The cracks are showing from the lack of investment in the Aberdare town Centre
Taken from the Rhondda Cynon Taf Councils Appraisal & Management Plan for Aberdare. “Understanding of the need to pay special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the Conservation Area.”
Years of neglect
After many years of neglect in 2011 the council started to invest in Aberdare Town Centre with a £7.7m project but it stopped short of upgrading only part of the town that was 11 years ago and there has been no motivation since the council or local councillors to enhance the rest of the town other than a few planters dotted around.
Pontypridd town centre
In recent years Pontypridd town centre has attracted significant investment that is transforming the town and re-establishing it as a place to visit, work and live. There is no doubting the council’s intentions of where the large funding is spent in 2018 a £110m town centre regeneration programme £2 million on a vanity bridge that was not required. Pontypridd Regeneration Framework (2017-2022) delivered Llys Cadwyn and Cwrt yr Orsaf, and progressed investment for the Pontypridd YMCA, Muni Arts Theatre and Ynysangharad War Memorial Park. Now the focus is on the Southern Gateway and the council’s ambitious plans to demolish buildings and create a river plaza.
Maybe this is the reason the council is not spending in upper Cynon Valley, the Boundary Commission for Wales has proposed in its revised proposals a new parliamentary constituency of ‘Merthyr Tydfil and Upper Cynon’
The Town of Aberdare is categorised as a conservation area, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council say, “Partnership management, that includes a coordinated programme of monitoring and maintenance to ensure the upkeep of the area.”
A coordinated programme of monitoring and maintenance? The degeneration around the Town of Aberdare is prevalent not only in the buildings but the state of the lower main road the B4275 through the town through lack of investment potholes tarmac patches even where the council spent money on new paving in part of Duke Street they can’t be bothered to replace the paving just patch it up with tarmac. The Highways Department should be out inspecting the state of the highways and after utility companies, after excavating pavements Commercial Street are an example of that will-do attitude.
Property owners and traders need to maintain the exterior of the frontage if the town looks rundown it puts people off visiting and shopping in the town, March 2019 a fire was in the Premier Store on Market Street why is this hoarding still in place 3 years on is no one on the council interested in getting the are cleaned up? The rundown state of shop fronts on Cardiff Street and Commercial Street is off-putting to visitors to the town.
Car parking charges
Then the council want residents and visitors to pay for car parking when they haven’t invested substantially in the town for over 11 years.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council are you Understanding the need to pay special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the Conservation Areas of Aberdare Town?
