£2 Million Regeneration Funding to Support Various Projects Across Monmouthshire

REGENERATION funding will support a plan to bring a large empty shop, that could have “blighted” a high street, back into use including as flats. 
Other projects being supported from a total fund of more than £2 million include enhanced public toilets intended to be fully accessible to a range of people with disabilities and a new skate park. 
The funding allocations have been recommended by placemaking groups which bring together both county and community councillors and local groups across Monmouthshire. 
The cash has come from £700,000 from the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns fund and a further £1.5m provided by the UK Government’s Pride In Place Impact Fund. 
Monmouthshire County Council combined both funds with the placemaking groups deciding which projects should be supported in the county’s main towns as well as the combined Undy and Magor area.  
Among the projects to be supported are a plan to revamp the former Original Factory Shop on Chepstow High Street, which will receive £100,000. 
Monmouthshire council’s deputy leader, and councillor for Chepstow Castle and Larkfield, Paul Griffiths outlined the awards to the authority’s Labour/Green Party cabinet, which had to formally approve them, though he stressed the allocations had been made by the local groups. 
Labour’s Cllr Griffiths said: “It is a very large building that could well have blighted the town. Private finance and finance from a registered social landlord will be complemented by the support from this fund.” 
It is intended to bring the building back into use as well as convert the first floor to 10 one bedroom flats. 
Other projects supported by Chepstow’s £300,000 allocation include refurbishment of the tourist information centre toilets, a new allotment site in Thornwell and improvements to shopfronts on Bulwark Road. 
Caldicot has awarded £150,000 for a replacement skate park next to the town’s leisure centre and will spend £100,000 on lighting, seating, planting, a “pocket park” and play opportunities ahead of longer term improvements to the town centre. £50,000 was also awarded for the refurbishment of the Citizens Advice Bureau. 
In Abergavenny £350,000 will be spent on creating a “changing places” public toilet which are larger than standard and can be used by adults who require changing when out in public. The lack of a facility was highlighted in 2022 by campaigners fighting to reopen a day centre. 
The cash will also support a Shopmobility facility at the Castle Street car park while £250,000 will be spent on creating a changing spaces toilet at the existing Maryport Street North car park in Usk. 
Monmouth had the single largest allocation, at £500,000, which will be used to bring empty town centre properties back into use, possibly including flood resiliance measures following Storm Claudia in November. 
Improvements to the bus station will receive £180,000 while other projects include “wayfinding”, such as street signs and maps, and sensors to record footfall, car park usage and air quality. 
In Magor and Undy a £265,000 award will support wayfinding and improvements to walking and cycling routes as well improvements to “key gateways” to the village centre such as planting, seating and public art and improvements to Magor Square. 
The county council will also hold a £235,000 fund to run a grant scheme to bring empty buildings back into use and improve those in poor condition, which is an addition to the Monmouth specific allocation. 
Cllr Griffiths had previously criticised the UK Government’s involvement in town centre regeneration in Wales, by holding back funds to allocate itself under the Pride in Place scheme, as the responsibility had been devolved to Wales. Labour Senedd Members had also criticised the UK Government over the issue last year. 
The cabinet member said though his colleagues were required to approve the allocations he reminded them they had been decided by the local groups and said: “It would have been possible for the cabinet member or officers to decide what is best for our towns. We haven’t done that.” 
Council leader Mary Ann Brocklesby joked: “It’s not a recommendation it’s an order.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​