West Wales Council launches projects to brighten up and improve town centres
Carmarthenshire County Council has launched new projects to help improve the look of it’s town centres.
An exciting new project called Tidying Our Towns is set to begin this autumn, with a dedicated team appointed to carry out a programme of cleansing work targeted towards town centres and high streets throughout Carmarthenshire.
The Tidying Our Towns team will carry out a range of tasks above and beyond the typical cleansing work carried out to help keep these areas tidy and improve the look of our town centres. This includes weed removal and spraying, maintenance of planters, painting, jet washing and much more.
The work will initially be carried out via a pre-arranged programme in the county’s three main town centres as well as rural towns, with opportunities for communities to have a say in the location and type of work set to take place as the programme progresses.
Applications are now open for anyone interested in joining the Tidying Towns team, with vacancies for two operatives and a lead operative on offer within the team. Visit Carmarthenshire.gov.wales/jobs
Cllr Edward Thomas, Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services said: “The introduction of this specialist cleansing team will greatly improve the look of our town centres, enabling us to expand upon the duties that our cleansing teams usually carry out. The programme of works will focus on our main town centres as well as rural towns through a programme of pre-arranged work.”
The Shared Prosperity Place Anchor will also facilitate a number of other projects aimed at improving town centres and high streets including further work to tidy our towns, events support and Vacant Property Funding to address the on-going challenges faced by town centres and high streets in Carmarthenshire.
As well as the introduction of a specialist cleansing team, the Tidying Our Towns project will include adding street furniture and painting existing assets, planting and working with property owners to enhance frontages through cleansing and painting.
Vacant Property Funding will be available to owners and lease holders (minimum seven years lease) and is focused on bringing ground flood vacant properties back into commercial use.
Cllr Hazel Evans, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism said: “The introduction of these projects will help to improve the look of town centres throughout Carmarthenshire as a result of partnership working with businesses which will include bringing empty properties back into use.”
For more information on Carmarthenshire’s projects funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund visit https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/business/uk-shared-prosperity-fund/
Tidying Our Towns and the Shared Prosperity Fund Place Anchor is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) which is a central pillar of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda and will provide £38m of funding in Carmarthenshire over the next two years up until March 2025.