Communities First aimed at getting local people living in Wales’ most deprived ward involved in improving their communities, but will now close because of a lack of support from residents.

The regeneration programme, Introduced to West Rhyl and South West Rhyl, Wales’ fifth most deprived area, experienced “organisational problems from the start” according to Leighton Andrews, Assembly Deputy Minister for Regeneration.

Following a review and top-level shake-up South West Rhyl has made “reasonable progress” while West Rhyl has not.

Mr Andrews said: “Despite the best efforts of organisations like North Wales Police, West Rhyl, however, has made little progress since the new arrangements were put in place.

“The local community is no more engaged with the Communities First process than it was before the review and key local service provider organisations remain disengaged.

“The long-running situation in West Rhyl bears little resemblance to practice anywhere else in the Programme and does not accord with the principles set out in the Communities First Guidance or in the consultation document on the future of the Programme issued by the Assembly Government in January this year.

“I have therefore decided that the existing arrangements in West Rhyl should be ended from March 31, 2009.

“The Communities First programme will therefore cease to operate in West Rhyl. Instead we will put in place other arrangements to support community regeneration in this area from 1 April 2009.”

The decision was met with disappointment from Vale of Clwyd AM Ann Jones.

She said: “I would like to pay tribute to North Wales Police who took on the project at a difficult stage. It is a shame that despite a number of good initiatives the scheme was unable to deliver a real difference to residents in West Rhyl.

“The job of making Communities First sustainable in Rhyl was made all the more difficult by Denbighshire County Council’s lack of commitment to its goals.

“The authority has drastically cut the Community Development Agency after actively instructing it to avoid Communities First. This typifies the lack of engagement experienced in Rhyl thus stalling efforts to rejuvenate the scheme.

“The Minister has visited Rhyl a number of times and I know that he is acutely aware of the need for investment in the area’s regeneration projects. I am re-assured by his comments that Rhyl will not lose funding and look forward to the announcement of the new package this autumn.

“I look forward to working with other agents to kick start a new scheme that will help make Rhyl West a better place for all.”