The county is set to receive up to £20 million over the next decade as part of the UK Government’s Pride of Place programme, which will channel £214 million into Wales to support high streets, community facilities and regeneration projects.
Labour: “Real money for real communities”
Cllr Cundy, leader of the Labour opposition group on Carmarthenshire Council, said the funding equated to £100 per resident over ten years and represented a major boost after years of austerity.
“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.
He accused Plaid Cymru of “choosing grievance over growth”:
“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.”
Cllr Cundy stressed that it would be for the Plaid‑led administration to decide which areas benefit:
“Within the rules of the scheme, they have the chance to prioritise deprived villages, struggling town centres, or regeneration hotspots. If impoverished rural areas are left behind, that will be the result of Plaid’s choices locally — not Labour’s investment nationally.”
He added:
“Carmarthenshire alone will receive around £2 million a year, equal to £10 for every resident. Labour’s priority is simple: uniting Wales through investment, not playing politics with people’s futures. 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.”
Plaid: “Disregard for rural communities”
But council leader Darren Price has joined fellow Plaid leaders from Ceredigion, Gwynedd and Anglesey in criticising the scheme’s design.
In their joint statement, they said:
“Any funding for communities across Wales is welcome, but it is clear this does not stem from an understanding of Wales’ needs. It is a political panic button pushed by Labour ahead of a difficult election.”
They argued that targeting investment zones of around 10,000 people would disadvantage rural areas:
“This Pride in Place programme specifically targets neighbourhoods with populations of around 10,000, of which there are only a handful in the four western local authorities we control. This approach highlights the Labour Government’s continued disregard for our rural communities that have been disproportionately underfunded over the years.”
The Plaid leaders added:
“The people of Wales can see through this. Labour has deserted its values and turned its back on promises to deliver fair funding for Welsh communities.”
Political stakes
The clash reflects wider tensions between Labour and Plaid over how regeneration money is distributed. Labour points to what it calls the “biggest Welsh Government budget settlement ever” and insists the Pride of Place scheme is about fairness and delivery. Plaid counters that the funding model is urban‑centric, leaving smaller villages at risk of being overlooked.
With Carmarthenshire Council responsible for drawing up the shortlist of communities, and the UK Government holding the final sign‑off, both parties are already positioning themselves to claim credit — or deflect blame — once the allocations are announced.
