Noswaith dda/Good Evening and thank you to Vinci Construction for inviting me to sponsor and speak at this Consultants and Client evening event at the Senedd, celebrating the opening of their new office at Cardiff Gate, following twelve years in their old office at Fountain House, St Mellons.
As Russell Flowers, Vinci Construction’s Regional Director, South West, and Wales, told me “this Senedd is very significant to our Business, not only because it is the central hub to government in Wales, but also because it was constructed by Taylor Woodrow who are now part of Vinci Construction UK Limited”.
As the Welsh Parliament, this Senedd acts as both legislator and scrutineer of the separate Welsh Government.
Vinci Construction UK is an International business which has been in Wales for the last 20 years as an amalgamation of Norwest Holst, Taylor Woodrow and Stradform, with a strong presence in South Wales.
As an Assembly Member representing North Wales, I am also aware of their presence across the Nation.
They have recently completed part of the Swansea University Bay Campus and are currently working on further schemes with the University, as well as on a number of buildings in the Cardiff and Newport area.
They have helped build places in Cardiff Bay including, here, the Senedd, the BBC Wales Studios, the Centre for Creative Industries, and the Butetown Youth Pavillion Scheme - and in the centre of Cardiff, Adam Street Fire Station, more recently Capital Quarter and Howard Gardens Student Accommodation, to name just a few.
They have also worked along the South Wales Coastline as far West as Brynhoffnant in Ceredigion, and as far East as the RSPB Wetlands, Newport - and on schools, hospitals, manufacturing facilities, and historical buildings.
The Assembly Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee, of which I am a member, is currently concluding its enquiry into City Deals and the Regional Economy of Wales.
The £1.2 billion Cardiff Capital Region City Deal is an agreement between the UK Government, the Welsh Government and ten Local Authorities, which is crucial for regeneration of Cardiff and the Valleys.
Over its lifetime, local partners expect the City Deal to deliver up to 25,000 new jobs and leverage an additional £4 billion of private sector investment. The deal builds upon on the regions sectoral strengths of its high skills base, three successful universities and competitive business clusters.
The Prime Minister, signed an historic £1.3 billion City Deal for Swansea in March. As part of the Deal, there will be: 100% coverage for next generation broadband services and 5G test beds; partnership with Tata Steel to establish an innovation and knowledge centre for steel, and new facilities to attract tech and digital business to Swansea City and the Waterfront Digital District.
Last September I led an Assembly debate on the North Wales Growth Deal, following publication by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board of “A Growth Vision for the Economy of North Wales”, and its submission to the UK and Welsh Governments.
The formal bid is now expected imminently, supported by the leaders and chief executives of all six unitary authorities within the region, the North Wales Business Council, Bangor University, Glyndwr University, Coleg Cambria and Grwp Llandrillo – Menai (College).
The Growth Vision document set out shared aims and aspirations for “a confident, cohesive region with sustainable economic growth, capitalising on the success of high value economic sectors and its connection to the economies of the Northern Powerhouse and Ireland”.
It recognised the importance of transport connections within North Wales, and between North Wales and the north west of England and the Midlands, and called, for the devolution of powers by the Welsh Government over employment, taxes, skills and transport, stating that this:
“would boost the economy, jobs and productivity, and the value of the local economy from £12.8 billion to £20 billion by 2035”.
As the North Wales Economic Ambition Board states “the vision complements the developing strategy for the Northern Powerhouse, is fully integrated with the Strategy Growth Bid submission of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, and has the Growth Track 360 plan for rail investment at its core”.
At UK level, the construction industry reported in May that growth was rising at the fastest rate since December 2015, driven by residential workloads and sustained growth in civil engineering.
In January 2016, Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) research forecast that the Welsh Construction sector would grow at the fastest rate in the UK up to 2020, creating 17,500 jobs.
This assumed major infrastructure projects, including the new Wylfa Nuclear Power station on Anglesey, and the M4 relief road, alongside the £400 million Central Square regeneration in Cardiff and Wrexham’s new Berwyn super prison, and taking into account the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project.
In February this year, CITB research predicted that construction growth in Wales would be stronger than any other part of the UK for the third consecutive year and that the sector is set to grow almost four times faster than the UK average – adding, however that the challenge is to ensure the right skills are in place and we have the workforce available to build these major projects.
Only today, figures published by the UK Department for International Trade reveal continued growth in inward investment in Wales, creating, supporting and safeguarding’ over 11,500 jobs.
So let us embrace the opportunities ahead for Wales and the UK - and for the Welsh Government to work with UK Department for International Trade in order to deliver for Wales as we move closer to the post-Brexit era.