A FUNDING bid which is hoped to bring £28 million to Blaenau Gwent is due to be submitted next month.

At a meeting on Wednesday, July 13, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s cabinet discussed a report which allows Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) Borough Council work on behalf of all 10 local authorities in the Cardiff Capital City Region on an investment bid to UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF).

Blaenau Gwent’s head of regeneration and development, Ellie Fry explained that this fund is the UK Government’s replacement for European Union structural funding.

The report suggest that the South East Wales region could receive £278.5 million over a three-year period to be spent on projects, with just over £28 million coming Blaenau Gwent’s way.

Of this money, cabinet members agreed that £1.2 million of Blaenau Gwent’s share will need to be use on  administration and management fees on a team to work on the projects in the county.

Ms Fry said: “RCT have been leading on this for the last six or seven weeks and we’re happy with the way it’s working.”

One of the issues that councils have had with the SPF is the lack of clarity form the UK Government on what qualifies for funding.

Ms Fry explain that the SPF is looking for projects that will correspond to three themes.

These are:

Communities and place;

Supporting local business;

People and skills.

Ms Fry said: “Out of all these people and skills is probably the most developed as we’ve had a regional group working for a number of years on a regional employability model which is what we will be taking forward.

“It’s all about people becoming ready for the world of work and then supporting them into a job in a priority sector.”

She added that the themes would help the council’s own “place-making” plans.

Ms Fry added that money allocated to this year had to be spent and not carried forward to next year.

Cabinet member for people and social services, Cllr Haydn Trollope said: “I’m glad to see that we’re being proactive on this and making sure we’ve got the staff.

“I really believed we have a friend in RCT and have had a good working relationship in the past with the leader.”

“I’ll be looking for quick wins to show the people of Blaenau Gwent that we’re on the case and that this council is going forward.”

Cabinet member for place and regeneration,  Cllr John C Morgan said: “It’s a fast moving and exciting plan and a certain amount of money has to be spent by the end of the year.”

RCT will need to submit the investment plan to the UK Government on behalf of the region by August 1.

Cabinet members unanimously approved the report.