Prosperous valleys, resilient communities

The Taskforce for the South Wales Valleys should adopt economic resilience as a guiding principle, develop “anchor towns” and prioritise the heads and the “hearts” of the valleys

In this report the Bevan Foundation examines the work of the Ministerial Taskforce for the Valleys and recommends an effective strategy for building economic resilience in the valleys

We found:

• While the taskforce has good intentions and some positive proposals, action has been spread too thinly with insufficient resources.
• The south Wales valleys make a substantial contribution to the Welsh economy, but also suffers from significant structural economic weaknesses. Addressing these economic problems should be the taskforce’s priority
• The development of ‘anchor towns’ in the valleys should be part of the solution. Anchor towns have a substantial population within 15-20 minutes travel, are home to public bodies and offer range of services such as banks, post offices and shops. Put together, the buying power of public services and the spending power of the local population could transform valleys towns.
• Whilst the taskforce is shifting its approach, there is still scope to do more. The taskforce should prioritise the heads and the “hearts” of the valleys, and ensure it can deliver change in the long-term.

Report format: PDF
Language: English
Pages: 25
Cost: Free

We gratefully acknowledge the support of The Friends Provident Foundation and a number of our Welsh partners

Download