Cwmbran Shopping Centre

Cwmbran Shopping Centre

The Llewelyn Walk entrance
Location	Cwmbran, Torfaen, Wales
Opening date	1959
Owner	Prudential plc
No. of anchor tenants	7
Parking	3,000

Cwmbran Shopping Centre is a shopping centre owned by Prudential in the town of Cwmbran, Torfaen, Wales. As a New Town the town centre was planned in a single Master Plan along with the surrounding residential neighbourhoods. It is the second largest shopping centre in Wales.

The Cwmbran Development Corporation prepared the Master Plan for the development of the New Town which resulted in the creation of the original seven neighbourhoods which contained some local services, and housing and were located within easy reach of the Town Centre. The early years of the New Town were dominated by housebuilding with a lack of services for the town. In 1959 construction of the central retail area began, although considerations of its design began in 1951. The Town Centre was developed as a purpose-built central area by the Development Corporation and the Town Centre has been the focal point for retail development in Torfaen since its inception as a New Town.

Gwent Square was the first area to be constructed. In 1964, David Evans opened – this was the largest department store in Cwmbran at the time. By the late 1960s the area surrounding Gwent Square was built upon. General Rees Square was named after General Wynford Rees, a Commander of the British Indian Army, Deputy Lieutenant of Monmouthshire and First Manager of the Cwmbran Development Corporation. He died in 1959 and so was unable to see the Town Centre completed. In 1972 the Congress Theatre was built beside Gwent House in Gwent Square.

Further expansions followed in the late 70s and early 80s. By 1986, Cwmbran had reached its target population and the town centre was under pressure from overcrowding. When Cwmbran Drive was completed and opened in March 1988, Cwmbran Development Corporation was disbanded and all assets and future projects were handed over to the local council. In the early 1990s, Cwmbran Retail Park (originally Lock Gate Retail Park) was built to the west of Cwmbran Drive and the Town Centre, making more room for business and economic growth.

Cwmbran Town Centre is owned by Prudential plc and houses some of the most famous "High Street shops" in the UK. Since its inception, the centre has been extended several times and many of the shop units have changed hands. As of 2006 the largest unit is occupied by Asda. The unit was built in 2000 in the northwest corner of the centre on the site formerly occupied by the old Swalec offices, the original J. Sainsbury's supermarket, the health centre, and the Dyfed House office block, amongst others.