A MAJOR £20 million investment boost in Carmarthenshire to regenerate and strengthen communities has been hailed as ‘fairness in action’.
The Labour Opposition group leader on the county council has hit out at Plaid Cymru council leaders who have criticised the Pride of Place cash for ‘choosing grievance over growth’.
Councillor Deryk Cundy says the extra Government money – equivalent to £100 for each resident over ten years – comes after the biggest Welsh Government budget settlement ever.
‘This is fair and transparent. Real money for real communities, funding that can revitalise high streets, improve local facilities, and support both rural villages and town centres,’ he said.
Councillor Cundy said: ‘Instead of welcoming help for Welsh people, Plaid prefer to complain.
‘After more than a decade in charge of Carmarthenshire, Plaid Cymru seem quicker to complain than to deliver.’
He stressed that Plaid-led county council leader Darren Price and his administration will propose which communities in Carmarthenshire become investment zones under Pride of Place.
‘Within the rules of the scheme, they have the chance to prioritise deprived villages, struggling town centres, or regeneration hotspots,’ said councillor Cundy.
‘If impoverished rural areas are left behind, that will be the result of Plaid’s choices locally – not Labour’s investment nationally,’ he said.
Councillor Cundy said his group was pledging: ‘Fairness, not division.
‘Whether urban or rural, valley or coastal, village or town, every community deserves its share.’
Blaming ’14 years of Conservative austerity that starved communities of resources’ for rundown areas, he added that Plaid’s leaders were wrong to criticise the Pride of Place scheme.
‘It’s about fairness for every community.
‘Carmarthenshire alone will receive around £2 million a year, equal to £10 for every resident.
‘If rural or impoverished areas are left behind that will be Plaid’s choice locally – not Labour’s.
‘Labour’s priority is simple: uniting Wales through investment, not playing politics with people’s futures.
He added that Plaid have had over a decade to transform Carmarthenshire.
‘Instead their instinct is still to reach for a press release rather than a plan.
‘Labour, by contrast, is focused on investment, delivery, and opportunity.
‘Because as the saying goes: you can’t spend a grievance in the corner shop – but you can spend £2 million a year improving Carmarthenshire.’
Last month the UK Government announced an extra £214 million for Wales under the nationwide Pride of Place programme.
Local authorities propose which communities become Pride of Place investment zones, with the UK Government approving final choices designed to support regeneration.
It’s a shame that the leader of the Labour group seems to be articulate enough on paper and in press releases but fails (like the vast majority of his group in County Hall) to articulate anything of meaning and substance in a debate where their ‘sentiments’ are open to challenge. It’s quite pitiful really and rather hypocritical of him to point at anyone else ‘reaching for the press release’.
If he really does scorn ‘reaching for the press release’ he might want to have a word with his fellow front bencher from Garnant who seemingly spends most of his time compiling press releases. Cllr Cundy might want to hold the mirror up for Cllr Madge whose pet hobby appears to be habitual criticism of any investment in his own ward by the Plaid- independent administration. He also persists in using his ‘press releases’ to seemingly criticise and obstruct local businesses and organisations for even daring to organise community events.
Speaking of investment by the Plaid Cymru – independent administration…. I wonder if Cllr Cundy has had time to step away from his keyboard to visit the new Pentre Awel development in Llanelli? A mere stone’s throw away from his ward???
Yes Deryk…. glass houses, stones etc.
Hefin I was involved with Pentre Awel long before you were a Councillor but why would you let facts get in the way of a good story…and the funding is Joint Venture Capital as you well know and not the gift of Plaid Cymru.
I won’t comment on your continued personal attacks on Kevin who tries to fight for his area as you do yours, it really is beneath you .
Regarding the extra funding for people to.manage, I was just trying to present the facts, …. not to deride investment for Welsh people because the money comes from a Labour initiative that your Party has done both in the Senedd and now at County level.
Surprised you think that the Chamber Debates are where the real work of a Councillor is done ….
Deryk Cundy many thanks for your response. It’s refreshing. Unlike your fellow front bencher from Garnant, of course, who is happy to make political statements often based on questionable facts, but goes to great lengths to close out any challenge of his viewpoints or statements. If he or you have courage in your conviction that my response to the many aspects of his political activity in the press, online and in the chamber is tantamount to ‘personal attacks’, you are of course free to use the appropriate channels to air any such grievance.
The chamber is the seat of democracy. It’s the place for public discourse and debate to take place Agreed? I get it, though, if the vast majority of your group feel safer behind a keyboard.
Let’s not let smokescreen allegations get in the way of facts.
As you correctly said, I also try to fight for the area and residents whom I represent and know what it entails and where the work of a cllr takes place.
Deride investment? Really? You mean just as your party in government has done to Welsh communities (particularly rural ones) in a contempt fuelled way? Your party has done so by denying Wales the consequential money it rightfully deserves form England only rail projects? (That is despite campaigning for it pre election?)
And then to have the gall to patronizingly tell us to be ‘grateful’ for breadcrumbs from the Commons’ despatch box??
The real initiative would be ensuring that Wales is fairly funded, wouldn’t it? Token gesturing and gimmicks will hardly win the electorate over after more than a quarter of a century of decline on your party’s watch.
Hefin thank you for your erudite and balanced reply littered with your amusing jibes.
Your party has voted against half a billion pounds of investment in Wales in the Senedd purely because it was from Labour. Fact.
Your party has criticized the extra 20 million pounds coming into Carmarthenshire…for all communities . Fact
I don’t see these sums as breadcrumbs ….. even if you do …
I love the idea of being called a keyboard warrior by the Grand Master of the genre… thank you
You probably missed it but there has been 14 years of austerity politics by the Conservative party denying the Welsh people adequate funding….and you somehow expect another Party to be able to change it in just over 1 year…
Really??
The Tories had managed, despite austerity, to empty the reserves … I should not have to tell you this.
Even so Labour at Westminster have managed to get Wales an extra half a billion pounds more in the Block Grant than the previous settlement and 350 million pounds now for trains and stations with 95 million pounds more to come in the next few years for rail.
This is money you would not have got under the previous Government….as you well know….but you see this as only breadcrumbs…
Finally you are right, the Chamber has become a place of debate but it is debate at the UK level rather than sorting out local issues where it should be….
Which is why last week I asked a question regarding ASC education in Llanelli and was assured that there was 9.3 million pounds allocated to two schools in Llanelli….which I and local parents are grateful for.
Using the Chamber to support our constituents…..as it should be.
Deryk Cundy As ever, thankyou for the compliments! Always appreciated. I think it’s fair to say that we were both critical of the 14 years of austerity. And your bitesize history lesson clearly shows why the debate bounds back to the situations at Westminster and Cardiff Bay, given that authorities are so reliant on those tiers of government for their money. I seem to recall that in the first half of your term, your group – or most certainly the leading figures – would without fail, on a monthly basis point to Westminster for it’s shortcomings in adequately providing for counties such as ours. They did so vociferously with varying degrees of eloquence. The situation seemed to change about a year ago though, and now you chastise cllrs for pointing at shortcomings. Could you possibly help me by telling me why it changed? I’d also note that I feel deeply for your group when you absolutely do the right thing in voting to support PC motions calling for righting the wrongs of funding (or lack of) from higher tiers of government….. only for your own party comrade (Dame Nia) to belittle your group by calling what you voted for a nonsense at the House of Commons! It must be a source of great frustration? Any investment in communities is welcome, obviously. Though, the sum that the now Welsh secretary Jo Stevens campaigned for when in opposition absolutely dwarfs the sum now being given to Wales. Agreed? And remind me again…. where is the lion’s share of the rail money you refer to being invested?
Typical Plaid response from a Party of Geriatric ‘retired’ Councillors responsible for a culture of bullying and misogyny .
Michael Elias the irony of you saying that in response to this! 🤷♂️
The only investment in this County Town from Plaid is in a botched Debenham development that originally should have been finished in Oct 2024 at a cost of £18m by Xmas 2024 the cost had rocketed to £25m and now in Oct 2025 the work is still in progress over a year late and the cost raised to £38m . This is the ‘this’ I’m talking about a crap Plaid administration run by geriatrics.
Care to elaborate on who are the geriatrics involved? If I was thin skinned I might be insulted by your comment!
20 mph. ID cards. Tourist bedroom tax. 2nd home surcharge. Anti tourist party. Come may they will get a good hammering. Payback time
John Trowbridge Dream on.
£10 for every resident each year, gee thanks.
Dan better than nothing Dan
No Dan, Plaid have already overspent more than that on the Debenham project in Carmarthen so I’m afraid you won’t even get £10 it will be used to pay for their cock up.
Where’s the £4 billion we’re owed from HS2?
Jonathan Williams We had the £1.6B back and Plaid Cymru voted against us having it, even though it was needed for the NHS, Schools, roads, transport,etc,etc. So much for them being the Party of Wales they talk the talk but don’t walk the walk.
Michael Elias something wrong with your figures there.
No the figures are correct your figures are exaggerated like everything Plaid calculates, take the Debenham project in Carmarthen, estimated by Plaid to cost £18m and to be completed by Oct 2024, by Xmas it had jumped to £25m and now a year after the completion date it’s estimated by Plaid to cost £38M and still the work goes on. It’s little wonder the Community charge has risen by 9.2% one of the highest in Wales and no doubt our reserves have gone too because that is another Plaid ploy.
So come on Boco you are a Cllr lets hear what’s funny about a 9.2% rise in ‘our’ community charge?
The other big question is who will be the first Labour cllr to jump to Reform? 🤔🤔
Jonathan Williams They have far more sense and are not racist.
Michael Elias are you sure?
Positive , English, Scottish and Welsh nationalists have racism, bullying and misogyny in Common. So suggest you direct your question to Plaid Cymru.
Michael Elias what are you talking about? UK nationalists are the worst ones for that. No Plaid have joined the fascist Reform party.
Because they have their own brand of racism ,bullying and misogyny.
Michael Elias when have they done all of this?
Ages.
Michael Elias when? Haven’t Labour been doing that locally? Which Labour cllr is going to switch to reform? I’ve got my ideas.
Labour don’t invest ,they just waste the money
Kevin Berrett So what is the green energy park in Port Talbot, the Celtic free port in Milford Haven, the off shore wind farm in North Wales, the four new railway stations in East Wales, an integrated bus service etc etc if not Welsh Investment.
Councillors only there for themselves and nothing else
Hefin I was involved with Pentre Awel long before you were a Councillor but why would you let facts get in the way of a good story…and the funding is Joint Venture Capital as you well know and not the gift of Plaid Cymru.
I won’t comment on your continued personal attacks on Kevin who tries to fight for his area as you do yours, it really is beneath you .
Regarding the extra funding for people to.manage, I was just trying to present the facts, …. not to deride investment for Welsh people because the money comes from a Labour initiative that your Party has done both in the Senedd and now at County level.
Surprised you think that the Chamber Debates are where the real work of a Councillor is done ….
Labour just fritter away our money. It’s time to close the mini council in Cardiff.
Labour & plaid having a lovers tiff??
Labour spent 32 million yes million to change signs from 30 to 20mph. To drive away tourists and shat on locals not a single benefit. Roll on May. My turn to put the cross somewhere else in the election
John Trowbridge Just following the rest of the world in recognising the 20mph limit as the safe default where motorists and pedestrians mix, it is a ‘road safety ‘ measure that has saved lives and prevent life saving injuries. The money is not wasted because in most areas it still exists, it’s working and it’s here to stay.
Both as two faced and moronic as one another.