Neath Development to include Leisure Centre
On 5th March in a news item with the heading: "Neath -the past and the future" we wrote: As a Neath barber said last month, it's not shops we want as people go out of town shopping, but rather entertainment and recreational facilities that draw crowds into the town.
Now it seems that our planners, and our council, are thinking the same way.
At a meeting of the Regeneration and Sustainable Development Cabinet Board today (12th April) Councillors approved a proposal to amend the existing Neath Town Centre Redevelopment plans for the former Wilko and Tesco Metro site in Water Street to include a new leisure centre, replacing the current one at Dyfed Road, in addition to retaining six of the original eight new retail units already agreed for that location.
The future of town centres depends on having a diverse offer including shopping, leisure and culture, and development plans need to adapt to changing market situations and customer preferences.
Looking at the national picture and the future of retail and high streets, the aim is to increase footfall into towns to provide an attractive proposition for new businesses and retailers.
Whilst the main element of the plans for the town centre is the retail offer, the scheme is flexible to allow for changing trends and to take advantage of other opportunities that may arise.
Cllr. Rob Jones, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council said: “We want to maintain a leisure offer in the town and we want to make sure that people in Neath have access to modern facilities and activities to improve their health and wellbeing.
NPT Newsroom - read more: https://www.npt.gov.uk/1410?pr_id=6177
