News

Bats delay plans to turn derelict pithead baths into park

30 Sep 2026 2 minute read

Llanhilleth pithead baths. Photo via Google

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to turn derelict pithead baths into a park have been delayed by a problem with the proposed location of a bat house.

Blaenau Gwent Council has submitted a revised application for the former Llanhilleth Colliery baths at Prospect Place, more than a year after councillors approved their demolition.

The new application seeks permission to relocate the replacement roost, which must be built before the baths can be knocked down.

A council spokeswoman said: “As part of the project we need to incorporate a new bat house in order to ensure protection for legally protected species.

“The bats can only be relocated during certain periods each year but, due to an issue with the original location of the bat house, we have unfortunately been unable to complete the move in time and therefore, the demolition timeframe has changed.

“We remain committed to the project and providing a new community space.”

A planning decision is expected by November 12. If there are no further delays, demolition is expected next summer.

The council’s planning committee approved the original scheme in July last year. It included demolishing the baths and associated buildings and creating green space for nearby residents.

Llanhilleth councillors Helen Cunningham and Lee Parsons both supported the proposal.

Cllr Parsons wondered what his grandfather, who worked at the pit, would think of his grandson being part of the committee deciding its future.

Cllr Cunningham said the building had been a source of “much local anxiety and campaigning over decades; it had not served a productive purpose for many years and is a blight on the community.”

She said it also “creates a poor impression on what is otherwise a beautiful corner of the Ebbw Fach valley.”

The park proposal followed consultation with residents about the site’s future.

Council officers raised the possibility of building homes there in 2021, but 73% of those responding to a public consultation opposed the idea, citing concerns about parking and anti-social behaviour.

The pithead baths served Llanhilleth Colliery, which closed in 1969.

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