Cowbridge: Making the Plan
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The Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Creative Communities team, working in partnership with the Cowbridge Town Council, launched the Cowbridge Placemaking initiative in January 2023.
From May 2023, a programme of engagement events invited local residents, businesses, and community stakeholders to share their ideas and aspirations. These conversations captured what matters most to the people who live, work, and visit Cowbridge, helping to shape a shared vision for the town’s future.
The main themes that emerged from this engagement, included:
- Celebrating the town’s heritage to bring activity and vibrancy back to the High Street
- Connecting key areas of the town through the High Street
- Emphasizing the importance of Cowbridge’s green spaces
- Proposing public realm improvements to encourage visitors and locals to explore and spend more time in the town.
Check out the news feed below to hear more on what matters most to the community.
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Mayor’s Coffee Morning
📅 Date: 01 July 2023
📍Location: Cowbridge Town Hall
🗣️ Who we spoke to: Local residence - 50 participants.
Facilitators: Vale of Glamorgan Council Placemaking Officers and Cllr Malcom Wilson and Heather Weddell
🙋 Type of engagement:
- Interactive workshop during the Coffee Morning.
- Attendees completed “Assets and Gaps” analysis in small groups, covering: Physical form, Activities, Cultural meaning
- Feedback shared with the whole group.
🚀 Emerging themes:
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Facilities & Infrastructure:
- Swimming pool and improved leisure facilities.
- Lack of youth spaces and informal meeting areas.
- Poor mobile signal, limited visitor information points, and need for better signage.
- Concerns about parking, pavements, and accessibility.
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Community & Activities:
- Desire for more youth clubs, cinema/theatre, and evening activity options.
- Calls for improved public transport, especially to Llantwit Major.
- Need for better advertising and communication of events.
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Culture & Identity:
- Worries about empty shops and decline in heritage promotion.
- Requests for stronger recognition of Cowbridge’s identity and fairer investment compared to other Vale towns.
- Support for maintaining traditions and enhancing local history visibility.
💬 Comments:
“Youth facilities are lacking, somewhere informal for teenagers to meet"
“Community spirit is strong, but we need better promotion of events and heritage.”
“Parking and pavements need attention, accessibility can be difficult.”
📢 Summary:
Participants expressed strong appreciation for Cowbridge’s heritage, green spaces, and community spirit. Assets frequently mentioned included the Physic Garden, Old Hall and Gardens, Town Hall, historic buildings, and community events such as the Music Festival, Food Festival, and Farmers Market.
Overall, feedback reflects a community proud of its character and assets but keen to address gaps in leisure facilities, youth provision, connectivity, and heritage promotion
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Coronation Community Picnic at the Bear Field's
📅 Date: 07 May 2023
📍Location: Stall at Coronation Community Picnic, Bear Field's, Cowbridge
🗣️ Who we spoke to: General attendees (mostly Cowbridge residents) - over 100 people
Facilitators: Vale of Glamorgan Council Placemaking Officers
🙋 Type of engagement: Residents were asked to place heart stickers on maps of Cowbridge to indicate places they enjoy and value. Also asked to leave written comments if they wanted to address specific issues (these could be positive or negative comments).
🚀 Emerging themes:
- Facilities & Leisure: Strong calls for better provision for children and teenagers, including play areas and better sports facilities.
- Transport & Infrastructure: Issues with road maintenance, lack of bus services, and requests for safer walking and cycling routes.
- Town Centre & Economy: Desire for more affordable and varied shops, support for independent businesses, and frustration with empty premises.
- Environment: Concerns about litter, upkeep of footpaths, and maintaining green spaces.
- Connectivity: Poor Wi-Fi and mobile coverage highlighted as a major issue.
- Community Spirit: Interest in reinstating traditional events and creating new inclusive festivals and markets.
💬 Comments:
“The Butts car park is in poor condition and floods.”
“Keep Cowbridge High Street independent. No more supermarkets.”
“We love walking in the local green spaces and playing in the parks.”
📢 Summary
What a day to start our first Placemaking engagement in Cowbridge at the Coronation Community Picnic at The Bear Field with over 100 people that got involved. Local residents were invited to share what they liked about Cowbridge and the surrounding villages using an interactive map, while also leaving comments on what could be improved.