In December the Welsh Government will host an international investment summit at Newport’s International Convention Centre. There are projects in the wings, but imagine a summit concluding with a guided tour of new floorspace and employment sites, which businesses are shouting out for.

In June the remaining phases of the A465 Heads of the Valleys dual carriageway opened, concluding a 23-year upgrade costing £2bn. It’s transformational, improving communications for some of our most disadvantaged communities across the northern Valleys. But where is the investment to align economic development with economic infrastructure?

The current A465 business property ‘offer’ comprises monotone industrial estates built in the 1970s & 80s; the likes of Rassau, Tafarnaubach, Crown and Hirwaun. Secondary industrial floorspace dominates, much approaching the end of its economic life.

There’s no value-added business park, science park or creative space. Where’s the bespoke offer for high-employment food and drink businesses or the sites to capture data and energy projects, both active sectors on the M4 corridor?

There are live enquiries for the northern Valleys, not least from engineering, defence, construction and advanced manufacturing sectors. Landing projects is, however, constrained by a lack of grade A (highest quality space) sites and premises.

We should have unveiled a balanced A465 portfolio of shovel-ready employment sites alongside new floorspace. This would have provided specialist space........

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