Vale Council agrees to turn former livestock market site into food retailer
By Ellyn Wright
11th Feb 2021 | Local News
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The Vale of Glamorgan Council has agreed to market the site of the former livestock market for a food shop.
Cabinet approved the report to market the land for a "medium-sized food retailer" in yesterday's meeting.
The proposal, which includes a public car park, aims "to improve the retail offer of Cowbridge town centre".
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration Cllr Lis Burnett said marketing the land at The Butts was about "getting a positive development for the town".
"I think that many people will know that people travel out of Cowbridge to Bridgend or Culverhouse Cross to do larger food shops and we want to retain that spend in the town centre," she said.
"It is also more environmentally sustainable for people not to travel out.
"This project offers the opportunity to afford to deliver the comprehensive masterplan regeneration of the council's land either side of the Butts. "The car parking is an important thing to state. I think we've all seen the amazing work that was done on the town wall a couple of years ago but that surface itself could benefit from attention." Any proposals would be subject to any prospective developer proving that there was enough capacity in the Cowbridge area to warrant the proposed use without "significantly harming" the town centre through a retail impact assessment. "It is anticipated a food retail scheme could create new jobs and increase retail spend within Cowbridge thereby boosting the local economy," reads the report. "Subject to assessment it is anticipated a medium sized food retailer at this location would improve the retail offer of Cowbridge town centre, making it more resilient by reducing the need for residents to travel further afield to shop for food, which in turn is more environmentally sustainable. "Considering the Conservation Area status of the site, an emphasis will be made on scheme designs being sensitive to the historic context of the land and its proximity to the Town Wall. "Scheme designs will need to protect and enhance the Conservation Area." VOG Council Leader Cllr Neil Moore said: "I think this is a positive way forward, we've moved along we now have an empty site and we need to do something with it. This is an ideal opportunity." Cabinet member for social care and health Cllr Ben Gray said he was looking forward to seeing how plans develop. "Myself and Lis met with local members to discuss the plans," he said."I think it's really exciting that there's work done around medium sized food businesses being a driver for town centre regeneration.
"By the time where we're moving out of Covid restrictions and into future developments I think it will be really positive for the centre of Cowbridge."
The report also notes the ongoing work with the Agrihub concept to serve the farming industry in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Cllr Burnett said that discussions continue with key farming stakeholders and other interested parties to see "how we can develop and establish such an Agrihub to support the agriculture industry in the Vale of Glamorgan".
Cllr Moore said: "Even though the market is now gone, we're still working with the industry to progress that."
Cllr Gray said: "We need to find that suitable site for today's agricultural need and I really hope that can be somewhere between the Vale and Bridgend."
The Council also owns the freehold interest in the adjoining land (which is not part of the proposed site disposal) on which the Scouts Hall and Cowbridge Amateur Dramatics hall are located.
The Council will retain rights of access across the site edged red in the proposal to access this adjoining land. Rights of access will also be protected to the Council's adjoining park land.
The report recommends the council approves a budget of £50,000 to cover the cost of internal technical salaries, marketing, advertising and promotion of the site as a development opportunity and site surveys.
It also proposes that the Council gives authority for part or all of the capital receipt generated to go towards the cost of the resurfacing and laying out of the car parking area alongside the Town Wall.
Read the full report HERE .
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