Council report recommends extinguishing Town 20 following redevelopment
The local authority is proposing to remove a public right of way that crosses the heart of Merthyr Tydfil’s recent regeneration site, saying the route is no longer required for public access. The recommendation appears in a report due before the council’s rights of way committee and concerns a short path identified as Town 20, which runs through the site on Castle Street.
The council notes that Town 20 is about 60 metres in length with a natural surface, while an adjacent route known as Town 21 measures roughly 63 metres, is surfaced with tarmac and two metres wide. Town 20 was temporarily closed during construction in 2024–25 and, after works finished, was reopened alongside the site’s boundary wall.
| Footpath | Approx. length | Surface |
|---|---|---|
| Town 20 | 60 metres | Natural surface |
| Town 21 | 63 metres | Tarmac, 2 metres wide |
Regeneration and a new children’s playground reshape access
Full planning permission was granted in September 2023 for change of use of the former bus station land to a landscaped public realm, intended for events and public use. The redevelopment, often referred to as the Glebelands public realm scheme, forms part of the early phase of town-centre regeneration.
In 2025 it was announced that a children’s playground would be constructed on land lying between Town 20 and Town 21 and that the playground would be fenced. The council’s committee report says the present layout, uses and function of the site differ materially from the circumstances that existed when the Local Development Plan was adopted — the plan predates the bus station redevelopment — and the land is not formally designated as protected open space within the adopted plan.
Four courses of action were considered by officers, which included retaining Town 20, diverting it, or upgrading the route. The preferred course is to make an extinguishment order under Section 118 of the Highways Act 1980, removing the public right of way for Town 20. The report explains that the alternative route of Town 21 and the changed layout mean Town 20 is no longer required for public access.
“Extinguishment is considered the most appropriate option as the footpath is no longer needed for public use and suitable alternative
What this means for local people
Residents and users of the town centre will see the formal status of one of the small pedestrian links through the Glebelands site removed if councillors approve the officer recommendation. In practical terms the council argues that public access remains available via Town 21 and through the newly created public realm, but the fenced playground will occupy the land between the two routes and change how people move through the site.
- Access change: Town 20 would cease to be a public right of way.
- Alternative provided: Town 21 remains as a surfaced, two-metre wide route.
- Use of space: The site is intended for public realm and a fenced children’s play area.
Members of the rights of way committee will consider the statutory test for extinguishment and whether the alternative route meets public needs. The outcome will affect not just the legal status of a short path but the daily experience of residents using the regenerated town-centre space.
As the area evolves under the Glebelands scheme, questions about public access, the protection of open spaces and the balance between managed play facilities and free circulation are likely to be raised by residents and community groups watching the committee’s decision.
