A red weather warning and the spectre of the ‘beast from the east’ did nothing to interrupt a special tour to view progress of our Aberafan House development arranged for Thursday 1st March.
Deputy Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, Cllr. Anthony Taylor was joined by Pobl’s Director of Development (West) Jonathan Hughes and Head of Housing (Tai Gwalia) Nick Read for a look around the Aberafan House building, which is currently being transformed into a £4.7m new apartment scheme.
During the tour, the Deputy Leader viewed all 4 floors of the building from the top floors where construction is still very much underway, to the first 2 floors where apartments are already largely completed and fitted out. With upper floor apartments still being built, there was a chance to see the exposed sprinkler system that services all apartments and communal areas of the building before this is covered up by walls and ceilings.
Deputy Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, Councillor Anthony Taylor said: “This was an excellent opportunity to see the progress of Aberafan House, which overlooks the River Afan in the centre of Port Talbot. This landmark development will see the improvement of the immediate surroundings, including upgraded lighting, cycle racks for residents and benches and street furniture along the riverside walk to create a safer and more welcoming space for both residents and the public.
“It’s an exciting project for Port Talbot and one which will bring further vitality to the town.”
The £4.7m investment is one of a number of projects in Neath Port Talbot Council’s regeneration programme, which will see over £35m invested in and around the town centre, partly funded by the Welsh Government’s Vibrant and Viable Places Programme.
Jonathan Hughes, Director of Development (West) at Pobl, said: “Aberafan House is a very prominent part of the Port Talbot landscape – its transformation into high quality, yet affordable, apartments is a very important part of the regeneration of Port Talbot Town Centre.
We know that high quality, town centre apartments will be really popular with a wide range of people including those working in the local area and will breathe more life and energy into the town centre.”
Hacer spokesperson, Amanda Doherty added: “We are extremely proud of the works undertaken to date on redeveloping Aberafan House. This has been achieved by using local tradesmen, ensuring the local economy has benefitted from the scheme. We excited how this iconic building will look and the positive impact it will have on the area. It has been a pleasure working with NPT and Pobl, as part of the overall regeneration strategy for Port Talbot Town Centre.”
The apartments at Aberafan House are scheduled for completion this summer.
