Members of the Partnership, including representatives from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Carmarthenshire County Council, Cadw, Department of Enterprise and Transport and other conservation organisations and professional bodies will offer their expertise and advice on good property maintenance.

The event will run from 3pm to 8pm and will be officially opened by Mr Dan Clayton Jones, Deputy Chairman of NHMF and HLF and Chairman of the HLF Committee for Wales, and it is intended to build upon the momentum that has seen both towns transformed over the decade, since the introduction of the THI. Advice will be given on the practical steps owners can undertake, to keep their properties in good order and how to prevent possible causes of deterioration in the future. The exhibition is being run to coincide with National Maintenance Week, 22nd – 26th November, where property owners throughout the country are being encouraged to think of undertaking simple measures to safeguard their individual properties to prevent long term damage.

Head of Planning, Mr Eifion Bowen, said: “The project has been an excellent example of partnership working and has delivered a range of objectives including economic benefit, environmental improvements and an understanding of the historic environment. This event is an opportunity to recognise everybody’s contribution to the project and the lessons that can be carried onto the future.”

Executive Board Member for Regeneration & Leisure Cllr Clive Scourfield, said: “The project has been a tremendous success. We have been able to retain the character of these two important historical rural market towns. Having spoken to the owners of the businesses who have benefitted from the grants, I know how much this project has meant to them. It has enabled many of them to preserve and maintain the façades of some of the county’s most historic buildings.”

Dan Clayton Jones, Chairman of the HLF’s Committee for Wales, says: “The Heritage Lottery Fund is proud to have played a key role in helping to revitalise these two thriving rural Welsh towns. We invested more than £1.3m over two phases in this scheme to support the council’s plans to transform the towns.”

“In total £2.7m has been spent in the two towns making essential improvements and repairs to a variety of historic buildings – commercial, residential and community properties. This has encouraged local businesses back and reinvigorated a sense of pride amongst the people of both towns and in doing so is attracting further investment.

Further information

Heather J Tiley, Carmarthenshire County Council Project Support Officer at HJTiley@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or 01267 224 970 ext 4970 or 01550 779 040.