RESIDENTS in Caerphilly are unhappy about a proposal to relocate a local social club.
A meeting was held at the Piccadilly Inn in Caerphilly, where residents aired their concerns about plans to move Caerphilly Social Club to a new location.
Plans in Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Caerffili 2035 vision aim to improve the visitor experience to the tourist town - which features the largest castle in Wales, which itself is being renovated with a £5m budget.
A document seen by the Argus, states that the social club and nearby job centre are “located in prominent positions opposite the Castle.
“These sites have potential for future change to utilise distinctive views of the Castle and to create a strong frontage to Castle Street.”
It also talks about the potential to relocate the social club, saying: “Such a site could be provided on the corner of Pontygwindy Road and Lawrence Street.”
MORE NEWS:
- One of Newport's grandest Victorian buildings going up for auction
- How you can get a free tree in Gwent - even if you don't have a garden
The meeting held by local residents at the Piccadilly Inn on Tuesday night, was organised by the local Plaid Cymru councillors who listened to concerns surrounding anti-social behaviour and parking.
Cllr Mike Prew said: “Local people already suffer from effects over parking, with confrontations with non-residents and difficult access to the street. There were also concerns about the potential increase in anti-social behaviour and noise nuisance.”
Those in attendance at the meeting agree there are concerns about the vacant site which is mentioned in the proposals, and have also come up with their own views on what the land could be used for.
Cllr Phil Bevan said: “What was good was a range of solutions which the residents would like to see, not the planners.
"One idea was to make the site for extra parking, but a very interesting suggestion was for an urban park.”
Martin Downes, a candidate for Plaid Cymru in May’s council elections, added that some of the people at the meeting highlighted the potential wider failures of the plan for the town centre, as it does not take into account the post-Covid world and the decline of retail.
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 The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.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 here