Latest news with #MarchesForwardPartnership
Powys County Times
14 hours ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Windfarm cash could help boost Powys footpath network
WINDFARM developers could be asked to stump up money that can be used to improve Powys' network of footpaths. At a meeting of Powys County Council's Economy, Residents and Communities scrutiny committee on Thursday, June 12 councillors were given an update on the progress of the current Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP). This is a legal document that sets out what the council intends to do over 10 years to manage 8,000 kilometres of rights of way, plus open access land including commons in Powys. This is the largest network in the UK and does not include the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park area. Countryside access and recreation lead officer Sian Barnes said a review of the plan would begin early in the 2026/2027 financial year, and that funding would be part of this. Ms Barnes said; 'We knew in 2017 investment of over £1 million was needed to bring the network up to a standard that's open an easy to use, and at that stage only 38 per cent made that standard.' She said that since then costs have soared, but Welsh Government grants to cover some costs are only available until 2027. Ms Barnes said: 'The impacts of climate change are affecting all of us, countryside assets are suffering greater deterioration because we have increasing extreme weather and predominantly warmer wetter weather which is impacting on materials.' Ms Barnes told the committee that her team were looking for funding through the Marches Forward Partnership. 'And also, major developments including wind and solar farms, section 106 funding is routinely sought from wind farm developers and can be significant,' said Ms Barnes. These s106 agreements are a legally binding contract between a planning authority and developer which sees them contribute towards local infrastructure and services. Ms Barnes said the number of people going into the countryside increased significantly during the Covid-19 outbreak and this trend has continued. Committee vice-chairman Cllr Gary Mitchell (Plaid Cymru) said: 'It's useful to have that update, 2028 is not that far away. 'The figures are old but if we'd have invested £1 million back in 2018, we'd have a pretty good network. 'I would argue that the benefit that network brings in terms of tourism, communities connecting up with each other, is vast. He estimated that the £1 million from 2017 is now worth £3 million to £4 million today and believed it would be worth spending this sum on the network over a three to five years would bring about 'phenomenal changes.' Cllr Mitchell also wanted to see the Countryside Services team have the 'ability to respond' to planning application so that they could work on s106 agreements with more developers than just the ones involved in big energy projects.
South Wales Argus
25-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Marches Partnership priorities agreed by Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire and Powys agreed to form a voluntary partnership with English neighbours Herefordshire and Shropshire in September 2023. The Marches Forward Partnership is intended to help the border counties contribute to economic growth and recognise issues they have in common and that cross the different boundaries everyday. Monmouthshire County Council's cabinet has now backed the agreed vision and collective ambition for the Marches Forward Partnership. The Marches Proposition document sets out three immediate priorities which are support for food production, a Marches Environmental Investment and Innovation Platform which will address challenges such as water quality and flood risk and to attract private investment while a health group will consider pilot projects to make early interventions on health inequalities and the transport group will look to improve cross-border transport. The councils hope their work can help it attract £1.5m in funding from the UK and Welsh governments. The four councils have contributed around £100,000 each with Monmouthshire's contribution to date just over £95,000 which it took from its allocation from the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund. Its contribution in the current financial year will be between £54,000 and £61,553 which will come from its own capital budgets. Conservative opposition leader Councillor Richard John described the council's contribution as 'funded by the UK Government' and asked what confidence it had the partnership has the support of the UK Government which has recently withdrawn funding for other 'pan-regional' development projects including the Western Gateway Partnership. Deputy leader, Labour's Paul Griffiths, said the Marches Partnership is in a 'different position' to the Western Gateway, which was directly funded by Westminster to work across South Wales and the West of England, but said deputy prime minister Angela Rayner's department has asked to be part of some of its working groups. 'It is an expression of genuine interest and a desire to be an active partner,' said Cllr Griffiths. Cabinet member Sara Burch said she thought the partnership is a 'real opportunity' for the food economy and tourism. Monmouthshire's cabinet also agreed to a partnership board, from the member councils intended as a 'light touch governance arrangement' and to an evaluation of the partnership's progress after 12 months.
