As part of the Transforming Towns programme a Placemaking Plan has been prepared for Ebbw Vale by Blaenau Gwent Council and Welsh Government. This sets out the core ambitions for Ebbw Vale town that underpin the vision - We want Ebbw Vale to be a smart, resilient and sustainable town that is a great place to work, have a business, live and visit. Overall it portrays a clear direction and guide for future town planning to attract investment and shape future sustainable development and place enhancements.
To create a Placemaking Plan that captures the distinctive character of Ebbw Vale and the local expertise of the people that live and work there a comprehensive engagement has been undertaken during the preparation of the plan. This was to establish how the town works, what are the key ambitions for it, and what type of interventions and change would people like to see happen.
Councillor Dai Davies, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Regeneration and Economic Development commented:
" This is an exciting project that will bring long lasting improvements to Ebbw Vale which will not only benefit local businesses but also help bring visitors to the town. The Placemaking Plan will complement Ebbw Vale’s unique assets with attractive public places. Additionally, there is an opportunity to reverse the national trend of high street decline and transform Ebbw Vale into a diverse destination with a thriving town centre. This is the first of a number of plans for the borough, the next stage will be to produce a delivery plan and see the projects come to fruition.”
The Placemaking Plan includes the town centre, northern area of The Works, Eugene Cross Park and the Civic Centre. Six core ambitions have been identified in the plan to support us in transforming the town and delivering upon our vision, these are:
• Establish the high street as a ‘test-bed’ for new business and entrepreneurs, but also cultivate an environment of growth for existing businesses.
• Create a series of new entrance spaces into the town centre that open up the high street, enhance the retail environment, green the centre and create space for new homes, work spaces and leisure uses.
• Revitalise the connections between the town centre and The Works to give pedestrians & cyclists greater choice, reliability and quality.
• Transform The Works into a vibrant and active destination; a place of arrival, culture, learning, working and living.
• Establish Eugene Cross Park as a regionally renowned sporting destination that caters for specialist, elite and community teams and improve its connections to the town centre and The Works.
• Transform the Civic Centre site and its surrounding area into an exemplary neighbourhood of modern homes in a green sustainable setting.