Parkland set for major improvements after community highlights need

A park bordering Caerphilly’s historic castle will see significant improvements to its public spaces in response to need highlighted by people in the town.

Dafydd Williams Park, with walking routes connecting Crescent Road, Park Lane, and Ffos Caerffili will undergo redevelopment work to transform entrances surrounding the park, improve street lighting, create attractive and welcoming seating areas, with the installation of new artwork and children’s play equipment.

The project is being delivered as part of Caerphilly Town 2035, the placemaking plan designed to help the area reach its full potential as a vibrant place to live, work, and visit, while promoting its unique identity and heritage.

These plans are the latest to be developed in partnership with the Caerphilly community. Through a series of events that gave residents, schoolchildren, and business owners the opportunity to walk through the park and talk about the changes they wanted to see, the Caerphilly Town 2035 engagement team learned that many people wanted Dafydd Williams Park to feel more connected to the town.

Engagement

Liane Elms, 51, is a member of the Residents’ Committee and is one of the hundreds of people who took part in discussions with the engagement team to share her thoughts, concerns, and ideas.

She has lived in the Caerphilly borough her whole life, now settled in Bedwas with her husband and two children aged 20 and 17.

“I got involved with the Residents’ Committee because I was one of those people who used to complain about things but I thought there’s no point if you’re not going to get anything done,” Liane said.

“With Dafydd Williams Park, I think it was more the safety aspect of it. People seem to be quite happy with the park facilities that are there, but there are concerns about the lighting and people don’t want to walk through there in the dark.”

Improvement

Liane said she’s pleased to see these concerns addressed within the plans and added that other improvements delivered through Caerphilly Town 2035 have been received positively, with more on the way.

“When you have lived here a long time you can see Caerphilly progressing,” she said. “It’s never going to be what it was in the 70s and 80s because retail has changed but you can see with Ffos Caerffili, Windsor and Stockland squares, and the development at the top of town, things are improving.”

Jamie Pritchard, Deputy Leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council, said: “Dafydd Williams Park is a centre point for our community, and it’s fantastic to see our redevelopment plan come to fruition.

“We have listened to the views of residents gained through engagement sessions, acknowledging the potential to improve the park’s appeal for everyone in Caerphilly.

My thanks got out to everyone who fed back their views.”