Plaid Cymru councillors have met with the Deputy Minister responsible for Regeneration in a bid to secure cash for much-needed upgrades in Treorci town centre.
Councillors Sera Evans-Fear, Ted Hancock and Cennard Davies travelled to the Assembly in Cardiff Bay this week to get plans to regenerate their ward back on track.
Top of the list for improvement within Treorci is remedying the Stag Square bottle-neck which causes long traffic tail-backs in the town centre at all hours of the day.
The town was earmarked for improvements several years ago with £1.5 million from the European Convergence Programme, which was to be doubled with match-funding from the Heads of the Valley programme.
Before approval was granted to various schemes such as the development of the former Burberry site, the Convergence Fund was closed due to over-subscription.
The fund reopens at the end of the year and the Treorci councillors have been making the case for the town’s application to be taken off the reserve list and given approval.
The councillors met with Plaid Cymru Deputy Minister Jocelyn Davies and Leanne Wood, the AM for South Wales Central AM, at the Senedd to press Treorci’s case.
Councillor Evans-Fear, who is the Plaid candidate for the Rhondda at next year’s Assembly election, said: “Treorci and the upper Rhondda in general have been neglected for far too long. We need major cash to be spent up here tackling issues such as Stag Square which has been strangling the upper Rhondda for decades.
“Regeneration is vital to the long-term prospects and viability of Treorci and it would make a big difference to local residents and businesses if the funding application was approved, not to mention attract new investment to the area.”
“Ted, Cennard and I have worked hard trying to secure this money for the town and we will not give up until we succeed.
“The people of Treorci have been dealt some bitter blows in recent years and families have been moving out due to problems caused by the Stag Square bottleneck, so I think it is time we had something to celebrate here.”
Ms Wood said: “I fully support the Treorci councillors’ bid to secure the cash for town centre improvements. The town was very unlucky to miss out during the last round of funding.
“Sera, Ted and Cennard have made a compelling case for the improvements going ahead and I will do all I can to assist them in their tireless work.”
