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At the second public consultation for Linc Cymru’s redevelopment in Rhymney emotions were running high.

Since the first meeting in November, a petition gathered 700 signatures to keep Rhymney’s only gym from having to move or close as part of a wider bid to create a “better vision” for the town.

Along with this, Caerphilly Observer understands that a private meeting was held between Fit4Living owner Judith Morgan and Caerphilly County Borough Council’s leader, Cllr Sean Morgan.

Still, plans to turn the Buchan Building and the wider Whitbread Enterprise Centre into 27 affordable homes and a children’s home were still in motion and presented at a public consultation on July 18.

Project manager for Linc Cymru, Chris Monk, told Caerphilly Observer more about the development and the historical Buchan building in particular.

“It’s in our proposals to refurbish it and convert,” said Chris. “It would stay exactly the same shape and form.”

The building would become ten one-bedroom affordable apartments – but still needs renovations.

This means fixing “all the windows, cracking plaster, the roof structure, get it fire-safe and appropriate for a 21st-century building,” according to Chris.

Important features, however, will be retained, including the clock, and the signage on the front – RIC and 1913.

Calls and a petition to keep the Fit4Living gym in its current position on the first floor of the Buchan building have circulated.

Using the building commercially was considered, according to Chris.

“We did explore retaining the building as a commercial building,” said Chris. “Unfortunately, it needs hundreds of thousands of pounds spent on it.”

Chris added that it wasn’t “suitable for our [Linc’s] internal parameters” as this would mean car parking requirements and commercial practices.

He continued: “It would take away land that we intend to provide homes on instead, that’s what we’re here to do.”

Linc has, however, tried to help Judith of Fit4Living find premises. “We’re keen to help Judith relocate and thrive” added Chris.

“We’ve explored a couple of other options to try and help her relocate,” including an old Lloyds bank building that wasn’t suitable.

Judith and the gym have a six-month commercial lease with Linc Cymru with a six-month break clause and no notice has been given as of July 18, according to Chris.

There have also been calls to make the site a wider wellbeing area – somewhere open to communal use.

On this point, Chris highlighted that it wasn’t currently a communal facility, but rather a “well-liked” gym where membership applied.

“There’s a provision out there for community facilities as it stands,” said Chris, adding that when the site was bought by Linc in May 2022 it had already been up for let for ten years.

Chris added there are already communal premises for a town of a “couple of thousand people” such as St David’s community centre and the library.

To those who are worried about the redevelopment, Chris said: “There represents seven to eight million pounds worth of investment into Rhymney, where a lot of the investment in the borough tends to happen down south.

“It will enhance the features of and bring back into beneficial use the Buchan building, which is being used currently but only in part and is significantly undermaintained and will meet a local housing need.”

Rhymney is ‘fading away’

There was a sign that Linc Cymru was offering some concessions – including the clock on the Buchan and an art piece on the same wall.

Arts and Business Cymru had been brought on board to gather information on creating a piece of art dedicated to the history of Rhymey on one side of the Buchan building.

Becca Lloyd, director of business development and operations at Arts and Business Cymru, said: “We’ve been invited along here today so we can meet some of the local community to hear some of their concerns and comments so that we are then able to put that into the brief, which we’ll then send out to artists or arts organisations in the local area and they’ll then pitch for the work.”

Becca continued: “It’s about bringing the arts into spheres to address issues or challenges or ambitions that a business might have.”

It is, however, very much in the early stages, no tender has gone out as planning permission for the redevelopment itself has not been approved.

The representatives had heard mixed reviews throughout the meeting – from those who are on board, those who want adjustments, to those who ardently oppose it.

Kevyn Price, leader of the Rhymney Heritage Group, was clearly in the against camp.

“I’m not very happy about it,” said Kevyn, who described the heritage of Rhymney as gradually “fading away”.

Kevyn, who runs heritage walks throughout Rhymney on a weekly basis, said: “It’s getting harder for me doing these heritage walks.”

He continued: “The buildings which have represented Rhymney so well have now gone.”

Kevyn, who had been consulted on the possible art piece, said his idea would be to do a “Sergeant Pepper’s album” of Rhymney, in reference to the famous Beatles album cover.

“All the famous people of Rhymney,” said Kevyn, including Idris Davies, Andrew Buchan, Bonesetter Reese and RT (Bob) Evans, to name a few.

There were more pressing matters though, like keeping another building on the site which had been the home of Andrew Buchan, according to Kevyn.

While there is some confusion over the name of the building, this three-storey structure is up for demolition. Losing this, he said, would make him “really upset”.

There’s another difficult point, for Kevyn and many other residents, just who will be living in the homes if they are built.

While Kevyn conceded that the buildings “look nice” and that there’s always a “welcome” he said: “They bring them up here and there’s no work for them.”

‘Proven its worth’

Alison Jones who spearheaded the petition to save the gym was also at the meeting.

Speaking to Caerphilly Observer at the consultation, Alison said: “The Fit4Living gym, the only successful business offering this facility in Rhymney, has the benefit [of being] in a central location within the Buchan building,” adding that this building has historical worth and industrial heritage.

Alison added that the gym is “well-used” and “has already proven its worth to the community over the last decade”

She continued: “The Buchan building and what it represents to the residents of Rhymney should not be overlooked.”

Alison had brought copies of her research to the public consultation and planned to hand them out.

Since then she has held two public meetings with residents to rally a group of people to oppose the redevelopment – with another meeting planned for September 20.

The plans have now been submitted to Caerphilly County Borough Council but according to Alison have not yet been validated as “more drawings” are needed.

If the plans submitted by Linc are successful then it is estimated construction on the redevelopment will be complete by June 2026.