PLANS have been lodged with Torfaen council for a new activities centre and café at Pontymoile basin, on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal near Pontypool.
And the existing toilet block at the site is set to be demolished as part of the plan.
The proposed development is aimed at improving non-motor powered activities on the canal, such as paddle boarding and canoeing.
A planning application has been submitted by the Canal and River Trust.
However, the proposed scheme has been put forward in conjunction with Torfaen and Caerphilly County Borough Councils.
The three organisations have been successful in bidding for funding from the Welsh European Funding Office to provide an activity hub at the site.
READ MORE:
- Police appeal after mum and son assaulted at Cwmbran station
- When Pontypool Road Station was one of the biggest in the country
- From the Archive: Cwmbran Shopping Centre
If approved, the project will see the demolition of an existing toilet block on land west of the Telephone Exchange, and a new building on the site.
The application says that the “existing toilet block sits on the only viable part of the site”. The toilets will be replaced as part of the scheme.
The site currently has a café in the shape of a canal boat, picnic benches and toilets.
Services for boat users will also be provided in a dedicated part of the new building.
If approved, the café would be open from 9am to 4pm from Monday to Saturday.
It is not yet clear however when activities provided from thr site would be available, as they could be provided by external companies.
The application will be considered and decided upon by Torfaen council in the coming months.
In 2019, the Canal and River Trust secured more than £4 million of European Union funding for a programme called the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal Adventure Triangle, which included three projects centred around Pontymoile.
Included in that was a plan to develop an activities centre at Pontymoile with a view to attracting more visitors and locals to enjoy the canal and its surroundings.
The Pontymoile basin is the former junction of the Brecknock and Abergavenny Canal and the Monmouthshire Canal from Pontymoile to Newport.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel