Conservatives call for investment to tackle poverty in Welsh towns like Wrexham

Opening the Welsh Conservative Debate on Community Regeneration, Shadow Minister for Communities and for North Wales Mark Isherwood called for the creation of a fund to support towns that are vital to the economy and way of life in Wales.

Mr Isherwood said he is concerned at the lack of progress in addressing poverty in Wales, highlighting that five of the 10 most deprived areas in Wales are located within towns, including Rhyl, Merthyr Tydfil and Wrexham.

Wrexham town centre

He added that the Welsh Conservative’s motion proposes that the Senedd ‘Acknowledges the particular challenges faced by seaside and market towns with higher retail vacancy rates and higher levels of deprivation than in other parts of Wales, and called upon the Welsh Government to establish ‘Seaside Town and Market Town Funds’ to support regeneration in communities across Wales.

Mark Isherwood AM

It follows the findings of a Federation of Small Businesses Wales report that, despite the decline of town centres, found towns in Wales still have an important social and economic role in their local areas.

Rhyl town centre. Image: Google

Mr Isherwood said: “As FSB Cymru has argued, towns are fundamental to the way that Wales works, with small towns in Wales accounting for almost 40 per cent of the whole population of the country – and ’we need a new approach for our high streets... struggling under the weight of a number of issues, and we have now reached a critical time for these businesses”.

“A Welsh Conservative Government would therefore establish a Seaside Town Fund and a Market Town Fund to help regenerate Wales’ local communities, with £200 million to be invested in our local areas over a five-year term.

“These funds, which would enable communities to decide how the fund is to be invested within their local area, will help to support vital local services and businesses, and emphasise the Welsh Conservatives’ commitment to ‘levelling-up’ investment across Wales and restoring Welsh towns and communities."

Last year, a Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) report ound that Queensway, Caia Park is the ninth most deprived area in Wales.

WIMD is made up of eight separate types of deprivation - these include income, employment, health, education, access to services, housing, community safety and physical environment. It ranks all small areas in Wales from 1 (most deprived) to 1,909 (least deprived).

Wynnstay was the only other area of Wrexham to appear in the top 50 most deprived areas.