Rural Carmarthenshire covers the Taf, Tywi and Teifi areas of Carmarthenshire including Carmarthen town.

Rural Development Plan

Many of the schemes in rural Carmarthenshire are funded by the Rural Development Plan. The Rural Development Plan (RDP) is a 7 year funding programme designed to support the sustainable development of rural Wales. The RDP is funded from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and Welsh Assembly Government and will run alongside the Convergence programme for the 2007-13 period.

The Physical Regeneration team are involved in delivering the following programmes under the RDP

1. Redundant Rural Buildings
The aim of the project is to assist the physical and economic regeneration of rural Carmarthenshire, by offering grant aid, in the form of Redundant Rural Buildings Grants to the private sector. The Redundant Rural Buildings Grants will assist in bring redundant and disused buildings in rural Carmarthenshire, back into business use, which will create new employment opportunities and safeguard existing jobs. Priority will be given to applicants that will provide tangible benefits to the local economy in terms of quantity and quality of jobs created and safeguarded. For more information on the grant available please click here

2. Supporting Farmers to Diversify
The project comprises of a capital grant scheme which will provide a one off payment for farming households seeking to diversify into non agricultural activity.
Capital grants will be made available for:

• The conversion of redundant buildings
• The purchase of capital equipment

The objectives of this grant scheme are:

• To maintain and increase the income of farm households in rural Carmarthenshire.
• To provide the necessary capital resource required to enable farming families to diversify into non agricultural activity.
• To retain young people in the farming industry by helping them to develop alternative sources of income and alternative employment opportunities.

For more information please click here to visit the grant page

3. Strengthening the Tourism Appeal of Rural Carmarthenshire
This grant scheme aims to strengthen Carmarthenshire’s position as a year round premier tourist destination via specific product development and promotion. The scheme is open to all micro-enterprises involved in the tourism industry across rural Carmarthenshire.
There are three grants available under this scheme:

• Meeting Changing Consumer Needs and Expectations
• Supporting Greener Tourism Business Practices and Initiatives
• Distinctive Rural Hubs

4. Pendine Gateway Enhancement scheme
This environmental enhancement scheme will commence in April 2011 and is due to be completed in July 2011. It forms a part of a phased programme of projects to enhance Pendine’s role as a visitor destination and to improve pedestrian and cycle links between Llanmiloe and Pendine.

Green Seas
As well as the Gateway Enhancement scheme, Carmarthenshire County Council has been successful in its application for funding from the Green Sea programme for the design and construction of a promenade, from the Beach Hotel to the western end of the beach at Pendine. It is expected the works will start in Autumn 2011 with a view to complete by Spring 2011.
The Green Sea programme is designed to enhance the quality of the visitor experiences at eligible Welsh beaches through effective beach management addressing visitor management and conservation issues, and the provision/improvement of appropriate infrastructure or facilities.
The Green Sea (Beach Improvement) Programme forms part of Visit Wales’ Environment for Growth (E4G) Coastal Tourism Project which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.