Cabinet to decide on targeted funding for northern communities
Communities across the north of the Caerphilly county borough are in line for a targeted boost, with a proposed £1 million fund set to focus on employment and economic regeneration. The package, part of a new Northern Valleys Initiative, is due before Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet on Wednesday 22 July.
The council says the fund is intended to support areas where need is most acute and to help attract additional money from the Cardiff Capital Region partnership, which links Caerphilly with nine neighbouring local authorities on major investment and economic programmes.
Building on recent investment momentum
The move follows confirmation last month of a £3 million injection into Oakdale Business Park through the Cardiff Capital Region and Caerphilly County Borough Council (CCBC). It also sits alongside council plans to repair the A469 at Troedrhiwfuwch and the UK Government’s £20 million ‘Pride in Place’ allocation for Aberbargoed, Bargoed and New Tredegar.
| Programme / Location | Investment | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Valleys Initiative (county north) | £1m (proposed) | Jobs and economic growth |
| Oakdale Business Park | £3m | Business development |
| ‘Pride in Place’ (Aberbargoed, Bargoed, New Tredegar) | £20m | Town investment |
| A469 Troedrhiwfuwch | Not stated | Road repairs |
Setting out his priorities, the Leader of the Council, Cllr Jamie Pritchard, said the administration intended to channel resources to areas most in need of opportunity and growth.
“Ever since becoming Leader of the Council I have pledged to support for all parts of the county borough and it is clear that we need bold action to improve opportunities in the northern communities,”
He added that he would be focusing more time on attracting further investment and committed to providing updates to residents and businesses as plans develop.
Focus on jobs, opportunity and leveraging regional funds
The proposed £1 million would be used to stimulate employment prospects across the northern valleys and to complement ongoing regional efforts. According to the council, the fund is designed not only to finance projects directly but also to strengthen bids for additional support through the Cardiff Capital Region. By aligning local priorities with regional funding streams, the authority aims to secure a wider pipeline of schemes.
- Back priority projects that can create or safeguard jobs in northern communities.
- Improve the prospects of securing additional external funding via regional partnerships.
- Support regeneration that brings longer-term economic benefits across the north of the borough.
Responding to the plans, Cllr Eluned Stenner, Cabinet Member for Finance and ward member for New Tredegar, welcomed the focus on tackling inequality of opportunity across the valleys.
“Our communities in the north of the county borough deserve to have good quality jobs and investment, so this £1million investment is welcomed and very much needed.”
What happens next
If backed by Cabinet, the new fund would sit alongside the recent commitments to key transport links and town investments, helping to create a more consistent approach to regeneration in areas that have lagged behind. The authority has not yet set out the specific schemes to be financed through the initiative; those would be expected to come forward as business cases, with an emphasis on employment, enterprise space and unlocking additional capital.
The decision arrives at a time of renewed attention on the northern valleys, where local leaders are seeking to convert headline commitments into practical outcomes, from business growth at established sites such as Oakdale to improvements on strategic routes like the A469. The council argues that the combination of local funding and regional partnerships offers the best chance of accelerating delivery and spreading benefits across communities most in need.
Residents and employers will be watching Wednesday’s meeting closely for confirmation of the funding and for early indications of how it will be deployed. With the £3 million at Oakdale already in train and the £20 million ‘Pride in Place’ package confirmed for three valley towns, the proposed £1 million initiative represents the next plank in a broader effort to sustain jobs and attract further growth across northern Caerphilly.
