Llyr Gruffydd MS Member of the Senedd for North Wales

On Tuesday, May 14th in a statement from Huw Irranca Davies MS - the new Cabinet Secretary responsible for rural affairs - that the controversial Sustainable Farming Scheme will be pushed back a year.

Instead of starting in 2025, the scheme now will take effect in 2026 after constant pressure from Llyr Gruffydd and Plaid Cymru.

The Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) has attracted a lot of criticism from the farming industry since its announcement. The farming unions and wider agriculture community hve be vocal in expressing their concerns to the plans, with widespread concern with the plans to plant 10% of farmland with trees attracting criticism.

Responding to the news,  Llyr Gruffydd MS in his role as Plaid Cymru’s Rural Affairs spokesperson said: “I’m glad that through Plaid Cymru’s co-operation agreement with the Welsh Government we have secured more time to get the Sustainable Farming Scheme right.

“I’ve long argued that rushing headlong into a scheme that will impact generations of farming is both irresponsible and foolish. We now have an opportunity to take a step back and make the necessary changes that will ensure both buy-in from the industry and a more sustainable scheme for farming and for nature.

“I’ve been consistent from day one that achieving all the changes set out by the Government in the time scale provided was unrealistic, especially with the need to listen and respond to the concerns of farmers. The delay of a year is much needed and will be of relief to many.

“I’m pleased that today we’ve seen the Cabinet Secretary take a pragmatic and sensible approach to the Sustainable Farming Scheme, and that many of Plaid Cymru’s calls have not just been listened to but have been delivered.”

Recently Llyr Gruffydd launched a petition to create a banking hub in Denbigh.

Llŷr Gruffydd says the petition is an “opportunity to send a powerful message” following a series of branch closures in the town.

The petition has the full support of the Plaid Cymru group of councillors on Denbighshire County Council, who have also been calling for the creation of a banking hub.

Denbigh has been left without a single high street bank after HSBC, Halifax, NatWest and Barclays shut their branches in the last few years.

A wave of branch closures across the UK have led to banking hubs being created so that people can access essential banking services.

The UK’s cash access and ATM network, LINK developed the idea for these hubs but so far they have declined to create one in Denbigh.

A new banking hub was opened in Prestatyn in December 2023 in response to branch closures in the town.

Banking hubs operate in a similar way to traditional bank branches. But the spaces are shared and the hub includes a counter service operated by Post Office staff.

Customers of any bank can withdraw and deposit cash, make bill payments, and carry out regular banking transactions. There is also access free ATMs, and cashback without purchase.

They have private spaces for dealing with more complicated issues. In these customers can speak to a staff member from their own bank.

These banks work on a rotating basis, and this means staff from different banks are available on different days.

Llŷr Gruffydd MS, of Plaid Cymru said: “It’s abundantly clear that there is a real and urgent need for a banking hub in Denbigh, and that’s why I have launched this petition.

“It’s completely unacceptable that the people of the town and the surrounding area have been left without access to the banking services they need.

“This is an opportunity to send a powerful message to LINK who have so far declined to create a banking hub in Denbigh, even though they have done so elsewhere.

“Prestatyn now quite rightly has a banking hub and it is only right that a town the size of Denbigh has one too.

“You often hear this argument wheeled out that people just aren’t using traditional banking services anymore.

“But the fact of the matter is that there are still an awful lot of people locally who rely on using cash. It simply isn’t the case that everyone is moving to online services.”

Denbigh councillor Rhys Thomas, who is the Deputy Leader of Plaid Cymru on Denbighshire County Council, said: “The Plaid Cymru group on Denbighshire County Council fully supports this petition calling for the creation of a new banking hub in Denbigh.

“This is an opportunity for local people to make their voices heard and therefore we are urging as many people as possible to get behind it and make it clear to LINK that there is a significant demand in Denbigh for this vital service.”

To sign the petition - sign here

Concerns have been raised that plans to create a new national park in north-east Wales could make house prices unaffordable for local people.

The Welsh Government is looking to create a national park based around the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, which is already designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

If the plans go ahead, it would become the fourth national park in Wales alongside Eryri (Snowdonia), the Pembrokeshire Coast and Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons).

Draft plans showing areas which could be covered were revealed by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) in October last year, including parts of Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and Powys.

The pledge to establish Wales' first new national park since 1957 formed part of Welsh Labour's manifesto at the last Senedd election in 2021.

However, fears have been raised by a Plaid Cymru politician that it could lead to a rise in house prices in locations which are included within the park.

Llyr Gruffydd said it could also lead to problems with parking and traffic, similar to those experienced by residents in Eryri.

Addressing Julie James, cabinet secretary for planning, in the Senedd chamber he said: “I'm aware that there are potential impacts on affordability of housing in that area for local residents who may be affected inadvertently by the designation.

“I'm also very aware of the need to invest in appropriate infrastructure.

“As welcome as additional visitors would be, we need to avoid a situation where we replicate some of the challenges that we've seen in Eryri, where there have been parking problems, blocked roads and a lack of sufficient public facilities.

“What assurances can you give us that, as part of the work of preparing towards a new national park in north-east Wales, all of these factors are being considered?”

NRW has been tasked by ministers with evaluating the case for the new park and previously advertised for consultants to carry out an assessment of areas which could be included.

They will be required to provide a summary of their findings, including a detailed draft boundary of the area covered.

NRW has already held several consultation events into the proposals, with a provisional map including locations such as Gronant Dunes, Hope Mountain, the Ceiriog Valley and Lake Vyrnwy.

Responding to Mr Gruffydd's concerns, Ms James said a range of issues would be considered before formal plans are brought forward.

The Labour MS said: “Part of the designation process is to go through all of the pros and all of the cons…to come to a conclusion that suits the inhabitants of the area.

“It is about enhancing, protecting and recognising very beautiful landscapes across Wales, but it is also about making sure that those landscapes are then not subject to overtourism, for example.

“I was in Eryri very recently and I was being told about the number of walkers who consider themselves to be guardians of the environment but think it's fine to drop their banana peel on the road, because they think it's biodegradable.

“The fact that it's full of things that shouldn't be found in that environment is one of the things that they've been working very hard on.”

She added: “I was very sad to see the statistics that show that, on most of the major routes up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), there's contamination every two feet with some kind of substance that shouldn't be there.

“Helping the national parks help their visitors to understand the impact of tourism, and what they can do to enhance that environment and not take away from it, is important.”

Ms James said a final decision on the plans was expected to be made next year.

Recently Llyr Gruffydd MS welcomed the news that Enfinium, the energy-from-waste operator, awarded the Ruthin Repair Café, located in Denbighshire, £1,500 of funding to help it to repair fixable goods, reduce unnecessary household waste, and save local families money.

Ruthin Repair Café, a community based not-for-profit, has been repairing household goods for local residents since February 2020. Running once a month, its team of 25 volunteers have helped fix 963 items to date across 31 Repair Café events. The most common repairs are electricals, especially toasters and vacuum cleaners, followed by sewing repairs, such as soft toys and clothes.

The grant funding announced today will cover the running costs, including room hire and consumables, and enable training for our volunteers to develop their skills in areas such as first aid training, tool sharpening and PAT safety-testing certification, which is critical for electrical item repairs.

Every item repaired saves a family from the expense of replacing it, reduces the amount of waste sent to climate-damaging landfill and reduces carbon emissions. For example, maintaining a single television for an additional 7 years has been found to save the equivalent of 657kg CO₂.

In March 2024, enfinium launched its £60,000 ‘Repair Café Support Fund’, set up to support cafés within a 30 mile radius of one of enfinium’s facilities in Kent, North Wales, West Yorkshire or the West Midlands. Eligible Repair Cafés can apply for funding of up to £1,500 per annum before the 31 May deadline.   

If you would like to learn more about the Repair Cafés Support Fund, or apply for funding, please visit the project website Repair Café or email [email protected].

Mike Maudsley, CEO of enfinium, said: “Repairing broken items is a critical part of reducing the amount of waste we produce. In turn, this leads to lower consumption, lower carbon emissions and less waste ending up in landfill. This is why we are delighted to be awarding Ruthin’s Repair Café with funding today, which has been helping local families to reduce waste and save money since 2020.”    

Anne Lewis, Ruthin Repair Café Organiser, said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded this funding from enfinium. The funds will enable us to continue to help support the local residents of Ruthin, repair their broken items, and provide training to our fantastic team of volunteers.”

Llyr Gruffydd MS commented: “I’m delighted that Ruthin repair café has received this funding from enfinium. It will enable volunteers to ensure that items that would otherwise end up in landfill are able to be recycled, reused and repurposed. It’s a simple but wonderfully effective idea that benefits the environment and also saves people money at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is a very real problem for so many families. I would urge any other repair cafes that are within 30 miles of the Parc Adfer facility on Deeside to apply for funding from enfinium.”

Recently Llyr Gruffydd called for the Welsh Government to ensure that people who have brain tumours “don’t fall through the cracks”. This echoed warnings from campaigners that more needs to be done to remove barriers that exist in the health service.

Mr Gruffydd MS recently met with representatives from The Brain Tumour Charity at Tŷ Hywel to show his support for Brain Tumour Awareness Month.

The Brain Tumour Charity says that the gaps in the health service can only be tackled through systematic change and developing a comprehensive National Brain Tumour Strategy.

People who have brain tumour can face a number of issues, including multiple misdiagnoses and trips to GPs, to undergoing harsh treatments or not having access to the support from an allocated Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS).

According to The Brain Tumour Charity, brain tumours often fall into the ‘too difficult’ pile due to the nature of the disease.

There are more than 120 different types of brain and central nervous system tumours, which can be high grade, or low grade (non-malignant). As a result the disease does not sit neatly in the cancer nor the rare disease world.

The charity also says that brain cancers are often missed by NHS cancer programmes because of the differences in how they start, develop and are tracked, compared to other cancers.

Llŷr Gruffydd MS said: “It is vital that the Welsh Government as well as governments across the UK make sure that people who have brain tumours don’t fall through the cracks in the health care system.

“There needs to be a well-thought-out strategy in place to bring this about that takes into account all of the complexities and puts the needs of patients front and centre.

“As with any disease, the faster it can be caught the more likely it is for patients to have a positive outcome.

“That’s why it is important to tackle the barriers patients can face when trying go get a diagnosis, and access care and treatment.

“Ensuring that patients are able to get a faster diagnosis can open up more options for patients and their families to receive sufficient support.

“It can also can widen the scope of research participation options, reduce the severity of symptoms, as well as help patients to better withstand harsh treatments and reduce the need for emergency, higher risk surgery.”

Llyr Gruffydd recently paid volunteer sector hub CVSC a visit and learnt that growing pressures on public services is leading to greater reliance on the network of voluntary services in Conwy.

The role of the Colwyn Bay-based Community and Voluntary Support Conwy (CVSC), which coordinates those voluntary services, was therefore even more important than ever.

Mr Gruffydd, of Plaid Cymru, said: “After a generation of public service funding, the reliance of our communities on the voluntary sector has increased substantially. The support given by CVSC across the county of Conwy to so many organisations is invaluable. In operating as a one-stop shop for so many organisations, their expertise helps with practical support as well as to give information, guidance and advice.”

Elgan Owen, Chief Executive Officer of CVSC, explained: “We operate as a pivot point in the centre of the voluntary sector in Conwy. We work with the Council, the Health Board, as well as the Private Sector. We are a link between all these organisations and the third sector (voluntary services).”

“CVSC manage several funds on behalf of the renewable energy sector that is allocated to community projects in Conwy, Denbighshire and Flintshire as well as some funds that support local businesses. A substantial amount of our work is to help team up these funds with the projects that are so reliant on this money.”

County Voluntary Councils support the sector across all of Wales but the CVSC set-up in Conwy is particularly well developed. As well as providing services for the voluntary sector, CVSC provides services that complement local authority and health services as well as reducing the significant pressure on them.

“We are quite lucky in Conwy to have access to funds from the renewable energy sector that is allocated to community projects in the area. A substantial amount of our work is to help team up these funds with the projects that are so reliant on this money.”

Many of the council areas across Wales will have similar third-sector hubs, but the CVSC set-up in Conwy is particularly well developed. As well as providing services for the volunteer sector, the CVSC provides services directly to the Council.

Llyr Gruffydd added: “One of the strengths of the set-up here in Conwy is that they’ve developed a well-oiled network of organisations that work well together. Not only do they support each other locally, but they extend across north Wales to provide strength in unity.”

Recently Llyr Gruffydd MS expressed grave concerns over extent of large-scale housing development in Flintshire.

A huge development of 300 homes that would effectively merge two villages has been condemned by Plaid Cymru's North Wales Senedd Member. 

Llyr Gruffydd MS visited the Gladstone Way site recently to see the extent of the development for himself. The proposed housing estate will join the villages of Hawarden and Mancot to create what he described as "a single sprawling conurbation.

“This development will severely impact local infrastructure. The school, local GP surgeries and the local road network are already struggling to cope. This development will only make matters worse.”

Local campaigners have already submitted 2,500 objections as the planning application comes before Flintshire Council's planning committee later this month. Mr Gruffydd met with campaigners and local councillor Sam Swash near the site to learn about their concerns.

Cllr Swash said:  "The campaign against this housing development has been the biggest of its kind in Flintshire's recent history. In spite of that, it has still been put forward as an allocated site in Flintshire's Local Development Plan, leading to the submission of this planning application. It represents the culmination of landowners, private developers, the County Council, and the Welsh Government teaming up in the interests of private profit at the expense of the residents of Hawarden and Mancot.

We very much welcome Llyr Gruffydd's support for our campaign in opposing this recklessly irresponsible scheme, as well as Llyr and his colleagues efforts in the Senedd to expose the anti-democratic nature of Local Development Plans in North Wales, from Flintshire to Wrexham."

Mr Gruffydd added: “Flintshire County Council planning department must take into consideration the local concerns over the development. Although there is need for new homes in the area, this development is far from being suitable for a community like Hawarden.”

“Planning policy needs to be far more empathetic to local needs when considering housing developments. We need more housing provision, but the need to be the right homes in the right places. I'm also concerned about the loss of prime agricultural land at a time when we need to consider food security. It's ironic, isn't it, that the Labour Welsh Government is insisting that farmers put aside agricultural land for trees and wildlife habitat while on the other hand enabling large housing developers to Tarmac over swathes of open countryside."

An MS has welcomed a group of “enthusiastic” school pupils from Flintshire to the Senedd.

Today we were paid a visit to the Senedd by Ysgol Pen Barras primary school.

Having year 5 and 6 pupils from the school, which is a stone's throw from my office in Ruthin here to learn about the workings of the Senedd was amazing.  Learning about the work of organisations such as the Senedd is extremely important, and to be able to explain what the central role of the institution is in the landscape of Welsh governance is always gratifying.

I hope that today's visit will stimulate this generation of pupils to take an interest in the work of the Senedd, and also to show an interest in politics.

Good luck to the future Ysgol Pen Barras, and thank you for listening to the presentation and for the fun questions!

Llyr Gruffydd was lucky enough recently to be invited to visit Caernarfon Youth Tennis Club to learn about how they work. 

“The work that the coaching staff do with the youth of the area is phenomenal” said Mr Gruffydd,

The club now attracts more than a hundred school-aged children to play tennis every week in the purpose built Arfon Tennis Centre in the town, and has recently attracted funding from Sport Wales to improve facilities.

Osian Williams, who is head-coach at the club said-

“Thanks to the £200k funding, we’ve been able to secure the future of the club here in Caernarfon. We’ve invested in new lights, new court surfaces and much more”

“Although tennis at the centre had been in decline since its heyday in the 1990s, this funding has supported the continued revival of tennis in the Caernarfon area in recent years.”

“We are an unique tennis club in a way. We are the only Welsh language medium youth tennis club in the world, which is something special we think.”

Mr Gruffydd added-

“Tennis in the Gwynedd area is up against other popular sports when it comes to attracting youth players, but the achievement of the staff and volunteers here in Caernarfon is amazing. Attracting so many young players to the sport is quite an achievement.”

“Maybe we’ll see the tennis stars of the future emerging from the club – with the facilities available to them here, there’s nothing to prevent them from achieving greatness.”