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Bridgend - Modern Bridgend and the future

Bridgend - Modern Bridgend and the future: Encyclopedia II - Bridgend - Modern Bridgend and the future

Further new housing developments at Broadlands (near Newbridge Fields) and the never ending expansion of Brackla have caused Bridgend's population to swell dramatically. Traffic became a real problem in the archaic town centre, in 1997 a new linkroad/bypass was built to link the town centre directly to the M4 motorway as well as redirect traffic around the town centre. The local council started a scheme to pedestrianise the town centre. This has been met with criticism by the traders and shoppers alike because of poor construction, po ...

Bridgend: Encyclopedia II - Bridgend - Modern Bridgend and the future

Bridgend - Modern Bridgend and the future

The local council started a scheme to pedestrianise the town centre. This has been met with criticism by the traders and shoppers alike because of poor construction, poor design and poor access. Excessive car parking charges as well as the dominance of UK retail giant Tesco in and around the area (it has 2 large superstores, one small convenience store and a further larger one awaiting planning permission) has led Bridgend to be jokingly called "a little town beyond Tesco" (cf Little England beyond Wales).

Out of town shopping and the construction of the McArthur Glen Retail Complex near the M4 motorway has led to the slow decline of the town centre. Competition from Cardiff and Swansea in terms of retail choice and ease of access has led to the town becoming a less popular choice with locals. The town centre offers little retail choice, with the amount of mobile phone and greetings card shops becoming a running joke. The construction of an award-winning new bus station in 2004 and a rethink to traffic movement around the town centre has seen a halt to the decline, although parking space is becoming a real issue with residents in and around the town.

The WRU intended to build a Rugby Academy at the historical site of Island Farm. The unpopularity of such an action led to the termination of such plans and a new coalition council taking control over the former Labour party administration. Also, at Parc Derwen, near Coity Castle a massive new sustainable housing development of 1500 homes is also awaiting planning permission. The villages of Merthyr Mawr, Coity, Laleston and Ewenny are under threat of being absorbed by the urban sprawl of Bridgend.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Modern Bridgend and the future", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

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