RCT Council has secured £3.5m external funding towards the delivery of the new modern Porth Transport Hub – and the project will shortly be entering its construction phase following the appointment of a contractor.
The new funding was announced by the UK Government on October 27 within its Levelling Up Fund, following a successful funding bid by the Council. The Transport Hub will create an integrated bus and rail interchange for Porth, located at the existing railway station. It will be a modern and attractive hub at the heart of the Town Centre, providing seamless travel across bus and rail.
The development will also include electric vehicle charging points, a taxi rank, cycle stores and several upgrades across the local Active Travel network.
Significant progress has been made towards delivering the Transport Hub since Cabinet approved the plans in 2019, following extensive consultation. The project was approved by the Planning and Development Committee in March 2021, while three buildings (Alec Jones Day Centre, Barclays Bank and Porth Farm Surgery) have been demolished to prepare the site.
The Council has recently appointed Encon Construction Ltd as the contractor to build the single-storey facility, while the mobilisation of supplies and the workforce will start in November 2021. Works are currently scheduled to begin on site in by spring 2022, with the construction period lasting around a year.
Councillor Robert Bevan, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development and Housing, said: “It’s excellent news that the Council has secured £3.5m funding towards the Porth Transport Hub, and that a contractor has now been appointed to deliver the construction phase.
“The Transport Hub will make a huge difference to the efficiency of public transport in Porth, which is strategically situated as a gateway to both the Rhondda Fach and Fawr. It will be built in advance of high frequency fast trains running four times an hour in Porth via the South Wales Metro from 2024, and deliver a coordinated transport experience across bus and rail.
“The Council continues to work very closely with key stakeholders such as the Welsh Government, Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, UK Government, Transport for Wales and Stagecoach. This will maximise the positive impact that the development will have on local public transport when it is completed -in order to help residents access services, employment and housing functions.
“The Porth Transport Hub continues to be a central project and integral component of the wider Porth Regeneration Strategy, agreed by Cabinet Members in January 2019. The Strategy brings together a number of projects for the benefit of the town and surrounding areas – from utilising Porth Plaza as a Community Hub, to extending the Park and Ride provision, public realm upgrades, building enhancements through the Town Centre Maintenance Grant and free public-access Wi-Fi which was introduced last year.
“The Transport Hub continues to be an anchor project for this regeneration, and I’m looking forward to seeing the construction phase progress over the coming weeks and months – towards starting site activity next year.”
