A NEW £1 million domestic abuse refuge centre will open in Tredegar in August.

Blaenau Gwent is currently the only Welsh local authority not to have a facility for women who need help to escape domestic violence.

The centre was given the go-ahead by the local authority’s planning committee in March 2010 after an application by United Welsh housing association for a development and will be funded by the Welsh Government.

Work has seen 16 dwellings built in total, with six of these to be used as flats for vulnerable women and their children.

Blaenau Gwent council’s social services department has supported the need for such a project in the area for a number of years, and successfully applied to the Welsh Government for funding in 2006.

The six-bed supported accommodation has cost £1,011,840, of which £632,632 has come from a Welsh Government social housing grant, and the rest is being paid for by the local authority.

Anumber of meetings have taken place where the local authority’s officers have outlined details of the project to local people.

A spokeswoman said: “Our partners, United Welsh Housing and Hafan Cymru – who will run this facility – manage several similar projects across Wales and they hope to work with local people to successfully develop this scheme.”

She said that locals were consulted in the planning process and their views taken into consideration before permission was granted for the scheme.

Former Blaenau Gwent AM Trish Law was a vociferous campaigner for the new facility, and said last year: “It’s fantastic these plans are coming to fruition, there’s a crying need for this facility.”