THE leader of a council and an MP who clashed after the region missed out on £20m of UK Government funding put their differences aside during a face-to-face meeting. 

The Journal reported in January that the Vale of Clwyd’s bid for the UK Government’s Levelling-Up Fund was unsuccessful, despite reaching a shortlisting phase. As a result, several regeneration projects in Rhyl, Prestatyn, Rhuddlan, and Denbigh are now in doubt.

Following the failed bid, Labour councillor Jason McLellan, leader of Denbighshire County Council, launched an attack on Conservative Dr James Davies, MP for Vale of Clwyd. 

In scathing remarks he said Dr Davies had "let down the people of Rhyl and North Denbighshire."

Denbighshire Conservative Group hit back and defended Dr Davies commenting they were "disappointed" that cllr McLellan had made the Levelling Up Fund such a "divisive political issue".

Now the men have met up in an attempt to clear the air. 

Dr Davies said: "I am grateful to the Leader of Denbighshire County Council for agreeing to meet me at short notice. We did so in Rhyl and had a useful and constructive discussion about the council's bids to the Levelling Up Fund and other sources of central government support.

"It is important that we work together in the best interests of the Vale of Clwyd and Denbighshire.

"The Levelling Up Fund is a competitive process, operating via an independent scoring mechanism. A third round of allocations amounting to £1bn is expected. I spoke to officials at the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities last week and will holding further meetings with the department and with ministers, as will the council, as we approach the third round."

RELATED ARTICLES

Cllr McLellan said: "I met with the Vale of Clwyd MP and expressed my disappointment that the UK Governments Levelling Up programme, to replace previous EU funds, had failed towns in the North of Denbighshire.

"We discussed the next round of funding and I very much hope that this will deliver for all our communities."