A Porthmadog councillor has published ‘An Economic Plan for Gwynedd’ with radical suggestions on how to improve Gwynedd’s economy.

An Associate Professor in Public Policy, Borth-y-Gest councillor Simon Brooks (right) launched the document at Criccieth.

“We need to think big about how to improve Gwynedd’s economy,” he said.

“If we want to move work from the cities to rural Wales, we need to use economic development money in a strategic way.

“I’d suggest a new idea to do this, what I call Welsh-language enterprise zones. These would be areas of Wales where we could offer Welsh-medium companies grant aid to move.

“They could be modelled on the enterprise zones at Trawsfynydd and Llanbedr but would have a direct responsibility to promote the Welsh-language economy.

“An enterprise zone like that would work well running up the valley from Penrhyndeudraeth to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

“Another area where it could work well would be around Bala and Llyn Tegid, given that the Welsh language is so important to the economy there, for example in Glanllyn.

“I think the model would work well in Pen Llyn too.

“The future of rural Wales depends upon identifying strengths in the existing economy, and building on them. The Welsh language is one of those strengths.

“We should try to attract private sector Welsh-language companies to parts of Wales where the language is strong, and the economy needs to be grown.

“Dwyfor should be an enterprise zone, with grant aid along the lines of what we have in Llanbedr and Trawsfynydd."

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