Pontypridd’s impressive regeneration project has now reached its final phase.

With the New Year underway, the transformation of the famous valley town’s streetscape is near completion. High quality paving, road surfaces, lighting and street furniture have created a fresh, modern vision for the main shopping thoroughfare.

Cllr Paul Cannon, Deputy Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Community Safety said, “Over the past two years the Council and its contractors Costain have worked diligently with local traders, shoppers and residents themselves as we implement our wide-scale regeneration project for Pontypridd.

”The long-lasting positive impact the £10.5million project is having on the town centre, due to a changing street scene, building enhancements and additional events and initiatives taking place, will make Pontypridd a revitalised destination fit for the 21st century.

“Over the coming months the final stages of the streetscape enhancements will be put into place and we are looking forward with great enthusiasm to seeing its completion. This has been the largest cash injection Pontypridd has ever witnessed and we are proud of all that it has achieved to date and how in the long term it will have a continued and lasting boost to the local economy.”

As the regeneration programme continues to make excellent progress, not only are Pontypridd’s main shopping streets being vastly improved, but large public areas are being created adding a new dimension to the town.

Bespoke benches have been introduced at the junction of Mill Street and Taff Street, using the distinctive design of the chains from the nearby Brown Lenox chain works, and have caused plenty of interest from the many visitors to the town.

Completed areas such as Mill Street and Church Street, and large sections of Market Street, Taff Street and High Street are giving visitors a real flavour of how impressive the street scene will look by Spring 2013.

Restoration work will take place on the historic fountain as Penuel Square is given its make-over with trees, bespoke benches, and quality design creating a public space that people can enjoy.

The street works are complemented by the approval of 13 property refurbishments to date thanks to the Townscape Enhancement Programme which has boosted the local economy by improving existing businesses, the opening of new ones and the creation of more local jobs.

As well as the clear physical improvements to the town centre, the Council has worked closely with traders and local organisations to boost the local economy by bringing more people into Pontypridd through a series of events and initiatives.

The ever-popular Ponty’s Big Weekend and Big Welsh Bite continue to draw tens of thousands of people into the town every year. Many other initiatives have also taken place in the town centre, particularly those with South Wales Police through the Community Safety Partnership who endeavour the make Pontypridd a safe and enjoyable place to visit day or night.

A range of high visibility crime prevention initiatives and undercover enforcement operations have tackled crimes in Pontypridd. These include Street Pastors, Cuppa with a Copper, Taxi Marshalling, a reassuring police presence, innovative new chest-mounted CCTV equipment, storenet and nitenet schemes to name but a few.

Retailers and members of the public have praised the reassuring regular police presence in the town centre and with a dedicated town centre officer and several PCSO’s operating in the area Pontypridd is a safer environment than ever before with reduced crime and anti-social behaviour.

The £10.5M Pontypridd Town Centre Regeneration project is taking place following the Council securing financial support from the Welsh Government through the European Regional Development Fund and Targeted Match Funding, alongside Council and private sector contributions.