Transforming Towns is a Welsh Government programme committed to addressing the decline in Welsh towns and city centres and to reinvent and reinvigorate them into places where people want to spend their time.
It’s fair to say that Neath Port Talbot’s towns are facing many challenges currently, as a result of reduced demand for high street retail and the pandemic. The programme is focussed on improving biodiversity and green infrastructure; reuse of vacant buildings; increasing the variety of services on offer in towns with an emphasis on flexible working and living space; and access to services and leisure.
We’ve secured funding from the Transforming Towns programme to help support capital investment for the regeneration of 6 key town centres across the county – the Placemaking Grant (PMG).
The town centres where we’re making the Placemaking Grant funding available are:
- Port Talbot
- Briton Ferry
- Neath
- Pontardawe
- Glynneath
- Ystalyfera
If your business or organisation is considering making an application, it’s a good idea to discuss your project idea with a local project officer first, who can advise you if it would be eligible for funding and help you with making an initial expression of interest. In addition to satisfying the Placemaking Grant framework criteria, projects must also demonstrate clear links to a current town place plan or town centre strategy.
Activities that the Placemaking Grant could fund include:
To enhance building frontages, together with the upgrade of vacant commercial floor space to bring it back into beneficial business use
To convert vacant floor space on the upper floors of commercial properties into new residential accommodation
To include low- or zero-carbon infrastructure and/or green spaces
To provide small-scale public realm enhancements where there is demonstrable social and economic impact
To complete land assembly for larger strategic proposals, e.g., demolition to deliver improved connectivity or to provide greenspace, public facilities or enhanced public realm
To procure trading stalls, stands and platforms, etc. and install external electrical supplies
To establish temporary meanwhile or pop-up businesses in existing vacant premises
To enhance external shop frontages without the need for any internal modification or redevelopment
o support Wi-Fi analytics and LoRaWAN network
To facilitate active travel routes where this cannot be funded through other means
To provide outdoor play facilities, multi-use games areas and outdoor recreational pursuits
The Placemaking Grant programme will run for two years from 1st April 2023.
All funded projects will need to be completed by January 2025.
If you have an idea for a regeneration project you’d like to talk to us about, or for further information and grant guidelines, please contact Donna Williams on 07890 892 989 or send an email using the button below:
Below are some examples of completed projects:
The Cantebury Arms, Neath
The Woolpack, Glynneath
London Road, Neath