Council News

26 June 2008

Wrexham Succeeds in Securing £5.2m for Projects in Rural Area

The Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones AM, has announced that Wrexham has been successful in its bid for £5.2m worth of funding to deliver 28 projects in the rural areas of the County Borough.

The 28 projects were put together by a variety of organisations and community groups and were co-ordinated and assisted through the rigorous application process by Northern Marches Cymru on behalf of the Economic Development Department of Wrexham County Borough Council.

Cllr Aled Roberts, Leader of Wrexham County Borough Council, says: “I am delighted that all 28 projects submitted by the Wrexham rural community have been successful in gaining funding. I know that all the staff and volunteers involved have already put in a great deal of hard work and this news means that they can now see their ideas come to fruition.”

Projects included in the submission range from Holt Community Council’s plans for making environmental improvements to their village to Groundwork’s development of a riverside walk along the River Dee and Yale College’s digital storytelling project which aims to capture some of the rural area’s most valuable industrial heritage information for future generations.

Cllr Roberts continues: “The breadth of projects shows what can be achieved by partner organisations working together and I am proud that Wrexham CBC has played a major part in gaining this vital funding for the rural parts of the County.”

News of the successful funding application follows the previous successful submission of the Local Development Strategy (LDS) which was submitted to Welsh Assembly Government in March 2007. The LDS had been put together by Northern Marches Cymru on behalf of the Economic Development Department of Wrexham County Borough Council. The strategy reflects other national, regional and local strategies aimed at making rural areas more attractive and at reversing trends towards economic and social decline and depopulation of the countryside. The approval of the LDS led to Northern Marches Cymru to develop a business plan to deliver the strategy and it is that business plan within which the 28 projects sit.

The business plan is to run until February 2011 and has a total value of £5.2m, made up of £3.7m grant funding through Welsh Assembly Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) with the remainder coming from cash match funding or volunteer time.

If you would like to know more about any of the projects please contact Allan Forrest, Manager Northern Marches Cymru on 01978 298380.