Cyng. Hazel Evans, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, approved funding for two projects from the Shared Prosperity Fund – Business Start-up and Growth Fund, and also approved two applications for assistance from the Town Centre Loan Scheme. Both funding schemes aim to support businesses in Carmarthenshire. Due to the commercially sensitive nature of the information, both of these items were discussed in private.

Shared Prosperity Fund – Business Start Up & Growth Fund

Cyng. Hazel Evans approved two applications for funding from the Shared Prosperity Fund – Business Start-up and Growth Fund. The fund aims to support businesses in Carmarthenshire to start, sustain, grow and create jobs.

The following applications were approved, subject to the usual terms and conditions and those specified in the report:

• BGG 50: £15,000
• BGG 56: £42,945.14

The minutes of the meeting state that the public interest test in this matter related to the fact that the report contained detailed information about the business and financial affairs and ambitions of the applicant.

In this case, the public interest in maintaining transparency and accountability is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining confidentiality, as disclosure would be likely to place persons and business named in the report at an unfair disadvantage in relation to their commercial competitors.

Town Centre Loan Scheme

Cyng. Hazel Evans approved two applications for assistance from the Town Centre Loan Scheme. The scheme aims to support businesses in Carmarthenshire to bring town centre buildings back into commercial use and create employment opportunities.

The minutes of the meeting state that the public interest test in this matter related to the fact that the report contained detailed information about the business and financial affairs and ambitions of the applicant.

In this case, the public interest in maintaining transparency and accountability is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining confidentiality, as disclosure would be likely to place persons and business named in the report at an unfair disadvantage in relation to their commercial competitors.

Reports Not For Publication

Cyng. Hazel Evans resolved to exclude the public from the meeting during discussion of the Shared Prosperity Fund and Town Centre Loan Scheme items. This was because the reports contained exempt information as defined in Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972¹.