Conservative MP Fay Jones is warmly celebrating the news that Talgarth’s Victorian primary school is to receive funding for its restoration from the UK Government.
The school, which closed in the 1970s, secured £1.4m from the UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund. It will become the new home of the Black Mountains College as well as reopen its doors as a community facility once again.
Ms Jones has supported the campaign which has been jointly led by BMC and Talgarth Town Council. As well as providing a letter of support for the bid, Ms Jones has visited the site to learn more about the project before lobbying ministers in the Department for Levelling Up to press the case for the school.
This is the sixth grassroots project to have received funding from the UK Government. Ms Jones has been involved in securing all six.
Speaking after the announcement, Ms Jones said:
“This is fantastic news for the Black Mountains College, Talgarth Town Council and the wider area. I am delighted to have played a tiny part in helping this bid along.
The school is an incredible building; bringing it back to life will do wonders for one of the most special towns in my constituency. I can’t wait to see the school back in use once again. I want to say a huge congratulations to the leaders of the bid – Ben Rawlence from Black Mountains College and Cllr William Powell, as well as Talgarth Town Council.
I am delighted that the school is the latest successful project which I have been able to secure funding for – following on from the Radnor Arms Hotel, The Judge’s Lodgings, Llandrindod Wells FC, Hay St Mary’s FC, Theatre Brycheiniog and the new pitch in Ystradgynlais. This is what Westminster should be doing – investing in community assets which mean so much to local people.
I would advise any community group to get in touch if you think the Community Ownership Fund can help. The UK Government is determined to recognise areas which require Levelling Up and I’m committed to making the case for my constituency in Westminster.”