Call for a Llandeilo Jobs Summit
Llandeilo businessman and brewer Simon Buckley has called for an urgent Jobs Summit for the Tywi Valley town.
The move follows the success of the campaign to keep Sainsbury's supermarket out of Llandeilo.
Mr Buckley, chief executive of the Evan-Evans Brewery and owner of the White Horse Inn, is trying to bring Carmarthenshire Council, MPs and AMs and other interested agencies together to thrash out a way forward to bring jobs to Llandeilo.
He has written to Carmarthenshire Council chief executive Mark James as follows -
The move follows the success of the campaign to keep Sainsbury's supermarket out of Llandeilo.
Mr Buckley, chief executive of the Evan-Evans Brewery and owner of the White Horse Inn, is trying to bring Carmarthenshire Council, MPs and AMs and other interested agencies together to thrash out a way forward to bring jobs to Llandeilo.
He has written to Carmarthenshire Council chief executive Mark James as follows -
'Now that sense has prevailed and Sainsbury's have decided to see sense and withdraw their planning application, it is now time to think about the alternative plans for East Carmarthenshire.
'I would like to have a meeting with you and your senior officers, our county council member and other Llandeilo employers to discuss a strategy for the development of long term jobs in the area.
'We would like to understand what commitment the council is prepared to give to Llandeilo, and in particular the support you would now give to a phase 2 development at the Beechwood site for the building of further units, and the encouragement of long term engineering and manufacturing jobs.
'We would also like to consider what support may be available to create a specialist food manufacturing group in Llandeilo, with a long term view to making Llandeilo a specialist food hub for the county.
'We are determined to replace 'lost' Sainsbury jobs with more creative and long term strategies which will give the young of our valley the opportunity to have a long term say in their communities.
'I hope that in defeat you will show some humility and join with us and now put our plans into motion to make this opportunity one that is not wasted. If you are committed to jobs, and the creation of rural wealth here is the opportunity 'I would like to propose a meeting on December 11 or December 18 to start moving the ball forwards. If neither of those dates are suitable, then please suggest an alternative, prior to January 10 and not between Christmas and the New Year.
'I hope that you will now see the sense of what we are saying, apply the man hours needed to move things forward and give us the support that you gave Sainsbury's to create new jobs for the people of the Tywi Valley.
'I would like to have a meeting with you and your senior officers, our county council member and other Llandeilo employers to discuss a strategy for the development of long term jobs in the area.
'We would like to understand what commitment the council is prepared to give to Llandeilo, and in particular the support you would now give to a phase 2 development at the Beechwood site for the building of further units, and the encouragement of long term engineering and manufacturing jobs.
'We would also like to consider what support may be available to create a specialist food manufacturing group in Llandeilo, with a long term view to making Llandeilo a specialist food hub for the county.
'We are determined to replace 'lost' Sainsbury jobs with more creative and long term strategies which will give the young of our valley the opportunity to have a long term say in their communities.
'I hope that in defeat you will show some humility and join with us and now put our plans into motion to make this opportunity one that is not wasted. If you are committed to jobs, and the creation of rural wealth here is the opportunity 'I would like to propose a meeting on December 11 or December 18 to start moving the ball forwards. If neither of those dates are suitable, then please suggest an alternative, prior to January 10 and not between Christmas and the New Year.
'I hope that you will now see the sense of what we are saying, apply the man hours needed to move things forward and give us the support that you gave Sainsbury's to create new jobs for the people of the Tywi Valley.
'Or will you stand back and leave us to our own devices?
This is important for Llandeilo and East Carmarthenshire and it is time for the council to get 'on message' and come with us.
No sour grapes please, we need a commitment to driving this forgotten piece of Carmarthenshire forward.'
See earlier post -
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