'Discussions with Wrexham AFC and Transport for Wales are also “progressing well”.'

MS for Wrexham

At the beginning of November, the disappointing but not entirely unexpected news broke that Wrexham County Borough Council’s £18.3m bid to the UK Government’s “Levelling Up Fund” had been rejected.

It was hoped the extra funding would help complement the ongoing work of the Wrexham Gateway Project, which centres on regenerating the area of the town surrounding the Mold Road.

Many constituents contacted me after this setback expressing their concern. The Gateway Project is something I have championed for many years and I know a lot of work has taken place to get to this stage.

I wrote to the Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething MS for an update and he has confirmed the Welsh Government, along with its partners Wrexham Council and Glyndwr University, remain “very firmly committed” to the project.

Discussions with Wrexham AFC and Transport for Wales are also “progressing well”.

Despite the lack of support from the Westminster Government, it is reassuring the key partners remain determined to work together to achieve something truly special for the town and I will, of course, continue to do all I can to support the Gateway Project.

In light of the threat posed by the new Omicron variant of Covid-19, a number of measures have been announced to help try and minimise the risk of transmission. The JCVI has recommended an acceleration of the vaccination programme, with booster jabs to be offered to over-18s and the minimum gap between the second dose and booster is to be cut to three months.

This expansion of the booster programme is a major undertaking. Health Boards will increase their workforce and significantly more vaccination appointments will be issued over the coming weeks. I ask people in Wrexham to do all they can to get vaccinated and to keep their allocated appointment. It is never too late to get vaccinated and it remains our best defence against this awful virus.

There is still a lot to learn about the Omicron variant but I believe it is right to be cautions and implementing these protections early will hopefully stand us in good stead. We must also remember to continue to do all the things that have kept us safe during the pandemic, such as isolating and getting tested if we have symptoms, keeping our distance when we can and wearing a face covering.

All the announcements can be found online but if any constituent is struggling to find the latest information, please contact me via email: lesley.griffiths@senedd.wales or call 01978 355743.