£1.4m housing investment for Rhyl and Denbigh

Dec 22 2008 By Justine Bailey

RESIDENTS of Denbighshire have received an early Christmas present - a £1.4 million funding package to improve run down areas.

Efforts by Denbighshire County Council to improve the quality of life in three designated Renewal Areas in the county have been boosted with the announcement of the Welsh Assembly Government grant.

Denbighshire has been informed of its successful bid for a Specific Capital Grant to support the Housing Renewal Areas in 2009-2010 and this funding must be spent on capital projects in declared Renewal Areas.

There are currently three Renewal Areas in Denbighshire: South West/East Rhyl and Denbigh Central and West Parade Rhyl.

A Renewal Area is declared following a study of a specific area. This involves condition surveys of the buildings, an assessment of the socio-economic status of the area and the percentage of properties in private ownership. The study aims to determine the best option for regeneration of the area.

Typically projects within Renewal Areas involve improvements to private sector housing through replacement and repairs to external elements of buildings such as works to roofs, chimneys, windows, external walls, gutters, soil pipes and sometimes to boundary walls external paths and paving.

Environmental improvements through projects such as the development of waste land, improvements to existing open spaces can also be undertaken within Renewal Areas.

Councillor David Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Regeneration, said: "This is great news for Denbighshire and in particular those areas of the county that have been designated Renewal Areas.

"The objectives of a Renewal Area are to halt a downward spiral of decline of an area and achieve an area which will be a pleasant, safe, attractive environment to live in which its residents can live more securely and healthily and in which they can take pride."