Pontypridd – the Heart of The Valleys

To add to my flurry of new year posts, here is one on Pontypridd and the Central Valleys.

Did you know that in a circle 20Km in radius centred on Pontypridd there are nearly 1,000,000 people. Pontypridd is also at the heart of the Core Valley Line (CVL) Metro network with Merthyr, Aberdare, Treherbert and Cardiff Central, Bay and Queen Street soon all to be within 25 mins travel time with at least 4 services an hour once the full Metro timetable is operating early in 2026. There will likely be 12 tram-trains an hour between Cardiff and Pontypridd which will be closer to the centre of Cardiff and the Bay than much of Cardiff in travel time terms!

The places that are not well connected to Pontypridd in rapid transit terms are the Rhymney Valley and points further east, parts of Cardiff poorly served by Metro or not served by Metro rail at all (especially north and east).

In focussing on Pontypridd and the Central Valleys in this short blog, I will update some earlier suggestions going back over ten years; more importantly I want to restate the importance of using the Metro as a catalyst to enable transit-oriented development and regeneration across the entire Cardiff Capital region. This is not “a plan”, it is more of an illustration of what is possible that I hope will provoke a serious discussion.

Some relevant earlier blogs to help with context…
Hand made in Ebbw Vale…? – 2016
A road to Cardiff Airport….or regeneration in Pontypridd? – 2016
Wider Impacts of South Wales Metro (article for Bevan Foundation July 2016
Economic Impacts of The South Wales Metro? – 2018 (Notes of my 2018 Wales Week in London speech at the Shard re The Valleys and Pontypridd)
Making the Metro work for the Valleys and for Cardiff… 2018
Welsh Paradores and Sourdough Bread – 2019
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) #3 – 2024
Metro & Me, October 2018
And from my book:
The climate emergency and car dependency
Why we need Transit Oriented Development
How do we make that happen?

Context…

The loss of heavy industry has left scars in the social and economic fabric of southeast Wales – and especially the Valleys – and it is clear that many well-meaning initiatives over decades have not really had the impact hoped for. Today we are also grappling with issues of high street decline and lack of affordable housing, relatively low levels of economic activity and the pressures of diminishing local authority funds to address local issues.

However, in terms of major economic infrastructure in the region, the Welsh Government (WG) are to be congratulated as in 2025/6 we will see the following completed/established:

• Transport for Wales (TfW) delivering the current phase of the Metro by early 2026 (est £1Bn+) which will provide a dependable and reliable high capacity “turn up and go” public transport options in the Central Valleys north and south of Pontypridd
  
• Completion of the Heads of the Valleys rd. (est £1Bn+ over the last 5-10 years) to enable a safer, higher capacity road route from Swansea to the English Midlands across the tops of all the Valleys
  
• Recently WG and TfW announced the establishment of Ffeibr – a new high-capacity broadband network being developed in parallel with the Metro

This represents a generational, multi-billion investment by WG in the future of the Valleys. The question now, is how we leverage that investment in a way that enables sustainable local economic development and in so doing addresses:

• Poor X-valley connectivity with most such trips reliant on car use
  
• The housing crisis
  
• Our failing high streets
  
• The need to reduce carbon emissions
  
• The need to provide more local employment that retains value in the community.

In so doing we need to send a more symbolic message about the future of The Valleys that will attract people to live and work there.

Now there is no magic wand or easy fix, but I want to set out something that combines further transport investment with economic development, regeneration and some fiscal measures to encourage more activity back to our high street. Perhaps at the heart of this, in Pontypridd we can accommodate one iconic attention-grabbing project?

The Pontypridd and mid Valleys Metro Development Programme

Figure 1 A Metro Development Programme for Pontypridd…?

1 Further Metro – Cross Valley

The development and implementation of a cross-valley Metro connection to enable tram-trains to run from Pontypridd to Ystrad Mynach (or Hengoed). Given the existing Cwmbargoed freight line, this only requires an estimated 2.5Km of new tramway standard track (in part using the old alignment) between Quakers Yard and Trelewis.

With the re-instatement of the Pontypridd curve and a new Pontypridd north station/interchange adjacent to the bus station, then we can really provide that vital high-capacity E-W Metro connectivity (eg a direct Treherbert -Ystrad Mynach or Bargoed service via Pontypridd) that our post bus reform redesigned bus networks can integrate with (especially at the Pontypridd bus/rail interchange).

Aside from the new more direct E-W link, the connection between the Taff and Rhymney lines will connect many more Origin/Destination points – See public transit networks and grids – and so stimulate the network effect and enable many more PT trips beyond the corridor itself. The connection will also provide more overall CVL network resilience and redundancy.

As I have written previously, I would also consider a short rail diversion (from near the castle bingo site) toward the river corridor, with a new Merthyr station closer to the bus station and an extension north in Merthyr toward Cyfarthfa Retail Park and Cyfarthfa Castle – again only 1-2 Km – as well as the oft discussed Hirwaun extension.

PS As I have written previously, Cardiff Crossrail Phase 2 is still a much higher regional priority, Nonetheless this X-valley scheme needs at least a little development work over the next couple of years.

2 A TOD based economic development & regeneration programme

For the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) to embrace Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and with WG engage in a major economic development and regeneration programme (especially much more new, publicly funded housing) to augment and maximise the investment in the Metro. Places like Pontypridd should be at the core of such a programme, augmented with a range of smaller tactical and/or infill interventions right across the Metro network – with a focus on housing and high street regeneration. This also means we have to incentivise a reduction in the amount of out-of-town car-based office and retail. See the section on TOD in “How to build a Metro. We also need to encourage more local and sustainable entrepreneurship.

2.1 Housing and the high street

Aside from better public transport I assert we also need a strategic and well-resourced programme to address our declining high streets and to develop more affordable homes around our Metro network. We also have to really embed flood risk mitigation into all our developments… the flooding likely is not going to go away so we have to properly address it in developmental terms.

More people are beginning to see that whilst our planning system is perhaps a small contributory factor, the overwhelmingly bigger reason for the lack of affordable housing is the lack of publicly funded, developed and owned housing. This has been a growing problem since the late 1980s. The private house building market will always develop in a way to maximise value and so prices – this results in a drip feed of supply and does not help those in need of a home and with limited incomes. We need more affordable housing less so a more limited supply of expensive housing. Labour Governments in both London and Cardiff are going to have to find the fiscal capacity to fund a major house/home building programme. Perhaps in SE Wales those local authorities that don’t have the capacity can look to the CCR to drive this programme?

To be clear I don’t want 000s of new car-based houses – I want homes/apartments built in places you can access without a car. This means a lot more infill and the repurposing of existing sites for housing.

Ultimately, we need more density and more Transit Oriented Development and an acknowledgement, at last, that it is car based out of town shed retail that has done the most damage to our high streets. The convenience of this choice to us as individuals, has come with wider societal costs that we have overlooked for far too long. So, in parallel this also mean a focus on trying to relocate at least some of the region’s retail and workplace space back to town centres and public transport connected places, and away from car-based edge of town sheds.

For the central valleys I want to see more inbuild in the heart of Pontypridd (plus the new station as set out above). Recent town centre improvement led by RCT Council have made a major difference in Pontypridd’s urban realm and plans for the old M&S building and riverside plaza really open up the town to its best asset – the rivers!

We also need to consider some major brownfield interventions; for example, at the Treforest Industrial Estate (linked to a new station) where we could build 4-8 stories, mixed-use, apartments – with ground floors allocated for non resi uses and flood mitigation designed in. Then, linked to the expansion of the Metro, perhaps more homes between Nelson/Trelewis and Ystrad Mynach? This should all be framed by a broader debate in the region.

2.2 Tourism/Hotels/Food/Culture

Whilst we know large scale heavy industry is not going to return we can encourage more people to live and work in the valleys. Yes more local indigenous economic activity but also some new activity focussed on the assets we do have. As I have opined previously, if it wasn’t for the coal industry the valleys would have been designated a national park decades ago. They are a unique and stunning physical asset and the gateway to Bannau Brycheiniog. I set out in a speech at the Shard in 2018 for Wales Week in London, alongside the then Chair of Crossrail, Terry Morgan, how others often see the potential of the unique geography of the valleys more readily than we do. As part of any programme, we need more visitor attractions, places to see/visit and the infrastructure necessary to support it. So, hotels, restaurants, etc. I even suggested the idea of a chain of Welsh Paradores back in 2019.

We may also need some more iconic culture based interventions. The proposal for a major visitor attraction at Cyfarthfa Castle are long standing. I also favour the idea a Welsh National Gallery in Pontypridd (see Guardian: Exhibition debunks ‘no Welsh art’ myth amid calls for permanent national gallery | Wales | The Guardian. ) Furthermore, Cardiff is struggling with music venues; can we see some more in Pontypridd as well to complement the existing venues. Remember post Metro there will 12 tram-trains an hour back and forth between Cardiff and Pontypridd in less than 25 minutes; that is how the London Underground works.

The successful hosting of the Eisteddfod last year showed us what was possible re major events in Pontypridd.

2.3 Support and enhance local social infrastructure

Others are better placed to make this case. It seems to me we need the public sector and key services (so health, education, local/national government, banking, etc) to focus on rebuilding their local/high street presence. The loss of so much local social infrastructure in our communities has accelerated their fragmentation & de-stabilisation, and increased the isolation of individuals. Whilst not without cost, the wider benefits are clear. So how do we find a way to support more community presence for: GPs, health services, libraries, schools, banks, social services, government/local authority functions, etc – as well as local retail, offices, etc,

2.4 Local and Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Now others have opined on this subject re Wales for longer and far more eloquently and insightfully than me. Even with my concerns over how we calculated GDP and the uncounted negative externalities of our economy we do need more economic activity. That activity has to be more local and less corporate that sees value extracted to distant balance sheets.

To do so we need to engender a confidence and capability, especially in younger people, to start new sustainable businesses all over the valleys. I am not sure where we need to focus: food, tourism, clothing, software, gaming, energy, care, arts, culture, etc?. Perhaps it doesn’t matter?

What I do know is that more people trying to start a business, and yes with the inevitable and necessary failures, will result in a more dynamic and sustainable local economy.

This I think needs effort in HE, FE and U16 to enthuse all people no matter their background and ability to “try”. In particular I think the role of HE needs to be expanded and enhanced in this space.

We can also look at the emerging examples already in place – especially vis a vis food and drink For example: Janets in Pontypridd, The Welsh Cheese Company in Taffs Well, the various local street food businesses in Caerphilly’s Ffos Caerffili, and Aberdare’s Grey Trees brewery & Coco cafe and candle shop. There are many more….

2.5 A Metro Development Corporation for the CCR?

I think we can and ought to prepare a transit-oriented development and regeneration programme centred on all such opportunities in existing town centres and public transport connected place. The question is, do we have the capacity and resources to develop a 15-20 year regeneration and housing programme, and local entrepreneurship campaign and do we need a Metro Development Corporation.

3 Fiscal Measures and other funding mechanisms…

In support, I think we need fiscal measures to: encourage more stuff back to high streets and PT connected places; to reduce car use; we will need some more public funds directed to support more entrepreneurship; and we have to explore if/how we can use the capital linked to public sector pensions to support some of these proposals?. I think we will struggle on all the above unless we grasp these nettles.

3.1 Business Rate Measures (or proxies thereof) to encourage more city town centre locations Vs out of town. If you have an out of town/edge of town office or retail shed with a 500 space car park you ought to be taking on some of the cost of the impact of that car dependency/use. I’d also go further and ask how we can work with retail and business park owners to help re-purpose some of that estate (for example Trago Mills and Cyfarthfa Retail Park); better to re-allocate some of that space for housing to avoid further green field encroachment and at the same time boost the role of the existing town centre in Methyr.

3.2 Road Pricing is the easiest and quickest means of reducing congestion and in so doing apportioning some of the external costs of car/road use to drivers. The funds raised can be used to invest in more PT (capital and revenue). The evidence emerging from New York (which mirrors everywhere else) re reduction in congestion and journey time reductions is pretty stark. Those still opposed and claiming business is losing money because of congestion, ask yourself how much would you be prepared to pay to remove that congestion so your business and especially logistics can operate more efficiently? £1 a day, £2 day £10 a day?

3.3 Start Up Support. This is difficult to design and deliver as it needs to be embedded with people that have “done it” and not just well-meaning officials. The role of mentorship is vital as is showing by example. The challenge is to assemble a small capable organisation that can focus exclusively on encouraging and enabling more entrepreneurship and new start-up businesses?

3.4 Use of Public Sector Pensions. No not all, but for the new public homes programme we need (which will result in a rental revenue stream), then perhaps we can also explore the use of some of the £Bns of pension funds to support at least some of the capital required to actually build the new homes we need? I’ll let others more expert in this space opine on this idea.

To conclude…

I don’t think we will realise the full benefits of the very welcome Welsh Government investment in the Metro unless we take on the wider regeneration and especially the housing challenge at scale as well as measure to encourage more local and sustainable economic activity. This I think needs a kind of “Metro Development Corporation” to work across public and private sectors with the capability and capacity commensurate with the scale of the opportunity.

PS I think the challenges and opportunities re valleys are also true of Cardiff’s southern arc. EG More people live in Cardiff in the top10% of WIMD than any other local authority in Wales and nearly twice as many as the LA with the next largest number, RCT!

I feel that Danial Burnham quote coming on again….!