Plans for a new Integrated Transport Hub in Port Talbot are going on display this week.
It will be created next to Port Talbot Parkway Station which is currently undergoing a £11.3m redevelopment, due for completion in the New Year.
The Integrated Transport Hub will provide easier access to employment and residential areas in and around the town and valleys areas, and forms part of the Council’s wider regeneration plans for Port Talbot’s town centre and Harbourside.
The project is also identified in the regional Joint Local Transport Plan and endorsed by the Swansea Bay City Region Board as a priority strategic ‘gateway’ to the Region, providing connectivity benefits essential for economic prosperity.
It will be designed to provide attractive and safe routes for pedestrians and cyclists between the town centre and Harbourside, and to provide pick up and drop off points for buses and taxis with easy access to the train station.
The plans also aim to improve the quality of the town centre environment and include the development of a new vibrant public space for informal use by residents and visitors with outdoor seating areas.
The Integrated Transport Hub will complement other projects in the programme which are planned to be developed in this key location of Port Talbot’s town centre.
They include the redevelopment of the former police station into new apartments and commercial space, the plans to develop the former Plaza Cinema into a sustainable multi-purpose cultural hub, and the proposals for new housing and commercial units at the Glanafan Comprehensive School site.
Neath Port Talbot Council secured £10.1m funding from the Welsh Government’s Vibrant and Viable Places (VVP) programme to undertake a number of Regeneration projects in the town centre, working alongside key partners.
The Integrated Transport Hub is one of eleven projects which will see over £30m invested in and around Port Talbot as part of a three year housing-led regeneration programme.
Councillor Ali Thomas OBE, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council said: “Improving transport and connectivity are key priorities for Neath Port Talbot and the Swansea Bay City Region to improve the economic prosperity for our local communities.”
“If approved, the Integrated Transport Hub next to Port Talbot Parkway station would not only improve access to employment opportunities but improve the image of Port Talbot as a gateway to the County Borough and the wider region.”
The Plans will be displayed in the Aberavon Shopping Centre on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th November.
A planning application is expected to be submitted later this month.
For more information on regeneration in Neath Port Talbot visit www.npt.gov.uk/places
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