The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove MP, visited “a beautiful market town in the heart of the Vale of Clwyd” at the weekend to see first hand how the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund is making a difference.
Two years ago, the Government launched its landmark long-term plan to level up across the UK.
In January 2023 it was announced that Denbighshire County Council had been successful in its Clwyd West bid for funding, worth almost £11 million.
The funding will pay for improvements to the townscape of Ruthin, as well as providing new community facilities in the villages of Bryneglwys and Gwyddelwern and visitor facilities at Moel Famau and Loggerheads. It will benefit the Vale of Clwyd constituency, which extends down to the village of Rhewl, just north of Ruthin.
During his visit, the Secretary of State took a look around St Peter’s Church and St Peter’s Square, Ruthin and he was accompanied on a tour of the town by Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies, Clwyd West MP David Jones MP, and council representatives.
In a social media post, he described the town as “a beautiful market town in the heart of the Vale of Clwyd”.
Commenting after the visit, James said:
“The Secretary of State was quite right in his description of Ruthin: it is a charming town with a welcoming community, and a rich history and stunning scenery and I am not surprised that it was named the best place to live in Wales in 2023 by The Times!
“On the day of our visit, the sun was shining, presenting Ruthin in all its glory.
“It is already a wonderful town, but the Levelling Up funding it was allocated last year will support the development of 10 projects which are intended to protect Ruthin’s unique heritage and support rural communities and well-being.
“As well as upgrades at Moel Famau and Ruthin Gaol, layout changes are proposed for the town’s St Peter’s Square, alongside improvements at the church and a planned renovation of Ruthin Clock Tower.”
James added:
“The Levelling Up Fund has been incredibly positive for North Wales, with the region having received more financial support per head of the population than virtually any other area of the United Kingdom. Denbighshire has had successful bids approved in all three rounds.
“The County was also allocated £2.9m from the Government’s UK Community Renewal Fund and £25.6 million from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund – other levelling up schemes. The region has additionally benefited from the UK Government’s Community Ownership Scheme.
“In total, Denbighshire will have received £63.7m in levelling up funds since 2019.”
“All this investment in North Wales will make the region a more prosperous place to live, work and visit and will benefit generations.”
