NEWPORT Council is through to the next stage of bidding for Welsh Government grants worth £13.3 million that could provide 420 inner-city homes and create 600 jobs.

Earlier this year councils were invited to submit schemes for a share of £90 million of Welsh Government cash capital investment over three years.

Newport’s bid for £13.3 million is for a proposed housing and heritage regeneration programme in the Communities First central area of the city, that will tackle vacant properties, housing shortfalls and other problems.

If it came to fruition the scheme would help create up to 600 new jobs, provide more than 420 homes and upgrade another 160 plus, while assisting 850 people to gain work-based learning and skills opportunities.

Welsh Government housing and regeneration minister Carl Sargeant has asked 11 out of 22 councils that submitted bids for new Vibrant and Viable Places funding, including Newport, to develop their programmes further and resubmit them by November 25.

Results of the exercise will be announced early in 2014.

Councillor John Richards, council cabinet member for regeneration and development, said: “We are obviously extremely pleased that our bid has made it through to the second stage and I would like to commend our officers for their excellent work so far.

“We will now be doing everything possible to make our final submission the best it can be bring this vital funding to Newport.

“As a council, we have already identified that housing in the centre of the city is key to its future vitality and winning a share of this cash will go a long way to help us achieve this aim while also dealing with problems such as disadvantage and empty properties.”

Cllr Deb Davies, cabinet member for skills and work, said: “We are committed to providing learning and training opportunities for residents who need the skills to enter the workplace.

“The projects being considered as part of the proposal will open up those opportunities for hundreds of people and improve their life chances. Importantly, this will also help to tackle poverty in some of our communities and benefit the City of Newport more widely by increasing the numbers in work thus boosting the local economy.”