FUNDING has been awarded by members of Neath Port Talbot Council in order to improve a “prominent” town centre property.
The move will now see £31,000 worth of funding given towards refurbishment works at a Neath town centre café, based on Station Square close to the town’s railway station.
It was approved by council members at a cabinet meeting held on March 12, with the cash being taken from the borough’s commercial property grant, and will cover 50% of the overall project cost.
The cash comes from a pot of £210,000 currently available for commercial property grant schemes across the borough, within the 2025-26 capital regeneration programme.
The café, known as Brew&Co, is said to be an “existing established local business” with it’s improved appearance aiming to attract extra custom and enhance the “vibrancy and vitality” of this section of the town.
The plans read: “The proposal is to part-fund external improvements to the front elevations of this single-storey end-of-terrace café situated at the heart of Neath town centre, in a prominent position on the corner of Windsor Road and Station Square and within close proximity to the railway station.
“The existing glazing is poor quality, the café is very cold in the winter and expensive to heat. The existing render is old and gives the building a shabby appearance. The scheme will improve the aesthetics and thermal efficiency of the building, with canopies to protect customers seated outside from the weather.”
The report added that because of the small size of the building, the scheme would have low impact on the general public with accessibility deemed an integral part of the development.
As well as being close to Neath railway station the café also lies within an area that is currently being considered for the proposed Neath Transport Hub, which could see the creation of a new bus interchange under a large canopy shelter if eventually approved.
