Comments on: Forget inward investment, let’s look inwards

By: Duncan Higgitt

Duncan Higgitt — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:10:19 +0000

Thanks you all for your responses. We knew from the moment we had it that Heledd had written us an excellent piece, and thought-provoking it proved to be also, judging from all the comments.

Since beginning WalesHome.org, we have found that local issues like this provide some of the greatest debate and, working on the assumption that a large amounts of responses equals plenty of interest, we are keen to find more of the same.

If you think you have a story of this kind that has become an issue in your part of Wales, please drop me a line at duncan@waleshome.org and we will take a look into it.

Once again, thanks for all your comments.

By: Hendre

Hendre — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:48:33 +0000

Will,

In replying to Heledd Fychan’s post in those terms I was aware that I was conveying some of the reservations which have possibly hindered tourism in Caernarfon in the past. I’m quite happy to put the conquest stuff behind us and would be even happier if the Royal Family could too!

By: Will

Will — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:15:17 +0000

A thoughtful article.

Perhaps we shouldn’t get too carried away by Ireland. It was deluged with EU money for years, but those days are over and it will be interesting to see where they go from here – now that their economy is in a dire state.

To an earlier commentator I say ‘Let’s put that conquest stuff behind us.’ The castle is a gem to be celebrated and enjoyed by visitors who come and spend money. Would we have such reservations about our sparse Roman edifices?

We need to get our beautiful scenery and places of interest better known, but also stimulate more enterprise. Wales cannot rely on inward investment as much in the past (we’ve learned the hard way), and yes, we need more indigenous and small scale enterprises. We need both.

But start a business anywhere in Wales (or the UK) and you are immediately punished by ridiculous business rates. I have just had a demand for payment for the stairs and upstairs landing in my small business. I have to pay several times the amount of council tax that I pay for my home, which is larger.

So why not encourage start-ups in population centres like Caernarfon by slashing business rates – or removing them entirely for, say, five years? I know Plaid have an interest in this. We can’t all work in the public sector, or the whole economy of Wales will slip ever further down the EU league.

And finally, isn’t it odd that we pin our economic hopes on a new prison?

By: angela elniff-larsen

angela elniff-larsen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:21:53 +0000

To be tourist friendly takes investment in both the infrastructure and the people. I will never understand why in Llanfair PG all the retail is run by non-Welsh companies. Why not invest in encouraging enterprise? The market is there. There is a major need for another upmarket hotel, the Celt is not enough. Tourists want good places to eat and enjoy a coffee after 5 pm if possible.

I love Caernarfon but it it just doesn’t look as if it loves itself. The shops, cafes and feel needs to be brought up to far more to what tourists and business visitors expect – even demand.

I still am stunned that a supermarket sits on one of the prime tourism sites right on the seafront.

There is so much that could be built on to generate a booming tourist and business market, but honestly is there the will?

By: TJ

TJ — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:51:14 +0000

Prison would have been a disaster.

Invest in Caernarfon? Try Gwynedd Planning. But Sioned Williams in economic development is excellent, I understand.

By: Efrogwr

Efrogwr — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:50:23 +0000

A positive post in the face of disappointing news about the prison. It would be great to increase the visitors from other parts of Wales as well as from Ireland, England and beyond. Sitting here in Swansea, though, the simple torture of trying to get anywhere much north or west within Wales is a huge disincentive. I do not really want to have to travel an hour in the wrong direction to Cardiff first to get on the Gerallt Cymro train (the “Ieuan Express”) before the great trek begins. Maybe little that can be done in the short term beyond what One Wales is doing but please keep pushing, Heledd, for a proper internal transport system for Wales.

By: Gwilym Morris

Gwilym Morris — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:33:52 +0000

Excellent article – Wales home needs more stuff from the west and north.

If the Irish model works – and Cardiff and London can’t deliver – could there an agreement forged with the Irish government’s Department for Arts, Sports and Tourism to run North Wales tourism.

Obviously it would have to be a commercially viable arrangement for both parties but devolution of power shouldn’t just be about strategic arrangements between big institutions.

I know it is a bit left field to hand over responsibility to another country but the important thing is the people of Caernarfon deserve the best. Practically it could work through the creation of a pan national tourism region of a sort seen in mainland Europe. Alun Ffred Jones would obviously remain constitutionally in charge but he would seed day-to-day responsibility for a period of time across the water.

It is obvious what Wales would gain, but the Irish too it would offer benefits
- Better control over North Wales ports;
- Maximising the currently under-utilised transportation between Wales and Ireland; and
- Developing the Irish governments good relationship with the Manchester airport as a hub for north American travellers

Given north west Wales proximity to Dublin. Why not?

By: Hendre

Hendre — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:33:02 +0000

There is something counter-intuitive about celebrating the castles of conquest, a point Alun Ffred has been discussing recently. I noticed in the Western Mail’s article on Cadw last Saturday there was a reference to trying to get people to adopt a more long-term perspective. Perhaps a little more nonchalance would be helpful – something along the lines of …. when we let Eddie Longshanks build his castles we always knew they’d come in handy for something … Even so it’s important to avoid the Ruritanian-esque stuff associated with Caernarfon.

By: alan davies

alan davies — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:29:47 +0000

I recall a recent article or letter by a visitor to Caernarfon bemoaning the opening (or rather the closing) times of the main attractions there. Tourists unable to visit the castle at 4 pm in the summer was the main point. Shops shutting early and opening late, all made the place unattractive to a long stop over.
We will continue to get the results we get, unless we change something. A prison would create economic value, just as an Amry Barracks would, but a lot more must be done locally to stimulate change throughout Wales. The government is not the only source of good ideas for change. So let’s get our heads on and create change without waiting for it to be delivered from Cardiff/Westminster.

By: marcus warner

marcus warner — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:51:23 +0000

Great stuff heledd!

I think the wider point of this article is hugely relevant, and ultimately pays into the people of Wales being more positive about themselves and their land.

We have such a rich and diverse land, one which needs to be promoted with the same zeal and positivity others places do. We are slowly seeing that change in the Valleys, with people beginning to merely look around them and see what economy that can be built around them.

I do not argue we should turn Wales into a parody of itself to attract tourists, but ultimately we need to deepen the experience of people when they visit, particularly in North Wales and outside of Cardiff generally.