Work will begin in the new year on renovating the inside of Trinity Chapel, Abertillery, to house a new modern library, together with new office/learning and community space.
Abertillery Library, run by the Aneurin Leisure Trust, will relocate from its existing location in Castle Street to the more accessible Town Centre location once the works are completed on site.
The ground floor accessed through the main entrance on the high street will house the libraries book stock and on the first floor the libraries digital offer will be spread across the large open plan space creating a calm and relaxed environment for community use.
The upper floor will be used by Aneurin Leisure adult education which will include a multi-use classroom and a digital learning classroom. There will be a large reception area for learners to relax between classes and finally a meeting room which can be booked for additional community groups.
The scheme is a collaboration between Blaenau Gwent Council, Aneurin Leisure Trust, and the Welsh Government. Funding has been secured from Welsh Governments Transforming Towns Regeneration Programme, Low Carbon Heat Grant, UK Government Shared Prosperity funding and Transformational Capital Grant for libraries.
The strategic relocation of the library to the town centre aims to enhance public engagement and extend Aneurin Leisure’s services to a broader audience.
Works are scheduled to commence in January 2024, with completion anticipated by Autumn 2024, this initiative aligns with the Council’s steadfast dedication to the revitalisation of Abertillery.
The Council are currently considering a number of options for the existing library facility, with a number of expressions of interest received to date.
Councillor John Morgan, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Place & Regeneration says:
“This is an exciting time for Trinity Chapel, and the aim is to make this a thriving hub for the town, fostering support for education, community initiatives and town centre activities. We hope that this, together with other plans for Abertillery, will have a positive impact on the town centre and the local community. I’d like to thank our Regeneration team for all their hard work in bringing this project to fruition.”
Phill Sykes, Director of Operations Aneurin Leisure said:
“We are thrilled to see the Trinity Chapel project come to fruition The BGCBC Regeneration Team alongside our Library Services Manager and Adult Education Manager have worked extremely hard to secure the funding for this project and the Trust cannot wait to see the services delivered in Abertillery Town Centre. With a focus on reducing our dependency on fossil fuels we are delighted to see another of our sites embracing solar energy and our first site to adopt air sourced heat pumps which will create a sustainable future for this iconic building and allow it to once again be the focal point in the Town Centre”
