Residents and businesses can now find out more and have their say on the exciting redevelopment proposals for the Rock Grounds site in Aberdare – to help refine the latest plans ahead of the final planning submission.
The previous milestone for the scheme was in September 2024, when the Council’s Cabinet Members progressed the development by agreeing to the Council appointing a partner (Final Frontier Space Holdings) to design, develop and construct the project. The agreed use of the site is to establish a quality hotel, restaurant, bar and spa for the prominent town centre location.
Importantly, the facilities complementing the new hotel will be available for the community’s use – while the wider development will preserve the historic Rock Grounds building and its features, maintain an appropriate level of public car parking to serve the town centre, and retain the Keir Hardie bust. Council-based staff who were previously located at Rock Grounds were permanently moved away from the site last summer, in preparation for the redevelopment.
Final Frontier has appointed a professional design team to develop the project to a formal planning application. Officers are regularly meeting with this team, along with the developers, to ensure good progress. The current phases of the project are funded via the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
RCT Council has announced that a Pre Application Consultation process has started, to engage the community before submission of a formal planning application. Residents, businesses, and the community are invited to access latest design plans for the project, and have their say at this stage. The process will end on Wednesday, May 28.
Consultant Asbri Planning is hosting the process on a dedicated website that can now be accessed. It includes a project summary and detailed supporting documents that include a site plan, plans for the hotel, restaurant and spa, a design and access statement, and various other site surveys and reports.
The webpage also contains details about how residents and the community can have their say – via email to [email protected], or via post by filling in a downloadable form and sending it to Asbri Planning Ltd, Unit 9 Oak Tree Court, Mulberry Drive, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Cardiff, CF23 8RS.
As part of the consultation process, there will also be a public exhibition event held locally, so the community can attend in person to find out more and have their say on the plans. This takes place on Tuesday, May 13 (2pm-6.30pm) at Aberdare Library. The Council will communicate full details in due course.
Councillor Mark Norris, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Development and Prosperity, said: “The Rock Grounds redevelopment in Aberdare is one of the key regeneration investments that the Council is committed to delivering, having previously secured Cabinet Member support. The project will deliver a much-needed quality hotel for Aberdare Town Centre and the wider Cynon Valley area, while providing complementary facilities like a restaurant, bar and spa, which can be accessed by the local community.
“Since Final Frontier Space Holdings was appointed as the project partner in September 2024, they’ve made important progress with developing the new site’s design – with their design team meeting regularly with Council officers. The developers are now in a position to share initial designs with residents, businesses and the community, and offer an opportunity to have their say. The feedback received will then be taken on board and used to inform the formal planning application for the project, which we’re hoping to submit in the months ahead.
“Representing a multi-million pound investment, the project conforms with the principles established in our Aberdare Town Centre Strategy and the RCT Tourism Strategy – namely, finding new uses for existing buildings with a focus on opportunities for high-quality accommodation and restaurants. The hotel will also boost existing trade in the town centre by increasing footfall, while also encouraging more visitors to the wonderful tourism attractions that the Cynon Valley has to offer – for example, Zip World Tower, Dare Valley Country Park and Penderyn Distillery.
“I urge all interested residents and businesses to take part in the consultation in the weeks ahead, before the deadline on May 28. The more people who can have their say, the more we can shape the plans to best suit the community’s needs. You can find out more online, and have your say via email or by post.”
