Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Hannah Blythyn and Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters have announced more than £3.5 million of EU and Welsh Government funding to revitalise Maesteg Town Hall to provide a cultural hub for the town centre and wider community.

The project will enable the restoration and re-use of the Grade II listed building into a multi-use facility which will provide a space to socialise, learn, improve skills and celebrate the significant heritage of the wider valley’s community.

Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Hannah Blythyn said:

This beautiful architecturally important building which has served the community for so long is getting a new lease of life, and I look forward to seeing it flourish and grow.

It will enable local people to come together and act as the social heart of the Maesteg community. In addition to a range of innovative resources, it will provide spaces for increased learning and skill opportunities in conjunction with a variety of partners.

The modern multi-use community space and cultural hub will host a new library service, improved meeting and conference space, studio theatre, dedicated children’s area and superfast wifi.

It will also boast a new glass atrium, improved bar and catering facilities and enhanced dressing room and backstage facilities capable of hosting a broader range of professional arts companies.

Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters said:

Our town centres are at the very heart of our communities and the Valleys Taskforce is committed to supporting them, where we can, to grow.

The funding we have contributed to this project will help to revitalise Maesteg, in Northern Bridgend, one of the Taskforce’s 7 Strategic Hubs. It will help local businesses to thrive and in turn, enhance and stimulate the local economy, breathing new life into an old building, attracting new employers, creating jobs and improving the appearance of communities.

The project is part of the Building for the Future programme, which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Regional Development Fund, providing £54 million over 6 years to acquire, refurbish or re-develop unused buildings and land within or close to town and city centres across West Wales and the Valleys. The fund is projected to stimulate further investment of at least another £54 million, injecting a total of £108 million boost to communities across Wales.

The financial support made available to Bridgend County Borough Council includes £858,000 from the Building for the Future programme, £2,001,990 of EU funding and £650,000 from the Valleys Task Force.

Councillor Charles Smith, the council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration, said:

This is excellent news and I would like to thank Welsh Government and congratulate everyone who has helped deliver the successful bid for funding. It marks a major step forward in our plans to safeguard the future of this historic old building even as we look towards ensuring that it is fully equipped to meet the modern needs of the community here in Bridgend County Borough.