Cwmbran Shopping Centre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cwmbran Shopping Centre | |
 The Llewelyn Walk entrance |
|
| Facts and statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | Cwmbran, Torfaen, South Wales |
| Opening date | 1952 |
| Owner | Prudential plc |
| No. of anchor tenants | 7[1] |
| Parking | 3,000 |
| No. of floors | 2 |
Cwmbran Shopping Centre (sometimes Cwmbran Shopping) is advertised as the largest individual shopping centre in Wales. It is located in Cwmbran, Torfaen. Unlike most large shopping centres which reside on the outskirts of towns and cities, Cwmbran Shopping Centre forms the entire town centre and the suburbs of Cwmbran are all located around it.
The centre was built in the 1950s as part of Cwmbran's New Town construction and is based around the large and Germanic-looking Gwent Square. It is owned by Prudential and houses some of the most famous 'high street' shops in the UK. Since its inception, the centre has been extended several times and many of the shop units have changed hands. As of 2006 the largest unit is occupied by ASDA. The unit was built in 2002 in the northwest corner of the centre on the site formerly occupied by the Swalec offices, the original J. Sainsbury's supermarket, the health centre, and the Dyfed House office block, amongst others.
The centre also houses other main shopping retailers including but not limited to: Argos; Barclays; Blockbuster Video; The Body Shop; Burton; Dorothy Perkins; F. Hinds; HMV; House of Fraser; HSBC; Iceland; KFC; Marks and Spencer; Matalan; McDonald's; NatWest; New Look; Pilot; Pizza Hut; Post Office; River Island; H. Samuel; Somerfield; Superdrug; Topman/Topshop; Wetherspoon's (The John Fielding);WHSmith; Wilkinson and Woolworths.
The centre is also home to Cwmbran Library; Cwmbran's Citizens Advice Bureau; 'Scene' Cinema; the Congress Theatre and some civil service offices. Outside of the centre other retailers have taken advantage of its presence by locating their businesses there. Sainsbury's; Homebase; B&Q; Next; Pets at Home; Lidl & Aldi are all within walking distance of the shopping centre.
Cwmbran Shopping Centre is a popular shopping destination as it is mostly under cover and has over two thousand free car parking spaces - all within walking distance of the shops. Cwmbran's main bus station is located here and Cwmbran railway station is nearby.
In April 2006 it was announced a parcel of brownfield land near the centre was being built upon. The new building is proposed to house a multi-screen cinema and bowling alley. Development on this structure started in February 2007.
