A PEMBROKESHIRE based assembly member’s plan for transforming the economy in rural Wales will be key to the Welsh Government’s future development plan proposals, she says.

Months of work have gone into Mid and West Wales representative Eluned Morgan’s Rural Wales: Time to Meet the Challenge 2025 economic plan and its focus on skills, emerging technology, farming, tourism and infrastructure.

The plan was presented to Ken Skates AM, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, and makes a compelling case to revitalise the rural economy with a “bottom up” development process which Mrs Morgan now hopes the public will have their say on.

Prompted by the “potentially damaging” Brexit vote and its impact on the agriculture market and the development of city regions “forging ahead” the Labour AM brought together a group of people from different areas of rural business to research and inform the proposal.

Mr Skates requested the work be completed in order to feed into the government’s financial development plan, due to be announced this month, putting a tight deadline on what has been detailed work.

On the team behind the proposals were a number of people succeeding in the rural private sector, including Pembrokeshire businessmen Huw Thomas from Puffin Produce, William McNamara of Bluestone and Dr Glen Peters, the man behind Pentre Solar’s eco-housing.

Also on board were Stan Mcilvenny, chairman of the Milford Haven Enterprise Zone and Stephen Thornton from Valero Pembroke Refinery.

“We met to thrash out ideas and then they were tested on town and community councils all over rural Wales and all the chief executives of local authorities. We also tested it out cross party because you need to get buy in or nothing gets delivered,” said Mrs Morgan.

Nine potential pilot projects have been put forward that meet current challenges and herald new growth for the future sustainability of the rural economy, including eco housing, expanding food production and using technology to open rural Wales to new business opportunities.

These include eco homes for older people, local community care providers, electric vehicles for rural Wales, developing a horse breeding centre of excellence, using waste heat from power stations for hydroponics and teaching English to Chinese people.

“The plan had to be made in rural Wales, it can’t be a plan that came from Cardiff and is imposed.

“Now is the right time to think differently about rural Wales. We propose it is the private sector, backed by the ambition of local councils and Welsh Government, which drives prosperity as we seek to address the spectrum of challenges affecting Pembrokeshire”, she added.

Mrs Morgan also wants the public's views on the plan, which is available to view on her Facebook page or contact her office on 01437 765588.