One-Week Town Boost Transforms Llantwit Major Public Space

13 April 2026

Our One Week Town Boost programme has wrapped up in Llantwit Major, bringing visible improvements to the town centre and strengthening the way we work together with residents, businesses and Llantwit Major Town Council.

As one of only three towns in Wales selected to pilot this approach, Llantwit Major has helped us test new, practical ways of supporting town centre regeneration.

Funded by Welsh Government and supported by the Design Commission for Wales, the programme builds on the work already done through the Llantwit Major Placemaking Plan - helping to turn ideas into real changes on the ground.

Working alongside Creative Communities International and Llantwit Major Town Council, we brought together local businesses, residents and colleagues from across the Council for a focused week of activity.

This really was a whole-Council effort, with teams from across the organisation working collaboratively with partners and the community to make it happen.

The week included pre-training for businesses, followed by practical workshops and hands-on sessions focused on boosting footfall, improving the look and feel of the town centre, and building confidence to try new ideas.

Everything built towards a One-Day Makeover, where everyone came together to deliver quick, visible improvements.

Highlights included:

• A new mural on the public toilets, brightening the space and celebrating local identity 
• Improvements around the Bakehouse and former Cwtch café, including a hand-painted map, new seating and planters to create a more welcoming, social space 

These changes are already making a difference for people living in, working in and visiting the town.

Supporting the Placemaking Plan

The week has helped bring the Llantwit Major Placemaking Plan to life, particularly its focus on celebrating the town, improving connections and supporting local businesses to thrive. It’s shown how ideas in the plan can be turned into action quickly, while building momentum for longer-term change.

It’s also helped strengthen relationships and confidence in working collaboratively - both internally and with our partners.

Importantly, what we’ve learned here will shape how we approach placemaking across all Vale towns, not just Llantwit Major.

A big thank you to everyone involved - including teams from Neighbourhood Services, Housing and Building Services, Economic Development, Healthy Living, Youth Services, Complex Needs (ALN), Place, Regeneration, Planning, Communications, Community Learning and Resources Management, and Transport - for the way their time, energy and collaborative approach made the week such a success.