£5.6m Later: Pontypridd Riverside Plaza Already Needs More Work

Pontypridd’s £5.6 million Riverside Plaza only opened to the public in June — and now the Council has announced further works to the river wall beside the new development.

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council has announced that contractors will begin two weeks of scour repair works to the river wall near the former M&S site and the newly opened Riverside Plaza from Monday, September 28.

The works will be carried out by Edwards Diving Services, with equipment and materials being brought in near 93 Taff Street.

The Council says disruption should be minimal and that access to both Ynysangharad War Memorial Park and the Riverside Plaza will remain open.

But the announcement inevitably raises questions about a project which has already attracted a £5.6 million external funding package.

A £5.6 million investment

The Riverside Plaza was officially opened to the public on June 25, 2026.

According to RCT Council, more than £5.6 million of external funding was secured for the project — £3.68 million from the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Programme and £1.95 million from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Council described the development as a major part of its Pontypridd Placemaking Plan, transforming the former M&S site into a new public space with seating, greenery, lighting, sustainable drainage and improved access towards the river.

However, even when the plaza opened, the Council acknowledged that some finishing works were still outstanding, including the installation and fitting-out of two food and drink kiosks.

Now residents have been told that further work is required to the nearby river wall.

So how much will this latest work cost?

That is the question residents should be asking.

The Council’s latest announcement explains what work is being undertaken, but does not state the cost of the scour repairs.

It also does not say that the river-wall repairs are a defect arising from the Riverside Plaza project, nor does it state that the work will be paid for from the £5.6 million project funding.

Those are important distinctions.

But given the scale of public investment in the area, residents are entitled to ask:

How much will these repairs cost?

Who is paying for them?

Was the condition of the river wall assessed as part of the Riverside Plaza project?

Was any allowance made for these works when the project was designed and costed?

And, if the works are separate from the plaza project, why weren’t the river-wall repairs dealt with as part of the wider redevelopment while major works were already taking place on the site?

Another major Pontypridd investment

The Riverside Plaza is not an isolated investment.

RCT Council itself points to a wider programme of regeneration in Pontypridd, including Llys Cadwyn, Cwrt yr Orsaf, Y Muni, YMa and improvements at Ynysangharad War Memorial Park.

The Council is also progressing plans for the former police station and Berw Road Car Park sites, with proposals including a replacement car park, public realm improvements, junction works and potential residential, commercial and cultural development.

There is nothing wrong with investing in Pontypridd.

The question is whether residents across Rhondda Cynon Taf are seeing a fair share of regeneration investment.

While Pontypridd has seen a succession of major schemes, many other communities across the county continue to face struggling town centres, empty premises, deteriorating buildings and infrastructure that residents say needs attention.

Residents deserve transparency

The issue isn’t whether Pontypridd should receive investment.

It is whether the Council can demonstrate that every pound of public money is being spent effectively — and whether other communities are receiving comparable attention.

A £5.6 million project is a substantial public investment.

With further work now taking place around the newly opened Riverside Plaza, residents have every right to ask for the figures.

How much will the river-wall repairs cost?

Who will pay?

Were they anticipated?

And perhaps most importantly:

When will residents in the rest of RCT see the same level of investment in their town centres?

Investment should benefit communities across the county — not leave residents feeling that regeneration is concentrated in just one part of RCT.

The Council should now publish the cost of these latest works and explain how they fit into the overall Riverside Plaza project budget.