The Member of the Senedd for Arfon, Siân Gwenllian, has reacted to the news that the upper part of Bangor High Street has re-opened following demolition work on 164 and 166 Bangor High Street.
Work was carried out on buildings after a fire destroyed the Noodle One restaurant and the Morgan Clothes Shop. Both buildings were in an unsafe state after the fire, requiring scaffolding that forced a section of the High Street to be closed to traffic for 18 months.
Siân Gwenllian said: “The long-awaited reopening of Bangor High Street is good news for local businesses and residents.
“I have been in close and regular contact with local partners to ensure that the work was carried out as soon as possible.
“I’m very glad to hear that this part of the street has now opened.
“After what has been a catastrophic year for small and local businesses, they need good news!”
Siân Gwenllian MS has outlined her vision for the future of Bangor City Centre, reiterating that the High Street “needed our support more than ever.”
“The announcement regarding the re-opening of the part of the street should start the process of reimagining the future of Bangor High Street.
“A large part of that process would be to establish a Health and Wellbeing Centre right in the middle of the city.
“Such a centre would not only improve local health services, but it would alleviate the immense pressure on Ysbyty Gwynedd, as well as attracting locals to the city centre, increasing footfall for local shops and cafés.
“It would bring back some of the bustle to the city centre.
“As well as pressing the health board to move forward with this project promptly, I and Plaid Cymru will push the Welsh Government to adopt measures that would transform the future of high streets and town centres.
“That would include giving local councils the power to provide long leases for sub-lets to local organisations, businesses and initiatives, giving zero interest loans to support small businesses to bounce back post-Covid, and investing in a new Community Bank to help small businesses.
“Giving preference to Welsh businesses in public procurement and establishing a Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Strategy including long term loans at zero interest with long repayment holidays, restart loans, repayment and recovery loans and new deals for early stage and growth companies, is also integral to revitalising town centres.
“The recent announcement that Bangor is part of a £3m fund piloted by the Welsh Government in north Wales town centres to encourage entrepreneurs to set up a business is also encouraging.
“Despite recent decline, I think the future of Bangor High Street could be very exciting, and I look forward to being a part of the effort to rethinking that future.
Photos: (1) Siân Gwenllian (2) Scaffolding supporting two fire damaged buildings closed part of the High St for 18 months. (3) The High St has now reopened (Photo: Dafydd Hardy)
