Plans by Bridgend County Borough Council to acquire and demolish Bridgend town centre police station are progressing. The police station site, which is located at Cheapside, is expected to become vacant from March 2022 and forms a significant part of the local authority’s regeneration plans for the town centre with the site earmarked to house an all-new college campus.
Under current proposals, the council would purchase the site with a 12-month leaseback agreement in place with South Wales Police to allow time to relocate their offices. It is likely the leaseback will be necessary for less than 12 months. The building would then be demolished during 2022 and the site leased to Bridgend College, enabling the relocation of the Cowbridge Road campus to the town centre.
The planned new campus would be able to take advantage of enhanced public transport links within the town to make it easier for people to access its facilities. In turn, the campus would support local businesses by significantly increasing footfall throughout the town centre.
Officers are continuing to work with South Wales Police to help identify and progress a site within the town centre to accommodate a day to day police presence.
Cllr Charles Smith, Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration, said: “The Regeneration Masterplan identifies a series of ambitious and deliverable projects for the next 10 years that will support future economic growth and secure greater benefits and opportunities for Bridgend town and the county borough.
“The council has been working very closely with Bridgend College for a number of years now, and together we have been considering the benefits to the college, its students, local businesses and residents should the campus be relocated to the town centre.
“What this project will do is bring higher and further education into the town centre, close to retail, leisure and transport hubs. It’s a great thing for education in Bridgend, it’s a great thing for Bridgend as a hub for retail, for leisure, for culture and for transport.”
The site is set to cost £650,000 with the local authority receiving a £910,000 grant from Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme to acquire and demolish the building. The council will also contribute £390,000 towards the project.