Colwyn Bay is to receive a £400,000 boost for local cultural development from the National Lottery.

The money will be spent on encouraging cooperation between business and the creative industries to strengthen the local economy and wellbeing of the local community.

Entitled IMAGINE Colwyn Bay, the project has the support and financial commitment of the Bay of Colwyn Town Council and the Colwyn Business Improvement District.

Leader of Conwy County Borough Council, Gareth Jones, said: “We intend to use this funding to connect heritage and culture, and to engage people of all abilities.”

Colwyn Bay town centre manager Ingrid Lewis, who coordinated the bid for the funding, said: “This is great news for the town, we’re so pleased our bid was successful. The project will use local heritage and culture to support the regeneration work already taking place in the town.

“All our partners were very excited when they heard our bid had been successful. We’re looking forward to getting started on this initiative and we hope to get as many people involved as possible, both in the local community and visitors, everyone is welcome.”

A spokesman for the Bay of Colwyn Town Council said: “We warmly welcome the news the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded us the £400,000, and we look forward to delivering this project.”

Baroness Kay Andrews, UK Chairman of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Wales, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, we are enabling a step-change in thinking, encouraging local leaders to come together and recognise that heritage can and should be a driving force for change.”

The £400,000 grant is part of the Heritage Lottery’s Great Place scheme which is being rolled out across the United Kingdom. Within the scheme Wales has a programme tailored to the country’s specific needs designed to benefit towns and rural areas alike.