Renewable energy must benefit our communities
MAE cyfle gwirioneddol i Ynys Môn elwa o’r galw cynyddol am ynni adnewyddol, ac unwaith eto rydw i wedi bod yn gwthio am fuddsoddiad i greu cyfleon newydd, ac am gamau i sicrhau budd ein cymunedau hefyd. Rwy’n gobeithio yn arw y cawn glywed yn fuan iawn am sêl bendith i gynllun ynni llif llanw Morlais. Arloesedd sydd wrth wraidd y cynllun hwnnw dan arweiniad Menter Môn.
Ond mae rhagor o ddatblygiadau gwynt Môr ar eu ffordd i Fôr Iwerddon hefyd, a bûm yn trafod gyda BP eu cynlluniau nhw i datblygu dwy fferm wynt – Mona a Morgan – gan ddefnyddio’r cyfle i lobïo am ddefnyddio Caergybi fel porthladd i wasanaethu’r datblygiadau hynny. I hynny ddigwydd, byddai’r datblygwr am weld buddsoddiad yn y porthladd, a chefais gyfle yn y Senedd ac mewn llythyr i Lywodraeth y DU yn y dyddiau diwethaf i ddadlau’r achos dros sicrhau’r buddsoddiad hwnnw. Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi addo £160m i borthladdoedd i gefnogi datblygiadau ynni gwyrdd, ac rwyf am i Gaergybi allu elwa o’r pot hwnnw o arian. Fe wnaeth Gweinidog Economi Cymru gytuno efo fi y dylai cyfran deg o’r cyllid hwnnw fynd i Gaergybi, a byddaf yn parhau i ddadlau dros gael hynny i ddigwydd, yn cynnwys mynnu cefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cymru i’r cynllun.
Ar yr un pryd, mae BP yn un o nifer o gwmnïau sy’n ceisio datblygu ffermiau solar ar Ynys Môn ar hyn o bryd. Gall solar chwarae rhan bwysig wrth i ni gynhyrchu mwy o ynni adnewyddadwy, ond rwy’n bryderus am natur ac effaith gronnus yr holl ffermydd solar sydd yn y cyfnod datblygu ar hyn o bryd, a sy’n dod a ychydig iawn o fudd i’n cymunedau ni. Rydw i’n grediniol bod modd cynllunio mentrau ynni solar mewn ffordd well, drwy annog datblygiadau cymunedol, a hybu nifer fwy o ddatblygiadau llawer llai eu maint, er enghraifft. Ond rwyf hefyd, yn parhau i ddadlau’r achos dros gyflwyno trefn gynllunio newydd sy’n gofyn am asesiadau o fudd cymunedol o ddatblygiadau o’r fath. Fe gyflwynais gynnig i’r Senedd ar hynny yn y dyddiau diwethaf.
Wrth deithio ar drên i’r Senedd yn y glaw yr wythnos yma rydw i’n paratoi am ddyddiau prysur eto, gyda’r sefyllfa Covid ddiweddaraf yn dal i fod yn destun cryn bryder, ond a phryderon ehangach am y gwasanaeth iechyd yn mynd a sylw hefyd. Ymhlith y pryderon hynny mae cyflwr gwasanethau iechyd meddwl, a chaf gyfle i amlinellu rhai o syniadau Plaid Cymru i gryfhau gwasanaethau.
Yr wythnos ddwetha, roedd yna gyfle i atgoffa’n hunain o’r gwaith sydd angen ei wneud yn y maes hwn, wrth i fi siarad mewn dadl wedi ei harwain gan fy ngyd-aelod, Llŷr Gruffydd AS ar wasanaethau iechyd meddwl yma yn y gogledd orllewin.
Galw oedd Llŷr am ryddhau adroddiad Holden yn llawn – adroddiad gwblhawyd 8 mlynedd yn ôl yn amlinellu pryderon yn uned Hergest Ysbyty Gwynedd. Mae staff yno
wedi bod yn siarad gyda fi am eu pryderon nhw, ac yn cytuno efo fi bod rhagor o ddigwyddiadau trasig diweddar yn awgrym clir bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi tynnu Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Betsi Cadwaladr o fesurau arbennig yn rhy fuan. Byddaf yn dal i alw am y gefnogaeth mae staff a chleifion yn ei haeddu.
Os oes mater yr hoffech ei drafod efo fi neu deall fy safbwynt arno, cofiwch fod yna groeso cynnes i bawb ymuno yn fy sesiynau Facebook Live wythnosol, bob nos Lun am 18:00 - cyfle i chi rannu barn neu ofyn cwestiwn a chael ymateb uniongyrchol. Gallwch hefyd gysylltu efo fy swyddfa ar 01248 723599 neu ebostio rhun.apiorwerth@senedd. cymru lle byddaf i neu aelod o’r tîm ar gael i’ch cynorthwyo.
THERE is a real opportunity for Anglesey to benefit from the growing demand for renewable energy, and once again I have been pushing for investment to create new opportunities, and for action to ensure benefits come to our communities, too. I very much hope that we hear soon about the Morlais tidal stream energy scheme being approved. Innovation is at the heart of that initiative led by Menter Môn.
But further offshore wind developments are also on their way to the Irish Sea. I have been discussing with BP their plans to develop two wind farms - Mona and Morgan using the opportunity to lobby for use Holyhead port to serve those developments. For that to happen, the developer wants to see investment in the port, and I had the opportunity in the Welsh Parliament and in a letter to UK Government in recent days to argue the case for securing that investment.
The UK Government has pledged £160m to ports to support green energy developments, and I want Holyhead to be able to benefit from that pot of money.
The Welsh Economy Minister agreed with me that a fair share of that funding should go to Holyhead, and I will continue to argue for that to happen, including demanding Welsh Government support for such a scheme.
At the same time, BP is one of several companies currently seeking to develop solar farms on Anglesey.
Solar can play an important role as we generate more renewable energy, but I am concerned about the nature and cumulative impact of all solar farms that are currently in the development phase, and which bring very little benefit to our communities.
I believe that solar energy initiatives can be better planned, by encouraging community developments, and by encouraging a larger number of much smaller developments, for example.
But I also continue to argue the case for introducing a new planning regime that requires community benefit assessments of such developments. I tabled a motion to the Senedd on that in recent days.
Traveling by train to the Senedd in the rain this week I am preparing for a busy few days again, with the latest Covid situation still very worrying, but with wider concerns about the health service on the agenda too.
Those concerns include the state of mental health services, and I will have the opportunity in a debate to outline some of Plaid Cymru’s ideas to strengthen services.
Last week, there was an opportunity to remind ourselves of the work that needs to be done in this area, as I spoke in a debate led by my colleague, Llŷr Gruffydd MS on mental health services here in the northwest.
Llŷr called for the full Holden report to be released - a report completed eight years ago outlining concerns at Ysbyty Gwynedd’s Hergest unit.
Staff there have been talking to me about their concerns and agree with me that more recent tragic events are a clear indication that the Welsh Government took Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board from special measures too soon. I will continue to call for the support staff and patients deserve.
If you have an issue that you would like to discuss with me or to hear my views on, please remember that everyone is welcome to join my weekly Facebook Live sessions, every Monday at 18:00 - an opportunity for you to share an opinion or ask a question and get a direct response.
You can also contact my office on 01248 723599 or email rhun.apiorwerth@senedd. cymru where I or a member of the team will be available to assist you.