‘What’s the hold up?’: The Secretary of State for Wales has blamed those overseeing so-called ‘Levelling Up’ infrastructure projects for any delays.

Monmouthshire MP David TC Davies spoke with the Cambrian News while visiting a pop-up market providing space to 20 independent sellers at the old Post Office in Great Darkgate Street, Aberystwyth.

The Antur Cymru Trading Space relocated from the former Carphone Warehouse store to the previously vacant site in December last year – as part of a project which was the beneficiary of funding from the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund.

The Cambrian News pressed the Welsh Secretary on topics such as the energy bills support for individuals and businesses, as well as the loss of small businesses on our high streets.

It was announced late in 2021 that Ceredigion County Council had secured £11 million in funding to regenerate the Old College, the promenade and marina in Aberystwyth.

But only some scaffolding has gone up at the Old College and there has been very little progress, if any, with other projects.

Mr Davies said: “I don’t know what the specific hold up with that one is, but it won’t be a case of the money.

“We’re starting to see work beginning on Levelling Up Fund projects now and you’d probably have to talk to the people directly responsible for those projects to ask why there has been a delay – because as far as we’re concerned, we’re pushing the money out of the door as and when people need it.”

Responding to questions about misery for businesses and the project at the old Post Office building, he said: “This is an absolutely outstanding project and it’s one that we can all take some inspiration from and there will be many other places that can benefit.

“There’s a real problem across the country but also across the world that more and more people are using out-of-town shopping centres or just buying online and Covid has accelerated that.

“Coming to see independent artisan stores like this is fantastic – because this could be the future of shopping centres across the country if they want to compete.

“The days of lots of chains operating in town centres is coming to an end.”

The UK Government’s Energy Bills Relief Scheme (EBRS), which capped the unit prices of wholesale gas and electricity for non-domestic customers, has now been replaced by the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS), which runs from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

On whether there will be more support for businesses’ energy costs – especially those teetering on the edge – he said: “We’ve done as much as we possibly can with that.

“We’ve spent somewhere in the region of £90 billion (on all business support) and we cannot continue at that rate without having to borrow unsustainable amounts of money – which could create all sorts of economic problems.

“We cannot keep funding everyone’s and every business’s fuel bill indefinitely. The unit price is coming down at the moment.”