False Dawn for Môn ?

Good Blog on Borthlas  pointing out its to early to celebrate  (if that's what all politicians are doing)  Hitatchi buying Horizon – the company who kick-started the building a new Wylfa B .a new nuclear power station at the site near Amlwch .

It is been claimed  Seven thousand jobs could be created as Japanese electronics giant Hitachi looks set to build the  new nuclear power station on Anglesey.

Welsh Secretary David Jones said the deal would mean 6,000 construction jobs and 1,000 long-term jobs.

So that's 7000 jobs for local people?

Er: No.

Most of the construction Jobs will not come from even the North Wales area and it does not mean that there will be 6000 people working on the site during construction at the same time and the numbers will change as it goes on . Some Jobs not being needed and new ones replacing them but not necessarily  by the previous workers.

There will be a likely higher percentage of local people getting long term jobs  But will the builders of a Modern Plant need 1,000 to tun it or will they rely on new technology?

It is more likely that most local jobs will be created to supply those working there . Not the most highly paid work.

The reality of these Jobs not going to local people was emphasised back in July 2011when some experts announced the  fear, however, that the housing stock on the island will be too small to cope with the workforce.

"There are many, many, examples throughout Britain in the last 15-20 years where this has happened: Sizewell B, Hinckley Point and closer to home in Milford Haven's oil and gas terminal," said Dr Owain Llewellyn, of the University of Glamorgan.
He said there was a risk that politicians, particularly local ones, could become "mesmerised by the attraction of jobs and the economic development implications of that, without thinking through the full implications of the supply and demand aspects of the residential sector".

BBC 17 July 2011 

Of course  This is only an  intention there's no real commitment and unless there's a massive government I can't see the project even staring. Although even 5 years from now I suspect we  may will still be seeing our politicians claiming a New dawn for Anglesey as another consortium take over the project.

What the Island needs is new permanent jobs spread over Anglessy and not putting al our eggs in one basket with promises that they are huge opportunities just around the corner.