Neath Town Centre planning application submitted

Plans to redevelop Neath Town Centre are taking a major step forward. Plans have been drawn up for a new multi-storey car park and retail development in the town.

The plans have been progressed thanks to Neath Port Talbot Council securing funding to kick start the regeneration work despite being faced with tough economic conditions.

Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, Cllr Ali Thomas, said the regeneration work in Neath Town Centre has been delayed by the unprecedented tough market conditions that have prevailed in recent years. 

"However, the Council and its preferred developer, Simons, have continuously worked behind the scenes, to ensure that the Neath scheme becomes a reality despite unprecedented pressures from the economic climate" he said. 

The Council has secured £13m of funding from the Regional Investment Fund for Wales, which is designed to help fund regeneration schemes such as this. Neath Port Talbot was the only Council in Wales to successfully secure such funding.

The Council has now submitted a planning application for the ambitious new multi-storey car park and retail development. Work to demolish the Council owned houses at Water Street has already happened, and construction work will start in earnest towards the end of January, in order to avoid disrupting Christmas and New Year trading in the town.