Council to remove town centre public right of way

Anthony Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

A Welsh council is considering deleting a town centre public right of way that’s no longer needed.

A proposal going before the council’s rights of way committee suggests making a public path extinguishment order under Section 118 of the Highways Act 1980 in Merthyr Tydfil town centre to extinguish the public footpath known as Town 20.

The footpath is no longer required to meet public access needs due to the presence of an adjacent alternative route known as Town 21, changes resulting from recent development and the proposed fenced children’s playground.

The site at Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil, is currently crossed by two public rights of way known as Town 20 and Town 21.

Town 20 is approximately 60 metres in length with a natural surface, whilst Town 21 is approximately 63 metres long, two metres wide and surfaced in tarmac.

Town 20 was temporarily closed during construction works between 2024 and 2025.

Following completion of the Glebelands public realm scheme, the footpath was reopened adjacent to the boundary wall of the site.

In 2025 it was announced that a children’s playground would be constructed on the land between the two footpaths and that this would be fenced.

The land is not formally designated as protected open space or public realm within the adopted Local Development Plan as the plan predates the redevelopment of the former bus station site.

But full planning permission was granted in September 2023 for a change of use to provide a hard and soft landscaped public realm intended to support community events and public use.

The associated officer report confirms the land’s role as publicly accessible space forming part of the early phase of town centre regeneration.

The current layout, function and use of the site therefore differ materially from those that existed when the Local Development Plan was adopted, the rights of way committee report says.

Four options had been considered which included keeping footpath Town 20, diverting it and improving or upgrading it.

But the preferred option is to extinguish it with the report saying: “Extinguishment is considered the most appropriate option as the footpath is no longer needed for public use and suitable alternative provision exists.”

If no objections are received, the order would be confirmed.

If objections are received, the order would be submitted to the planning inspectorate for a decision.

The committee will consider this at a meeting on Wednesday, June 3.