Strategy to promote Neath Port Talbot’s historic and natural assets

The strategy entitled Restore, Regenerate, Repurpose covers the period 2024-2039.

The Council secured funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2020 to deliver the Heritage NPT Project which included the development of a Heritage Strategy and support for community groups playing a crucial role championing and conserving our heritage and historic environment.

Neath Port Talbot’s heritage assets play an important part in increasing the appeal of the area as a place to live, work, visit and invest in. These assets include Listed Buildings, Buildings of Local Importance, Canals, Conservation Areas, Historic Landscapes, Scheduled Monuments, Registered Historic Parks and Gardens, Battlefields and Shipwrecks.

Working creatively with key stakeholders, the council can manage and protect historic environments to help build a positive future for everyone. The strategy’s themes focus on the need to value our historic environment and working collectively with partners and stakeholders to implement far-reaching and long-term interventions to achieve these aims.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund continues to support the next phase of the Heritage NPT Project and has announced that Neath Port Talbot is one of nine areas in the UK to benefit from a share of £200m to help transform our Historic Environment through a new Heritage Places initiative.

Cllr Cen Phillips, the council’s Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing, said: “The clear message from our residents when their views were sought in a public consultation exercise on this issue is that a greater priority should be given to our heritage and culture.

“The newly adopted strategy recognises how our heritage assets play an important part in increasing the appeal of the county borough as a place to live, work, visit and invest in. Working creatively with key stakeholders, it sets out how we can manage and protect our historic environment.

“The strategy, coupled with The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s announcement of major financial backing, has the potential to transform this area using its own unique heritage.”

Partnership working is integral to the realisation of the strategy’s aspirations and everyone with an interest and passion in heritage and the historic environment can play their part to ensure the Heritage Strategy and its aims are successful.

The Heritage Strategy lays the foundation for the protection, conservation and sustainability of our heritage and will provide a long term legacy for our people and places.