Council office buildings in Aberdare could be transformed into a hotel under new plans. The proposals are for The Rock Grounds buildings and include a quality hotel with restaurant, bar and spa. A report recommends cabinet approves the start of the process on Monday, July 17 to bring in a development partner to deliver it.
The cabinet report said that the designs allowed for reuse of the buildings, preserving the “attractive, and historic Rock Grounds building and features (including the Keir Hardie bust) and for an appropriate level of nearby public car parking to remain.” The designs show the potential for the main building at Rock Grounds to be redeveloped to house the bedrooms and a bar with the annex building housing the spa.
It also said that the designs “take advantage of the site’s distinctive location to provide the ideal setting for a quality tourism accommodation offer including a spa, restaurant and bar, marking the development as something that is unique, and befitting the aspirations of Aberdare and the surrounding area, as a tourist destination.” It said: “The redevelopment will provide new facilities which will benefit local communities in terms of the spa, restaurant and bar facilities and as a venue for special occasions and provide employment opportunities.”
The council recently unveiled its strategy for office accommodation as it looks to “make best use of its assets, reduce its carbon footprint, achieve value for money, and identifying direct opportunities for generating capital receipts that can supplement the council’s financial position.” As part of this strategy, the council confirmed its intention to move services and staff out of Rock Grounds Aberdare into more suitable, energy efficient accommodation and reuse Rock Grounds.
The report said that there was “now an opportunity to redevelop the Rock Grounds Building in Aberdare Town Centre as a quality hotel with hospitality provision that would provide facilities for visitors and local people and employment opportunities. This will also help to fulfil the potential of the Aberdare area as a tourism destination.” Subject to approval, the procurement exercise for a development partner will happen over the next six months and it is proposed that the council will enter into a lease arrangement with the development partner.
The report said that if needed the council could seek funding from external funding sources such as UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund and Welsh Government Transforming Towns to secure the financial viability of the project but a separate funding agreement would be entered into with the development partner. The council will try to align the delivery of this project with the relocation of council staff from the buildings.
The report said that the draft Aberdare Town Centre Strategy highlights the regional potential for Aberdare, specifically in relation to its tourism offer. The council’s Tourism Strategy states that Aberdare can be increasingly recognised as a tourist town at the gateway to Rhondda Cynon Taf “adventure” landscape and the Brecon Beacons National Park/Bannau Brycheiniog.
