The funding will be used to create a commercial property investment scheme to bring vacant commercial space back to use and revitalise existing shop fronts in the town.

Housing and Regeneration Minister Rebecca Evans announced £870,000 of Welsh Government investment to support the scheme. £700,000 of this has been allocated as part of the Welsh Government’s £160m Targeted Regeneration Investment (TRI) programme. A further £170,000 of Town Centre Loan funding from Welsh Government will be made available to businesses via the local authority. The remainder of the funding for the scheme will be provided by the local authority and private investment.

Rebecca Evans said: 

“As our town centres change, this investment will help businesses in Colwyn Bay to repair and refurbish buildings to make the high street a more attractive place. Importantly it will also target empty properties and spaces that could be transformed into thriving new shops or businesses. 

“There is a real demand for good quality retail and commercial space to help attract businesses to the area and to help local businesses grow and thrive. I believe this investment will build on previous Welsh Government investment in the town and be a springboard for business success in Colwyn Bay.”

Cllr Louise Emery, Conwy County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development said:

“I’m delighted that Colwyn Bay has been awarded this funding. It’s a great opportunity for the town to continue to benefit from investment in its regeneration.”

The Welsh Government’s £20m Town Centre Loans Fund is helping to bring underused sites in town centres back to life. The fund brings empty and derelict sites in town centres back into use and supports activities that increase footfall on high streets. Once loans are repaid, the money is used again to fund new loans.

Contaminated land has been found to affect 16 homes on the estate. Investigations  earlier this year found high concentrations of arsenic and lead underneath the properties which could pose a risk to human health. 

The Welsh Government has committed to fund 60% of the costs, with Anglesey County Council covering the remainder.  

Craig Y Don was built in the 1950s on the former Gwaith Hills metal smelter works,  which operated between 1786 and 1897, before becoming a chemical works. The estate includes 112 residential properties, both private dwellings and homes owned and leased to tenants by Anglesey County Council.  

The Welsh Government funding will ensure residents do not need to pay for the work themselves, while the local authority will not need to pay the total costs from its existing budgets. 

The Environment Minister, Hannah Blythyn, said: 

“The remediation costs for contaminated land usually fall to the owner or occupier of the property, in cases where the original polluter no longer exists. 

“However, given a number of distinguishing factors at Craig Y Don, we felt it appropriate for the Welsh Government to step in to provide financial support for the remediation work. 

“Contaminated land mostly affects former industrial, inner city and dockland areas. I’m pleased to announce this funding, which will help return the land to being a safe and clean place for residents, the community and for future generations.” 

Councillor Llinos Medi, Leader of the Isle of Anglesey County Council, said:

“I’m grateful to colleagues in Welsh Government for their financial support in ensuring these important works go ahead.

“This has been a challenging period for the residents of Craig y Don, but they have always been our first priority. 

“Through working in partnership we now have the funding needed to help all of them, be they tenants or homeowners.”

The new HerdAdvance project, which is being launched at the Dairy Show, is part of the Welsh Government’s £6.5m Dairy Improvement Programme, funded through the Rural Development Programme.

Support will be available for dairy farmers to improve the performance of their business by better cattle health and welfare, through working with their vet to deliver cattle health action planning. 

The new project, delivered by the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) Dairy, will provide financial and technical assistance on herd health management and disease control.  With the UK leaving the European Union in five months time, it will provide timely support, delivering interventions  to improve the profitability and performance of the industry at a crucial time.

Dairy farmers are able to submit expression of interest in the first window of applications until 30 November.

The Cabinet Secretary will today officially open the Dairy Show and will tour the Showground.  At the Show, the Cabinet Secretary will also present the FUW’s annual ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Welsh Dairy Industry’ and the NFU Cymru / NFU Mutual Welsh ‘Dairy stockperson of the year’ awards.

The Cabinet Secretary said: 

“Brexit means we have the opportunity to do things differently but there will also be many challenges.

“As a Government, we are doing all we can to support the industry prepare for Brexit and the challenges it will bring.   The need to prepare for a post-Brexit world has never been more essential.

“Earlier this year I announced £6.5m for AHDB Dairy to deliver our Dairy Improvement Programme, which aims to improve the profitability, sustainability and resilience of the industry.  Today the first phase of the programme launches and dairy farmers will now be able to apply for support to help improve the health of their herds and the profitability of their businesses.

“I encourage dairy farmers to make use of this invaluable support and to submit their expressions of interest by 30 November.

“I look forward to opening this year’s dairy show and am confident the dairy industry in Wales has a very bright future.” 

Welcoming the new HerdAdvance project, Professor Christianne Glossop, the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales said: 

“Ensuring optimal animal health and welfare is key to the success of livestock businesses, and is one of main goals of the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework.  AHDB’s initiative will help dairy farmers and their vet embed cattle health planning in the business.  I would urge all dairy farmers in Wales to consider, with their vet, whether they can make use of this important new opportunity”.

The fourth NHS Wales Annual Quality Statement (AQS) contains some of the initiatives which are contributing to improvements, across the board, in the quality of care provided for patients in areas such as dementia, sepsis, diabetes and cancer. The report highlights examples of where care is being delivered effectively in innovative new ways while also identifying areas where the NHS can improve in the future. 

NHS Wales Chief Executive Dr Andrew Goodall said on the day of the report’s publication:

“It is absolutely clear that the NHS in Wales is valued and must be protected. 

“It’s fitting that during the 70th anniversary of the NHS , We are able to show the commitment of our staff, working across many settings to provide good care to the Welsh population.

“Day in and day out, NHS staff are putting patients at the heart of everything they do. I am grateful to them, when I know they’re often facing periods of intense pressure. Even during the busiest winter on record, the vast majority of patients received timely, professional care and, whilst acknowledging real pressures, the system saw improvements in some waiting time areas.

“However, it is important that while promoting innovation and good practice we also recognise there are challenges facing the service; where challenges exist I am clear that improvements must be made.

“Looking forward, the NHS is changing quite rapidly and it must stay at the forefront of innovation. It must become more integrated; invest in new treatments and research into genetics and digital technologies is absolutely paramount. 

“This is why A Healthier Wales, our joint plan for health and social care is so very important. By the time the NHS turns 80 years old, I expect joint working and innovative, seamless services to be the norm in Wales, not the exception. I am confident we can create services which recognise that one size does not fit all; a service designed to meet people’s needs, with their involvement. 

“There are many opportunities to shape and deliver the future of health and social care services in Wales. I am looking forward to seeing real change take place over the coming year, building on the range of examples and good practice we have highlighted through this annual quality statement.”