logo
Flintshire Council secures over £500,000 for town centres

Flintshire Council secures over £500,000 for town centres

Leader Live3 hours ago

Flintshire County Council's Regeneration team has today (June 23) announced that it has secured more than half a million pounds in Welsh Government Transforming Towns funding for the financial year 2025–26.
This funding follows the successful completion of Place Making Plans for the town centres of Buckley, Holywell and Shotton, and supports ongoing work in the remaining four priority towns: Connah's Quay, Flint, Mold, and Queensferry.
This new investment builds on the £1,147 million of Welsh Government funding already secured in 2023–25, reinforcing the council's commitment to revitalising Flintshire's town centres.
As part of this funding, the property development grant scheme, which was a big success in 2023-25, has now reopened to town centre businesses and property owners in Holywell, Buckley, and Shotton.
The scheme will provide targeted support for town centre property development projects, helping to bring buildings back into use and create more vibrant and prosperous town centres.
TOP STORIES TODAY
Councillor Chris Dolphin, cabinet member for economy, environment and climate, said: 'This significant investment from Welsh Government is a testament to the hard work and vision we have for Flintshire's town centres.
"Building on the £1.147 million we've already secured from Welsh Government for 2023–25, this new funding means even more support for local businesses and property owners.
"By supporting property development in Buckley, Holywell and Shotton, and continuing our plans for Connah's Quay, Flint, Mold, and Queensferry, we're creating town centres that are welcoming, vibrant, and sustainable for the future.
"I encourage business and property owners to get in touch and explore the opportunities available.'
Town centre business and building owners can contact regeneration@flintshire.gov.uk for more information about property development grants.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Call to make Magor and Undy railway station a priority
Call to make Magor and Undy railway station a priority

South Wales Argus

time38 minutes ago

  • South Wales Argus

Call to make Magor and Undy railway station a priority

The UK Government announced a £445 million boost for rail funding in Wales as part of its comprehensive spending review which the Welsh Government has said will allow it to press ahead with five new stops between Cardiff and Chepstow and intended to ease congestion on the M4. Councillors in Monmouthshire will now be asked to step up lobbying efforts to prioritise the proposed station at Magor. It is intended as a 'walkway' station easily accessible to local commuters on foot and would further contribute to efforts to relieve congestion on the road network as commuters currently need to reach Severn Tunnel Junction, two miles away, to travel by train. In July 2023 the council recommitted itself to supporting the principle of the walkway station and lobby for it to be a priority amid concern it was only being brought forward in line with the other four stations at Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Llanwern. At Monmouthshire County Council's Thursday, June 26 meeting councillors will again be asked to support further lobbying of the UK Department for Transport, the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales as well as Network Rail which is responsible for tracks. Magor West and Undy independent councillor Frances Taylor has tabled the motion which states the £445m announced 'doesn't appear to include the relief lines upgrade' and argues for the council to push ahead with lobbying for Magor as it isn't dependent on work to the relief lines. READ MORE: No priority for new Magor 'Walkway' station councillors told The motion wants the council to demand: 'Magor Station is recognised as a quick win and is delivered immediately and without delay with the comprehensive spending review funding.' The council is part of the Burns group responsible for considering and acting on recommendations made by the Burns Report which examined alternatives to an M4 relief road. The Welsh Government has said most of the £445m, promised over 10 years, will be spent within the next three years with nearly £100m for longer term projects. Councillors will discuss the motion at their meeting at County Hall in Usk.

Flintshire Council secures over £500,000 for town centres
Flintshire Council secures over £500,000 for town centres

Leader Live

time3 hours ago

  • Leader Live

Flintshire Council secures over £500,000 for town centres

Flintshire County Council's Regeneration team has today (June 23) announced that it has secured more than half a million pounds in Welsh Government Transforming Towns funding for the financial year 2025–26. This funding follows the successful completion of Place Making Plans for the town centres of Buckley, Holywell and Shotton, and supports ongoing work in the remaining four priority towns: Connah's Quay, Flint, Mold, and Queensferry. This new investment builds on the £1,147 million of Welsh Government funding already secured in 2023–25, reinforcing the council's commitment to revitalising Flintshire's town centres. As part of this funding, the property development grant scheme, which was a big success in 2023-25, has now reopened to town centre businesses and property owners in Holywell, Buckley, and Shotton. The scheme will provide targeted support for town centre property development projects, helping to bring buildings back into use and create more vibrant and prosperous town centres. TOP STORIES TODAY Councillor Chris Dolphin, cabinet member for economy, environment and climate, said: 'This significant investment from Welsh Government is a testament to the hard work and vision we have for Flintshire's town centres. "Building on the £1.147 million we've already secured from Welsh Government for 2023–25, this new funding means even more support for local businesses and property owners. "By supporting property development in Buckley, Holywell and Shotton, and continuing our plans for Connah's Quay, Flint, Mold, and Queensferry, we're creating town centres that are welcoming, vibrant, and sustainable for the future. "I encourage business and property owners to get in touch and explore the opportunities available.' Town centre business and building owners can contact regeneration@ for more information about property development grants.

Conwy's soaring parking fees leaves Great Orme site swamped and forced to act
Conwy's soaring parking fees leaves Great Orme site swamped and forced to act

North Wales Live

timea day ago

  • North Wales Live

Conwy's soaring parking fees leaves Great Orme site swamped and forced to act

Soaring fees at Conwy's public car parks are 'displacing" demand to other facilities in the county, it's been claimed. Parking charges were this introduced this month at a popular spot on Llandudno's Great Orme that's long been free to use. Llandudno Snowsports Centre (LSC) said it had little option but to start charging because it was being swamped by visitors deterred by rising fees at the council's summit car park. Manager Nigel Treacy said others were gravitating to the site from town centre car parks. 'Some people were being sent here by local hotels,' he said. 'They recommended us because the parking was free. We know this because we heard it from hotel guests." From the start of June, a parking charge of £2 for up to six hours was introduced, overseen by Parking Eye. Some regulars have already been caught out by the switch: this week a dad watching his son on the ski slope complained of receiving a £100 fine – reduced to £60 if paid within 28 days. 'I always thought it was free as have never paid before,' he grumbled online. In recent years Conwy Council has steadily upped parking charges to off-set dwindling income from the Welsh Government. Prices vary by location but fees typically start at £1.50 for one hour, up to £7.50 for four hours. Some promenade parking now starts at £5.50. Previously free car parks have also been targeted, with pay-and-display recently introduced at facilities in Llanrwst and Llanfairfechan following planned upgrades. Council Council said its budgets are stretched and it's doing everything it can to protect vital services in the county. This includes boosting revenue as well as cutting back on non-essential services. Increasing parking fees are among the "difficult choices" it's having to make, said the local authority. In Llandudno, peak season demand for parking is so high that the local authority is currently consulting on a new 'summer' car park. Prices will start at £2.30 for one hour. It is against this background that Mr Treacy felt compelled to start charging at LSC, to safeguard spaces for customers. 'People tell us we're still too cheap!' he said. '£2 for up to six hours equates to 33p per hour. In contrast, the (Great Orme) summit car park is £5.50 for up to four hours, equivalent to £1.37 per hour – more than four times as much.' Five years ago the centre's 200-metre dry ski slope – the longest in Wales – underwent a £300,000 upgrade – to create a bouncier surface lubricated by a 300-head sprinkler system. LSC also offers a Cresta Toboggan run which, at 575 metres, is also the longest in Wales, as well as Sno-tubing and 'Alpine' crazy golf. Publicity for the new parking charges began a month before they were introduced. It's left Mr Treacy slightly mystified as to how any customers would be unaware of them. 'We sat down with the operator and looked at the factors people were most concerned about with parking,' he said. 'Signage is a big issue – drivers often complain they're not aware of charging. "So we've covered the site in parking signs. They are four provided signs at the entrances, and 13 in the car parks and around the building. We've also paid for an extra 24 signs around the site. 'Staff have been asked to remind customers when they come in – the last thing we want is to see people being fined. 'We also have multiple ways of paying – coins, contactless and online – and we have a 35-minute grace period without the need to pay: the industry standard is 10 minutes. This is for people who need to make quick bookings or for motorists who accidentally drive up here.' The main car park, and smaller one, a little downhill, now have pay-and-display machines. They're acessed via a single-lane road up through Happy Valley gardens. Both facilities have been described as 'basic', being gravelled surfaces first laid in 1986 and now suffering from erosion. LSC has long aimed to upgrade them. 'Eight years ago we looked at surfacing them with Tarmac but it was felt they would deteriorate too quickly without expensive new drainage,' said Mr Treacy. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Preliminary designs have now been drawn up for new parking facilities costing around £250,000. However it's hard to justify the outlay when the economic climate is chilly, especially in the lesiure and tourism sectors. It's hoped to new parking charges will help offset the risk. 'We going to need a lot of cars paying £2 a time to get near the target,' added Mr Treacy.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store