A £1,000,000 refurbishment of workshops at Glanaman industrial estate has been earmarked as one of Carmarthenshire County Council’s key developments over the next five years.

A statement released by the ruling Plaid Cymru group, which took control of the council last May, has outlined funding for 12 keys projects across the county plus the creation of a rural enterprise fund.

A total of £20million is to be spent on the schemes, with the money coming from a restricting of the council’s capital reserves.

Ahead of the announcement of the 2015 budget by the then Labour-run authority, Plaid members called for the council to dip into its reserves in a bid to avoid the slashing front-line services as County Hall faced cuts of up to £30m as money from Cardiff Bay – and Whitehall – was dramatically reduced.

Labour rejected the plea – and dismissed as a gimmick Plaid’s 11th-hour presentation of an “alternative budget” on the morning the authority’s 2015 funding was formalised.

Plaid was unable to implement its proposals following its takeover of the council just weeks later as the Labour budget was passed by a meeting of the full council.

Glanaman councillor David Jenkins, Plaid’s deputy leader at County Hall, said: “Since taking over control of the council in May, in alliance with the Independent group, we’ve been analysing the reserves in detail and have established that almost £20m could be released for much-needed capital projects.

“People may ask why we don’t use these reserves to offset cuts in services — a course of action advocated by Plaid last year. But the truth is, at that time, due to lack of vision by the Labour-led administration, it was unclear why there was so much money in reserves and what use could be made of it.

“Some of it may be spent on off-setting cuts to services, but most of the money will be invested in a detailed strategy to create jobs and improve standards of living.”

Cllr Jenkins, the financial mastermind behind Plaid’s alternative budget, has long warned of the dangers of maintaining multi-million-pound reserve funds with the growing spectre of local authority reorganisation looming on the horizon.

Speaking to the Guardian earlier this year, he warned that the likely creation of a Dyfed-style super-county made up of Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion would see individual reserves disappear overnight.

“With council reorganisation on the horizon, it’s imperative that we spend the money raised in our county for the future benefit of Carmarthenshire,” he said.

In additional to the refurbishment at Glanaman, £5.75m has been identified to fund a Llandeilo to Carmarthen cycle and walking path along with £12.3m to fund Phase Two of the Cross Hands economic link road.

The projects are in addition to money to be spent on new schools and other capital projects.

Full list of projects to be funded from the local authority reserves:

• Renovation of Carmarthenshire Museum at Abergwili: £1.5m

• New archive for the county (in possible partnership): £2m

• Extension of Oriel Myrddin Art Gallery, King Street, Carmarthen: £750k

• Circular cycle track at Pembrey Country Park: £500k

• Contribution towards restoration of Carmarthen park velodrome: £286k

• Carmarthen to Llandeilo cycling and walking track: £5.75m

• Cross Hands economic Link Road – Phase Two: £12.3m

• Upgrade and new attractions at Pembrey Country Park: £1m

• Care home in Llanelli: £12.5m

• Disabled Facility Grants to help older and vulnerable people to live in their own homes: £10m

• Glanaman Industrial Estate refurbishment: £1m

• Renovation of Llanelli Market: £300k

• Rural Enterprise Fund: £2m