Cyngor Gwynedd’s plans to create a new outdoor cultural and events space in the heart of Bangor have taken a major step forward, following the Welsh Government’s announcement of significant financial support to complete the project.
The announcement comes at the same time as the Welsh Government establishes a new High Street Taskforce to champion the future of town centres across Wales.
The Connecting Storiel project will transform the public spaces around Storiel, creating a dedicated outdoor space for events, performances and community activities, while improving the connection between Storiel, Pontio and the wider city centre.
The project form part of a vision to develop a stronger cultural corridor through Bangor, linking Bangor Cathedral, the Library, Storiel and Pontio arts and innovations centre to create a more connected destination for residents, visitors and students.
Improvements will include a new amphitheatre‑style seating area, landscaping, creating a more accessible entrance, upgraded outdoor café seating and new lighting to support events throughout the year.
The upgrade comes at a fitting moment, as Storiel marks 10 years since opening, during which it has welcomed more than 370,000 visitors, dozens of schools and community groups.
During a visit to earlier this week Bangor, Sian Gwenllian, Welsh Government Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, confirmed £654,000 funding towards the project through the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Programme. Support has also been secured from the UK Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund as well as the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity fund during the design stages.
Councillor Nia Jeffreys, Leader of Cyngor Gwynedd said:
This is great news for Bangor, for local people and for visitors to the city. We are delighted with the announcement and welcome the £654,000 investment. We were very pleased to welcome the Minister to Bangor and to talk her through the exciting plans for the outside space.”
Councillor Medwyn Hughes Cyngor Gwynedd’s Cabinet Member for Economy, added:
Bangor has some excellent facilities and the Connecting Storiel project will strengthen the links between them by create a high-quality outdoor space that supports events, culture and community activity.
This investment is another important step in the regeneration of Bangor city centre, and we look forward to seeing the project progress over the coming months.”
Construction is aimed to be completed by spring next year. Further updates will be shared as the project continues.