AFTER months of debate and uncertainty over funding, it was confirmed on Thursday that £13 million will be spent breathing new life into Abertillery.

The money, which will come from the Assembly Government, European Regional Development fund, the Heads of the Valleys Programme, private investors and Blaenau Gwent Council, will see the town centre given a makeover, with Foundry Square also developed.

Tillery Street will be transformed, with derelict and prominent buildings improved, including the Abertillery Miners' Institute.

Car parks will be refurbished, with CCTV installed and a new traffic scheme implemented to improve the flow of vehicles around town.

Blaenau Gwent Council's executive member for regeneration, Don Wilcox, echoed the views of traders and shoppers when he said: "Someone said that people don't go to Abertillery because they want to anymore, only when they have to. I don't know if that's true, but this will make Abertillery a much better place in the future."

The local authority applied for the money to help with the economic development of the town centre, to help attract more visitors and investors. Work should be completed by 2016. Llanhilleth councillor Hedley McCarthy was a viceforous campaigner for the funding and said he was overjoyed it has come to fruition.

What you thought of plans for town

  • Maria Williams, manager of Fresh and Fruity greengrocers, said a priority with the money should be better access for cars on Church Street.

She said: "Taxis and cars should be allowed to sit and wait. It's a major thing for us, because 70 per cent of our customers are old and we end up carrying their shopping to the taxi rank for them."

  • Angeline Evans, manager of Eileen's Florist, said the development should go alongside a large-scale marketing campaign to attract big businesses.

She said: "We need bigger shops to get people here, otherwise us smaller traders haven't got a chance. Unless they do that, they can spend £100 million and it won't do much good."

  • Rose Jones, of Abertillery, said: "Everything needs improving. But, we need less pubs, hairdressers and kebab shops and more tidy shops that will stay."

Dianne Richards, 63, said: "Doing something with all the empty buildings and attracting nice shops should bring people in."