The UK and Welsh Governments will be asked to provide £20 million each to help Anglesey's economy in the wake of the suspension of Wylfa Newydd.
Both governments have allocated £120 million to set up the North Wales Growth Deal, which is led by north Wales' six local authorities in partnership with the region’s colleges and universities and North Wales and Mersey Dee Business Council.
But following the suspension of the £20bn nuclear project, the North Wales Economic Ambition Board (NWEAB) is now seeking an extra £40m to prioritise projects that address the particular challenges faced on Anglesey.
The projects earmarked to be brought forward are those described as having "a direct economic and employment impact on north Anglesey" , including the Holyhead Gateway project, Morlais and the proposed Nuclear Centre of Excellence.
Two specific projects earmarked to be ‘front loaded’ and ‘scaled up’ is the "Regional Land and Property Joint Venture Project" which aims to create more housing opportunities and the "Smart Local Energy Network Project" to encourage more local renewable energy generation.
The leader of Anglesey Council, Cllr Llinos Medi, told a meeting of Westminster's Welsh Affairs Committee this week that the Welsh Government has already pledged to match any additional contributions from London.
"A decision has been taken by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board that we would prioritise the projects coming to Anglesey because of the Wylfa Newydd developments," she said.
"We're asking the Westminster Government for an additional £20m and the Welsh Government have already said they would match that.
"It's important that we don't slow down the progress of the growth bid because any slow down could see us lose the private sector, which is ready to go on some of these projects."
According to the board, the £80m Holyhead Gateway project would create 2,200 construction jobs and another 1,250 when fully up and running.
The scheme would provide new deep water heavy loading and cruise facilities as well as improved vehicular access, guaranteeing the future of the breakwater and providing for the demands of regional energy projects, with Stena set to provide £45m towards the overall costs.
The £118m Nuclear Centre of Excellence, led by Bangor University, would research Small Module Reactor (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) technologies.
Expected to generate around 150 jobs, it's envisaged it would cement north Wales' reputation as the best location in the UK for future nuclear investment.
A further £68.974m, meanwhile, is earmarked to connect the proposed Morlais tidal energy scheme to connect the sea bed to a point of connection to grid near Holyhead.
The zone, off the coast of Holy Island, extends to 35km2 of sea bed and can accommodate up to 240MW of tidal stream generation - creating 329 construction and 165 long term jobs.
According to Anglesey Council's Head of Regulation and Economic Development, Dylan Williams, 18% of jobs based in northern Anglesey are wholly dependant on the nuclear industry.
But with Magnox currently decommissioning the Wylfa plant and staff numbers continuing to dwindle, and Horizon slashing their local workforce from 67 to only a handful, the need for replacement work was emphasised.
"The average wage on Anglesey is £24,000 but when it comes to Wylfa and other similar sites you're up to almost £40,000," he added.
"So in terms of disposable income, the gap between the industry and most others are significant, and may explain why most apprentices are continuing to pursue a career in the industry."
In regards to the "gap" until a new nuclear project is developed, he went on to say: "We're confident that everyone who loses their jobs will find alternative employment, but unfortunately some may have to leave the area, which is disappointing.
"If we use this time to invest in people, businesses and infrastructure, then the island and wider region will be in a stronger position to benefit from the project when it eventually gets underway."
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has been approached for comment.
Holyhead Breakwater future
A consultation has been launched over the future of Britain’s longest breakwater, which experts say could be breached unless major repair works are carried out.
The port and town of Holyhead are protected by the 1.7 mile Grade II listed structure, which consists of a masonry wall superstructure founded on a rubble mound.
It was an engineering marvel for its time, employing over 1,300 men and taking 28 years to complete, opening in 1873 by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, after an 1847 Act of Parliament.
For several years its owners, Stena Line Ports, has been carrying out the day to day maintenance, with a 2013 estimate revealing that it was costing the company an average of £150,000 a year.
But according to Anglesey Council, the rubble mound has gradually been eroded by the constant wave action – thus increasing the wave impacts on the breakwater itself.
As a result, experts are now warning that the loss of this mound would eventually result in breaches within 15 years.
To support the business case to seek funding towards this major work, a public meeting will be held next week to provide more information on the available options.
A spokesman for the authority confirmed that in order to maintain the protection of Holyhead, “a cost-effective long-term sustainable solution needs to be identified.”
In 2017 the council, with Welsh Government and Stena Line Ports support, undertook an outline business case to develop options for the refurbishment of the breakwater.
These varied from doing nothing, which would result in the failure of the breakwater, to strengthening the existing structure, constructing an offshore breakwater and restoring or topping up the rubble mound.
Another option included installing rock groynes or concrete mattresses.
The public open doors event will be held from 3pm to 7pm at Holyhead Town Hall on Friday, March 29.
Alternatively, a consultation seeking public views remains open until March 22.
For contact information, visit https://www.anglesey.gov.uk/en/Get-involved/Current-consultations/Holyhead-Breakwater-Refurbishment-Scheme.aspx
Tone down school meal demands
Council officers have been told to tone down the letters they send to parents over school meal debts again.
Members of the communities scrutiny committee meeting yesterday discussed council plans to make their communications less threatening.
Last year the council hit the headlines when a letter was sent to a parent who had racked up a £13 debt for school meals.
The letter warned her that unless she paid up or started providing packed lunches for her child she would be reported to social services.
Denbighshire Council subsequently apologised for the gaffe but at Christmas parents in Denbigh were outraged to have letters sent to them telling them that unless they cleared their debts their children would not get Christmas meals.
Again the council apologised.
Since then officers have come up with a new policy to take the sting out of dealing with parents who had fallen behind on their payments.
These changes will include a requirement for all pupils to pay in advance for school so there will be no debt.
Staff will also be asked to ensure that support is provided for families so that no child is deprived of their school meal.
But councillors who were shown a draft template for the letter that would be sent out in such circumstances were still critical.
At the meeting they asked officers to take further steps to tone down the letter.
Upper Denbigh and Henllan, county councillor, Glenn Swingler, said: "Here we are with this new letter that will be sent out to parents which I find almost as intimidating as the previous one. We have in bold 'please pay this amount' all in capital and underlined. It's how we are doing this in bold type and underlining parts of the letter.
"Perhaps if you started the letter with something like we understand you may be going through some financial issues please contact the school and advice on what they can do.
"Rather than this pay now or else attitude. I don't think we have improved this letter at all."
Officers agreed to redraft the letter before they start to use it.
Cllr Huw Hilditch-Roberts, the cabinet member for education, said: "As a local authority we recognised the policy was outdated and needed to be made relevant to the modern world. We worked across the council with members, with schools and education to ensure we go the best possible outcome. And we made sure that children will be well nourished an be able to enjoy their education."
Housing estate plans still on hold
A housing estate development that has been to planning committee three times remains unresolved.
Councillors at Conwy's planning committee voted against the granting of planning permission a 73 house development near Abergele on Wednesday.
This went against the advice of planning officers who had recommended that planning permission be granted.
Council rules mean that this application remains undetermined and it will have to come back before the committee again next month.
This will be the fourth time it will go to the committee in as many months.
The housing development by Anwyl Homes would see the building of 73 homes on the Llanfair Road just to the south of Abergele.
These would be made up of 32 four-bed detached, 19 three-bed detached, 12 three-bed semi-detached, eight two-bed semi-detached, and three two-bed terraced houses, with seven of the homes being affordable.
Councillors in January and February were unable to come to a decision about the plans as they felt they did not have enough information about its impact on traffic in the town.
Betws yn Rhos county councillor, Ifor Lloyd said: "This is a site that perhaps will get developed in the next 10 or 15 years. But we are at the point where Abergele can't really take much more in the way of housing. We are at the point of saturation in the schools.
"Abergele is in the middle of the east of the county and in the summer the population increases threefold. Now the methodology used by Atkins did not include most of this traffic. Anyone who has sat in Abergele in a car in July or August is not going anywhere very fast."
With councillors voting against the advice of officers the issue is undetermined and expected to come back to the planning committee when it meets next month.
