'Flooding continues to pose challenges to many parts of our borough'

MP for Wrexham

I am acutely aware of the recent flooding that was inflicted upon Wrexham in the wake of Storm Babet, with many roads being closed and damage caused to property. My thoughts are with everyone affected by the storm.

Flooding continues to pose challenges to many parts of our borough. I have previously met with Wrexham Council, Natural Resources Wales and Welsh Water in order to emphasise the scale of damage that flooding can unleash on communities, and to express the importance of investing in both flood mitigation and defence measures. I will continue to liaise with all relevant organisations to stress the need for sufficient infrastructure and drainage facilities to be in place as our city continues to grow.

If you live within the current boundary of the Wrexham constituency and require my assistance following the aftermath of Storm Babet, please contact my office.

Separately, my constituents living in Rossett will be aware of the campaign that I have been running to improve broadband and connectivity in the village and across the constituency as a whole. Numerous constituents have responded to the campaign, with a common grievance being that they often need to move rooms to make telephone calls and obtain some form of digital connection. Residents also feel excluded from taking part in what is an increasingly digitalised world, as poor levels of connectivity obstruct access to online facilities, such as healthcare and retail services.

I recently met with Wrexham Council’s Smart City Development Officer, David Evans, to discuss feedback which I am continuing to receive from residents on this issue. At the meeting, I was informed that Wrexham Council is the first local authority in Wales to sign an open access agreement with Freshwave to allow network providers to use small-cell technology on lamp posts to boost mobile signal throughout the city. It is my intention to secure a meeting with Freshwave to discuss how this agreement can benefit our more rural communities, including Rossett, and I will ensure that residents are kept updated on my progress.

Throughout the course of the meeting, I raised the stark difference that exists between residents’ experiences and the OFCOM broadband and mobile coverage checker which states Wrexham is likely to have ‘good coverage.’ I will be redoubling my efforts on this campaign by making further enquiries to OFCOM requesting that the disparity between the coverage checker and the reality of the situation, which is having a huge impact on my residents’ daily living, is urgently addressed. I also intend to share residents’ experiences with UK Government ministers to see what can be done to address these issues. If you have not done already, please let me know your feedback regarding broadband and mobile phone coverage by emailing sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk.

Meanwhile, last Tuesday, I was pleased to welcome Claire Davies to Downing Street for the Local Skills Champions’ Reception at Number 10. Claire is a regional director at Maximus UK which provides essential services across the country, including in Wrexham, to support people into employment.

One of the several ways that Maximus supports clients includes assisting potential job applicants with childcare and transport costs, in addition to training candidates for interview processes. Maximus’ services play a huge role in lifting an average of 45 to 60 people per month into employment. I had the opportunity to visit Maximus’ Wrexham branch earlier this year to see first-hand some of the excellent work that is done to make a huge difference in the lives of my constituents, and it was great to see some of that work recognised this week by the UK Government.

With the State Opening of Parliament approaching, last week was also a timely opportunity to show Claire around the Palace of Westminster, and to observe preparations which are progressing ahead of The King’s Speech on November 7th.

My daily duty of championing Wrexham and our successes did not stop at Downing Street. I was also pleased to proudly showcase Wrexham Lager in Parliament at the ‘Taste of Wales’ event last week which represented another opportunity to celebrate our new city’s growing reach and reputation, in addition to Wrexham’s substantial contribution to the UK’s food and drink market. A particular highlight of the event was sharing a pint of Wrexham Lager with the Secretary of State for Wales.

Finally, if you are a resident in the current Wrexham constituency boundary and feel that I can assist with any issues that you may have, please contact me by emailing: sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk.