RCT Council is completing an engagement exercise to help inform and develop a Tonypandy Town Centre Strategy – which will set out an ambitious and clear vision for the town, and be the blueprint for future investment locally.
Regeneration funding has been secured from Welsh Government, via its Transforming Towns Placemaking grant, to develop the Strategy in the months ahead. The Council has appointed planning consultants The Urbanists to help with this, with the intention of producing a draft Strategy during Spring 2025. The draft Strategy will then be formally consulted upon in the early summer of 2025.
An initial engagement exercise is seeking residents’ views on Tonypandy Town Centre’s strengths, weaknesses, challenges and opportunities. The process concludes at the end of February 2025.
The activity will include workshops with key public service organisations, schools and young people, community groups, businesses, and Local Elected Members – with the process providing the basis for the Council and partners to come together.
There is also an opportunity for the wider public to take part via a dedicated page on the Council’s ‘Let’s Talk’ engagement website, from January 24. The site will provide more information and a survey, so residents can have their say. It follows an initial event on December 20, 2024, when officers attended the weekly Tonypandy Market to speak to residents, businesses and visitors.
Councillor Mark Norris, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Development and Prosperity, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for residents to have their say in the early stages of the Council developing a clear regeneration strategy for Tonypandy Town Centre, alongside our appointed planning consultant. Formalising such a strategy is an established way for everyone to come together and agree upon a series of shared goals and objectives for improvement, and an overall vision for the town centre.
“Once developed and agreed, the Strategy will ultimately provide a blueprint for future investment in Tonypandy Town Centre. Similar processes have proven effective across other Rhondda Cynon Taf towns in recent years, with strategies in place for Mountain Ash, Porth, Pontypridd and Aberdare.
“Officers recognise that engagement and involvement with all stakeholders is crucial to identify the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for Tonypandy Town Centre – which is why the Council is engaging at this early stage of the process. All views and feedback collected by the end of February will be used to inform a draft Strategy, to be presented and consulted upon in the early summer of 2025. I therefore urge all interested residents to find out more and have their say on the Council’s ‘Let’s Talk’ website over the weeks ahead.”
