Slate deal will secure quarry jobs for years

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Blaenau Ffestiniog quarries will deliver slates for homes in the town as part of one of Wales’ largest Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) investment programmes.

Cwt y Bugail and Llechwedd are to supply 50,000 slates between them to Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd (CCG), as the housing association upgrades homes in Blaenau.

This major work is part of CCG’s £136 million WHQS investment in its homes across Gwynedd.

The slates are to be used to replace roofs on 40 homes in Blaenau in contracts worth around £100,000.

The scheme will not only ensure that local materials are used on local homes, but will also help to sustain jobs in the area.

Ffrancon Williams, chief executive at Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd, told Business post: “Supporting local business is one of our priorities as we undertake WHQS work over the next four years.

“As we are investing so much to improve tenants’ homes and lives it is also vital that we contribute to the local economy.

“Using slate from Llechwedd and Cwt y Bugail is also more eco friendly as the material only has to travel a few miles up the road, helping us keep our carbon footprint down.”

Andrew Roberts, managing director at Llechwedd said the move was vital for securing jobs in the region.

He added: “This contract means we can keep jobs here, keeping jobs local at what is a difficult time economically.

“A substantial contract such as this also creates income for us which we can invest in the quarry so that we can continue to develop in the future.”

Alan Smith of Cwt y Bugail Welsh Slate was in agreement, and said: “It is important to us as a business that our products are used locally and it’s good to see an investment such as this benefit the economy of Gwynedd.

“We employ 18 people in Blaenau, there is no doubt that a project such as this helps us keep those jobs safe.”

Slate from Wales is renowned the world over for its quality and CCG was keen to ensure that the renovation and improvement work it is undertaking is in-keeping with local architecture and materials.

The Daily Post reported in December how tenants of 900 CCG homes will get new kitchens, bathrooms, doors, windows and heating systems.

Work on the £8m investment has already begun and will finish by Spring 2013.

Mr Williams said: “This is a major investment. Most importantly it will provide high quality homes for our tenants.”

 

Source: DPW West, by Martin Williams, 07/03/2012

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