Plaid plots strategy to revitalise valley areas

A ‘VALLEYS Strategy’, more business parks and investments in culture and tourism are among Plaid Cymru’s plans for Neath Port Talbot.

Neath Port Talbot Plaid Cymru has also pledged to “regenerate” Neath and create a “lively and vibrant” centre in Port Talbot if they win in the local government elections on May 5.

Plaid group leader at Neath Port Talbot Council, Alun Llewelyn gave his thoughts on what a ‘Valleys Strategy’ would look like.

“Valleys strategies have been talked about at different levels for decades, but the feeling that a lot of people have is that it has been [paid] lip service,” said Mr Llewelyn.

“Among the key elements that we would want to make a reality in a Valleys Strategy is investment in small to medium businesses.

“We know that there is a great demand for industrial and commercial units in the valleys, which gives people the opportunity to work closer to where they live, to trade successfully between communities. We would certainly want to encourage the valleys economy by developing more business parks. That needs to be combined with investment in village centres.”

Plaid Cymru, which is the largest opposition to the Labour administration at Neath Port Talbot Council, has placed emphasis on culture and heritage in its manifesto for the county borough.

The party has proposed investment in the council’s tourism and economic teams as one way of capitalising on the area’s cultural and heritage offerings.

Mr Llewelyn said the party would also consider bringing calls for a national rugby museum back into focus if it got into power.

The possibility of having a national rugby museum in Neath – similar to the national football museum planned for Wrexham – was raised by Plaid member Jamie Evans at a council meeting earlier this month. Mr Llewelyn said: “Increasing the regeneration team can help to gain and attract resources for economic development and arts and culturebased development as well.

“Neath Port Talbot doesn’t have a single council museum that is open. The museum in Neath closed many years ago and the Cefn Coed Colliery Museum has had to close because of its poor condition.”

Although focusing on town centres is high on Plaid’s list, Mr Lllewelyn added that there was a need to prioritise village centres just as much. He said: “I don’t think it is either or.”

Other areas of focus in the manifesto include the Welsh language and working closely with emergency services to maintain community safety.