Demand from infrastructure is driving jobs in North Wales, says Johnson
27 January 2022, 18:14
The Prime Minister toured Hanson UK’s plant in Penmaenmawr, where the firm has reopened a railway line to transport its construction aggregates.
Improving infrastructure is the key to creating jobs, Boris Johnson said as he visited a quarry in North Wales.
The Prime Minister was given a tour of Hanson UK’s plant in Penmaenmawr, where the building materials supplier has recently reopened a railway line to transport its construction aggregates.
He told reporters on Thursday it is an “incredible site”.
He said: “They’ve been quarrying continuously here for granite for more than 100 years. But what they’re doing now is reopening a railway line because of the massive continuous demand from UK infrastructure for top-quality granite from North Wales.
“Whether it’s HS2 high-speed rail going north of Birmingham, whether it’s nuclear power at Sizewell or Hinkley, or indeed, as we hope, at Wylfa, there is a long, long continuous demand now, because of the plans this Government has for improving infrastructure and therefore for Welsh granite.
“And that is driving jobs here in North Wales.”
Our Penmaenmawr railhead in north Wales has reopened as part of our UK rail strategy to reduce vehicle movements and cut associated CO2 emissions. It will deliver rail borne aggregates into markets in the north west https://t.co/wbxQQSRgRe @networkrail @GBRailfreight pic.twitter.com/t4Opti9Iu7
— Hanson UK (@Hanson_UK) January 11, 2022
Hanson, which employs around 3,500 people, has invested £300,000 in repairing, renewing and refurbishing its railhead facility at Penmaenmawr as part of its UK rail strategy to reduce vehicle movements and cut associated CO2 emissions.
The Prime Minister ended his visit to North Wales at RAF Valley in Anglesey, where he spoke to engineers, technicians and apprentices.
Mr Johnson was shown aircraft, including the Texan T1, and took a seat in a helicopter before leaving the airfield.
