AN AMBITIOUS plan to transform Ebbw Vale has been hailed as the dawning of a "renaissance" for Blaenau Gwent.

At a special meeting, Blaenau Gwent county borough council gave their full backing to the ambitious multi-million- pound proposals.

Their formal approval of the plan, drawn up by a team of consultants at Llewelyn Davies, now paves the way for the National Assembly and the Welsh Development Agency to seek funding - although £25 million of the Corus regeneration package is already available to Blaenau Gwent.

Councillors lined up to welcome the scheme, which aims to breathe life into a town still reeling from the closure of the steelworks and the loss of 800 jobs last year.

A combination of a learning campus, business units, houses, and a community hospital will need tens of millions in investment, but could herald the creation of 1,500 jobs. Councillor Brian Scully, executive member for education, said: "This is the most important piece of work in the last 50 years.

"With the ravaging of the economy in Blaenau Gwent this vision is to be welcomed - this is the renaissance of Ebbw Vale and of Blaenau Gwent."

He added: "We should be getting behind the leader and the consultants, and say 'congratulations on a job well done'.

"If ever there was a commonality to bring this council together, wherever you live in Blaenau Gwent, this project has to be the right one."

The leader of the council, Councillor John Hopkins, (pictured) said: "There is a clear message we have to send to the Welsh Assembly, the WDA, and Corus that the ball is now firmly in your court."

Councillor Hopkins added that he intends to write to First Minister Rhodri Morgan to ensure the funding package he promised last year will be delivered.

Llew Smith, MP for Blaenau Gwent, said: "It is vital to the future of the community that the site is developed in a way relevant to our problems and our aspirations as a community. "My position is relatively straightforward, as areas like Blaenau Gwent have created much of the wealth for Wales and, indeed, Cardiff, and now it is payback time."