Will the Minister provide details of any tourism or amenity funding pots available to local authorities on an annual basis?
One area of funding available to local authorities is Brilliant Basics. The 2023-25 Brilliant Basics capital fund prioritises strategic investment in key tourist destinations. The £5m fund for 2023-25 will help to deliver small-scale infrastructure improvements in strategically important tourism locations across Wales. This year’s scheme is open to Local Authorities and National Parks Authorities. The fund has now closed for new applications for this year. The total grant available is £300,000 with a maximum intervention rate of 80%.
Another funding programme that local authorities can apply for is the Transforming Towns programme, launched in January 2020. Transforming Towns is our core regeneration investment programme for town centres throughout Wales with £100m committed for 2022-2025. The programme is underpinned by place making principles and robust master planning and recognises the new landscape of towns. Managed by local authorities, it provides a maximum of £250,000 grant per project to support a range of actions in town centres including improvements to commercial premises, shop frontage enveloping schemes, creation of residential units, and support for markets and meanwhile uses.
We publish information on planned specific grant funding both capital and revenue for local authorities as part of the annual local government settlement.
You can view this information here Local government revenue and capital settlement 2023 to 2024 | GOV.WALES