Council looks forward to delivering exciting project -
17/01/07
The Vale of Glamorgan Council has expressed its delight at the
news that a £14bn military academy is to be built at RAF St
Athan.
The Metrix Consortium proposal will bring a large number of
highly skilled jobs to the Vale and will transform the area for
decades.
The Council has always maintained the St Athan site is one of
the most attractive in Wales for such a development, and Leader
Cllr Margaret Alexander said: "It is rewarding to see that this has
now been recognised in the decision by the Ministry of Defence. I
am delighted at today's news.
"The 4,000-plus direct jobs that this proposal will bring will
undoubtedly lead to many more jobs being created throughout South
Wales, with all the benefits that this brings to the local
economy."
The Council, at both member and officer level, has worked hard
with the Welsh Assembly Government and with Metrix in preparing the
bid. Cllr Alexander added: "It was important for the Council to
demonstrate that it could efficiently deliver a project of this
scale through the necessary statutory processes. It has also been
very encouraging that the local communities around St Athan have
always been supportive of this bid, and I am sure this has been
another major factor in its success."
The Council now looks forward to working with Metrix and the
Welsh Assembly in delivering the proposal and in ensuring that the
benefits are spread as widely as possible throughout the Vale and
the rest of South East Wales.
Cllr Alexander continued: "The hard work that has been
undertaken by my colleagues in all parties, along with their
partners in the Welsh Assembly and Metrix, has paid off.
"This proposal will transform the area and there will be many
challenges to meet in terms of necessary infrastructure, education,
skills and housing. This Council is up to the challenge and looks
forward to playing its full part in delivering this exciting
project."