PROJECTS in parts of the Amman and Swansea valleys can now apply for funding from Neath Port Talbot Council.

The council is opening its Valleys and Villages Prosperity Fund which aims to address the decline in rural communities throughout the county of Neath Port Talbot.

It is particularly looking at the reduced demand for high street retail and increased demand for housing, recreational and active travel projects.

The £1.7m fund is part funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and is part of the county’s £27.3m Shared Prosperity Fund allocation over the next three years.

The targeted areas that the council is looking at include the Upper Amman Valley, Swansea Valley, Dulais Valley, Neath Valley and Afan Valley and it aims to have a positive impact on key issues including job creation, health and wellbeing, pride of place and economic growth.

Project proposals can include commercial property grants, residential units (conversion from commercial to housing), green infrastructure and biodiversity projects, public realm improvement projects, strategic acquisitions, town centre markers and shop frontage schemes, digital towns, active travel and leisure and recreational facilities.

Cllr Jeremy Hurley, the cabinet member for climate change and economic growth, said: "The VVPF will bridge the gap in funding across the county borough, so people are not missing out on funding opportunities.

“It will make a big contribution to the improvement of the valleys and villages areas of Neath Port Talbot, making them a better place to live and work.

“It will also help meet the demand for commercial and residential units in areas where these are wanted.

“The VVPF will directly support the delivery of the council’s wellbeing objectives as well as the wellbeing of future generations act. Under this scheme, our valley communities will benefit from improvements made to their villages, that will help with the creation of new local jobs and an improved perception of place.”

The deadline for expressions of interest in the fund is December 31, 2023, and all projects must be completed by December 31, 2024. For more information and to make the expression of interest, visit https://www.npt.gov.uk/36529. Applications can be made for up to 70 per cent of their total project costs, up to a maximum of £250,000.