The WLGA has welcomed the announcement of the new Communities First scheme in Wales, while calling for greater certainty for the local communities still awaiting news of their future within the scheme.
With the first 12 clusters having recently been announced by the Welsh Government, funding has now been allocated to four clusters in Caerphilly, four in Cardiff, one in Gwynedd, one in the Vale of Glamorgan and two in Flintshire.
The £19 million investment announced so far represents a quarter of the total investment planned for the next three years. The new Communities First programme is aimed at tackling poverty by supporting vulnerable people in the most deprived areas of Wales.
The changes made to the Communities First programme follow a major consultation in 2011, with many local communities and projects in Wales now awaiting news on how, and if they will be funded in the future.
Cllr Harry Andrews MBE (Caerphilly), WLGA Spokesperson for Regeneration and Economic Development said:
“The Welsh Local Government Association supports the revisions made to the Communities First programme in terms of the efforts being made to ensure an effective and efficient use of the budget, through the delivery of tangible outcomes for our local communities.
“Communities First funding makes a huge difference to some of the most deprived areas of Wales. With only 12 of the 52 areas having been confirmed to date, we hope that those areas of Wales that are still awaiting confirmation are granted certainty and security as soon as possible.
“The existing arrangements are in place until the end of January 2013, so it is vital that the funding arrangements are announced as soon as possible to ensure that the new projects, and the teams to support them, can be put in place as early as possible.”
