English Version - Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council

Connect The community magazine for Blaenau Gwent
Winter 2009
Winter 2009
The community magazine for Blaenau Gwent
Connect
Town centres build on
investment – and bid
to win new grants
Traders and retailers in our main towns are
working together like never before – building
on regeneration projects that aim to bring more
shoppers in to local shops.
New town centre business forums have been set up in Abertillery,
Blaina, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and Tredegar – with business
people getting together to promote their own towns.
Retail records
smashed at Festival Park
The first Marks
& Spencer
Outlet store in
the Heads of
the Valleys has
already attracted
bumper crowds
of shoppers and
visitors to Festival
Park – and more new stores could
be opening there soon.
When the doors of M&S opened at
Festival Park this month there were
over 1,000 customers queuing up
outside to start shopping.
But the sales bonanza did not stop
there. The number of visitors to
Festival Park more than doubled
over the next few days – and sales
in all stores went up. Many retailers
reported their best ever trading
performance.
The new M&S Outlet has helped
create around 40 new jobs for the
area.
Owners Chester Properties said
that they felt that Festival Park is
now firmly back on the Heads of
the Valleys retailing map.
Ebbw Vale
Brynmawr
And the new business forums are
all working together to provide
additional security.
A joint bid for Home Office funding
for additional CCTV camera
protection has gone to the Home
Office – who have agreed that
Blaenau Gwent can bid for
funding from a special allocation.
Our grant application has not
been decided yet.
Bids have also gone in from
individual retailers for safety
and security from the same
Government fund. It’s an
opportunity for investment that
has been made possible by the
work of Safer Blaenau Gwent.
Your Council is also reaching
out to town centre retailers. We
have just announced a new small
grants fund for retailers to help
them improve and promote their
businesses.
The new scheme is linked to our
Connect 2 Business initiative –
working with local businesses to
try and beat the recession.
Now – with funding from the
Heads of the Valleys Programme
secured through the Holistic
Area Regeneration Programme
(HARPS) – we can offer grants of
up to £3,000 per business.
Des Hillman, Leader of the
Council, said:
”We remain focused on the
regeneration of our town centres
and working in partnership with
the new town business forums
for Abertillery, Blaina, Brynmawr,
Ebbw Vale and Tredegar.”
All five town centre forums have
help and support from Blaenau
Gwent Council’s town centre
managers, Karin Lamb and
Bethan Cartwright.
The business forums and your
Council are determined to build on
the qualities and amenities of their
own towns – and to promote their
special blend of local shops and
stores and free parking.
Heads of the Valleys
The Heads of the Valleys
programme is the Welsh Assembly
Government’s initiative to
regenerate Blaenau Gwent and
neighbouring communities. Your
Council is a full partner.
What you said...
Town centres
74% of you visit your main town
centre at least once a week –
more than go shopping out of
town.
27% of you rate the shopping
opportunities in your town centre
to be good or better.
Tredegar
Blaina
Abertillery
Investing in towns
All our five towns have benefited
from Blaenau Gwent’s partnership
regeneration projects and grants.
The £1 million replacement
Foundry Bridge at Abertillery was
funded through the Heads of
the Valleys Programme. A major
contribution to the £5.5 million
restoration of Bedwellty House
and Park in Tredegar comes from
the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Blaina
16 A b e r t i l l e r y B l a i n a & N a n t y g l o B r y n m a w r E b b w V a l e T r e d e g a r f o r C o u n c i l n e w s & i n f o r m a t i o n v i s i t w w w . b l a e n a u - g w e n t . g o v . u k
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