(Title Image: © Copyright Jaggery and licensed for reuse unders Creative Commons Licence BY-SA-2.0)
Council officers have reported back on the public’s views regarding the new 10-year Bridgend town centre masterplan (full details here) – which was published towards the end of 2020 (pdf).
The consultation found (pdf):
- 84% of respondents agreed with the overall masterplan vision.
- A new town square/green space (87% support) and a new railway station entrance on Tremains Road (83%) were the most popular proposals, but all of the development zones had clear majority support.
- 78% back a heritage trail.
- 65% back a new Bridgend College campus at Cheapside – more on this later.
- 61% support more housing in the town centre.
- Views on de-pedestrianisation were mixed; 44% support partial de-pedestrianisation, 35% were against, 21% support fully reopening all town centre street to traffic.
- Only 41% thought current public transport options in the town centre were adequate.
No significant changes to the masterplan are proposed it seems, though it will be aligned with policies in the deposit Local Development Plan.
Council seeks to buy Bridgend Police Station site earmarked for new college campus
One of the key proposals in the town centre masterplan – as mentioned – is a new Bridgend College campus on the current police station site at Cheapside. There are indications this could happen sooner rather than later (pdf).
The first phase of Bridgend College’s estates programme – a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths (STEAM) building at the Pencoed campus – is currently under construction and expected to open in September 2021.
A detailed design process for a Cheapside campus is set to be greenlit by Bridgend College governors ahead of a full application for Welsh Government funding.
The police station could be available as early as March 2022, with South Wales Police gradually moving their local base of operations to Cowbridge Road (though the masterplan suggests a smaller police station could open on Adare Street).
To bring the new college campus forward, Bridgend Council is weighing up buying the police station site to secure the land, demolishing the police station then leasing it to Bridgend College on a long-term basis. This means if, for whatever reason, the college couldn‘t deliver the new campus the land would remain in public ownership for redevelopment.
BCBC is seeking Welsh Government Transforming Towns funding worth £910,000, while BCBC would need to contribute £390,000 – bringing the total cost of purchase and clearance to £1.3million.
The wording of the report implies that the proposed Cheapside campus would replace most, if not all, of the Cowbridge Road site – though it’s unclear.
If the Cowbridge Road site did become available and Heronsbridge School moves to Island Farm (as proposed in the LDP), then it could unlock a fairly sizable brownfield site for redevelopment.
