The transformation of a road to nowhere that lay abandoned for 12 years
These drone images were taken ahead of the opening of a Sainsbury's on the long-empty site
After lying empty for 12 years the first tenant is finally set to move into what was mooted as a "new town centre" for Talbot Green. In 2011 proposals were revealed by Talbot Green Developments Ltd (TGDL) for a complex including a supermarket, hotel and cinema at the site east of Cowbridge Road near the A473.
The plans were approved in 2013 and 2014, and a new roundabout was even built to handle the expected traffic. But years passed and the site remained mysteriously empty. In 2019 Leekes director Chris Leeke, who had planned to move the furniture store’s Llantrisant base to the proposed shopping hub, became frustrated and pulled out of the project.
But after 12 years of waiting, building work on a supermarket took place in 2023 and it is due to open next Thursday (February 15). The 50,000 sq ft Sainsbury’s has been described as the "anchor tenant", though the wider future of the land remains unclear. Scroll down to see our photographer Richard Swingler's drone images of the site from this weekend. And you can get the latest Valleys news straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
The 'town centre' development, a joint venture, is being overseen by the England-based Scarborough Group, which has not yet revealed its plans for the wider site
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Sainsbury's plans were granted in 2018, and then altered in 2022. The new store is expected to create at least 150 jobs.
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According to an announcement in 2023, there will be an Argos store inside the supermarket. The car park has more than 500 parking spaces.
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Property director for Sainsbury’s Patrick Dunne said the company is “pleased to be taking the final steps in our longstanding plans to deliver a new supermarket for Talbot Green”.
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