Residents renew calls for old miners hall to be put to use again

Anthony Lewis, Local democracy reporter

Calls have been made for something to be done with an old Miners Hall in a town centre which has been empty for decades.

The building is in Church Street, Merthyr Tydfil, and speaking at a recent meeting of the council’s regeneration, housing and public protection committee, Councillor Clive Jones said it had been empty for at least the last 30 odd years.

He mentioned concerns he had previously raised over dangers around block lintel potentially falling off and mentioned that there were bushes growing and what he said must be about half a ton of litter.

Responsibility

Cllr Jones said the private owners of listed buildings in the town had a responsibility for the upkeep of the buildings that they owned.

He added that he’d been asking about this ever since he’d been an elected member and “to date nothing, absolutely nothing to my knowledge has happened with the owner.”

He said: “The council know who the owner is and there it lies” adding that “there is legislation that every local authority has to deal with these owners who frankly, they’ve got an asset, but they couldn’t care less about it.”

He said officers in the authority had the legislation to deal with it and they should be dealing with it.

Cllr Jones said he had no doubt at all that when the Synagogue was open that none less than The King would be invited there and that when he wasgoing up there he would look to one side and see the dereliction of the Miners Hall.

Cllr Jones said a group of officers at the authority had got to get together or they brought the matter of the buildings which had been empty long term back to the committee one by one with all officers who were dealing with it, to tackle it and see where they went from there.

Councillor Lee Davies said they were really determined to get somewhere with it over the next couple of years.

Sort the mess

He said they were fully supportive of officers, but different departments needed to get together rapidly to try and sort this mess out.

An officer said they appreciated the frustrations and that they would try to co-ordinate a multi-department approach.

The officer said they didn’t think it wads through want of trying, and they had made multiple attempts at contact.

Cllr Jones said: “The councils have the powers in the legislation to pursue it.”