Delyth Jewell MS: Residents “still awaiting building repairs” after floods

Visits to flood victims

This Thursday, I’ll be happy to welcome Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price MS to Caerphilly. We intend to travel across the region, visiting those affected by both the floods in March, and of course Covid-19.

Residents in towns throughout Caerphilly, in particular Ystrad Mynach, are still awaiting building repairs after the support was put on hold by the pandemic.   

In March, before the virus hit, Caerphilly Council provided tax relief for those affected by the flood after my colleagues and I called on them to do so.

Now, five months on, I want to see the Welsh Government mandate councils to carry out all flood repair works halted by the pandemic.

People across the region, such as those I’ll be visiting in Ystrad have suffered enough. The Welsh Government must help them.

New beginnings

I’m looking forward to visiting local businesses across Caerphilly with Adam, and to chatting with the staff that often risked their own health ensuring our communities were provided for throughout the pandemic. 

Our local shops across the area, from Caerphilly town, to Hengoed, to Ystrad Mynach, are now facing periods of mass uncertainty.  They supported us, now we have to show the same solidarity. 

Now that Covid-19 cases are starting to decrease, we need to give proper thought to our future here in Caerphilly, and indeed across Wales. How will our local businesses manage? Do we want to return to the politics of the past, or do we want to build something better for our younger generation? 

As our way of tackling the issue, I’ll be pleased on Thursday afternoon to announce the launch of Plaid Ifanc Caerphilly – Plaid Cymru’s youth wing.  Young people are going to play an important role in Welsh Politics this coming year, with 16-year olds now allowed to vote in Senedd elections – such as the one coming in 2021. 

As we saw with their excellent campaign to correct the A-level grading injustice, young people are fighting for the progressive future they want to see – and we need to give them our full support. 

The Virtual Caerphilly Town Hall 

Perhaps the part of Thursday’s activities I’m most excited about is the launch of the Virtual Caerphilly Town Hall. If you’re interested in the future of Caerphilly, come along and have your say!

Too often, politicians spend their days in meeting after meeting, with too little time to hear the views of electors. I’m looking forward to taking part in the Caerphilly region’s first virtual town hall, where people can come and discuss their issues with me and Adam. 

I’m ready for questions, challenges, and debate, and I hope you can attend.  

I want to show people across the region that a better Caerphilly is possible, and that we ourselves can create the community we want to see – but we need to do it together. Click here to register for the Virtual Town Hall, Thursday 27^th August, 7pm-9pm.