'Relieved this saga has finally drawn to a close'

MS for Wrexham

At an extraordinary meeting before Christmas, councillors in Wrexham finally adopted their Local Development Plan (LDP). Readers will be aware Wrexham Council was ordered by a High Court judge to adopt its LDP and I am relieved this saga has finally drawn to a close.

The Court ruling was very clear and whilst it is understandable not every aspect of a document of this magnitude will please everybody, the LDP is ultimately a statutory requirement for local authorities. Wrexham Council’s LDP was years in the making and had been deemed sound by local officers and independent inspectors. By finally adopting its own plan, Wrexham Council is now in the same position as every other local authority in Wales.

There has been a lot of misinformation, particularly on social media, but to be clear, rejecting the LDP would not and does not stop developments. The opposite is true as the LDP allows the Local Authority to be the driver for change. Not adopting a plan would have meant it is more likely that we would have uncontrolled and unplanned developments in Wrexham.

I remain concerned about the amount of public money wasted in this process, particularly in light of the current financial pressures all levels of government are facing.

During the winter months, the public can help reduce pressure on hospitals by taking up vaccination appointments for flu or COVID-19, if eligible.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has reported the number of patients testing positive for flu in North Wales hospitals has increased in recent weeks.

Vaccination clinics are now offering both the flu vaccine and COVID-19 Autumn booster, and all eligible adults will be able to drop in to a clinic to receive the vaccines without an appointment.

The main vaccination centre in Wrexham is at the Catrin Finch Centre at Wrexham University and I urge all those eligible to get boosted.

In the run up to Christmas I was involved in a campaign to encourage people in Wrexham to donate blood.

I was pleased to discover over 234 donations were made locally in December, which will potentially save the lives of 702 people or 1,404 new-born babies in Wales.

Thank you to everyone who donated. Clearly, blood donations are needed all year round and if anyone is feeling inspired, bookings can be made at various locations across Wrexham throughout the year. All the information can be found on the Welsh Blood Service website.

If you’re a constituent in Wrexham and there is an issue I could help you with, please contact me via email: lesley.griffiths@senedd.wales or call 01978 355743.