A multimillion pound regeneration project that will see supermarket chain Morrisons open in Bargoed has been given planning permission.
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s planning committee approved plans submitted by developer Simons Ltd for the Morrisons store and retail development.
Cllr Ron Davies, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “This is wonderful news for the people of Bargoed as this much-anticipated scheme is the cornerstone of the wide range of regeneration projects that are helping to boost Bargoed’s fortunes.”
This news follows on from the announcement that work is about to start along the length of the High Street to give Bargoed a long-awaited facelift.
The £8million Bargoed Town Centre Regeneration project has received funding from the EU’s Convergence European Regional Development Fund, and through the Welsh Government’s Targeted Match Funding and Heads of the Valleys Programme.
Another aspect of the town’s regeneration is the conversion of the former Hanbury Baptist Chapel into a state-of-the-art library.
The historic building is being completely refurbished to allow people from Bargoed and the wider community to access a range of council services under one roof in the heart of the town centre.
Representatives from the key partners involved in the scheme, Caerphilly County Borough Council and United Welsh, visited the site last week to see how work is progressing.
The £2.8million scheme is also being funded by grants from the Heads of The Valleys programme and CADW. The library furniture and shelving will be supplied from a CyMAL Community Learning Libraries Programme grant.
The library is due to open later this year.
Cllr Phil Bevan, cabinet member for education said: “The transformation of this old landmark building into a new community facility is breathtaking.”