APPLICATIONS for more than £1.6m in aid towards ambitious plans to help town centres recover from the pandemic have been submitted by Carmarthenshire Council.

The authority is seeking funds from the Welsh Government's Transforming Towns Programme to help regenerate the county's main towns, Ammanford, Llanelli, Carmarthen and Burry Port.

An application has been made for £45,000 towards an Ammanford Recovery Plan Feasibility Study and substantial sums towards improving digital infrastructure and training.

The plans have been welcomed by Ammanford councillor Deian Harries.

He said: “We really need this assistance to get Ammanford on its feet again after the devastating effects of the Covid lockdown and the surge in internet shopping.

“Digital training to enable more local shops to sell their produce and goods online could be the key to their survival.

"More use of click and collect on a local scale would be a shot in the arm for Ammanford traders, be convenient for customers, as well as being more environmentally friendly.”

Further applications for more than £1m have been submitted to develop Llanelli town centre towards the cost of acquiring empty commercial properties in Vaughan Street and Stepney Street, as well as other developments and environmental schemes in the town.

Carmarthenshire Council leader, Cllr Emlyn Dole said: "As an authority we continue to explore funding opportunities to regenerate our town centres in Carmarthenshire.

"If funding can be secured, we envisage that we will be able to bring back to life a number of key underutilised buildings in our town centres, with a mix of commercial and residential uses."