Grants supporting regeneration in North Wales

Last year, £966,000 was awarded to local authorities in North Wales to deliver small Property Development Grants (PDGs) to improve commercial units and empty buildings in town centres.

The PDGs were delivered through the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Programme to support regeneration and enhance town centre properties.

Property owners and occupiers have been supported to make improvements to their premises and bring vacant, commercial floor space back into beneficial business use.

The total investment for the Property Development Grants in the region is £1.536 million.

Across 10 towns a total of 45 properties were improved, with 12 of those properties returning to active use.

Cabinet secretary for housing, local government and planning, Jayne Bryant, said: "Through our Transforming Towns programme we are providing invaluable support to towns and city centres to create employment opportunities for local people and bringing vibrancy to our high streets.

"It’s wonderful to see the huge impacts these small grants are already having across North Wales and I hope by improving our town centre offers in Wales we can help safeguard and develop Welsh based businesses and encourage economic growth."

A former Woolworths building in Denbighshire benefitted from external refurbishment through the grant. Extensive external improvements have been carried out to the windows, shutters and tiles.

In Flintshire, the internal and external refurbishment of a vacant commercial unit in Shotton has provided additional shop floor space and a storage area.

The property owner said: "I’m really pleased with how the project has turned out. With the help of a grant from Welsh Government to contribute towards the costs of the project, we have managed to significantly improve the building."