PRESS RELEASE : Ministers see Denbighshire levelling up projects [January 2024]

UK Government ministers have been to Denbighshire to see how tens of millions of pounds of levelling up money is regenerating the area.

Jacob Young, the Levelling Up Minister and Fay Jones, Wales Office Minister, saw first-hand how transformational regeneration projects in Rhyl, made possible by UK Government funding, will benefit the local community.

Denbighshire County Council was awarded £20 million in the most recent round of the Levelling Up Fund, with £11 million committed to regenerating Rhyl. Local people will benefit from a regeneration of the town centre, creation of more community centres, and improvements to cycle and footpaths and routes between the town and coast.

This latest funding from the third round of the Levelling Up Fund follows two previous rounds which invested just under £1.7 billion and £2.1 billion into projects across the UK – bringing the total fund to £4.8 billion. These infrastructure investments aim to improve everyday life for people by regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets.

Alongside the transformation of Rhyl’s high street, the Ministers also saw where money is being used to revive Queens Market and Central Promenade. Queens Market will be turned into a mixed used retail development to boost business, while improved travel routes will reconnect the town centre with the promenade and beach.

Ministers also visited the Salusbury Arms pub, a much-loved pub in Tremeirchion which recently reopened its doors thanks to £175,000 from the UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund, which protects beloved community places at risk of closure. The 200-year-old pub, which is an integral part of the community and only remaining pub in the village, is now renovated and community-owned with the help of UK Government funding – preserving a cherished place for families and residents to enjoy.

UK Government Minister for Levelling Up Jacob Young said:

I loved being in North Wales to see first-hand how levelling up will be made a reality here thanks to millions of pounds of UK Government support.

I was also delighted to visit the Salusbury Arms, a much loved pub in Tremeirchion with a great deal of history, that has been saved through a mix of the local community’s brilliant campaigning work and our Community Ownership Fund support.

These projects show how committed we are to levelling up in Wales and it is heartening to see how the money will positively impact communities for generations to come.

Wales Office Minister Fay Jones said:

It was fantastic to see these wonderful projects that will make a huge difference to local people’s lives. The ambitious plans for the regeneration of Rhyl will be a huge boost for the town, helping to attract businesses, create jobs and grow the local economy.

And I much enjoyed meeting the people behind saving the Salusbury Arms who have worked so hard to safeguard the pub for future generations – congratulations to them.

Vice Chair of the Salusbury Arms pub Jane Marsh said:

Securing the Community Ownership Fund to support our bid to own The Salusbury has meant that we were able to purchase the building outright not only without taking on debt but also to convey to almost 200 shareholders that the Government had confidence in our vision for the future of this treasured Community asset.

The process was straightforward and I would urge other Communities like ours to apply”.

Notes to editors:

• The Community Ownership Fund is currently open for applications for Round 3 Window 3.
• Voluntary and community groups can bid for funding to acquire important assets and run them for the benefit of the local community.
• The window opened on 6 December 2023 and will close at 11.59am (before noon) on 31 January 2024.
• More details on applying for the next Community Ownership Fund can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/community-ownership-fund-prospectus/community-ownership-fund-prospectus–3