Support our Nation today - please donate here
News

First image of hotel and spa planned for former council offices released

08 May 2025 2 minute read
A concept of how the Rock Grounds hotel development in Aberdare could look. Picture from Rhondda Cynon Taf Council.

Anthony Lewis, local democracy reporter

A new image of how a hotel and spa on the site of former council offices could look has been released.

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has released a concept of how the proposed Rock Grounds development in Aberdare could look as the pre-application consultation begins.

The proposed use of the site is for a quality hotel, restaurant, bar, and spa and residents and businesses can now find out more and have their say on the proposals during the consultation which will run until Wednesday, May 28.

In September 2024 the council’s cabinet agreed to the council appoint Final Frontier Space Holdings to design, develop, and construct the project.

Community use

The council said the facilities complementing the new hotel will be available for the community’s use and the wider development will preserve the historic Rock Grounds building and its features, keep public car parking to serve the town centre, and keep the Keir Hardie bust.

The Rock Grounds in Aberdare. Photo via Google

Council staff were previously located at Rock Grounds but were permanently moved away from the site last summer in preparation for the redevelopment.

The current phases of the project are funded via the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund but further funding around building the final development will be part of a future report to cabinet.

External funding

The council said that delivering the project will likely require external funding support from the UK Government and/or Welsh Government.

Consultant Asbri Planning is hosting the process on a dedicated website which includes a project summary as well as a site plan, plans for the hotel, restaurant, and spa, a design and access statement, and other site surveys and reports.

People can have their say via email to [email protected] or via post by
filling in a downloadable form and sending it to Asbri Planning Ltd, Unit 9 Oak
Tree Court, Mulberry Drive, Cardiff Gate Business Park, Cardiff, CF23 8RS.

As part of the consultation process there will also be a public exhibition event
on Tuesday, May 13, from 2pm-6.30pm at Aberdare Library.


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.