A BID will be made for a share of a multi-million pound pot to boost the fortunes of North Wales’ biggest city.

Of the £11m earmarked for town centre regeneration in North Wales, Gwynedd Council is hoping to secure £3m to help projects in Bangor, including targeting eyesore buildings in the city, developing an integrated health, family and well-being centre and establishing a joint housing and multi services provision for the homeless.

Gwynedd Council’s cabinet approved the draft regional regeneration strategy for the region, jointly developed with the other five authorities to support projects in some of the region’s most deprived towns and cities.

Other towns earmarked for town centre support are Wrexham, Colwyn Bay and Llysfaen, and Rhyl, with a further £9.25m earmarked to bring empty properties into use.

Among the potential projects earmarked in the Gwynedd Council report is a fully integrated family centre in the Maesgeirchen area of Bangor, the employment of a programme manager to co-ordinate the regeneration plan and the development of a multi-agency and integrated health, family and well-being centre.

This would involve primary care, community, family health and therapy services all under one roof, with a seperate facility offering services for homeless clients in the city and trying to integrate them into the community and providing help through a local housing association.

It added: “Project activities will have a significant focus on revitalising and growing housing stock within the city, tackling negative issues around houses of multiple occupancy, improving intermediate housing supply and working with registered social landlords and the private sector to return properties back to a standard where young people in particular would wish to live.“High levels of social deprivation exist in the Maesgeirchen area of the city, proposals are also being developed in respect of the Glancegin Integrated Family Centre which would provide support and access to key services that currently do not exist.

“In addition to providing support to the families in terms of improving the life chances of the children on the estate, a purpose built centre will be able to provide facilities to assist those outside of the employment market to become work ready.”However, there was some disappointment among members that such financial support, due to the project’s “narrow remit”, is not available for more rural towns in the south and west of Gwynedd.

Cllr Ioan Thomas explained that the authority would be expected to contribute around 30 per cent of the project’s costs,

“The aim of the scheme is to boost employment, modernise town centres and improve the housing offering,” he said, adding that the areas were chosen due to their ranking on the Welsh Index for Multiple (WIMD) deprivation – which is the Welsh Government’s official measuring stick.

He went on to confirm that the project was being spearheaded by the Bangor City Partnership, bringing together partners including the city council, Bangor University, Pontio and Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board.

Responding, Council leader, Dyfrig Siencyn, said: “What’s clear here is that the money available from the Welsh Government is being earmarked for areas identified via the WIMD.

“We can, of course, argue against that in a county such as Gwynedd where we’ve consistently pointed out that we need a new measuring stick as to how deprivation affects the countryside.

“This is an example, although we’re thankful of every penny that comes our way, of central government making the decisions whereas we may well want to prioritise different areas as well.

“This isn’t to say Bangor doesn’t deserve the money, but the criteria is very narrow.”

Its expected that the plans will be further developed over the coming months.