Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:09 pm on 29 September 2020.
If I respond to the points around Pontypridd BID and the role that they played in significantly driving forward the regeneration of Pontypridd town centre. We've talked previously about the importance of having that literal buy-in on the ground from people that live and work there to ensure the success of any regeneration project for a town or a community. We're committed to continue to support BIDs as a vehicle for driving that change or ways in which we can empower local business forums and community organisations. As well, we have provided support for BIDs to get through the COVID period, recognising the challenges they may face, and I'm happy to explore that work further with BIDs where they are taking forward really good work and are driving forward change in their communities.
The Member raises the various challenges that Pontypridd has faced over the past year, the regeneration that was really taking hold and then the challenges faced by both the flooding and now the pandemic, but I think there's absolutely huge potential there in Pontypridd given the investment that's already gone in and continues to go in.
On the kind of buying local and shopping local and the link to where your food comes from and fresh food, I think one of things I've started seeing now within Government is actually—as Mick said—how we better join that up. So by buying local, if you're buying from a market you're probably more likely to not use excess packaging as well, and you see people thinking about the resources we consume, not just within our food but also the waste that we can produce as well. I think we've seen more opportunities coming forward both within our direct transforming towns funding, but also things like our circular economy fund, with organisations, public bodies and businesses coming forward in terms of actually how they can reduce packaging as part of that offer, part of the town centre offer that is different, that gives them that draw to bring people in and increase footfall.
I think the Member absolutely makes the point, actually, we've seen—and I've seen it myself in my own constituency—almost the comeback of the market and the rise in popularity of the market again. Well, that's because people feel safer shopping outdoors at the moment in the current circumstances, but also actually seeing the quality of the product and knowing that they're supporting the local community. So, much of what we've seen through some of the adaptation funding and the transforming towns funding, that can be facilitated through local authorities to support things such as local market initiatives moving forward. I know that it's one of the areas that the action groups have already identified as a key area to take forward if we can drive the idea and the action of every town in Wales as a market town.