February 27, 2026 - 198 views
Towns along the North Wales coast and across Wales are set to benefit from a fresh round of Welsh Government investment aimed at revitalising high streets, supporting local businesses and bringing empty buildings back into use.
The Government announced an extra £30.9 million for its Transforming Towns programme — part of a longer-term effort to breathe new life into town centres across Wales, from valley communities to seaside resorts.
Since its launch in 2020, the scheme has helped pump nearly £500 million into regeneration projects nationwide, with the latest funding bringing total support for 2025/26 to around £56 million.
North Wales coastal communities have already seen tangible results from earlier rounds of funding. In Rhyl, grant money has been used to upgrade commercial properties and improve the look and feel of the town centre, helping to tackle long-standing issues with empty shop units and low footfall.
A project led by Denbighshire County Council saw improvements — including new windows, shutters and paintwork — to buildings such as the former Woolworths site, bringing dormant properties back into active use.
Meanwhile across the region, small Property Development Grants delivered through the Transforming Towns programme have supported improvements to 45 properties in ten North Wales towns, with 12 brought back into business use. The total investment for these grants in the area reached more than £1.5 million, helping to boost high streets from coastal communities to inland market towns.
City centres have also been transformed, with Wrexham benefitting from more than £10 million of Welsh Government regeneration funding. Major upgrades such as the refurbishment of the indoor Butchers’ Market — supported by a £2.5 million grant — have helped reinvigorate the historic market hall and attract more independent traders back into the heart of the city.
Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government Jayne Bryant said the latest funding would help create jobs, boost economic activity and support vibrant, resilient communities.
“Our Transforming Towns programme improves the places where people live and work,” she said. “We want to see town centres that are thriving, attractive and meet the needs of local people.”
The programme is part of a wider Welsh Government strategy to counter the decline of traditional high streets — a trend seen across the UK as consumer habits change and online retail grows. In North Wales, towns with strong visitor economies such as Rhyl, Bangor and Llandudno have faced particular pressures, with regeneration funding seen as vital to sustaining local businesses and diversifying town centre offers.
As well as coastal towns, North Wales hubs such as Bangor have secured multi-million-pound Transforming Towns investment for projects including a health and wellbeing hub and city centre greening initiatives, part of celebrations marking the city’s 1,500th anniversary.
The latest funding round is expected to support further proposals from local authorities across North Wales — from Holyhead and Aberystwyth to inland market towns — aimed at strengthening economic prospects, improving public spaces and ensuring town centres remain at the heart of community life.
Overall, the renewed focus on town centre regeneration reinforces the Welsh Government’s commitment to ensuring that communities from Anglesey to Wrexham benefit from sustained economic investment, preserving local heritage while creating opportunities for future growth.
