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TRIP – Targeted Regeneration Investment Programme

Published: 11/05/2018

Flintshire County Council Community and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be asked to review a draft regional regeneration strategy for submission to Welsh Government when they meet on Wednesday, 16 May. Welsh Government has launched the Targeted Regeneration Investment (TRI) programme to provide funding for regeneration projects across Wales. It will operate for three years starting from 1 April 2018 and replaces the Vibrant and Viable Places scheme which finished in 2017. A collaborative approach has been taken across North Wales to develop and prioritise investment and to concentrate limited resources into priority regeneration areas. Flintshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Councillor Derek Butler, said: “Working together as a region makes good sense as we already have well established collaborative groups. The North Wales Regeneration Officers Group will look after the day to day running of TRIP and it will be overseen by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board Programme Management Group. It has been agreed that there should be a North Wales regeneration strategy which sets out a vision and objectives for regeneration until 2035.” The draft North Wales regeneration strategy, which sets out twelve priority towns in the region including Shotton and Holywell, proposes the following priorities: • Reduce inequality • Increase employment • Modernise town centres • Improve the housing offer • Strengthen the visitor economy • Protect the rural economy • Improve the health of local people Welsh Government has indicated a notional allocation of £22m over three years for North Wales, half the amount which was allocated to Vibrant and Viable Places. The draft investment framework proposes four regeneration areas as well as three regional projects applying to all areas and covers the three years of TRI funding currently on offer. When the TRI programme is extended beyond the current three year period and as other funding becomes available, then allocation decisions will need to take into account the other areas to ensure that they all receive the support needed. Councillor Butler continued: “Although the two Flintshire towns of Holywell and Shotton, do not appear in the top four regeneration areas, there are two regional projects which could apply – namely, housing renewal which will allow the delivery of further phases of the group repair schemes and, secondly, important buildings allowing the regeneration of key buildings in the town centres. “We will be looking for development funding to identify and assess suitable buildings for regeneration. This could also contribute to the delivery of the Council’s Heritage Strategy.”