A GROUP of People’s Voice politicians have condemned Welsh Assembly plans to spend £42m on upgrading offices in Cathays Park as unacceptable and Cardiff-centric.
Councillors Peter Abbott, Delwyn Davies, Godfrey Thomas, John Rogers and Don Wilcox, Blaenau Gwent Peoples' Voice Group of Councillors with the support of Dai Davies MP and Trish Law AM have voiced their opposition to the plans.
The group say they have no complaints about creating a safe and healthy environment for Assembly workers, but believe that there are better ways to achieve this by a combination of modest changes at Cathays Park and moving some Assembly departments out of Cardiff into new purpose built offices outside Cardiff.
“Doing this would not only create safe and healthy environments for Assembly Workers but would comply with the commitment to press ahead with relocation of Assembly divisions to North Wales, West Wales and the South Wales Valleys as stated in the One Wales document agreed between the Labour Party and Plaid Cymru on the formation of the current coalition Government in Cardiff Bay,” Coun Wilcox said on behalf of the group.
“We believe that Blaenau Gwent is the natural home of the Health and Social Services division of WAG given the historic association of the area with the birth of the NHS.”
Terry Edwards, Chair of Blaenau Gwent Peoples' Voice, said: “I applaud the initiative of our Peoples' Voice councillors and the Peoples' Voice will do all they can to press the Welsh Assembly Government to review their proposal to spend £42m in Cardiff and look favourably on our suggestion and bring some Assembly jobs to Blaenau Gwent.”
Des Hillman, Leader of the ruling Partnership Group on Blaenau Gwent Council, added: “I fully support the proposal and believe that it should get the support of all Blaenau Gwent Councillors.
“After all spending vast sums of money of this nature on ivory towers is unacceptable to me as leader of a council that has been starved of the necessary finances to provide the services to the people of Blaenau Gwent that they quite rightly deserve and the jobs we require to help regenerate our area.”
Liberal Democrat Councillor Steve Bard, another member of the Partnership Group, also agrees.
“I fully support this initiative and will work with Liberal Democrat AMs to ensure that Assembly jobs are spread across Wales, especially to deprived areas such as Blaenau Gwent,” he said.
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