Forest Pennant from the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, have supplied more than 1,600m2 of paving and 60 linear metres of coping for the construction of a new pathway linking the town centre of Ebbw Vale to the £400million restoration of The Works, a 200acre former steelworks site that was home to this year’s National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Blaenau Gwent Council, working with contractors Dyer & Butler on the regeneration of Ebbw Vale town centre, commissioned Forest Pennant to provide their Royal Forest Pennant stone to restore pedestrian links between the town centre and The Works.
Cllr Don Wilcox, Blaenau Gwent Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, is delighted with his new path. “Linking the town centre to The Works after so many years is a big step forward for us.
“Forest Pennant efficiency and response times were their winning factor. We set ourselves a deadline to have the links ready for the Eisteddfod and we had to ensure that all suppliers were able to deliver high quality product on schedule.
“The light tones of the Pennant stone bring a natural reflective quality to the walk. The colour suits the area perfectly, complementing the existing local paving materials.”
The Works is a partnership project between Blaenau Gwent Council and the Welsh Assembly Government, part-funded by the European Commission.
The restoration of the site is almost complete. There are major new buildings, such as those in the Learning Zone, while the sole surviving building from the steelworks is now being restored as a heritage and visitor centre called The General Offices.
A new green wetland valley has been created around an Environmental Resource Centre.
The National Eisteddfod held there this year played an important role in the ongoing resurgence of the Valleys region, bringing more than 150,000 people to the Eisteddfod field, or maes, as it is called. With more than 1,000 activities as well as on-stage competitions and a series of concerts featuring musical stars like Rhidian and Only Men Aloud, the Blaenau Gwent and Heads of the Valleys National Eisteddfod was, as ever, an invigorating success.