of many people’s lives, not least for the 92 who work there currently. During its 100 year presence in Swansea, there will have been people who have given their working lives to this store and loyal customers who have helped build this company’s multimillion pound profits.”

Ms Williams said she had written to the Welsh Government asking what support will be offered to staff, and will be writing to M&S to urge them to retain a full-line store in the area.

“I’m glad to see the company not ruling out maintaining a presence in Swansea, but that location should be in the city centre, and not out of town,” she added.

The closure announcement has raised questions about the effectiveness of Swansea Council’s regeneration strategy, which has seen millions of pounds invested in projects including the Copr Bay arena, the new library and museum complex, and the ongoing Yr Storfa development.

M&S has indicated it is considering alternative locations in the Swansea area, but has not confirmed whether any replacement store would be in the city centre or at an out-of-town retail park.

The Oxford Street store, which has traded for nearly 100 years, is expected to close later in 2026, with staff consultations now underway.

https://www.europesays.com/uk/757334/ Call for new Human Rights law in Wales amid fears of US‑style crackdown #AsylumSeekers #Britain #GenderBasedViolence #GreatBritain #HumanRights #HumanRightsAct #HumanRightsLaw #HumanRightsWalesAct #Ice #ICEProtest #Members’LegislativeProposal #PlaidCymru #poverty #Refugees #Senedd #SionedWilliamsMS #StructuralRacism #UK #UnitedKingdom #Wales

Call for new Human Rights law in Wales amid fears of US‑style crackdown

Plaid Cymru MS Sioned Williams is urging the Senedd to back a new Human Rights Bill for Wales, saying global events show how quickly protections can be weakened. She said a “powerful and co‑ordinated movement” is trying to redraw “who deserves dignity and protection”, and warned that Wales cannot assume its own rights framework is safe.

Her comments come after reports from the US of violent confrontations involving ICE agents, which she says show how easily governments can restrict freedoms when rights are not legally enforceable.

Warning Wales is not immune

Ms Williams said Wales has its own human rights failings, pointing to a Welsh Government report which described the detention and hospitalisation of people with learning disabilities and autistic people as a “human rights scandal”.

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru, said too many people in Wales still face barriers that breach basic rights.

“It’s not enough to say that human rights are already regarded in Wales, when they’re not enforceable,” she said. “For too many people with learning disabilities and autistic people, their rights are being breached, right here in Wales.”

She said the problems extend across society, including gender‑based violence, poverty, structural racism, and the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers.

“A Human Rights Bill for Wales would ensure ministers and public bodies are bound by law to uphold the human rights of civilians,” she said. “It would improve accountability and make rights clearer and more accessible.”

What the Bill would do

The proposal calls for Wales to write key international human rights treaties directly into Welsh law. That would allow people to challenge public bodies in court if their rights are breached.

Ms Williams said the move was promised in the Welsh Labour Programme for Government but has not been delivered.

Her proposal is a Members’ Legislative Proposal, meaning it is non‑binding but will show the level of support a full Bill might receive.

Opposing voices

Reform UK has repeatedly argued for the UK to scrap or scale back human rights legislation, saying current laws are too broad and restrict government powers. The party has called for the UK to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights and replace existing protections with a new domestic framework.

A Reform UK spokesperson has previously said the current system “puts the rights of criminals and illegal migrants above the rights of the British public”, and that the UK needs “a simpler, tougher approach”.

The Welsh Government has not yet responded to Ms Williams’ proposal.

Ospreys ‘at risk’ as Plaid Cymru demands Welsh Government step in over WRU cuts

The warning came after South Wales West MS Sioned Williams raised the issue in the Senedd, calling for ministers to intervene and force the WRU to publish the full social, economic and community impact of any decision to scrap a team.

Williams, who represents Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend, said the Ospreys were “widely understood to be at particular risk” as the WRU looks to reduce the number of regions from four to three.

She told the chamber that the consequences would stretch far beyond elite rugby, affecting schools, community clubs, local businesses and regeneration projects across the region.

“Over the last two weeks there has been growing frustration and anger at proposals by the WRU which would put the Ospreys at risk,” she said.

“This is not just a debate about elite sport. From schools to cafés, from community rugby clubs to local councils, there is deep concern about the wider impact of removing a professional rugby team that underpins participation pathways, local pride and regional identity.”

Williams said the threat also cast doubt over the future of the planned redevelopment of St Helen’s in Swansea, warning that losing the Ospreys would “damage both local economic ecosystems that rely on sport‑related activity and the city’s sporting profile”.

She asked ministers to confirm what discussions they had held with the WRU, what steps they would take to protect communities in South Wales West, and whether they would require the WRU to publish a full impact assessment before any decision is made.

In response, Welsh Government minister Jane Hutt said the matter was “for the WRU”:

“This is, of course, the Ospreys, in terms of impact, particularly on Swansea and the surrounding area region and Wales. This is a matter for the WRU, of course, but it is important that elected representatives, indeed at local and national level, can raise these issues.”

This prompted an angry reaction from Williams afterwards:

“It’s disappointing that the Welsh Government has failed to recognise its role in the matter,” she said. “Welsh rugby as we know it, and all that it signifies for my region, is being eroded on their watch, and it’s not good enough for them to wash their hands of the matter.”

Plaid Cymru says the Welsh Government cannot distance itself from the issue, pointing out that ministers have invested almost £5 million in the WRU since 2020 and still hold a £12.4 million loan to the governing body.

Williams said that level of public investment meant the Government had a responsibility to ensure decisions were based on evidence, transparency and the interests of communities.

“It’s important that Welsh Government demonstrate they are in full receipt of the facts about the impact to South Wales West before any decisions are made to reduce the number of regions,” she said.

The WRU has not yet confirmed which region is under threat, but speculation has centred on the Ospreys amid ongoing financial pressures and stalled talks over the future structure of the professional game.

Concerns grow over ‘shoddy’ work as CES collapse leaves households in limbo

Nearly 300 jobs were lost when CES, which operated a major base in Llansamlet, ceased trading on 9 January following the UK Government’s decision to scrap the ECO4 funding scheme. The scheme had provided grants for home energy‑efficiency improvements, particularly for low‑income and vulnerable households.

Since the announcement, residents across Swansea and the wider region have contacted Sioned Williams MS, raising concerns about incomplete installations, unresolved faults and poor workmanship carried out by contractors working on behalf of CES.

Households left with no recourse

A BBC report cited a CES spokesperson confirming that the company would not be able to complete repairs or address existing complaints. Many of those affected are believed to be elderly or already living in fuel poverty.

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd for South Wales West, said:

“The recent news that Consumer Energy Services has ceased trading has sent shockwaves around the region I represent: initially in terms of the job losses at Llansamlet and the impact on the vital work to reduce fuel poverty in Wales, but now it’s becoming apparent that many have been left suffering from shoddy work at the hands of contractors operating on behalf of CES, with little clue as to how this will be resolved.”

She said constituents had reported homes left in a worse condition than before applying for ECO4 grants, with no clear route for repairs or compensation.

Questions over oversight and funding

Ms Williams said the collapse raised wider concerns about how the ECO4 scheme was overseen and the impact of its removal on efforts to tackle fuel poverty in Wales.

She highlighted reports that CES recorded significant profits in 2024, despite growing complaints from customers about workmanship and unresolved faults.

Sioned Williams MS said:

“Wales has some of the oldest, coldest and leakiest housing stock in Europe, and it’s concerning that this funding stream, which was greater than the Welsh Government’s own Warm Homes Scheme, has been scrapped with no replacement to date.”

She added that the loss of ECO4 funding would have a direct impact on the Welsh Government’s ability to support vulnerable households, particularly during winter.

Impact on Warm Homes programme

Ms Williams has previously questioned Welsh Government ministers about the reliance on ECO‑funded work to supplement the Warm Homes programme. She said the Chancellor’s decision to end ECO4 at the end of March would remove around £150 million a year from energy‑efficiency work in Wales.

Sioned Williams MS said:

“It is imperative that Welsh Government now review the effectiveness of their own Warm Homes programme, because the real fear is that this matter is a serious blow to ensuring warmer and more efficient homes in Wales, right in the middle of a very cold winter.”

Hundreds of workers still seeking answers

CES employed around 295 people across Swansea and Treorchy. Administrators have confirmed the company has ceased trading with immediate effect and will not complete any further work for customers.

The collapse has left both workers and households facing uncertainty, with local representatives calling for urgent clarity on how outstanding issues will be resolved.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Mass redundancy as Swansea energy firm goes into administration
Initial report on CES entering administration and the loss of nearly 300 jobs.

Report warns Welsh Government failing to deliver on human rights promises

The findings come from the Cross‑Party Group on Human Rights, chaired by South Wales West MS Sioned Williams, which has published its inquiry into the state of human rights in Wales. The report concludes that despite a decade of recommendations from the UN, Senedd committees and civil society organisations, key international treaties have not been incorporated into Welsh law.

The group is calling for a new Human Rights Wales Act to be introduced “at the earliest opportunity.”

Sioned Williams said the report revealed “a Wales where human rights are too often promises rather than protections — aspirations rather than guarantees.” She added that poverty, barriers to healthcare, housing and education, and ongoing discrimination against disabled people, women, racialised communities and children showed why stronger legal protections were needed.

The report was produced by Professor Simon Hoffman of Swansea University and Glenn Page of Amnesty Cymru. Glenn Page, Director of Amnesty International Cymru, said: “It is not enough to say we support human rights; the Welsh Government must protect human rights in law to ensure that now, and in the future, people’s everyday rights are protected and upheld.”

The report will be launched at the Senedd today (Wednesday 12 November), with a debate scheduled later in the evening on the importance of strengthening human rights for the people of Wales.

#amnesty #amnestyInternationalCymru #crossE28091partyGroupOnHumanRights #glennPage #humanRights #humanRightsLaw #humanRightsWalesAct #professorSimonHoffman #senedd #sionedWilliamsMs #swanseaUniversity #welshGovernment

Minister agrees to visit Godre’r Graig school after six years in portacabins

Pupils at the school have been taught in temporary portacabins miles from their community since the original building was closed and demolished in 2019. Despite a funding application for a replacement school being submitted by Neath Port Talbot Council, no decision has yet been made — and Welsh Government officials are reportedly assessing the proposal as if it were for a brand-new school.

“This isn’t a new school — it already exists”

Raising the issue in the Senedd this week, Sioned Williams MS, who represents South Wales West, urged the Cabinet Secretary to meet with school leaders and “understand the exceptional context” of the application.

“What is of concern to me is the impact on the many learners at Godre’r Graig School who have never been educated in a permanent school building in their own community,” she said. “This isn’t a ‘new school’ — the school already exists.”

Ms Neagle confirmed she was “very happy to visit the school,” and acknowledged the wider impact of the situation on Welsh suppliers and families.

Community frustration grows over delays

The funding application is being considered under the Sustainable Communities for Learning Nine-Year Rolling Programme, but concerns have been raised about the criteria being applied. A letter from Welsh Government officials reportedly referenced the impact a “new school” could have on pupil numbers at neighbouring schools — but not the disruption already affecting Godre’r Graig pupils.

David Chadwick MP, Liberal Democrat Member for the area, has also written to the Cabinet Secretary urging urgent action:

“Five years after its closure, pupils are still being taught in temporary offsite portacabins. These facilities are not suitable for long-term education, and parents continue to raise concerns about uncomfortable temperatures and extended daily travel.”

He called for clarity on the timeline for reviewing the application, the criteria being used, and whether any interim support would be offered to improve current learning conditions.

Rejected super school plan still casts a shadow

The original proposal to merge schools in the Swansea Valley into a single “super school” was overwhelmingly rejected by the local community in 2021. Campaigners argued that the plan would strip three communities of their local primary schools, including Godre’r Graig.

With the demolition of the original building now complete, campaigners say the lack of a permanent replacement risks undermining the future of a successful school — and leaving a generation of learners without a stable, community-based education.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

‘Shameful’ answer from First Minister on replacement for demolished Swansea Valley school
Senedd response sparks anger over lack of progress on permanent school rebuild.

Council to discuss multimillion-pound school building plans
Neath Port Talbot outlines future investment in education infrastructure.

Swansea Valley super school plan rejected
Community campaign succeeds in stopping controversial school merger.

‘Listen to the people’: NPT Council urged to reject plans to close Swansea Valley schools
Parents and campaigners call for protection of local education provision.

#DavidChadwickMP #education #GodreRgraig #GodreRGraigPrimarySchool #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #newSchool #Pontardawe #portacabin #SionedWilliamsMS #SwanseaValley #WelshGovernment

“Shameful” answer from First Minister on replacement for demolished Swansea Valley school

School closed over landslide risk

Godre’r Graig Primary was shut in July 2019 after a geotechnical report identified a medium risk of landslide from a quarry spoil tip above the playground. Pupils were moved into portable classrooms near Cwmtawe Community School in Pontardawe, more than three miles away. The original building has since been demolished.

Neath Port Talbot Council has submitted an application to Welsh Government for funding to build a replacement school. But uncertainty over the bid, and how it is being assessed, has raised concerns among staff and parents about the school’s long‑term future.

Clash in the Senedd

Raising the issue in the Senedd on Tuesday (30 September), South Wales West MS Sioned Williams said correspondence seen by the school suggested the application was being treated as if it were for a brand‑new school, rather than a replacement forced by “the scars of our industrial legacy.”

In response, the First Minister said:

“Well, my understanding is that the Plaid council blocked the new school proposal, and that is something that you may want to reflect on.”

The remark referred to the previous Labour administration’s controversial “super school” plan, which would have merged Godre’r Graig with Alltwen and Llangiwg primaries on a new site at Parc Ynysderw, Pontardawe. That proposal was overturned by the council’s new rainbow coalition in 2022 following strong community opposition.

“Children deserved a better response”

Speaking afterwards, Ms Williams said:

“The children, staff and community of Godre’rgraig deserved a better response to their situation than that given by the First Minister today.

This building was closed through no fault of the school, its staff or its pupils but rather the scars of our industrial legacy – that are continuing to impact our children to this day.

It was shameful to see the First Minister play politics with the future of Godre’r Graig Primary School without even trying to answer my question about the need to recognise the exceptional circumstances that led to the school requiring a new building.”

She confirmed she will be writing to the First Minister to demand a “substantive response more befitting of her office.”

Related articles

• Swansea Valley super school plan rejected

  Neath Port Talbot Council scraps controversial proposal to merge three primaries into one new ‘super school’ at Pontardawe.

• Council to discuss multimillion-pound school building plans

  Cabinet members consider major investment in new and replacement schools across the borough.

• Decision day set for controversial Swansea Valley super school plans

  Key vote scheduled on whether to proceed with merging Alltwen, Godre’r Graig and Llangiwg primaries.

• Senedd Member calls for Pontardawe super school plan to be rejected

  Sioned Williams MS warns the proposals would damage community life and Welsh language provision.

• Council to review Swansea Valley super school decision made by previous administration

  New coalition leadership re-examines the controversial education project after local backlash.

• Plan for new super primary school in Swansea Valley recommended for council’s cabinet approval

  Officers recommend approval for a £22m single-site school at Parc Ynysderw, Pontardawe.

• Three Swansea Valley schools could be replaced with one new one under latest council plans

  Proposals outlined to merge Godre’r Graig, Alltwen and Llangiwg primaries into a single new build.

#coalTipSafety #CwmtaweCommunitySchool #ElunedMorganMS #FirstMinister #GodreRgraig #GodreRGraigPrimarySchool #landslide #landslideRisk #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #newSchool #PlaidCymru #Pontardawe #quarryTip #SionedWilliamsMS #superSchool #SwanseaValley #WelshGovernment #WelshLabour

Call to scrap VAT on sunscreen as skin cancer rates rise in Wales

The South Wales West politician pressed Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford in the Senedd this week after earlier calls to treat sunscreen as a health essential rather than a cosmetic product.

Mr Drakeford confirmed that Treasury officials had told Welsh Government there were “no plans” to change VAT rules. But he added he was prepared to raise the issue again with new ministers in London, following Ms Williams’ intervention.

“Not a luxury”

Ms Williams said sunscreen should be seen as a life‑saving product, not a luxury item:

“Skin cancer is almost entirely preventable, and yet it currently accounts for almost half of all cancers in Wales. The high cost is stopping some people from practising good skin safety – trying to make it go further by not applying enough, not regularly enough, or not at all.”

She added that removing VAT could encourage more people to use sunscreen properly and reduce pressure on the NHS.

Cancer rates and cost concerns

• Wales has the highest rate of skin cancer of any UK nation, according to Public Health Wales.
• Research by the charity Melanoma Focus found half of people in the UK think sunscreen is too expensive, while one in ten don’t use it at all because of the cost.

What happens next

Mr Drakeford told the Senedd he would be “willing to raise the point” again with the Treasury, given the arguments put forward and recent changes in personnel.

Campaigners say the move could make a practical difference to families struggling with the cost of living, while also helping to cut avoidable cancer cases.

Related sun safety stories

New study says Welsh primary school pupils need to get ‘sunproofed’
Swansea University research found fewer than half of Welsh primary schools have a sun safety policy in place for pupils.

Boots will no longer sell its own-brand sun cream with an SPF lower than 15
High street chemist Boots phases out lower SPF products to encourage safer sun protection, in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support.

Popular sunscreens failing to live up to sun protection claims, Which? reveals
Consumer tests found some big-name products did not meet their advertised SPF or UVA protection levels.

Health board issues warning after child sunburn cases at Swansea hospital burns unit
Doctors at Morriston Hospital urged parents to take extra care after several youngsters were admitted with severe sunburn.

#HMTreasury #MarkDrakeford #MelanomaFocus #PublicHealthWales #SionedWilliamsMS #skinCancer #sunscreen #suntan #suntanLotion #tax #UKGovernment #VAT #WelshGovernment

Plaid MS challenges LINK over Pontardawe banking hub snub

Plaid Cymru Senedd Member for South Wales West, Sioned Williams, has written to LINK — the UK’s cash access coordinator — to dispute its assessment that Pontardawe does not require additional cash services after Lloyds Bank closes its branch this November. LINK is funded by the UK’s banks and building societies to assess community needs and ensure access to cash across the country.

The closure of Lloyds will leave the entire Swansea Valley without a physical bank, prompting widespread concern. LINK’s original review concluded that existing cash access in Pontardawe was sufficient, despite calls from residents and businesses for a dedicated banking hub.

In response, Ms Williams has compiled a detailed evidence pack including letters from local businesses, charities, councillors, residents and Pontardawe Town FC, challenging the practicality of LINK’s verdict. She argues that the assessment fails to reflect the “facts on the ground”, citing the town’s reliance on cash-based trade, limited public transport links to Neath, and the broader impact on surrounding communities such as Rhos, Clydach, Gwaun-cae-Gurwen, Cwmllynfell and Ystalyfera.

While Lloyds has pledged to provide a Community Banker in Pontardawe, this service will be limited to fortnightly visits and will not handle transactions — a move Ms Williams says falls short of meeting local needs.

Sioned Williams said:

“When LINK assessed Pontardawe in the wake of the news that Lloyds Bank will close – the last bank in the Swansea Valley – they concluded that there were sufficient banking services nearby. This is a decision that I am still disputing after hearing the feelings aired in the public meeting I held, in ongoing conversations with residents and local businesses, and because this is my town and my bank.”

She added that many businesses operate on a cash-only basis and would be forced to close temporarily to travel to Neath for banking — a journey complicated by the infrequent 256 bus service, which runs fewer than ten times daily.

Sioned Williams said:

“While the people of Pontardawe and the wider area are under no illusions that financial services are changing, all they – and I – ask is that their request for a banking hub be given proper and full consideration with appropriate attention paid to the facts on the ground.”

The campaign to retain banking services in Pontardawe has gained momentum in recent months. In July, local MP Christina Rees wrote to the CEO of Lloyds Banking Group urging the bank to reconsider its decision to close the branch, citing the impact on vulnerable residents and small businesses. Ms Williams also previously criticised Lloyds’ response to community concerns as “deeply disappointing” and lacking in meaningful engagement.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

MP calls on Lloyds CEO to halt closure of Pontardawe branch
Christina Rees MP urges Lloyds to reconsider closure plans amid community backlash.

Senedd member speaks out on “deeply disappointing” Lloyds response on Pontardawe bank closure
Sioned Williams MS criticises lack of engagement and calls for better consultation.

#ATM #bankClosure #banking #cashpoint #Clydach #Cwmllynfell #GwaunCaeGurwen #Link #LloydsBank #Pontardawe #Rhos #SionedWilliamsMS #SwanseaValley #Ystalyfera

Disability groups say no vote on disability cuts until Wales has full consultation

The open letter has been signed by dozens of politicians, campaign groups and individuals after Wales’ only face-to-face consultation event due to take place in Cardiff on 3 June was cancelled at the last minute.

The letter from campaign group Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) Cymru is addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Welsh Government First Minister Eluned Morgan, Rachel Reeves, Liz Kendall, Stephen Timms, Alison McGovern and Jo Stevens and says: “The government are running a consultation on disability cuts called the “Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper”.

“The DWP have cancelled the only in-person consultation event for the whole of Wales, and do not plan to run another.

“They did this after announcing an inaccessible venue at the last minute, in what we believe to be a clear example of disability discrimination.

“The consultation was always going to be unfair, given half the proposals – the most important half – were off the table for discussion on day one.

“There must be no vote in the House of Commons on disability cuts until a full and genuine public consultation has been carried out in Wales.

“Given the government’s complete failure to listen to disabled people, and the DWP’s demonstrated inability to arrange a genuine consultation, any consultation must be run independently by Welsh disabled people’s organisations, also inviting the views of carers. The DWP must attend as observers.”

Senedd Member, Sioned Williams MS joined DPAC Cymru at a protest in Cardiff on 3 June – the date of the cancelled consultation.

Ms Williams, who is Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson on Social Justice and Equalities, said: “With 190,000 – a staggering 6% of the people of Wales – set to lose out, Welsh communities will be the hardest hit by Labour’s cruel disability cuts, yet the Labour UK Government refuse to even hold a consultation event in Wales. If anybody needed further proof of Labour’s contempt towards Wales, here it is.

“While the Labour UK Government treats Wales as an unimportant consequence to their decisions, Labour in Wales simply watch on in disinterest, instead of calling out the UK Government’s austerity-driven agenda. Labour has no interest in doing what is right for our communities, only what is deemed suitable in their attempt to reverse their plummeting polling numbers.

“Welsh communities deserve a government that will put them first, they deserve a government that puts Wales and Welsh communities first. Labour have shown that their priorities lie with their party, not with our country. That is why Wales needs a Plaid Cymru Government in 2026 that will always fight for what is fair to Wales.”

Swansea Bay News asked the Department for Work and Pensions for their response to DPAC Cymru’s letter and to confirm if a consultation will be held in Wales.

UK Government Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms responded: “It is crucial that the views and voices of sick or disabled people across Wales are at the heart of our reforms, which is why we’ve rescheduled a consultation event in Cardiff after it was cancelled by the venue.

“Having listened to people’s calls for more consultation opportunities in Wales we have also arranged an additional virtual event, so even more people can take part.

“We will continue to look at the specific impacts for those living in Wales as we seek to support people back into work if they are able, while also protecting those who rely on our social security system.”

Swansea Bay News has asked the DWP for the details of the rescheduled Cardiff consultation, but the department has yet to confirm the date.

#benefits #DWP #SionedWilliamsMS #SirStephenTimms #SwanseaDPAC #UKGovernment

‘Deep disappointment’ over NatWest’s Neath branch closure

The Neath NatWest branch is known to be a hub for local banking services and is sometimes used for events like the NatWest Ospreys Cup semi-final draw. 

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd for South Wales West, whose office is 500 feet from the NatWest Neath branch in the town centre, has expressed her “deep disappointment” in the closure decision.

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd for South Wales West, said: “I have today written to NatWest to express my concern at the impact of their decision to close the Neath branch, and ask them to rethink their decision. 

“This is the latest in the ongoing trend of high-street banks closing their physical premises, cutting many individuals and businesses off from in-person banking services.

“High Street Banks are quick to advertise themselves as the heart of community, and happy to profit from that, but are quick to forget the responsibility that should lie with that position. I think it’s a scandal that banks which make huge profits are not obliged to provide services to the communities that have been their faithful customers for decades.

“The gap left behind by these high street banks are more than just the empty shop fronts. Ensuring that we retain the ability to transact with cash in our communities is a matter of fairness and inclusion, and it will be a blow to local businesses in Neath who use NatWest and are trying so hard to keep the town centre vibrant and flourishing and to the customers who want and need local in-person banking services.”

#bankClosure #Natwest #Neath #PlaidCymru #SionedWilliamsMS

Hope for backing for Neath Market new vision

The visit was organised by Sioned Williams MS off the back of Ms Williams’ survey into the future of Neath town centre, which gained nearly 400 responses, and revealed how much locals value their historic market, albeit with concerns over its future.

Ms Williams had also been in correspondence with Neath Port Talbot council over their plans for the future of the market. 

On Thursday 3 April, Ms Williams and Mandy Gunter, the Chair of the Traders Association took Cabinet Secretary Jayne Bryant, her officials together with the Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, and council officers on a tour of the market to meet traders, hear their concerns and gain their views about what improvements were needed.

During the visit the Council confirmed its commitment to continue working with traders and other town centre businesses to develop a plan for the market, and Ms Williams pressed the Cabinet Secretary for financial support from Welsh Government to help deliver that plan. 

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd for South Wales West, said: “Neath Market is not only historically significant, but plays such an important role in attracting footfall to the town centre. I know how much it’s valued by the community, and how many feel that, with more support, it could have an even bigger contribution in ensuring the prosperity of Neath and its local businesses.

“That’s why I felt it so important to get Welsh Government, Neath Port Talbot Council, and traders all together so that all are aware of what needs to be done, what can be done, and – crucially – how we get it done.

“I am grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for coming to Neath following my invitation and I was pleased to hear that Neath Port Talbot Council are in the process of working with traders, neighbouring business owners, and people who shop in the market to develop a plan.

“However, intentions require investment, and with local authorities under significant financial pressure, we need to make sure that Welsh Government understands the importance of the market and why its future must be secured and its potential developed. The market is a central part of the town’s identity, and I have been calling for years for the funding to be made available to realise its full potential. 

“I will keep campaigning to ensure everything is done by the Council and Welsh Government to support and celebrate the ongoing contribution Neath Market makes to the local economy and to the vitality of the town centre.”

#Business #Neath #NeathMarket #retail #SionedWilliamsMS