Council seeking residents’ views on plans to improve town centre

Caerphilly residents have been urged to have their say on the latest round of proposals to improve the town centre.

The Caerphilly Town 2035 placemaking plan is the county borough council’s blueprint for regeneration and investment.

Projects so far have included the Ffos Caerffili container-style market, which opened in the spring, and ongoing work led by Cadw to improve visitor facilities at Caerphilly Castle.

Now, Caerphilly County Borough Council is planning to hold two public engagement events to hear residents’ views on issues such as travel, transport and parking in the town centre.

Caerphilly Library will host the first event on Saturday July 27 from 10am to 3pm.

The second event will also take place at the library, on Tuesday July 30, between 10am and 4pm – but on this day the library will close between 1pm and 2pm.

Information boards will be set up around the library, and attendees will have the opportunity to speak with the project team, give feedback on proposed ideas, and learn more about the various projects under the Caerphilly Town 2035 umbrella.

The plan for the town also includes the regeneration of Pentrebane Street, a new “interchange” to replace the existing bus and railway stations, and a cultural centre.

A new 80-bed hotel is also earmarked for the town, as part of the Caerphilly Town 2035 scheme, which is a partnership between the council and the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns initiative.

The council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for regeneration, Cllr Jamie Pritchard, has encouraged members of the public to drop into the upcoming events at the library and have their say on the plans.

“The public involvement in these sessions is incredibly important in the ongoing development of the Caerphilly Town 2035 project,” Cllr Pritchard said. “We were delighted to see more than 350 Caerphilly residents provide in-person feedback at the previous public exhibition. 

“More than 700 responses to our digital survey also means there is a lot of interest from residents. We are looking forward to continuing these conversations which will shape the future of Caerphilly town centre, so please feel free to come along to contribute any thoughts.”