Statement by Denbighshire County Council

Denbighshire County Council

At its Cabinet meeting on 15th January, Denbighshire County Council allocated around £600k to support local community priority projects in its main towns (Corwen, Denbigh, Llangollen, Rhuddlan, Ruthin & St Asaph) . The projects were those identified as priorities in the Town Plans agreed by Council last year. Cabinet also agreed to extend the Town Plans to include the surrounding villages and more rural communities and held back a further £600k to be allocated when those priorities had been agreed. The Town Plans were developed based on consultation with local residents and businesses and it is expected that the process of expanding the plans to cover the surrounding communities will do as well. More details on the precise arrangements are due to be reported to a future Cabinet meeting to agree the exact process.

As well as putting extra money into the Town & Community Plans budget, the County Council has also rolled into the same pot, the Community budgets (revenue and capital) previously available for community groups to bid for. Funding will now be made available to projects that are agreed by the local community to be a priority and that make their way into the Town & Community Plans. Any groups with projects wanting funding should keep an eye out for information about how the broader community plans are being developed and should start discussing ideas with local community representatives to gain support for their project.

The County Council acknowledges that this is a change from the way in which Community Funds have been allocated in the past but is clear that it continues to see local community priorities as important but, in these times of reducing budgets, just wants to be sure that there is a robust way of making sure those projects that are supported are priorities for local communities and sees the Town and expanded Community Plans to be the way to do that.