Secretary of State urges Welshpool to bid again for playing fields funds
The Community Group trying to provide replacement open space for the town following the disappearance of Salop Road fields under the new primary school was told last week that it would not be receiving funding from the UK Renewal Fund, put in place by the UK Government to help communities recover from Covid-19.
MyWelshpool understands that the bid was on a shortlist, but failed to make the final cut of eight projects for Powys, but Simon Hart MP, the UK Government’s lead politician in Wales, gave his backing to the project during a visit to Welshpool yesterday.
We caught up with Mr Hart who was paying a visit to the area, touring projects and businesses, alongside Montgomeryshire MP, Craig Williams, who has also previously expressed his support to the community group.
When asked what the UK Government could do to readdress the issue of disappearing open spaces in the town, Mr Hart, who is a former resident of the area, replied: “The Renewal Fund is going to be an ongoing source of money and I have been saying to a lot of people that if you don’t succeed in year one, then that’s not the end of the road as there will be other funds and other opportunities to achieve the same outcome.
“I do think that one of the lessons learned from Covid-19 is that outdoor activity, fresh air and exercise are important, so those kinds of projects have got a real future.
“But I do feel a certain sympathy for local authorities and others who have got millions of really good schemes coming through and that’s something we should be pleased with and excited about.
“Not everyone is going to get through in year one, but maybe in year two and year three we will see some of these schemes rising to the top of the in-tray and getting the approval they need.
“Anything which focusses on an outdoor life and outdoor activity is all part of the Covid recovery and we’re going to be, I hope, looking at favourably.”
PICTURE (TOP): Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart MP (right), with Craig Williams, MP for Montgomeryshire, at Montgomery Waters during his tour of the Welshpool area on Tuesday.
PICTURE (BOTTOM): Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart MP (second right), with Craig Williams (right), Montgomeryshire MP; and Russell George (left), Montgomeryshire Member of the Senedd; at Brongain Farm, Llanfechain, where they were hosted by Pickstock Telford Managing Director, Greg Pickstock, and his wife Dawn.
PICTURES by Phil Blagg Photography
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