APPENDIX 14: COMMUNITY FACILITIES

Situated at the northern end of Rhymney, the cemetery is likely to be fully utilised for burials in around 3 years time.  Land previously allocated as an extension can only be partially used due to topographical and environmental constraints.  Hence it will be necessary to safeguard land to the north of the cemetery to ensure future needs are adequately met.

Caerphilly Local Health Board and Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust are seeking to modernise the health facilities provision in the region.  As part of this a network of health resource centres – combined General Practitioner surgeries, pharmacies and treatment rooms – are to be developed across the County Borough.  In Rhymney, this concept is being developed to include in-patient treatment beds as a replacement for the town’s ageing Redwood Hospital.  The preferred site identified for this is just south of the town centre adjacent to The Lawn Industrial Estate.

Situated in close proximity to the universities of Cardiff and Glamorgan, Caerphilly County Borough has a network of further education facilities that are mainly structured around the former Gwent and eastern Glamorgan county regions. In order to complement existing provision at Ebbw Vale, Pontypool, Merthyr and Pontypridd, it is proposed that a new campus is established at Rhymney. This is most likely to be on currently industrial land at The Lawn, where a regeneration scheme could provide a most impressive southern gateway to the town centre.  There will be a need for full ecological surveys to be undertaken as an integral part of any planning application for development of this site.

Within the overall regeneration scheme, there is also a retail element (please refer to CM4.1).

At Rhymney, a new building has been erected the site of the former Lower Rhymney Primary School. Caerphilly County Borough Council Education Department has pursued a strategy of replacing older, unsuitable premises with new, well appointed buildings. With the new school opening in September 2007, reference is made in the Local Development Plan as it contains proposed land uses from April 2007.

A particular need exists in Fochriw for youth facilities associated with the playing field in the village centre.  Hence land for a combined youth centre and sports pavilion with changing facilities to serve this field has been earmarked.  This central location with residential surroundings will be near the village’s primary school and enable the further sharing of facilities e.g. parking.

It is proposed to refurbish the existing New Tredegar Leisure Centre to integrate a youth and community facility within the leisure centre. The provision of such a facility would provide a sustainable and fit for purpose combined youth, community and leisure facility.

Hangar 81 is showing signs of age. Although significant refurbishment works are required, the structure is being safeguarded within the Planfor the purposes of converting the building to a mixture of youth, community and leisure use.

At Aberbargoed, the continuing growth of the Welsh-medium primary educational provision is projected to continue with Ysgol Bro Sannan requiring expansion in the near future. Adjacent land to the east side of the existing premises has been identified with the aim of facilitating this.

Old colliery buildings that once extended across the Rhymney Valley between Bargoed and Aberbargoed have been cleared, leaving an extensive plateau of reclaimed land suitable for housing. This will have implications for surrounding primary schools through increased population. It is proposed to absorb the additional pupils on the existing sites.

With two fire stations in close proximity to each other at Bargoed and Cefn Fforest, a shared site in a location midway between both areas represents an efficient pooling of resources with minimal impact on emergency response times. A location close to the Angel Way bypass road will afford quicker and easier access to much of the area served by the new facility. 

Bargoed Library is to be demolished to make way for a town centre redevelopment involving the new retail and commercial leisure facilities.  Suitable replacement premises have been found in the form of the Hanbury Road Baptist Church, a large and prominent 19^th century chapel building, which will be remodelled for this purpose.

In Bargoed, the town centre redevelopment means the loss of an existing health centre currently sharing premises with the library on Hanbury Road. Nearby premises at the town’s southern entrance (formerly housing the Job Centre, and before that a medical centre) will be a suitable replacement.

Other Community Facilities

At Pentwyn, near Fochriw, the church on Gelligaer Common requires land for a cemetery extension. The land in question extends across into the adjoining Merthyr County Borough Council’s administrative area but the church’s position within Caerphilly County Borough would indicate that there is potential for both local authorities to cooperate to secure such an extension.

Needs have been identified for other community facilities in the Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Area but there are insufficient details to enable sites to be identified. For the purposes of highlighting these aspirations, a list of developments that may occur during the Plan period is given below:

Aberbargoed – new GP surgery replacing Pant Street

Aberbargoed – new library replacing Pant Street

Pontlottyn / Fochriw – new school replacing existing

Trinant – new school replacing existing

General needs – residential respite home for children and young people with physical / learning disabilities; residential children’s home

The cemetery at Gelligaer is located in the historic core of the village near the Roman remains. It has 3-4 years burial capacity left and adjacent land has been found to be suitable for an extension.  Securing this land would enable the cemetery to serve the community for some 10-15 years longer into the future.

Greenhill Primary School in Gelligaer is being considered for replacement with more modern fit for purpose facilities. Extensive grounds offer potential for mixed educational, leisure and housing use here, thereby securing the school’s future.

Maesglas School, on the eastern edge of Gelligaer, has fallen vacant in recent years. This expansive space offers considerable potential for further community use and Caerphilly Local Health Board has firm plans to develop a surgery.

Sizeable new residential developments around Ystrad Mynach area and latent demand for Welsh medium primary education in the area has prompted the construction of a new school – Ysgol Penalltau.  Part of the major Penallta colliery site reclamation scheme, the school is situated adjacent to the Cwm Calon housing scheme. It is anticipated the school will become fully operational from September 2009.

Oakfield Street surgery in Ystrad Mynach needs replacement and land extending around the existing premises is suitable for this purpose. Caerphilly Local Health Board propose to construct a large new facility here at this highly visible town centre location with ancillary parking.

One of the most significant developments in the Caerphilly area health service in decades is to happen at Ystrad Mynach.  The new Local General Hospital will be built at Ystrad Fawr on a site currently occupied by council offices.  This location was selected due to its central location within the County Borough and convenient access to the strategic A469 / A472routes as well as public transport.

This hospital will be the new main accident and emergency centre for the County Borough and will fit into a new network of hospitals being proposed by the health authorities for the region.  With almost 300 beds it will be a major employer and attract specialist medical services to serve the local population. Due to its location in an area at risk of flooding as defined by the Environment Agency, a Flood Consequence Assessment will be required for any new planning application on this site.

Newbridge Library currently lies in a constricted and inconvenient back street location near the town centre.  Due to the poor condition of this elderly prefabricated building, it has been proposed that (subject to funding) the library facilities are transferred to the Newbridge Memorial Institute. Such a move will help secure the long term future of this significant historic building.

Lying to the east of Newbridge, Pantside is a sizeable residential area at present without a central meeting place for the community. Land has therefore been provided for the development of a community centre.

Although one of the County Borough’s smaller settlements, Hafodyrynys has a need for a community focal point, particularly given its proximity to the residential areas of Crumlin and Swffryd in Blaenau Gwent. A suitable site has been found on a side street off the main A472 road through the village.

Other Community Facilities

Needs have been identified for other community facilities in the Northern Connections Corridor but there are insufficient details to enable sites to be identified. For the purposes of highlighting these aspirations, a list of developments that may occur during the Plan period is given below:

Cefn Fforest – new GP surgery replacing Bryn Road

Pontllanfraith/Newbridge area – Health & Social Care Resource Centre

Pengam – new GP surgery replacing Ford Road

General needs – residential respite home for children and young people with physical/learning disabilities; residential children’s home

There is a substantial area of land surrounding Abercarn Cemetery that could potentially be utilised for further burials.  Open land lying to the west is suitable for development as an extension. In addition a steeper, more difficult eastern site may be required in the long term, thus both areas are allocated for this purpose.

Following the demolition of All Saints’ Church in Llanbradach some years ago there is a large vacant site near the village centre.  Caerphilly Local Health Board’s Primary Care Estate Strategy highlights Llanbradach as one of the locations, which would benefit from a new build facility. Significant potential exists for a well designed surgery taking into account its location within the village’s conservation area.

Reference is made to this facility, which has been completed since the beginning of the Local Development Plan preparation. Part of the Windsor Colliery reclamation scheme has involved the construction of a new Welsh medium primary school to replace the previous buildings. This opened in September 2007 and caters for growing demand in the area for such provision.

Spread across a large site with a number of levels, the existing Cwm Ifor Primary School is somewhat outmoded compared to the newer buildings of this type. The size of the site means that there would be potential to erect replacement premises and devote some of the existing site to other uses.

Only limited scope exists for expansion of Penyrheol Cemetery, but a former scout hut site offers the possibility for a small additional burial area here.

Located on the western edge of Caerphilly, Hendre Junior School can be extended to secure primary education on a single site. The nearby Hendre Infants School building is much older and in a congested location off the town’s Northern Bypass.Improved traffic management on the B4263 around the adjoining St Cenydd School site would enable the Infants provision to be moved to the newer and better appointed Hendre Junior School, linking into the Council’s ‘Safe Routes to School’ initiative.

Situated near the Lansbury Park housing estate, St James Primary School is an example of major initial maintenance costs being encountered for relatively modern prefabricated buildings. As a result, replacing the building on the same site is potentially a cost effective option, especially as the sizeable area of land upon which the school stands presents the opportunity to include other uses such as housing here also.

At present, Caerphilly Library is rather far from the town centre and is increasingly unable to cope with demands.With a significant portion of the southern end of the main centre to be redeveloped, a new library has been proposed as an integral part of this mixed commercial and residential scheme. Provision is thus made for this although the options of relocating to the former Post Office at The Twyn or the Park Lane redevelopment are also being explored.

Serving a sizeable residential population to the south of Caerphilly town centre, the surgery at Nantgarw Road (near the Piccadilly gyratory) is outgrowing its current premises.With a large new housing development being built on the edge of the town, this presents an ideal opportunity for a suitable facility to be built to serve the growing residential population here.

Cemetery land is needed across the County Borough but the most acute pressure is in the Caerphilly Basin area.  With such tight constraints on the space available to extend the existing facilities, it has been necessary to identify a wholly new site for a cemetery.

It is considered that the site meeting most criteria – accessibility through good transport links, close to major centres of population, and environmental issues – is at Old Nantgarw Road near the Penrhos roundabout west of Caerphilly.  This site is well located for main transport routes and is on gently undulating land opposite the General Electric Aircraft Engine Services (GEAES) plant.

One of the largest community venues in the County Borough is located in Bedwas. The Workmen’s Hall is several storeys high with a large auditorium and dates from the early 20^th century. However changing leisure patterns have meant that it is struggling to find a present day role in the village. Much of the underused space is adaptable and would be a suitable new home for Bedwas library, which is in rather cramped premises nearby. Indeed the hall could be developed further with exhibition spaces as well as being a performing arts venue.

As part of the masterplan for the area, the Hall forms the centrepiece of a series of wholesale environmental improvements. Revamped sports facilities serving the comprehensive school, play areas and a surgery are to be provided, as well as a planting scheme. Together, these developments will provide an attractive civic space and promote a sense of pride in the community.

One of the largest brownfield sites in the County Borough, the former Colliery and railhead area extends along the northern flank of Bedwas and Trethomas. These villages are already home to a network of amenities and services such as shops, leisure and public transport.

Considerable potential therefore exists for mixed development on this site following the necessary remediation works. The scale of the site means that a large housing element could be accommodated here together with open space and community facilities.

A site has been earmarked for a primary school facility for the surrounding residential population and an identified shortfall of leisure facilities in the Caerphilly Basin area (see policy LE 4.12), land may be available for formal sports pitches here also. Locating within the school site will enable dual use of the facility.

A significant housing development is proposed on the former paint works site at Waterloo. It is intended that a new school be provided close to this community on part of the site. Due to its location in an area at risk of flooding as defined by the Environment Agency, a Flood Consequence Assessment will be required for any new planning application on this site.

Part of the Coleg Gwent Federationof further education colleges, the campus at Crosskeys is situated on Risca Road in an assorted complex of buildings. A sizeable level brownfield site, which could accommodate significant further extension, has become vacant adjoining the college’s western boundary and is identified accordingly.

Risca’s current library is in a backland location somewhat away from the town centre.  It is planned to erect substantial new premises behind the listed façade of the town’s Palace Cinema, which would house a small supermarket, Council customer service office and the library itself. Due to its location in an area at risk of flooding as defined by the Environment Agency, a Flood Consequence Assessment will be required for any new planning application on this site

A need exists for further burial space at Danygraig Cemetery, which is in a hillside location west of Risca. Planning permission has been granted to develop an area of land previously allocated for an extension and work is due to commence in the near future.

Other Community Facilities

Needs have been identified for other community facilities in the Southern Connections Corridor but there are insufficient details to enable sites to be identified. For the purposes of highlighting these aspirations, a list of developments that may occur during the Plan period is given below:

Abertridwr – new GP surgery replacing existing premises

Bedwas – new cemetery land

Caerphilly – new Health and Social Care Resource Centre

Caerphilly – new GP surgery at Lansbury Park

Caerphilly – new GP surgery replacing leased premises at Penyrheol

Caerphilly – new police station

Cwmfelinfach – new GP surgery and Health Centre to replace existing

General needs – residential respite home for children and young people with physical/learning disabilities; residential children’s home