New glazing to be installed at Welsh market

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter

New glass screens will be installed at a Welsh container-style market in a move its operator hopes will stop bad weather putting off visitors.

Caerphilly County Borough council has approved planning permission for the new additions on both floors of the Ffos Caerffili market’s main building.

Plans show how part of the ground floor area will be enclosed, with new doors, and upstairs glass panels installed at each end of the seating area providing added protection from the elements.

Gareth Jones, who runs Ffos operator TownSq, said wet and windy days could cause a “drop off” in visitor numbers but hopes making the seating areas more sheltered means people “won’t think twice” about a trip to Ffos, whatever the weather.

“We’re doing the glazing downstairs, so that’ll be a more enclosed area, but there’ll still be an open area,” he said, adding that previously there was “nothing you could do” about windy weather at the market.

“The thing is to just try to give a bit more protection for the days when it’s particularly windy,” he added.

Mr Jones said two “unbelievably supportive” local firms, Clear Choice and Lloyds Beal, would be installing the new protective glass in the coming weeks.

TownSq and event organisers Crafty Legs were appointed as Ffos Caerffili’s new operators last year, and Mr Jones said there were big plans for the next few months.

Visitors will be able to watch Six Nations matches at the market, and its food vendors will also be taking part in a Caerphilly Cheese Weekender from February 6 to February 8 – a celebration of the town’s famous cheese.

For Mr Jones, the aim is for Ffos to be a destination spot for locals and visitors to Caerphilly, where people can meet up and plan their day out in the town.

“It’s not going to be somewhere where you’re going for six pints – but you can have a nice pint, a nice cocktail and some food,” he said.

“A big part of what we’re trying to do is to make it feel like the obvious place for everyone to start their day, their night, or their visit.”