Nine Welsh counties are set to receive £20 million each, with residents able to decide how the cash is spent.
The money is part of the UK Government's Pride in Place programme. It says it expects the funding to be used for projects such as saving pubs or libraries or cleaning up eyesores.
The counties set to receive £20 million each are:
Blaenau Gwent
Neath Port Talbot
Newport
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Caerphilly
Carmarthenshire
Conwy
Cardiff
Swansea
Local authorities will be invited to propose the communities within their areas to participate in the Pride in Place Programme for UK Government approval. The local authority will engage with local stakeholders including MPs, MSs and the Welsh Government “to ensure local fit and alignment with existing schemes such as placemaking plans and the Transforming Towns initiative”, the UK Government said.
These areas will join five communities where work is already underway, taking the total to 14 local authorities across Wales sharing £280 million.
In addition, every local authority in Wales will receive a share of £34.5 million of capital funding to improve their public spaces, including fixing broken bus shelters, reopening park toilets, more bins to help stop litter and revamping run-down leisure centres.
This new investment takes the total funding from these funds for Welsh communities to more than £300 million, the UK Government said. This is in addition to the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns and Placemaking Initiatives.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“We’re investing in the UK’s future, by backing the true patriots that build our communities up in neighbourhoods across every corner of the country. Because it’s people who bring pride, hope and life to our communities.
“This is a huge investment, but what matters most is who decides how it’s spent: the neighbours, volunteers and parents who know their communities best – the people with real skin in the game.
“We’re choosing renewal over decline, unity over division.”
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
“The UK Government is laser-focused on delivering economic growth and providing opportunity for all and the Pride in Place programme is a key part of us doing that.
“More than £200 million of new investment will see improvements made to communities up and down Wales making them even greater places to live and work.
“We want to work with all our partners to make improvements that matter to local people and deliver jobs and prosperity.”
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed said:
“Building pride in place starts with people, not politics. Local people know what they want to see in their neighbourhoods – and they don’t need government to dictate it.
“This plan will spark an historic grassroots movement that will restore local people’s power, boost national pride and help people get on in life.”
