TREGARON could be transformed into a vibrant local-economy-boosting centre for the arts, if the hopes of a well-known local artist come to fruition.

Wynne Melville Jones said austerity has had a demoralising effect on communities such as Tregaron and a lack of work opportunities makes it a less attractive location for young people to settle.

He said that making a mart town an art town would help Tregaron emulate the success of towns such as Hay-on-Wye and put it well and truly on the map.

“There is a danger that Tregaron, like other country towns, could see an imbalance of retired people from outside moving in on the basis of cheap housing or families being relocated by authorities in urban areas, with very serious consequences to the cultural life of this most Welsh-speaking area in Ceredigion,” he said.

“Now, this trend has to be reversed and new opportunities must be grasped in order a find a positive way forward and building on the successful achievements of the town: Rhiannon Welsh Gold Centre, Y Talbot with its award-winning restaurant, The Red Kite centre, Pentre Bach, the famous horse trotting events and, more recently, the music festival Tregaroc, all showing entrepreneurship and vision.”

Mr Jones believes that a concerted effort by local people working together could see Tregaron establish itself as “a cutting edge centre” for art.

“Hay-on-Wye has done exactly this, very successfully, with second-hand books as the main springboard for regeneration and the little border town is very similar to Tregaron in many ways,” he added.

See this week’s South Ceredigion edition for the full story, in shops and online now