Work will soon begin to create a 50-space ‘overflow’ car park on the pictured land in Clydach Vale, to serve an increasing number of visitors to Cwm Clydach Country Park, an important recreational and tourism asset for the County Borough. The project will improve road safety on the industrial estate road – while the facility will be free to use, managed locally, and locked each night to deter unauthorised access.
Planning consent was granted for the scheme in April 2026, and the Council has appointed Horan Construction Ltd to build the car park. Site setup will begin from October 1, ahead of the main construction phase from Monday, October 5. The main work to construct the car park is expected to last around 10 weeks, with wider improvements then being carried out into the future.
The new car park will benefit from accessible pedestrian links, connecting it with Cwm Clydach Country Park and the neighbouring sports pitch. It will be managed on a day-to-day basis by Cambrian Village Trust, operating under the same arrangements as the nearby Lakeside Café Car Park. The new car park will be a free facility available for both residents and visitors to use.
The facility will have a six-metre wide access road between parking rows, with a gravel/clean stone surface – which is low maintenance, durable, and able to support marked bays. Fencing will be installed around the site perimeter and, as one of the final elements of work, double-yellow lines will be installed on the main road. Motorists will be able to use the car park by this point.
The overall scheme will create dedicated disabled parking and EV charging bays in the nearby existing car park. Coach parking and bike shelters could also be installed in the future, supporting group visits and active travel users.
The works from October 5 are expected to cause minimal disruption to the community, being mostly confined to the unused land. Residents living behind the site may be asked to move their vehicles by the contractor for specific elements of the work, but these are expected to be on very limited occasions. Traffic parked on the main road may also need to be managed on occasion.
The scheme is being delivered using funding secured from Welsh Government, through its Brilliant Basics Fund.
A spokesperson for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said: “The Council has brought forward this investment to increase access to all that Clydach Vale has to offer, while alleviating the parking issues often experienced. The car park will provide 50 free-to-use spaces in this busy community area, which contains Cwm Clydach Country Park, the sports pitch facilities at Cambrian United FC, the Lakeside Café Bar, and the King George Athletics Track – also soon to be joined by Ysgol Cambrian when it opens during autumn 2026.
“The scheme will significantly improve safety for pedestrians and through-traffic, with vehicles no longer needing to park along the industrial estate road. The new car park will be managed locally ensuring it’s available when needed and closed during the nights, to deter unauthorised parking and anti-social behaviour – replicating the arrangements of the Lakeside Café Car Park.
“Thanks to the local community in advance for your cooperation as this scheme is delivered from October 5. Minimal overall disruption is expected over the weeks ahead, with only minor traffic management anticipated.”
Find out more about the Council’s significant ongoing investment in Regeneration through our #TransformingRCT campaign webpages.
Posted on 30/09/2026