A BID for more than £4 million has been submitted to fund Abergavenny's regeneration.

Monmouthshire council has asked for the large sum over three years and if successful, much of it will be ploughed into the town centre.

Housing and business accommodation improvements, heritage integration and implementation of new digital technologies to enable connectivity and increase trade are planned.

The project, called the Bryn-y-Cwm Whole Place Plan, was commissioned in September 2012.

Communities have since had input to the draft which was produced for consultation in May of this year.

Part of the plan includes a £3.5 million library, which has attracted criticism from some quarters in the digital age.

It has been suggested money would be better spent on buying back The Hill educational centre.

A community resource centre at the former Park Street School, a new build of King Henry V111 School to 21st century standards and building affordable housing are some of the longer term proposals.

Previously, the deputy leader of Monmouthshire council moved to quash fears Morrisons could pull out of the redevelopment of Abergavenny Livestock Market.

Councillor Bob Greenland, cabinet member with responsibility for regeneration, told the Bryn y Cwm area committee the council signed an agreement with Morrisons to bring the supermarket to the town.

The multi-million-pound scheme will see a 25,000 square foot store, which includes a small café, 289 parking spaces and library on the site.

As part of the deal, the supermarket giant will give the council money to spend on infrastructure and the Plan suggests better pedestrian linkages between the shop and the high street would increase visits.

A Town Team partnership would help manage the regeneration and Abergavenny and District Development Trust, Abergavenny Business Club, the Civic Society, Monmouthshire Enterprise and the county council's community interest company CMC2 are partners.

The Bryn-y-Cwm Whole Place Plan bid for capital funding of £4,049,087 is currently being assessed against other Welsh projects which have applied to the Vibrant and Viable Places fund.

This is available to all local authority areas in Wales from 2014-17.

Monmouthshire is applying for £272,950 in year one, £1,513,897 in year two and £2,262,240 in the third.

Welsh Government will fund 75% of the total, with Monmouthshire County Council and partners expected to match the remaining 25%.

A Monmouthshire council spokesman said: "We expect to hear in September 2013 if we have been successful and are able to proceed to stage two of the application process."

ENDS