Positive Changes in Pontypridd Sees Increased Footfall and Optimism for Future

Pontypridd is a town that has seen many positive changes in recent years. 
Whether it be the works to open up the southern end of Taff Street to the park or the rejuvenation of the Muni Arts Centre and the YMCA Pontypridd is a place where things are happening. 
There’s also the Llys Cadwyn development which is now home to Transport for Wales, RCT Council, a library, and a gym and has transformed the other end of Taff Street.
It has faced many challenges too – especially with devastating flooding and the Covid pandemic.
But the town has shown resilience and is a place that feels like it’s on the way up as you walk through its streets and beautiful green areas.
It’s a town with great history when you consider it is the home of the Welsh national anthem, Sir Tom Jones, Pontypridd RFC, and many Welsh rugby legends alongside its key role in the south Wales mining industry.
But it also looks set for a great future as well with plenty of investment having gone in to the town in recent times.
It already has some amazing assets such as the indoor and outdoor markets, some great places to eat, drink, and shop in the town centre, and of course Ynysangharad War Memorial Park which played host to an incredibly successful Eisteddfod in 2024 and includes the ever-popular National Lido of Wales.
And with ever-improving transport links, especially through the South Wales Metro, it’s likely it will continue to attract more and more people each year. 
We spoke to some local businesses about what makes Pontypridd a great town to live and work in and the optimism for the future. 
Enrico Orsi from Zucco cafe in Mill Street said Pontypridd has got momentum.
“From my perspective when I arrived here five years ago on this street things were different.
“There weren’t as many shops. There wasn’t as much life.”
Fast-forward five years after the flooding and Covid and Enrico said: “The only way is up.”
He said the town has shown a lot of resilience.
Enrico said the cost of living crisis has meant that people can’t afford to live in places like Cardiff and he’s hearing all the time from people who’ve just moved from Cardiff or London.
“People can get a lot more bang for their buck,” he said. 
He said the town was gently being gentrified but without local people getting pushed out. 
“The Eisteddfod was a really big moment for the town and the economy of the town,” he added.
Enrico said it has had a ripple effect and now the town is up for the UK Town of Culture and he thinks it has a “really good chance of winning”.
 He said Pontypridd has always been the end of the funnel from the Valleys. He said: “We are not fully Valleys but we are not Cardiff.”
Bashir Dharma of the Dharmakala arts and crafts shop in Taff Street said he likes the park and the lido as well as the new space they’ve opened up.
He said there’s more footfall in the area now as people enjoy the view and the river. 
He said: “Since they’ve finished the work here more people are coming. The park and the lido brings people into the centre.”
Bashir, who has been based at his shop in Taff Street since 2015, said people from Cardiff, Newport, and Merthyr Tydfil are coming into town – not only locals. 
“More shops are opening,” he said. “It is getting better.”
He said he hopes Pontypridd town centre will keep getting better in the future and the things like the UK Town of Culture entry make it a desirable place to be. 
Lianne Pennington, who runs Cortile Coffee, said one of the good things about Pontypridd is the community. 
“Everyone is really friendly. It is really nice to come down and have a chat.
“It’s just a nice place. It’s doing better than other towns – especially on market days.”
Lianne mentioned events in the town like RCT Pride, the ’90s summer party, and the Big Bite as well as the Christmas lights switch-on and said: “You can tell it is on the up.
“People are travelling miles to come here. Things are looking up.”
Cortile has been in Taff Street for around five years and has provided for both sit-in and takeaway for three years. 
“It has been a lot better for us since then,” Lianne said. 
She said the town could do with some more clothes shops such as a Primark.
“It is a nice place to go and have a coffee. It is almost there. We could do with a few clothes shops.
“It is definitely on the up I would say.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​