THE original plan for Bargoed was a food store and cinema, with Asda leading the way with a petrol station. Selling a variety of items, Asda would have affected several shops in Bargoed from clothes to gardening.
Wanting a petrol station would have affected a local businessman selling petrol at his station in Gilfach. This delay resulted in Asda pulling out and, only after the selling of Gilfach petrol station, the council reopening new planning consent for a petrol station which brought in Morrisons.
Fair play to Blackwood – they used the time to get the jump on Bargoed with a new cinema. I have two issues. Why were there increased costs? Surely the council would have put a fixed price on the whole project.  Secondly, the Labour administration kept the people of Bargoed in suspense for far too long before announcing this decision. It has been suggested to me that this was for electoral reasons. Labour will have a lot of explaining to do to the people of Bargoed and surrounding areas.

Andrew Nutt,
Heolddu Road,
Bargoed