A POLICY which sets out how events festivals and filming are organised across Neath county borough has been approved by the local council after what was described as a “lengthy review”.
The new policy, which was approved by members at a cabinet meeting in August, was said to have been designed to “streamline” future event organisation in the hopes it will allow the authority to “fully realise the cultural and economic benefits of encouraging more events within the county”.
The area is home to a number of well-known annual events such as Neath’s Food and Drink Festival and the In It Together Festival, along with being the backdrop to a number of television shows and films.
The borough will also welcome back the Urdd Eisteddfod for the first time in more than 20 years in 2025, with the event, which is known for being one of the largest youth festivals in Europe, set to take place at Margam Country Park.
The approval of the policy will also see the creation of a new Events and Film Office which will manage the events policy and events application process.
The proposal came after reports that filming could be worth around £1.35m to the Neath Port Talbot economy by the end of 2026-27.
A council spokesperson said: “The policy is designed to streamline the organisation of events, festivals and filming in the county borough to take full advantage of these activities while ensuring they are safe for residents and visitors.
“It forms part of the new Neath Port Talbot Council Cultural Strategy which, along with the council’s Heritage Strategy and Destination Management Plan, was formally launched at the Gwyn Hall, Neath, in July of this year.
“They are aimed at transforming the county borough into a nationally recognised destination with a high-quality, accessible offer of sport, heritage, arts and culture.”
The proposal was approved unanimously by members in attendance at the meeting, with the council’s new events policy now hoped to be fully in place by the spring 2025.
