THREE major property enhancement schemes in Caerphilly and Blackwood Town Centres are set to go ahead and will complement the wider place shaping proposals recently agreed by Caerphilly’s Cabinet.
The £680,909 investment, as a result of funding from Welsh Government Targeted Regeneration Urban Centre Funds programme, will see the community breathe new life into vacant and underutilised buildings across the county borough, and its hoped, will create new employment and investment opportunities.
£250,000 has been awarded to Caerphilly Miners Centre for the community to renovate the currently unused and derelict second floor of this iconic building, formerly the Caerphilly and District Miners Hospital. The project will redevelop up to 175m2 of floorspace creating a new co-working hub for to 10 small business enterprises with improved user access.
Katherine Hughes from Caerphilly Miners Centre, said, “Providing opportunities for local enterprises to deliver services to our community from the Miners will greatly enhance what we are able to contribute to the local economy – as well as supporting community wellbeing and sustainability. The funding will enable our much needed restoration project to go ahead and is much appreciated.”
The Former Store 21 building at 87-89 High Street Blackwood will also benefit from a funding boost of £250,000 to deliver a major mixed use commercial and residential development. The ambitious proposals will transform the large, previously derelict building into attractive modern premises, comprising of 5 retail business units on the first floor and residential apartments on the upper floors.
£180,909 funding has been awarded to Brew Monster Ltd premises at Lon Y Twyn Caerphilly to renovate the former Plumbsave unit into a brand-new high specification brewhouse and microbrewery. Half of the renovated building will be utilised as a brewery bar, serving fresh craft beer and food, whilst offering its customers an unprecedented 270 degree view over the brewhouse. The developers behind the project hope that the new venue will become a much-utilised community hub and a respected tourist destination, producing high- quality award winning beer and Caerphilly’s only craft beer bar.
Glenn White, Managing Director at Brew Monster, said, “We are enormously grateful to the Caerphilly Regeneration Team for the support. The team were pivotal in our decision to relocate our business to Caerphilly and with their help we are creating one of the UK’s best microbreweries and most unique brewery bars, whilst creating jobs, supporting the local economy and putting Caerphilly back on the map as a destination for great beer.”
Cllr. Sean Morgan, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for the Economy said, “I am thrilled that we were able to award significant funding to allow these three buildings to be transformed and brought back into community use. The Place shaping framework is absolutely essential as we emerge from the Coronavirus Pandemic to provide hope to residents by demonstrating our commitment to reviving towns and villages across the county borough.”
The funding was awarded by the Council’s Regeneration Project Board and Business Enterprise Renewal Team and is a result of capital grant funding from the Welsh Government Targeted Regeneration Urban Centre Funds programme.
For more information on CCBC’s Urban Centre Funds, please contact Regeneration and Planning, Business Enterprise and Renewal Team email: [email protected].
