Local and national public authorities in the Welsh town of Merthyr Tydfil have taken considerable steps towards improving social, economic, cultural and environmental sustainability in the area.
The Merthyr Tydfil council has put in place policies to regulate development on natural heritage sites, along with preserving the local history and culture.
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has defined sustainable development as follows: "Enhancing the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of people and communities, achieving a better quality of life for our own and future generations, in ways which promote social justice and equality of opportunity and enhance the natural and cultural environment and respect its limits - using only our fair share of the earth’s resources, preserving and sustaining our cultural legacy.
One such programme is the South East Wales Community Economic Development Fund (SEWCED), a European and Welsh Government initiative.
Merthyr Tydfil’s natural heritage includes its biodiversity and landscapes, both of which have been impacted by human activity, throughout and since the Industrial Revolution.
The ‘Merthyr Tydfil Biodiversity Action Plan 2014-2019’ has set targets to keep and improve the natural habitats and animals that are special to the area, including heathland, the dormouse, bats, broadleaved woodland, and rivers and streams.
The Action Plan includes awareness raising, education, data collection, sustainable development and ecological connectivity for Merthyr Tydfil, its population and environment.
"The £36 million investment for this plan, earmarked by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) was done so in order to establish Wales’ flagship health park in Merthyr Tydfil".
The plans and actions undertaken by Merthyr Tydfil council link in with the aims and benefits of The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
The act strengthens existing governance arrangements for improving the well-being of Wales to ensure that present needs are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.