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At their meeting on 23rd October, 2024, cabinet members explained the scheme was a key priority of the council’s recently adopted Heritage Strategy 2024-2039 (Restore, Regenerate, Repurpose).

Cllr Cen Phillips, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing said: “Blue Plaques are one of the most effective and visible means of celebrating our history and the historic environment.

“Plaques connect the past and present, they can increase a sense of pride among local communities and can educate about history and heritage, making both more accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.

“They can also play an important conservation role, helping to highlight buildings with cultural and historic associations and to preserve them for the future.

“This scheme will help raise awareness of the county borough’s exceptional culture, heritage, language and historic environment.”

The budget for the provision of two plaques per year will be covered by the council. The plaques will be known as Neath Port Talbot County Borough Blue Plaques.

However, if a business, group, or individual can self-fund a Blue Plaque, they can submit their nomination online to the Heritage NPT Team’s selection panel.

The panel will check and vet all applications to ensure that all criteria have been met and that the application is appropriate with the panel’s recommendations being reported to Cabinet Members for a final decision.

It is envisaged the Blue Plaque scheme will play a valuable role in promoting conservation, by highlighting people and buildings with historic associations in our communities.

As Blue Plaques will be installed on buildings owned and occupied by others, guidance under the new scheme dictates that all parties must be in agreement with the installation of the plaque and evidence of the agreement will be submitted in writing.

Individuals and groups have already made tentative enquiries for applications and some have shown an interest in self-funding some plaques and have made enquiries about possible nominations.

More information about Blue Plaque applications will be made available soon.

While Blue Plaques are a source of information, education and celebration, they will create opportunities for future activities such as Blue Plaque Trails and QR code links to website stories of People, Places and Events. They have the capacity to promote the heritage of each community in Neath Port Talbot.

The submission window for the first tranche of Council funded applications will be open from 1st April, 2025 to 30th September, 2025.

Applications for self-funded plaques will be available from the Heritage NPT team from January 6th 2025.

The Cabinet decision was subject to a three-day call in period.