(Title Image: New Civil Engineer)
Wyfla Newydd officially dropped by Hitachi
Plans to build a new nuclear power station at Wylfa on Anglesey have been officially dropped by the Japanese company Hitachi. The £15-20billion project was put on hold at the start of 2019 and speculation had since mounted that the project would likely not go ahead.
The original power station, Wylfa A, is currently in the process of being decommissioned. Wylfa Newydd was estimated to have potentially provided up to 9,000 jobs and would have had an operational life of 60 years.
Anglesey Council has asked for a meeting with the Welsh and UK governments to discuss the future of the site.
More public buildings to use Welsh wool insulation
BBC Wales reports that the Welsh Government has pledged to use more Welsh wool in the insulation of public buildings.
A drop in wool demand has caused prices to fall, threatening the livelihoods of upland farmers. A 28,000 signature petition on behalf of British Wool sparked calls for the UK’s governments to source wool for public projects.
Environment, Energy & Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths (Lab, Wrexham) said: “I am pleased to say the Welsh Government’s own facilities management team has committed to consider the more widespread use of wool in our estate in future, subject to the required compliance testing and certification.”
The Conservatives called for this to be expanded to include home insulation.
Welsh Tories launch an internal review
The Welsh Conservatives have launched an internal review into their structures and complaint handling following a series of high-profile internal problems.
Earlier this year, Nick Ramsay MS (Con, Monmouth) was suspended from the party and threatened to take legal action before being readmitted, while Alun Cairns MP resigned from the Cabinet following the deliberate collapse of a rape trial by former staff member, Ross England.
Defence of lobbyists “targeted for political views”
Public Affairs Cymru – an umbrella organisation for lobbyists in Wales – issued a statement defending members who express political views.
The Electoral Reform Society’s Jess Blair and Sport Wales’ Emma Henwood were targeted by Darren Millar MS (Con, Clwyd West) for liking tweets from Deputy Minister, Lee Waters (Lab, Llanelli), relating to the controversial UK Internal Market Bill.
Darren Millar accused them both of supporting “partisan political propaganda” and questioned whether their employers would find their views acceptable.
Public Affairs Cymru defended the lobbyists, saying: “These professionals are entitled to hold an opinion, and they should not find themselves pressured by those in a position of power from expressing it. To seek to silence someone from expressing an opinion by implying in doing so they may jeopardise their career is unhealthy for our shared Welsh democracy.”
