Deeside job hopes as major road funding announced

Funding for a major new road in Deeside has been announced by First Minister Carwyn Jones.

The multi-million pound highway is through the 420-acre Northern Gateway site on Deeside Enterprise Zone.

Opening up 220 acres (90 hectares) of land, the site has the capacity to create 5,000 jobs.

The first minister said starting the project "sends a message out to the world that Deeside is here as a place to create jobs".

Consultants will now be asked to prepare designs for the road, which it is hoped will eventually serve a huge industrial and commercial centre.

Mr Jones inspected the first stage of the work - flood alleviation along the banks of the River Dee.

Deeside Enterprise Zone board chairman David Jones with Carwyn Jones

Flood alleviation work on banks of the River Dee

He said the aim was to build on Deeside Enterprise Zone's "established strengths" in advanced manufacturing.

"What we want to do is to bring in more investment of that kind, and that means making sure that there's more access to the land that's needed to attract that development.

"By making sure this project has started it sends a message out to the world that Deeside is here as a place to create jobs."

It is expected to take around five years to build the road.

Responding to the announcement, Conservative shadow business minister William Graham said: "It is a significant development and I sincerely hope the huge potential for job creation is met.

"While there is scope for five thousand positions, there is much work for Labour ministers to do in order to meet that target."