THE restoration work to a Grade II-listed building in Ebbw Vale has now been finished.

Construction work on the General Offices at the former steelworks site is complete, 100 years after the first stone was laid at the original building in 1912.

The old building fell into disrepair but it has now been brought back to life thanks to a £10m project.

The building was restored and a new adjoining building has been created to house Gwent Archives.

The project includes a new visitor centre, an interactive map room, tourist information services and a café.

It also includes a 4D cinema, complete with moving seats, a ‘green’ roof which has vegetation to absorb rainwater and the outside wall has the words of a poem by local poet Gillian Clarke in 3D lettering.

Contractors Willmott Dixon in Wales said 94 per cent of its spend on materials for the Gwent Records project was within 30 miles of the site and more than 20,000 hours of labour was provided for local people.

Blaenau Gwent Council leader Councillor John Mason said: “The completion of this project is a significant milestone in the regeneration of Blaenau Gwent, as part of our strategy to create a more vibrant future for the area.”