Posted on: Thursday 5 February 2026
Plans for a new parkside cafe and improvements to a town centre car park in Pontypool have been submitted for planning permission.
The revised designs form part of a multi-million pound Cultural Hub and Cafe Quarter development to revitalise the southern gateway into Pontypool Town Centre.
The designs include a new extension and solar panels for the roof and plans to restore the nearby Italian Gardens fountain. The car park will include new external cladding, and disabled and EV charging spaces.
Cllr Joanne Gauden, Executive Member for Economy, Skills and Regeneration, said: "This is a complex project, which has required dynamic project management against a challenging economic background.
"We're already seeing green shoots of recovery in Pontypool town centre - we're investing in improving key buildings, welcomed new traders in Pontypool Indoor Market and we're working with new businesses looking to move into the town centre, supported by a proposal for a destination management plan to increase footfall.
"The Pontypool Cultural Hub and Cafe Quarter will further support this regeneration by drawing visitors into the town from the south, including the thousands of people who visit Pontypool Park every year."
The Hanbury Road parkside cafe and improvements to Glantorvean Road designs will be considered by the council's planning department.
Subject to approval, and on the basis of the standard 12‑week planning determination period, construction works for both schemes are anticipated to commence in late summer or early autumn.
A third phase to transform St. James’s Church, opposite the planned parkside cafe, into a restaurant and pop-up cinema is also being progressed by a private developer.
The projects, which are expected to create 36 new jobs, have been welcomed by the Pontypool Community Taskforce, which was set up last year.
Chairman Dyl Delaney, said: "We're fully behind the proposal of Torfaen’s Levelling Up project. A fully-researched programme which aims to create jobs and boost the town’s economy is just what our town needs.
"The project will help towards the planned regeneration of Pontypool Town Centre. The initial focus on creating a Cultural and Café Quarter, is the first major step of efforts to attract both our communities and visitors back into our town which the Taskforce is fully behind."
The Pontypool Cultural Hub and Cafe Quarter received £7.6m from the UK Government's Levelling Up Fund in 2023, and a £1.5m Pride In Place grant and £750,877 from the Welsh Government in 2025.
The council has committed £1.9m in match funding to support the delivery of the schemes.
Planning applications: https://planningonline.torfaen.gov.uk/online-applications/