📅 Date: 31 January 2024
📍 Location: Llantwit Major Youth Club
🗣️ Who we spoke to: ~20 young people (11–16)
Facilitators: Vale Youth Services & Vale of Glamorgan Council Placemaking Officers
🙋 Type of engagement: Informal youth conversation
🚀 Emerging themes:
Likes:
Friends, Youth Club, sports clubs (esp. rugby), parks, food shops, café, beach; some said the town is affordable and fun.
Dislikes:
Vaping/smoking, busyness, some school environment, litter, traffic, boredom.
Next 5 years:
More bins, more parks, more activities; more shops (esp. for girls); better food options.
💬 Comments:
“Give us more to do locally, especially after school and in holidays.”
Summary:
Youth want cleaner spaces and more youth‑friendly amenities/shops, with safe, engaging places to meet.
📅 Date: 24 January 2024
📍 Location: Llantonian Hall
🗣️ Who we spoke to: 5+ attendees
Facilitators: Llantwit Major Town Council
🙋 Type of engagement: Conversation within a social/choir group
🚀 Emerging themes :
Friendly people, community spirit, train service handy, beach and café, pubs, pool, history/atmosphere (Christmas lights, gardens/flowers), decent public toilets.
No hardware shop, banks, petrol; limited retail variety; shortage of doctors/dentists/schools; poor road conditions and bus services; vandalism.
A Lidl/Tesco‑type supermarket, banks/petrol return, more doctors/dentists/schools, better roads, more youth activities, and more frequent trains.
💬 Comments (examples):
“We’re losing essentials—banks, petrol—please bring them back.”
Summary:
Older residents emphasise the importance of easy access to daily essentials, strong local healthcare, and dependable transport—core requirements for feeling supported and staying independent in the community.
📅 Date: 10 January 2024
📍 Location: Bethel Baptist Church
🗣️ Who we spoke to: 20 young people (11–18)
Facilitators: Llantwit Major Town Council
🙋 Type of engagement: Youth discussion session
🚀 Emerging themes :
What they like:
Beach/coastal walks, seasonal decorations/flowers, countryside walks, feeling safe, range of cafés/shops, parks and playing fields.
Concerns:
Young people have highlighted the need for more winter and indoor activity options, as well as reducing cost barriers to participation. Concerns include litter in the town and around the leisure centre, unsafe and narrow roads leading to the beach, and muddy fields that limit access. There is also a lack of dedicated facilities for teenagers, a tired-looking leisure centre and school amenities, too few bins, and poor overall maintenance.
Next 5 years:
More indoor teen spaces, cleaner/better leisure centre, safe accessible path to the beach, road safety, more bins/maintenance, school refurb (repainting), and new amenities (cinema, big‑brand coffee, dog areas).
💬 Comments :
“There’s nothing to do in bad weather.”
“The beach path feels dangerous with fast cars.”
Summary:
Young people have asked for affordable indoor activities, safer active travel to the beach, and quality leisure facilities year‑round.
📅 Date: 25 October 2023
📍 Location: Llantwit Major Bowling Club
🗣️ Who we spoke to: Members of Bowling Group
Facilitators: Llantwit Major Town Council
🙋 Type of engagement: Structured focus group
🚀 Emerging themes:
Llantwit Major boasts high-quality green spaces, a stunning coastal location, and a wide range of sports facilities. The town benefits from easy access to Llandow Industrial Estate, a convenient train station, and a rich history with a vibrant cultural offer. With a friendly catchment area, low rental costs, seasonal trade opportunities, and strong community integration, it’s a place where heritage and opportunity come together.
As Llantwit Major’s population approaches 18,000, local facilities are struggling to keep pace. Residents have highlighted the need for more activities for teenagers and expressed concerns about the town’s ‘half-shut’ feel caused by ground-floor offices. Other challenges include the absence of banks, limited specialist services such as electrical, IT, and phone repairs, and under-promoted tourism and cultural assets. Time constraints among commuters affect volunteering opportunities, while maintenance issues: bins, pavements, weeds, and parking remain ongoing. Additional concerns include a shortage of hotel accommodation and council restrictions that impact local operations.
Infrastructure upgrades, more leisure/cultural offer, support for local business (directory board, advice), improved parking/maintenance, stronger tourism promotion, broader retail/services.
💬 Comments:
“The town looks half‑closed on Saturdays.”
“We need banking and practical services back.”
Summary
Llantwit Major businesses call for stronger infrastructure, better promotion of the town, and support for growth, better parking and service mix to match housing growth and visitor potential.
📅 Date: 10 June 2023
📍 Location: Town Centre (festival setting)
🗣️ Who we spoke to: ~100 attendees across a wide demographic (families, older residents, young people)
Facilitators: Vale of Glamorgan Council Placemaking Officers & Llantwit Major Town Council
🙋 Type of engagement: Informal conversations at a public festival
🚀 Emerging themes:
Residents value Llantwit Major for its beautiful green spaces, especially around Pentre Cwrt, alongside its stunning beach, welcoming village atmosphere, and free parking. The town also offers convenient amenities such as a well-loved library and public toilets, while maintaining a reputation for safety. Historic landmarks like St Llltyd’s Church add to its unique charm and sense of heritage
Key concerns raised by residents include speeding on Llanmaes Road and the B4265, parking pressures near Dewi Sant Primary School and the Learning Hub, and issues with litter and dog fouling. Public transport remains limited, with infrequent bus and train services, while overgrown hedges often block footpaths. There is also a need for greater retail variety, particularly children’s clothing, alongside calls for leisure centre refurbishment and improved beach access for older residents, disabled visitors, and families.
More frequent trains/buses (incl. shuttle to the beach), better beach paths/ramps, pothole repairs, biodiversity planting, residents having more say on amenities, new health centre, theatre, arts/crafts activity centre, protect heritage/character, more bins, improved toilets near stations.
💬 Comments:
“The beach is great but hard to reach safely.”
“We need more frequent trains and buses.”
“Please protect the village feel and green spaces.”
Summary:
Llantwit Major takes pride in its strong sense of place and community. Looking ahead, key priorities include improving transport frequency and safety, enhancing beach access, maintaining cleanliness and public spaces, expanding retail diversity, and upgrading health and leisure facilities.
📅 Date: 10th October 2023
📍 Location: St Illtud’s Church, Llantwit Major
🗣️ Who we spoke to: Members of Llantwit 24
Facilitators: Llantwit Major Town Councillors and Clerk
🙋 Type of engagement: Group discussions and survey completion
🚀 Emerging Themes
- Strong interest in community cohesion and welcoming new people to the town.
- Desire to support local groups working to improve Llantwit Major.
- Recognition of the importance of placemaking principles for creating inclusive, vibrant spaces.
- Need for adapted engagement tools to suit mixed community groups.
💬 Comments
Participants expressed commitment to positive town development and countering divisive narratives.
Summary
The Llantwit 24 meeting highlighted a proactive community group eager to foster inclusivity, support local initiatives, and strengthen social connections. The workshop reinforced the role of placemaking in promoting shared values and welcoming environments, while identifying practical needs such as tailored engagement tools for diverse audiences.