Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George, said that the meeting he organised with the Welsh Business and Enterprise Minister last week in Newtown was ‘productive’.
The comments made by Mr George came after he facilitated a meeting between a number of regional businesses and Mrs Hart at the Welsh Government offices in Newtown.
Mr George said:
“The Minister was extremely engaging and listened very carefully to the concerns that these group of business owners raised with her as well as offering some potential solutions which the Government could examine to boost economic growth in Mid Wales.
“We discussed a number of issues including business rates, improving rural broadband connectivity and the affect that the traffic problems around Newtown is having on doing business in the region. Concerns were also raised about the potential impact ‘wind farm’ relating traffic will further have not only on Montgomeryshire’s already poor and overstretched road network but also on the tourism industry.
“Overall I thought it was very productive. We urged the Minister to concentrate her support for improved broadband on rural areas that have no or poor broadband rather than concentrating on urban parts of Wales that already had good connection and we were encouraged by the Minister’s acceptance on this point.
“The Minister also agreed to personally discuss our concerns regarding the traffic problems in and around Newtown with her cabinet colleague the Transport Minister, Carl Sargent.”
