Town Centre Regeneration

As well as new property developments and refurbishments, Merthyr Tydfil town centre currently has various schemes in place to keep the town centre up-to-date with projects involving infrastructure, facilities, transport and access.

As a result of Objective One Funding, investment from the Welsh Assembly Government, Heads of the Valley Initiative and private sector investment, a wide range of physical regeneration projects that have been recently completed or are currently underway.

Below are a selection of projects currently being undertaken.

Town Centre Strategic Review

This document is now available to download below. The document sets our the key priority projects for the regeneration of the town centre for the short, medium and long term.

Public Convenience Grant

Private businesses will be offered grant assistance up to £500 to allow the public to use their conveniences. The grant will be able to assist the business with maintenance and general running costs. Application forms and the grant criteria are now available.

To apply for this grant or for more information on what other types of business support are available please contact:

economicdevelopment@merthyr.gov.uk

or write to:

Business Support Team
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
Orbit Business Centre
Rhydycar Business Park
Merthyr Tydfil
CF48 1DL

Marketing Campaign Launched

Merthyr Tydfil Town Centre has received national recognition winning of two national awards, the BCSC Town Centre Environment Award and the RTPI Regeneration Network Award, for the regeneration of the town centre. Retailers felt that a marketing campaign needed to be undertaken to promote the new look of the town centre across the region.

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council approached the Heads of The Valleys Programme for funding to undertake an extensive marketing and events programme for the Christmas shopping period. The application was successful and a partnership of St Tydfil’s Shopping Centre, The Chamber of Trade and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council (CBC) was formed to design a brand for the campaign.

The design team at Merthyr Tydfil CBC looked at what the town centre had to offer and how to communicate this to a wider audience. The brand of:

Step into Shopping

Stop for a Cuppa

Stay for the evening

This idea along, with the images taken in the town was approved by the group and the Town Centre Partnership. The next step was to look at how to put these images and messages across the Heads of the Valley effectively. It was decided that a billboard campaign would be a new approach to marketing the town.

Results from a shopping survey across the area were looked at to see which neighbouring towns and villages had low visitor numbers to the town centre. Following this, billboards were booked for Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Mountain Ash and Cardiff Queen Street Railway Station. In addition bus adverts that covered Brecon, Neath, Rhondda and the Rhymney Valleys routes were also booked along with newspaper adverts for the region.

Town Centre Partnership agrees development study for a Business Improvement District (BID)

Update 16th December 2009 - The Means have been appointed as the consultants to undertake the BID development Study. Work on this study has now commenced.

A Business Improvement District is a partnership between a local authority and the local business community to develop projects and services that will benefit the trading environment within the boundary of a clearly defined commercial area. 

BIDs allow businesses in a defined area and business sector(s) to vote on which additional services they want to invest in, to improve their trading environment.

The vote is open to tenants –
if a majority, both by number and by rateable value, approve the proposal, all ratepayers will contribute through their business rates.

BIDs give local businesses the power to effect changes that will benefit them in their local community. Improvements may include extra safety/security, cleansing and environmental measures, improved promotion of the area, improved events, and greater advocacy on key issues, but the legislation does not put a limit on what products or services are provided.

Businesses have the opportunity to agree on the projects for which they are contributing and to vote in a ballot on the amount of money they are prepared to raise, enabling them to become involved in the administration of the schemes themselves. BIDs are operated by not-for-profit partnership organisations.

The interests of large and small businesses are protected through a system which requires a successful vote to have a simple majority in both votes cast and rateable value of votes cast. Businesses must be able to sustain the additional cost - if they are not viable the BID levy raise enough income to make it a worthwhile venture.

Once voted for, the levy becomes mandatory on all defined ratepayers and is treated as a statutory debt. The plan voted for has a lifespan of 5 years and further proposals will have to be reaffirmed through a vote.

Local Authorities play an important facilitating role and in particular are charged with legal responsibilities, including the provision of the ratings data to calculate the BID levy, the collection and enforcement of the BID levy via a ring-fenced BID Revenue Account that is then passed straight to the BID company, the organisation of the formal BID ballot, and the preparation and commitment to the baseline service agreements.

Town Centre Regeneration Project - Merthyr Wins Gold!!!

Merthyr Tydfil Town Centre is awarded two national awards in one day!

On Wednesday 17th June, the British Council for Shopping Centres (BCSC) National Town Centre Environment Awards took place in London. The awards confirmed the quality and standard of the investment that gone into our Town, with the Merthyr Tydfil regeneration programme being recognised with a gold standard award. However, there was more to come. At the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Planning Convention that same evening, Merthyr Tydfil Town Centre was award the Regeneration Networks Award 2009.

What a result for Merthyr Tydfil!

Each Town or City competing for the RTPI Award was assessed on its success in delivering significant improvements to the environment and public realm, whilst boosting retail investment through well-designed urban spaces. Entries came from throughout the UK, including submissions from Swansea City centre, and the new Cabot Circus development in Bristol.

In addition to beating off strong competition against this criteria, Merthyr Council was also judged to have performed well in improving links to local amenities while ensuring that heritage links to the surrounding area were maintained.

The Merthyr entry, based on the regeneration package funded by the Welsh Assembly Government Heads of the Valleys Programme, the European Structural Funds and Merthyr Council,  commenced in 2005. The key project elements of the Town Centre scheme the the judges assessed were: the improvements to the High Street, the enhancements at the Café Quarter , building enhancement programme, the extensive works along the river corridor (including Dixon Street Park) and the upgrading and improvement of the town centre gateways and approaches.

The BCSC is the voice of the retail property industry, promoting retail-led regeneration and growth through research and guidance top-end industry awards, educational opportunities, public sector dialogue and an extensive range of events and networking opportunities throughout the year.

The RTPI Networks bring together planners and other experts to investigate new approaches to spatial planning. The awards, entitled Excellence in Delivery – recognising good practice, provide recognition to the planners who have been particularly innovative in coming up with planning solutions.

Chair of the BCSC judging panel Andrew Dickens said “The scheme shows high quality design standards which has been well executed.  The results have changed the image of the town clearly improving visitor perception and encouraging retail trade from within the town and the wider region. " 

Gavin Lewis, Physical Regeneration Manager, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, said: "Winning the award will highlight the recent regeneration activity in the area and demonstrate that a lot has been achieved by working with key regeneration stakeholders to reinforce Merthyr Tydfil town centre as the commercial and retail epicenter of the Heads of the Valleys region”.

For further details about Regeneration in Merthyr Tydfil, please contact:

Regeneration Department

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Civic Centre, Castle Street

Merthyr Tydfil  CF47 8AN

Tel. 01685 725007

Fax. 01685 723751

towncentre@merthyr.gov.uk

Whats New

• 12/03/10 - Adult Community Learning
• 11/03/10 - How to make a bid
• 10/03/10 - Arts Handbook
• 10/03/10 - Future Jobs Fund
• 09/03/10 - Wet Activities
• 09/03/10 - Fitness Suite and Free Weights Zone