17/02/2017 BBC Wales Today


17/02/2017

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Now on BBC One, it's time for the news where you are.

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The owners of this refinery want to invest ?100 million but it's

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Valero say the plans could be at risk.

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And on the high street, worried shop owners give

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us their verdict on the scheme to help with rising business rates.

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It's one of west Wales' biggest employers but tonight,

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the owners of a Pembrokeshire oil refinery have told this programme

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that future investment is at risk, unless plans for a ?100 million

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1,200 people work at Valero, but the company says

:00:49.:00:53.

the Welsh Government needs to process planning applications

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efficiently, to stay competitive in the global energy market.

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Milford Haven, the third biggest port in the UK

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From ferries to fishing, sailing boats to enormous tankers,

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the Cleddau estuary supports thousands of jobs, but it

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At one time, there were five refineries in this area.

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Murco, the last to close in 2014 took 1,400 jobs with

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it and according to the man in charge of this port, they are

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It's no good saying to a board in San Antonio,

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we can we can do this investment in Milford Haven, we'll

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get the consent in four years' time or we can do this consent in

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San Antonio and get the consent in six months' time.

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The money will go to San Antonio so unless we are

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mindful of the competitive position, we're going to continue to lose some

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Across the estuary, the biggest employer in the

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area and the only refinery left here, Valero.

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In November, they announce plans to invest ?100 million in a

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new combined heat and power generation unit.

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It's currently going through the early stages of the

:02:11.:02:13.

planning system and they say it's vital that it's an efficient

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The onus is on the Welsh Government to work with us to

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This is a development of national significance here in Wales and we're

:02:22.:02:26.

What's at stake if it's not a swift process?

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Well, if it's not a swift process, it ties up

:02:30.:02:32.

The cost starts to rise and we have to look at future

:02:33.:02:37.

It's about making sure the future of the refinery's secure for

:02:38.:02:43.

jobs here and for the future as well.

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Ports are not devolved to Cardiff Bay, but

:02:46.:02:47.

areas like the economy, planning and infrastructure

:02:48.:02:49.

are in the hands of the Welsh Government.

:02:50.:02:54.

Mainstay Marine are in the business of building boats.

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This week, Cabinet Secretary Lesley Griffiths announced that the company

:03:00.:03:02.

had won the Welsh Government's contract to build two

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No planning required there but as the minister responsible for

:03:05.:03:08.

the planning system, she told me just like

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in the rest of the UK, it needs to be efficient.

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We brought forward the planning act in 2014.

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I am now implementing various parts of

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that but it is really important that businesses feel it works for them.

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It's there for the development and use of our land.

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Shakespeare wrote of Milford Haven, "Tell me how Wales

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was made so happy as to inherit such a haven."

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But how we take advantage of such a legacy will ship

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A 23-year-old barman from Cardiff has been found guilty

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of murdering his girlfriend, who'd come to the UK

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24-year-old Xixi Bi was attacked by Jordan Matthews

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in what Cardiff Crown Court heard was a vicious, sustained

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She had a cardiac arrest and died in hospital,

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after being attacked at their flat in Llandaff last August.

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Matthews is due to be sentenced on Tuesday.

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A deputy head teacher has been banned from schools

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for a minimum of ten years, for having sex with teenage girls.

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A disciplinary panel found 17 out of 20 allegations of unacceptable

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professional misconduct proved against Jonathan Norbury, who's 35.

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Swansea Council has launched an inquiry into his dismissal,

:04:23.:04:26.

which included an ?8,000 payoff and a positive reference.

:04:27.:04:34.

On Wednesday, we were in Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan talking

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to high street shop owners, worried about the increase in their

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There was concern there'd been little detail so far

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about a new rate-relief scheme designed to help cut costs.

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Well, today the Welsh Government published more information

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about the ?10 million it will provide in support.

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So we sent our political correspondent Arwyn Jones back

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to Cowbridge to see what small businesses there make of it.

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Business rates are a tax that owners of businesses like these on the high

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street in Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan pay on their property

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such as a shop, cafe or restaurant.

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Like council tax, they pay for services provided

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Concerns have been raised from across Wales that the

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increase in April could make life difficult for retailers with some

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fearing they could go under, so today, the Welsh Government set out

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set out details of its ?10 million fund

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to help. My ambition has been to try and design

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a scheme that is workable and deliverable and we're confident now

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that even in the very few weeks they've had to design it, that that

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We've been hearing been concerns from business owners like Sally

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Stevenson, who are trying to balance the books.

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She owns the Pencil Case shop in Cowbridge and on Wednesday

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told us that the business rates increase would make life difficult

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As a small-business owner, she qualifies for an extra ?500 to

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to be knocked off their in April, meaning she won't really be worse

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However, the interdiction of the increase is

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being phased in over three years, so next year,

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If I were in England, then I wouldn't be

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paying any more rates at all.

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So I've now got to find nearly ?1000 a year to pay

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the rates bill because I'm in Wales and I could use that ?1000 to invest

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in the business, to employ any member of staff.

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in the business, to employ a new member of staff.

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Businesses like Sally is with the rateable value of

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between 6-?12000 would get ?500 off their bill.

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Those from ?12,000- ?50,000 will get a ?1500 reduction

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but if it's over ?50,000, you'll get nothing.

:06:34.:06:35.

Julian Hitchcock owns two restaurants and a hotel on the high

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street and expects to pay thousands of pounds more in April.

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My rates are going to be increasing by about

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?40,000 a year for the businesses in Cowbridge and we're going to get

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an extra ?1500 reduction, so I suppose 1500 is better

:06:52.:06:54.

than nothing but in the scheme of things, it's

:06:55.:06:56.

not going to make a massive amount of difference.

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Now, there are concerns about which businesses will

:07:00.:07:01.

For example, what constitutes a high street.

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Now, what the Welsh Government has done is left that for

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the councils to decide but the Conservatives

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say that could lead to some confusion

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and when you consider that the rates will go up in April,

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of this year, time is of the essence.

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The Welsh Government says it's confident there'll be plenty

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of time to get the scheme in place while it works on developing a new

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permanent scheme be introduced next year.

:07:27.:07:31.

In rugby, the Scarlets have maintained their position in the top

:07:32.:07:33.

four of the Pro12 with a bonus-point win over bottom-placed Zebre.

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The Scarlets dominated, but met with tough resistance before

:07:40.:07:41.

claiming a fourth try in the 50th minute.

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Let's get the weekend weather forecast now, with Derek.

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Greetings! It's going to stay on the mild side over the weekend, a little

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rain and drizzle but a decent amount of dry weather as well. If you're

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lucky, you'll see a little sunshine. Tonight a few showers dotted about,

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otherwise, most places dry, some mist, a few quick that is, -- fog

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patches. Most of the country dry tomorrow morning, some low cloud,

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mist and fog patches will lift, bright in parts of Powys and the

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north-east. Some very rich in Anglesey and Snowdonia. Across the

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rest of the UK, low cloud and fog patches in southern England will

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left, leaving a die Dei Thomas and sunshine in Portsmouth, further

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north, available Lee-Lo spread Southeastern to north-west England,

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behind that, wet and blustery north-west Scotland, at 513 in

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London. In Wales, tomorrow afternoon, guide increasing, a

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little rain and drizzle in the North and West, spreading further across

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the country but part of the South and East could well stay dry,

:09:13.:09:14.

temperatures again above-average, slightly cooler in Snowdonia, with a

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south to south-westerly breeze. Tomorrow evening, spattered drizzle

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will clear, most places dry overnight, some misty, low cloud and

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then for Sunday, some dry weather, a little sunshine in Welshpool and

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Newport but later in the day, it looks like turning down, misty and

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murky from the West. Temperatures on Sunday around 10-12 C. Next week,

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some tropical maritime IE -- air on Sunday and that could send

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temperatures soaring up to 15 Celsius. Not quite a record for

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February, but unusually mild for this time of year. Some rain next

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week. The wind is picking up as well. Later in the week, turning

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brighter and colder. Other nicely done.

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We're back tomorrow at 5.20pm tomorrow afternoon.

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