Maintenance work begins on Penarth Pier Pavilion after council takes back control

Alex Seabrook, local democracy reporter

Maintenance work has begun on Penarth Pier Pavilion days after the Vale of Glamorgan council took back control of the building.

The art deco Pavilion building on the pier will be deep cleaned, have its fire alarm checked,  electrical issues fixed, and the heating system improved.

The Vale council took back managing the Pavilion after the charity that used to run it, Penarth Arts and Crafts Ltd, surrendered its lease on the building.

Signs can be seen recently put up on the building saying: “Your Pavilion is back!” and “Exciting times ahead…”.

Local residents will be put at the centre of the plans for the future of the building, the Vale council said.

‘Iconic’

Councillor Kathryn McCaffer, cabinet member for leisure, arts and culture, said: “The Pavilion is an important and iconic building for Penarth, one that we want to put back at the centre of the community.

“We hope in the near future the Pavilion will provide an important resource for residents, offering a space for the arts and scope for a range of other uses.

“Signs have been installed to let people know that a relaunched pavilion will open soon, but before we can press ahead with those plans, work must take place to bring the building back to its former glory.”

The Pavilion has been shut since March last year. The charity that used to run it ran into financial difficulties in 2018, according to accounts filed on Companies House.

The building was most recently refurbished in 2013 with £4 million of lottery funding.

The Vale council promised that all event bookings for which deposits had been paid would be honoured.