Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children – in the Senedd at 3:00 pm on 14 December 2016.
I thank the Cabinet Secretary, and he may have some hint of where I’m going with this question. [Laughter.] Within our south Wales Valleys towns, there have been immense and sustained efforts in recent years to economically and socially regenerate those communities that were devastated in the hard years after the collieries closed, and those efforts continue. But one of the most visible scars of the economic decline in some Valleys towns is the lasting downturn on the high streets, and it’s also a reflection of changing shopping patterns as well as lower spending power and footfall, reflected in closure of shops and empty premises, and in itself can lead to a feeling of further decline unless it’s rapidly arrested. So, can I ask the Cabinet Secretary: in collaboration with other Cabinet colleagues and the Minister with the taskforce for the Valleys, whether he will assess the effectiveness of existing measures that can help with the physical regeneration of the high streets in our Valleys towns, and examine the scope for further measures that could boost the economic vitality of these high streets? And of course, I’d be delighted to welcome him to Ogmore any time to show him the successes we’ve had in community and economic regeneration, as well as the remaining challenges.