Llancaiach Fawr

I have received the message below from my friends in the Gelligaer Historical Society – a society with strong links to Merthyr and the Merthyr Tydfil & District Historical Society. Although not in the Merthyr Borough, Llancaiach Fawr is close enough to us to us for it to be our concern…..what’s happening in our neighbouring borough could very well happen here if we aren’t very careful. Please take the time to read this, and follow the link below to sign the petition, and read on to find out about the consultation.
You may have heard  that Caerphilly County Borough Council is proposing to mothball Llancaiach Fawr from 31st December 2024. The Manor House itself dates from Tudor times and, with Caerphilly Castle, is the only remaining publicly-owned, pre-industrial, secular building within the Council area. With the adjoining buildings it is a major tourist attraction and also the ‘home’ of Gelligaer Historical Society and several other local societies as well as being a major resource for schools.
We are very concerned that in this case, ‘mothballing’ may be an euphemism for closure. However, even temporary closure will inevitably result in repercussions, a very few examples being that the property will still require Council expenditure, that there may be deterioration to buildings and to the parking and outside green spaces, that there will be major disruption, possibly even the disbanding of, local societies such as ours – Gelligaer Historical Society, and that school children will be deprived of a connection with local heritage and culture.
I ask that you read the email below which I received from the general manager of Llancaiach, and, if possible, and if you are concerned about the proposals, follow the link to complete the consultation form.
Good afternoon,

Following this morning’s announcement from Caerphilly Borough Council regarding the proposal to mothball Llancaiach Fawr Manor from December 2024, we’ve been asked to circulate the email below to all community groups who use Llancaiach Fawr on a regular basis to make sure that you are kept up to date and to ask for you and group members to complete the public consultation form below if you would like to be part of the decision making process.

Dear Colleagues,

Please find below an important update:

Leader warns of difficult decisions ahead  

Caerphilly County Borough Council, like many other local authorities across Wales, is facing a huge financial challenge over the next few years and difficult decisions will need to be made in order to balance the budget.   

The council must deliver savings in the region of £45million over the next two financial years and this is on top of the £20million of permanent savings that have already been identified.  

Cllr Sean Morgan, Leader of Council said, “We can’t continue to run our services in the way we always have. We need to explore all options and consider ways of doing things differently.”   

“I want to be honest with the community, because it is clear that the scale of savings means we need to make some very difficult decisions over the coming months.”  

The council will consult on a number of key proposals that, if agreed, will help deliver significant savings:  

Blackwood Miners Institute – The council is proposing to withdraw its subsidy, which could see the venue ‘mothballed’ at the end of December 2024. The authority would then explore options for the facility to be run in a different way in the future. The council currently provides a subsidy of £347,000 per year to run Blackwood Miners Institute.  

Llancaiach Fawr Manor House – The council is proposing to ‘mothball’ the venue at the end of December 2024 and will explore options for the facility to be run in a different way in the future. The council currently provides a subsidy of £485,000 a year to run the venue.   

“We have a duty to protect the public purse, so we will be looking at a range of savings options, particularly services that are subject to high subsidy, are non-statutory or can be delivered in a different way.”   

“I want to ensure that residents have a voice in this process, so there will be opportunities to get involved and have your say as we consider these options. It is vitally important that you engage in this process to help shape the way we deliver our services in future,” added Cllr Morgan.  

The consultation will run from 30th July – 10th September 2024 for a period of 6 weeks. You can view the consultation documentation, view the online survey and find out where the drop in sessions are for each of the consultations here:  

https://conversation.caerphilly.gov.uk/blackwood-miners-institute-and-llancaiach-fawr  

For help completing the survey or to request alternative formats, please contact the team: publicengagement@caerphilly.gov.uk or 01443 864380.

 Kind regards, 

Hayley Lancaster
Rheolwr Ymgyslltu | Engagement Manager
Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili | Caerphilly County Borough Council

01443 864380 
*lancah@caerphilly.gov.uk    lancah@caerffili.gov.uk