Cost of Living Support Icon

Town Centres and Shopping Districts

The Vale of Glamorgan has a diverse range of shopping centres, each with their own character and offering a wide variety of shopping choices, employment opportunities and social settings. 

A town centre is the 'Heartbeat of the Community', and they must remain vibrant and viable places to meet, work and shop! 

Town Centres

  

Working with partners, the Council is helping to create the right environment for our town centres to flourish. This approach recognises that the private and community sectors play an important role in securing the investment and usage of town centres, and that the Council has a key enabling role to play in helping create successful town centres. 

 

Follow the links below to explore information in our Vale of Glamorgan Town Centres:

Barry

Cowbridge
Llantwit Major
Penarth (2)

 

Map of Vale of Glamorgan

 

Shopping Districts 

  • Barry

    Barry Road, Cadoxton

    Bron Y Mor

    Cym Talwg Centre

    Dockside, Barry Waterfront

    Gibbondown Centre

    Goodsheds, Innovation Quarter

    Main Street, Cadoxton

    Park Crescent

    Park Road

    Upper Holton Road

    Vere Street, Cadoxton

  • Dinas Powys 

    Camms's Corner

    Cardiff Road

    Castle Court/The Parade

    Dinas Powys

  • Llantwit Major 

    Boverton

    Crawshay Drive

  • Penarth  

     

    Cornerswell Road

    Pill Street

    Tennyson Road 

  • Rhoose 

    Adensfield Way, Fontygary

    Fontygary Road 

  • St Athan 
     The Square

  

   

Show Love, Shop Local

Shoppers across the Vale of Glamorgan are encouraged to visit their local town centres and support their independent businesses.  To find out more and how you can support your high street, follow @valetowncentres on social media.

  

 

 

 

Transforming Towns 2022-2025

The Vale of Glamorgan Council continues to work with Welsh Government on the Transforming Towns funding and initiatives. Transforming Towns funding supports projects to redevelop and improve town centres or their nearby areas. The programme actively encourages mixed use towns as places to live, work, visit and stay. 

Transforming Towns: support to improve town centres 

 

Transforming Towns Logo 

 

Funding approved for the Vale of Glamorgan for 2022-2025 includes:   

 

 


Placemaking 

What is Placemaking?

With funding approved via Welsh Government Transforming Towns, 4 plans are being developed for all 4 town centre areas. The plans will give the local community a voice in the future of Penarth, Barry, Cowbridge and Llantwit Major.

 

Placemaking is about making public spaces better for everyone by turning them into lively, welcoming places that improve the quality of the life for the community. 

 

 

 

Placemaking logo

 

For information and how to get involved, you can read more here:  

 

 

Information for Landlords

If you are a Town Centre Landlord, it is important that you remain compliant.  There are a number of useful links and pieces of information below to help.  If you are a landlord wishing to lease your commercial property, get in touch with the team so we can help advertise the opportunity.  

 

  • Rent Smart Wales
    Rent Smart Wales assists those who let or manage rental properties in Wales to comply with their Housing (Wales) Act 2014 obligations and provides advice on renting out safe and healthy homes.
  • Landlord Responsibilities  
     If you are renting out your property you have Landlord Responsibilities.
  • Energy Performance Certificates 
    An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) tells you how energy efficient a property is.  You must have an EPC if you are selling, renting out or building a new property.
  • Empty Property Landlord Loans  
    The Vale of Glamorgan Council in partnership with Welsh Government is providing interest-free loans and Empty Homes Grants to improve poor quality housing across the Vale of Glamorgan.

 

 

 

 

Smart Towns and Footfall Data 

A smart town is an urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect data.  Insights gained from that data are used to manage assets, resources, and services efficiently;  in return, that data is used to improve operations and future prosperity across the town.

Smart Towns

 

 

 

 

Cowbridge high street - people walking 2

 

Additional intelligence to measure footfall flows in each of the Vale of Glamorgan's four retail centres in Barry, Cowbridge, Llantwit Major and Penarth, will enable the Council and retailers to monitor the health and viability of the towns.  This means helping businesses to use data to work smarter and not harder, and to identify opportunities for growth; using data to justify and inform investment, and to measure the success of any interventions. 

 

The Council have installed multiple footfall counters across these towns centres and data is now available on their data dashboard

  

  

Commercial Improvement Grant 

The Commercial Improvement Grant will provide support for the improvements and maintenance works to enhance the front elevation of retail properties in the Vale of Glamorgan and improve the quality of the internal trading area including accessibility.  

 

The improvements will be expected to contribute to a positive impact on the street scene, creating a more attractive, vibrant and safer environment which will increase retail activity, boost footfall and stimulate further private sector investment. 

  

 

Completed Projects

 

 

 

Other useful information for commercial properties in town centres include: 


 

  

Business Support and Newsletters  

  • Business Support 
    Find information, advice and guidance for your business or organisation, and all the latest funding and partnership opportunities in the Vale of Glamorgan and beyond.
  • Business Support Newsletter 
    Stay informed with the latest news and opportunities from our business community.  Receive regular updates on business support, networking events and initiatives designed to help your business thrive.  Subscribe to our newsletter today and connect with the resources and insights that keep our commercial district vibrant and successful.
  • Town Centre Newsletter 
    Subscribe to our newsletter, you'll be the first to hear about new openings, special offers, community events and exciting developments happening in our town centres and beyond.  Don't miss out - join our growing community today and discover everything each of our vibrant towns has to offer.

 

 

  

Get in Touch

Should you still have questions after visiting the site, please contact the Town Centres team for assistance.