Town centre management group to get ‘freshen up’

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Town Centre Management Group is set to have a “freshen up” in a bid to attract more businesses to town centres.

The group covers the town centres in Bargoed, Blackwood, Caerphilly, Risca and Ystrad Mynach.

It was first created in 1996 and revised in 2012, but has not held a meeting since April 2019.

A report presented at a Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee meeting, held on Tuesday, October 19,  said the council hopes to pilot a new system of managing town centres for 12 months.

Previous Town Centre Management meetings had low attendance from businesses. Allan Dallimore, the council’s Regeneration Services Manager, said the old system needs a “freshen up”.

Plaid Cymru councillor Margaret Sargent, who represents the Penyrheol, Trecenydd and Energlyn ward, welcomed the news and said:  “The whole set-up needed a dramatic change.”

As part of efforts to engage with local businesses, the council is aiming to hold breakfast events and evening meetings, which will be held at various businesses across the town centres.

Mr Dallimore said: “You would be surprised how many people you can draw in with the offer of a bacon butty.”

Some of the matters discussed at the meetings will include regeneration projects and initiatives, training and development opportunities, and cyber security and technology support for businesses.

Each of the five town centres will have two meetings a year.

Plaid Cymru councillor Colin Elsbury, who represents the St Martins ward, said he was “very supportive of this”.

The Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee voted to approve the pilot scheme. It will now be presented to the council’s cabinet.

If approved by the cabinet and the council, the scheme would begin in January 2022.