REDUCING fuel poverty, training the unemployed in building skills and creating a new community centre are just three of the five new projects announced for Tredegar’s regeneration plan.

Blaenau Gwent Council’s Regeneration Department announced last week the five plans which are part of the £4 million regeneration scheme for the town.

The plans come from funding which is made up of £1 million from the Welsh Government’s Tackling Poverty Fund and £1,600,000 from the Townscape Heritage Initiative which was then match-funded by the Welsh Government.

Also planned is a community asset transfer to change Aneurin Bevan House, in Castle Street, into an advice facility and a project to improve the standard of privately-owned properties in the town centre.

Blaenau Gwent Council formally announced the plans last week with a public exhibition showing details of the regeneration activities.

The regeneration programme aims to support private sector investment to boost the town’s attractiveness to businesses, residents, and visitors.

Among the plans for Tredegar’s regeneration is a training project for unemployed and workless households in painting, decorating, plastering and building renovation and repairs.

Also listed was a project to make houses more energy efficient through boiler replacements and installing gas central heating in Castle Mews. Already £50,000 has been spent and it is hoped £100,000 will be spent on working with private landlords to undertake roof works.

Elsewhere, £400,000 of Welsh Government funding will go towards a recyclable loan scheme to encourage private owners to improve empty and substandard properties in the town centre, while £160,000 is to go towards creating a new Sirhowy Tenants and Residents Community Centre.

And also revealed is a plan to open a facility at Aneurin Bevan House which would provide a range of services including employment and training advice, debt advice and support for businesses. 

The council said they are working with the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, which works to improve the quality of life in Britain’s former mining communities, on a Community Asset Transfer for the building.

£85,000 of the Tackling Poverty Fund will be used to pay for a new shop front, banking hall and disabled access to the building.