Brecon and Radnorshire’s MP Fay Jones said she is celebrating the decision to award £6.9 million to three sites in the constituency.

In the Autumn Budget last Wednesday, October 27, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced £22 million investment for Powys of which £6.9million from the £4.8billion Levelling Up Fund will be split between Brecon and Llandrindod Wells with focus on three projects.

In Brecon, the funding will deliver a multi-agency hub that will bring together organisations from the public, private and third sector in a flexible work environment. This will also release land and buildings in the town centre and provide affordable housing and social care sites.

Of the money, £2million will go to help develop Theatr Brycheiniog. The successful bid for Llandrindod Wells will involve the redevelopment of the Auto Palace, a site that has been derelict for 15 years - providing good quality, affordable, energy efficient homes to meet local needs. The site has been an eyesore alongside the A483 trunk road at the gateway to the town. The MP, who worked with Powys council leaders to submit a bid to the UK Treasury in the summer, said: “I’ve been campaigning for the Chancellor to recognise rural areas like Brecon and Radnorshire and I am overjoyed he has delivered. Securing nearly £7 million in funding is fantastic news and I want to commend everyone who played a part in putting the bid together.

“Llandrindod is a wonderful town but it needs new life breathing into it. This funding will deliver that and I can’t wait to see the next steps for the Auto Palace. I’m also pleased that the money will boost the social care and affordable housing offer in Brecon. Powys has missed out for so long and I am delighted that the Chancellor recognises that and is righting that wrong. Last week’s Budget puts us on the road to recovery. As well as this landmark investment, I very much support the other measures announced by the Chancellor including the increase in the National Living Wage, freezing fuel duty, cutting beer duty and reinstating the commitment to spending 0.7 per cent on international aid by 2024. In two successive Budgets, we have secured direct investment. This demonstrates the Conservative Party’s commitment to rural areas like Brecon and Radnorshire.”

Brecon Powys County Councillors also welcomed the announcement, describing it as “good news” for the town.

Cllr Matthew Dorrance, Cllr Liz Rijnenberg and Cllr David Meredith, who have asked for an urgent meeting with the Chief Executive of the Council to discuss the bid in more detail, said: “We welcome news that Powys County Council has been able to secure funding to invest in our Theatre. That is good news for Brecon. Whilst we are very supportive of investment for the Theatre we have asked for an urgent meeting with the Chief Executive of the Council to discuss the bids in more detail, especially given the County Council’s previous track record in managing big funding projects like y Gaer.

“We are committed to working with residents to help move Brecon forward and we hope the County Council will engage with us on these important plans.”

Meanwhile there were mixed feelings in Llandrindod as Welsh Liberal Democrats Cllr Jake Berriman and Cllr Pete Roberts, who both represent Llandrindod on Powys council, welcomed the news that the Auto Palace will benefit from the Levelling Up Fund, but also described the overall process and narrow scope of the bid as “another missed opportunity” to transform the town.

Cllr Berriman, Llandrindod North, said: “Of course, it is excellent news that an iconic building with so much history attached to it is now guaranteed renovation, but there was so much more that could have been done in a comprehensive Llandrindod regeneration bid.”

Cllr Pete Roberts, Llandrindod South, added: “The Auto Palace could have been the crown jewels in a regeneration arc around the town centre from a skate park and off-road bike track by the Lake, though the Pavillion, the Rock Park Centre and park grounds with its sports facilities to the Albert Hall. We could have had a comprehensive business and recreation-focussed regeneration plan that would make the area attractive to the business owners and health professionals we need to guarantee the town a prosperous future.

“Instead the cloak of secrecy that permeates parts of the council administration froze local knowledge out of the process and we end up with another missed opportunity.”

Both Councillors agreed the council must make “significant changes” before preparing bids for the next round of bidding for the fund.

Cllr Berriman said: “We have already identified over £2m of potential projects within the town in the past 24 hours and know there are other initiatives out there that could potentially meet the criteria but we won’t now achieve this alone.

“Pete and I are now committed to working with others to try to develop the basis for a future community-focussed bid. We would also encourage other local County Councillors to identify projects in their area so for the next round there is a Central Powys Bid that will regenerate the county between the Eppynt/Begwyns watershed and the Montgomeryshire border.”