Demolition work has started on the Motorworld premises in the centre of Pontardawe.
Contractors are on site and residents will see fencing being constructed around the building. Work is expected to take four weeks to complete.
The shops have been empty for some years and have long been an eyesore in the heart of the town.
The Welsh Assembly Government has invested over £195,000 in grant funding for NPTCBC to acquire and demolish the properties.
Neath Port Talbot Council has put in a bid to the Assembly’s Western Valleys Strategic Regeneration Area to further fund this project to develop an Environmental Improvement scheme at the site.
The scheme is part of the Council’s ambitious plans to develop the Cwmdu Glen site for leisure activities. The project will include enhancement of the entrance to Cwmdu Glen, planting, paving and interpretation panels. Council Members have been working hard to secure funding from the Welsh Assembly Government to enhance this key site in Pontardawe town centre.
Council Leader, Ali Thomas, said, “I’m sure residents and visitors to Pontardawe will welcome the demolition.
“The Council is pleased to be moving forward with these plans for landscaping as soon as the result of the bid for funding is known.
“The heart of the community will be a much more attractive place to visit.”
