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Neath Port Talbot Council has appointed building experts Morgan Sindall Construction as the main contractors on the project which is aimed at regenerating the town centre and improving key facilities.

Key points: 

• The Civic Centre itself is not included in the regeneration project, so access will be maintained for our customers throughout. 
• Increased noise levels are expected from the construction work.
•  Public parking will continue to be available in the civic centre’s ‘top car park’ prior to the barriers

The regeneration project, which is funded by the UK Government, aims to ‘rejuvenate and modernise’ the 798-seat Princess Royal Theatre by improving customer experience with new cafes, an extension to the southwest elevation of the building, a remodelled bar servery area and an auditorium entrance lobby with a large, modern foyer.

Other additions for the theatre include improved  conferencing facilities, a remodelled, lightweight orchestra pit, better sound and lighting along with additional technical improvements designed to host a wider variety of productions at the popular venue.

Also, Port Talbot’s Civic Square will be transformed into a multi-purpose community space with features such as new seating and significantly improved green spaces with extensive tree and shrub planting.

This ‘greening’ of the Civic Square will involve a 70% increase in trees and the area will also benefit from ‘rain gardens’ – green areas designed specifically to hold and soak in rainwater runoff.

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene, Cllr Scott Jones said: “We will appreciate people’s understanding and patience as we begin work to enhance and transform Port Talbot’s town centre area. 

“We want to keep our residents and customers fully informed about access to our key facilities and any potential disruptions during the work so look out for social media posts and other council announcements.”