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The development has delivered a major leisure, wellbeing, shopping and learning zone for Neath’s town centre. It is due to open on January 30th, 2023.

The striking town centre building features a six-lane 25m swimming pool with associated learner pool, two group exercise studios, a 100-station gym, a health suite, retail floorspace, child care facilities a café and a modern library.

The new library (opening on February 1st, 2023) will have 30,000 books, 16 public computers, Wifi throughout including wifi printing, a dedicated children’s library, a family history research area and local studies collection, two meeting rooms and self-service kiosks.

The scheme, built by Neath Port Talbot Council’s appointed contractors Kier, is designed to have a major beneficial impact on the town centre, increasing sustainability, vitality and footfall and providing a major boost for health and wellbeing.

Link to the fly-through  https://youtu.be/vb9DpuglBuw
 
Neath Port Talbot Council Leader Cllr Steve Hunt, who can be seen paying a visit to the new development in the drone images, said: “It will also drive the recovery of the town centre post COVID-19, increasing vibrancy and visitor numbers in the centre of Neath, helping the delivery of a commercially viable redevelopment at a time of uncertainty for Britain’s traditional town centres. 

“The leisure centre, library, gym and retail space will bring new activities and investment into Neath’s town centre. 

“It will strengthen the town’s commercial core and will help more people lead a healthy lifestyle while improving wellbeing facilities for the town and surrounding areas. 

“This development will attract many thousands of additional people into the heart of the town centre, including many families, every week and we look forward to welcoming them.”

The following floorspace will be created by the redevelopment:
•    Commercial / retail units (6) – 1,354 square metres.
•    Leisure Centre - swimming pool, gym, health suite – 5,631 square metres.
•    Library – 600 square metres.
•    High quality public space.

It is believed the new library in the development has the potential to attract more than 200,000 annual visitors, double the number of the original library.

The scheme has been part funded by The Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns fund.

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic and Community Regeneration, Cllr Martyn Peters, said: ”I am sure many other local authorities across the UK will be looking at this development to see how it can help town centres recover after Covid and as the shift towards buying online continues.

“The idea is to radically change footfall figures in the town centre, to give a new dynamic by bringing in students and those looking to exercise and relax in what is a really spectacular attraction for Neath.”