By Sarah Atherton

MP for Wrexham

My Plan for Wrexham outlines the six issues that I am focusing on for the next three years. Two of these are Loving our High Street and Growing our Local Economy, both of which are really important issues here in Wrexham and ones that the UK Government also recognises are important to people up and down the country.

With this in mind, much of what I have been doing over the past few weeks has been around town centre regeneration and ensuring that Wrexham gets the attention it deserves, whether that be from the Council, the Welsh Government or the UK Government.

Coming up, I have meetings with the Prime Minister’s Levelling Up Advisor, as well as other Government Ministers, to discuss how the UK Government can level up opportunities in Wrexham through funding for our town centre. With the applications for the UK Levelling Up Fund closing in June, I am also making sure the Council’s bid, which focuses on the Wrexham Gateway project, gets the attention in Westminster that it deserves.

I am also making sure that Wrexham’s transport and connectivity needs are understood by the Government in preparation for the Union Connectivity Review, which will be released in due course, and I am looking ahead to the Shared Prosperity Fund, another funding stream that will support people and communities and spur regeneration and innovation across the UK. In all my conversations with Ministers, I am banging the drum for Wrexham so that constituents can look forward to loving their town even more.

Linked to this is our town’s ambition to become a city. Wrexham Council has attempted to gain city status for the town on several occasions and many feel that the economic and cultural benefits of city status – such as increased investment, better service provisions and a greater national prominence – mean Wrexham should continue this ambition. However, others are not so sure, which is why I have created a city status survey on my website to hear your views on the matter and I would encourage everybody to take part in.

The survey can be found at www.sarahatherton.org.uk/city-status-wrexham.

In the meantime, our town still has so much to offer and our fantastic local businesses should be supported and encouraged, especially as we exit the pandemic and rebuild our economy. That is why I have been working with businesses over the past few weeks to learn more about their needs or help them reach their potential.

For example, this week I chaired the Parliamentary Export Programme in Wrexham, a UK Department for International Trade initiative designed to help businesses develop export opportunities and grow their business. I also visited Conservation K9 Consultancy, a Wrexham-based business that works to protect endangered wildlife and I am continuing to support charities and community groups, such as Premier Radio, a new community radio station who are working hard to provide a local radio service at a time when we need it perhaps more than ever.

As always if you are resident in Wrexham and need my assistance with any local or national issue, please make contact with me by emailing sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk