Plans have been submitted to convert a shop and cafe at 106-107 Taff Street in Pontypridd town centre into a police office. The application, made to Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) Council, is part of a partnership between the council and South Wales Police, which has seen officers leave their former base at Berw Road.
Relocation and partnership
Police teams previously based at Berw Road have moved to Ty Trevithick, a former council building in Abercynon. The council has acquired the Berw Road site, which will be demolished. The change of use at Taff Street would be carried out within the existing building, with no increase in its footprint, according to a planning report.
Planned internal changes
Internal adaptations would include removal of internal walls, doors, and first-floor sanitary facilities. The ground floor would feature a public lobby, private lobby, open-plan office, interview room, communications room, and associated sanitary facilities. At first-floor level, two undefined rooms are proposed. The main entrance off Taff Street, including the existing shopfront, would remain unaltered.
Staffing and benefits
The application proposes 68 full-time staff and opening hours of 9am to 5pm, seven days a week. Planning officers said the proposal would bring two vacant town centre units back into beneficial use, providing a direct public service while maintaining an active frontage and supporting pedestrian activity.
Officers noted in a report: "Whilst the proposal does not fully satisfy the marketing requirements of Policy AW11 of the Local Development Plan, it is considered to accord with Policy SSA17 of the Local Development Plan by maintaining the vitality and viability of the primary retail frontage." They added that the proposal would provide wider public benefits through a visible police presence, contributing to public safety and helping to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
The proposal is also consistent with Policy 6 – Town Centre First in Future Wales – The National Plan 2040, and includes a requirement for the premises to revert to retail use should the police office use cease. No public objections have been received, and the application is due before the council's planning committee on Thursday, August 13.
