1. Will the Minister provide an update on strategic regeneration areas? OAQ(5)0022(CC)

I thank the Member for her question. Regeneration activity continues across Wales under the Vibrant and Viable Places capital regeneration programme. This builds on the success of the previous strategic regeneration area programme, which the Member raises and which ended in March 2015.

Can you tell me what work is ongoing to ensure that the Afan valley benefits from the regeneration scheme? I received a letter from Neath Port Talbot council over the summer confirming its intention to locate development work on the coastal corridor in that area, including the upper Neath valley and the upper Swansea valley as areas of strategic growth. But what I’ve found in knocking doors in the Afan area of the valleys is that they feel that things are moving away from that area, that resources are being withdrawn and that they aren’t given the same priority as the coastal belt. So, can you tell us if there are any plans to include this specific area as part of the strategy?

Well, local authorities are the responsible agents for identifying their Vibrant and Viable Places content, and we acknowledge that when we received them from the local authorities. We are looking at the next stage, post VVP. Indeed, if the local authority provides examples of why they wish that to be prioritised, I will consider that carefully.

Minister, I can join with the Member for South Wales West, because I also was going to ask the question about ensuring that the Viable and Vibrant Places project, which we're seeing actually achieving excellent results in Port Talbot, in the Green Park industrial estate being transformed into a lovely green area and social housing, into the regeneration of the old fire brigade station, and the Port Talbot transport hub at the railway station—they're all coming to fruition, quietly, and seeing a change, but we need that change beyond the principal towns in the areas. So, I will then urge, as Bethan did, that you actually look at extending the Vibrant and Viable Places beyond principal towns into outer communities so that they can benefit. I appreciate you indicated that it’s for the local authorities, but perhaps guidance and criteria could be given to local authorities to express that position, because, as I'm sure you'll agree, this is a fantastic scheme to rejuvenate town centres and areas that have been left to go for a while, but those areas are also in the Valleys.

I'm very grateful for the Member's comments and question there. I'm pleased to hear of the positive progress being made in places like Port Talbot, and I look forward to seeing the work when I visit there at the end of the month. We’re providing £11.5 million to support a diverse programme, and the projects you mentioned are certainly contributing to rejuvenation of the town. Of course, as I said earlier on, the local authorities are awash with guidance; they never ask for more in terms of what their requests are, apart from more money, generally, but what I can assure you is that we take the bids from local authorities very carefully and consider them in our consideration about strategic regeneration areas or, now, the Vibrant and Viable Places scheme.

Minister, one of the successes, really, in north Wales of the previous administration’s approach to regeneration has been in Colwyn Bay, where we’ve seen a revitalisation of that particular town. But of course, there are many other seaside towns around Wales that could benefit from a strategic regeneration approach. Will you take on board our policy proposal from the recent Assembly elections for a seaside towns initiative across Wales, so that the wonderful seaside resorts across Wales that have had ailing fortunes in recent decades can turn themselves around, in the same way that Colwyn Bay has done?

I’m grateful for the recognition by the Member that the previous Labour administration of this Welsh Assembly was investing in areas across Wales, including Colwyn Bay. I visited there, with the Member, indeed, to see this great success, and also places like Rhyl and other areas in north Wales have received significant amounts of funding. I think we are currently considering the next stages to VVP and that may include some reference to seaside towns, but it’s something I will have to give some very careful consideration to.