New £1.4m space not suitable for large events

A NEW “events area” costing £1.4m has a weight restriction that makes it unsuitable for large events.

- CONOR GOGARTY

The Glebeland site, which used to be home to Merthyr Tydfil bus station, was recently redeveloped into open space for community events.

But locals were left perplexed last month when the town’s Chilli & Chocolate Festival was held on a smaller space, nearby Penderyn Square, where some felt “cramped”.

We can now reveal that Glebeland cannot host such events because of the surfacing used.

It is understood mobile caterers like those at the festival would not be able to access Glebeland because of the surface’s weight restriction.

The site - redeveloped by Merthyr Tydfil council with funding from the Welsh Government - was designed for “the short to medium term” because its use “may change as a consequence of further development within the town centre”, according to the council.