In recent months the Welsh Assembly Government has initiated a new scheme across the whole of Wales known as “Tidy Towns”. The new scheme has provided £3million for the whole of Wales to encourage people to take pride in their communities.

The Tidy Towns scheme is designed to provide money for Local Authorities to run a wide range of projects to improve their local environment and transform areas of neglect into positive places for people to spend time.

The projects can range from litter picking, graffiti removal to creating new wildlife habitat areas, community gardens or arts projects to bring back areas of neglect into community use.

The aim of the Tidy Towns grant is to support the people and communities of Wales to take responsibility for the quality of their local environment so that they can contribute towards a clean, safe and tidy Wales. The objectives are:

• to support partnership working between local authorities, statutory and voluntary groups to improve the local environmental quality of Wales;
• to support community groups to undertake practical environmental work which will lead to improved access and enhanced biodiversity value; and
• to promote wider environmental awareness leading to practical involvement in local environmental and other climate change initiatives.

As I am sure you will be aware from the objectives, the Tidy Towns scheme is a similar concept to “Neighbourhood in Action” which has developed over the past 18 months. As a result, at the last NIA meeting it was decided by the individuals present to continue the hard work which has made NIA so successful and support the Tidy Towns Scheme.
A meeting has been arranged to take place at the Conference Room in Unit 23, Thornton Industrial Estate, Milford Haven on the 4th September 2008
Should you require further information please call me on 01437 775154.
Many thanks  
Michael Harries
Maintenance Department
Pembrokeshire County Council