Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens was in Blaenau Gwent today as the Sirhowy Valley was officially named as one of the nine areas to benefit from the UK Government’s Pride in Place Programme.
A total of £20million will be available over 10 years to regenerate the area, focusing on the needs and wants of local residents and businesses. Communities will be empowered to help make the decisions on projects through a new Neighbourhood Board, which will be set up shortly.
The Secretary of State visited Fresh Active Gym & Café in Tredegar town centre to speak to the business owner and local people about how the funding could benefit the community.
On top of this, Blaenau Gwent is benefitting from an additional £1.5million from the Pride in Place Impact Fund to improve public spaces in other areas of the county borough, again targeting community priorities.
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
“We are directly backing our communities with this significant investment. People living in these areas are in control of these funds and now have the support to make them even better places to live and work.
“The UK Government focused on delivering jobs, prosperity and growth and the Pride in Place programme is a key part of us doing that. Working in partnership with Welsh Government we’re investing directly in Welsh communities to build stronger, thriving neighbourhoods.”
Councillor John Morgan, Cabinet Member for Economy & Place at Blaenau Gwent Council said:
“This is fantastic news and great to welcome the Secretary of State to Blaenau Gwent today. The funding will make a real difference to our communities and fits in with our wider regeneration plans for the area and our emerging Blueprint for Growth Strategy. The Blaenau Gwent Deal, our new way of working with communities, means we are listening to local people and businesses about their needs, so having a Neighbourhood Board involved in making decisions fully supports this. We’re also delighted to be able to invest in community priorities across the rest of Blaenau Gwent through the additional £1.5 million from the Pride in Place Impact Fund, ensuring that every area benefits from the programme.”
Neighbourhood Boards, comprised of representatives from the local community and key partners, will now help decide exactly what the investment will be spent on. These will now be established, with funding starting from April 2026.
Projects could include revitalising high streets and town centres, preserving local heritage, providing housing, creating jobs, boosting productivity and skills, improving health and well-being, creating new transport links, providing education and opportunity and improving safety and security.
In line with criteria set by the UK Government, the Sirhowy Valley was put forward following the publication of the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation, which identified this as an area with deep rooted deprivation.
