Alder King - Industrial Development - Merthyr Tydfil, Project Heartland

Date: 08 Feb 2006

The WDA, together with Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, have appointed property consultants Alder King as lead consultant on 'Project Heartland', a plan which will secure the regeneration of the former iron foundry at Dowlais.

Starting life as the Merthyr Tydfil Furnace in 1759 on a large open site to the east of the town, at its peak in 1845 Dowlais foundry was the largest in the world with 18 blast furnaces producing 88,400 tonnes of iron a year. Although the original foundry closed in the 1930's production continued at the nearby Ifor Works until 1987.

The location of the original foundry permitted the works to be expanded fairly easily over the years, leaving a 31 acre site on the eastern edge of the town which the WDA and Merthyr Tydfil's County Borough Council are intending to redevelop into a high quality housing development.

Alder King will be working alongside WSP and RPS Urban Design to secure outline planning permission for the redevelopment and, subject to surveys and discussions with the planning department, hope to secure the relevant permissions by late 2006. The site will subsequently be sold for development.

Commenting on the appointment, John Brooks of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, said:

"I am pleased that Project Heartland is underway and will will be a prestigious new development in the centre of Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil. I look forward to working with our partners the WDA to bring to fruition the benefits of masterplanning, consulting and working with the community."

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