I WAS pleased to attend the opening of the newly refurbished flats in the former Greyhound pub in Pontypool town centre last week.

The building has been empty for almost a decade and had become a derelict eye-sore at a key entrance to the town’s shops.

Now it has been completely transformed into modern flats with space for a shop or commercial business and it looks fantastic.

As well as revitalising the building, creating affordable homes in heart of Pontypool will generate more footfall in the town centre, providing a boost to our traders and an incentive for new traders.

The Greyhound has been from pillar to post in the last 10 years and it has taken the public sector working in partnership to finally turn its fortunes around.

I must say thank you to the officers of the council, Bron Afon, Welsh government and at the Heritage Lottery Fund who have worked on this project and transformed this former eye-sore into a real asset for the town.

Councillor Bob Wellington CBE Leader of Torfaen council