Written question WQ83237

During the last 18 months, businesses in Monmouthshire have received over £51.6m in emergency support from the Welsh Government with the ambition of enabling them to continue to trade and prosper as restrictions ease and safeguarding hundreds of jobs.

Beyond that emergency phase of support, we intend to deliver a Business Development and Recovery Fund, designed to support businesses across Wales with match funding to relaunch, develop and grow. We hope to announce further details in the coming weeks.

Transforming Towns grant funding is continuing to support economic recovery across the Monmouthshire constituency. Over £2.5 million has been allocated to Monmouthshire County Council since 2018 to bring forward regeneration projects. These have included numerous projects in the town centres of Monmouth, Abergavenny, Chepstow and Usk.

A much greater degree of flexibility has been given to local authorities to adapt to the comprehensive changes required in town centres as a result of the pandemic. The re-purposing of Transforming Towns funding in 2020-21 was designed to ensure that our town centres are working economically and are safe environments where the public feel confident when visiting. Transforming Towns interventions introduced in Monmouthshire town centres include:

• Outdoor awnings, canopies, igloo bubbles, outdoor heating, marquee coverings

• Outdoor tables, chairs and seating provision.

• Outdoor screening, bollards, planters

• Outdoor servery facilities

• The establishment of parklets (small green infrastructure schemes often involving seating provision)

A Transforming Towns Place Making Grant of £554,000 has been allocated to Monmouthshire County Council this year (2021-22) to be used in prioritised town centres across the county. This is a broad and flexible package of support aimed at revitalising town centres. Town centre projects can include Commercial Property Improvement Grants; residential units on upper floors; green infrastructure; public realm enhancements; meanwhile uses; town centre markets; and digital and active travel solutions where these cannot be funded through other means.

There is a need to recognise the intrinsic integration of the Welsh and wider UK economy and the significant impact that UK Government decisions such as Comprehensive Spending Reviews, the Internal Market Act and the implications of their place based levelling up agenda may have for Wales’ and Monmouth’s prosperity.