New £2.1m visitor centre at Parc Penallta approved

According to Caerphilly County Borough Council, the pandemic led to more people using the park in Ystrad Mynach - and therefore a new visitor centre was needed.

Plans for the new facility, which were lodged by the council itself, were granted earlier this week.

A condition of the planning permission is that a public transport service is put in place – this is likely to entail buses travelling along the A472, stopping at the park.

Disabled parking spaces and bicycle store facilities will be added to the existing car park, which currently has 39 spaces.

The report presented to the council's cross-party planning committee states: “The proposed building represents a well designed addition to the country park, which will sit comfortably within the landscape and would enhance the area within which it is located.”

It is set to be constructed using sustainable techniques and using timber from Parc Penallta.

At the meeting, committee member John Taylor – who was cabinet member with responsibility for parks when Parc Penallta first opened – praised the development and supported officers’ recommendations to approve the development.

The Welsh Government will provide a grant of £903,000 towards the project, while the council will fund the remaining £1,168,000 from the Corporate Projects budget.

Costs could be increased as the tender process is set to take place again due to the time that has passed since the initial one – this will provide a final price for the project.

When approved by the cabinet, Nigel George, cabinet member with responsibility for parks and countryside, said: “The enhancement of this country park will reinforce the importance of our environments and landscapes, the health and wellbeing of our communities and contribute towards a strong identity for Caerphilly County Borough, the Valleys Regional Park and Wales as a whole.”

The project is expected to be completed by spring 2023.