Permission granted for Armed Forces mural on Cynon Valley library

The Council has provided planning consent for a street art mural to be created on Aberdare Library, as a fitting backdrop to the nearby Cynon Valley Armed Forces Memorial Garden. It will explore many themes, including remembering Armed Forces personnel, the civilian war time effort, the military, and the Cynon Valley's heritage.

The Local Planning Authority has granted consent, via a Delegated Officer Decision, for the Royal Welsh Comrades Association Aberdare Branch to professionally paint sections of the building's south and east-facing walls (pictured, left). The group has been working with celebrated artist 'Tee2Sugars' to design the artwork, and the mural is expected to be created in spring 2025.

Phil Adkins, a former paratrooper and member of the Royal Welsh Comrades Association, explained how the project came about. He said: "We've previously created the Memorial Garden next to the library in 2019, and it's been very well received. The Memorial Garden was opened with a large parade which many people attended, and since then it's a project that we're constantly working on. A group of veterans from all services, and members of the Royal Welsh Comrades Association and Veterans breakfast club, meet up a few times a month on a Sunday morning to clean the area and make sure that it's well maintained. This is in honour of those service personnel who are commemorated at the Memorial Garden.

"We are always looking for ways to improve the area, and the idea for the artwork came from seeing a very impressive and fitting mural that the artist, Tee2Sugars, had previously been commissioned to do at the Civic War Memorial in Abertillery. So we looked how we could replicate something similar in our area. The south and east walls of Aberdare Library seemed like an ideal canvas and when completed, the mural will be prominent to those travelling through Aberdare and coming from the Rhondda Valleys."

The group approached the Council's Armed Forces Covenant Liaison Officer, as well as the Armed Forces Champion and Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Maureen Webber, with the idea. From there, they were supported to start the formal process to obtain permission to establish the mural.

Mr Adkins added: "We've got close links within the Council since working with them when establishing the Memorial Garden, and also organising the 100-year anniversary parade for the Aberdare Cenotaph. They were very receptive to the idea of the mural and were fully supportive of our ideas.

"We submitted our application to the planning department to start the formal process. It has been a slow process in completing our application, for example having plans drawn and completing heritage impact statements - but we are delighted that the consent has now been approved. RCT Council and the planning department have been very supportive throughout the process.

"We presented a storyboard idea to the artist, and we've tried to cover as many aspects as we could. We looked at the historical and important role Welsh service personnel have played in our nation's defence. Part of that is the role the civilian population played in the war effort, for example in World War 2 more than 11,000 people worked in munitions factories throughout the valleys, while coal was provided by Welsh miners. We also acknowledged the service of The Bevin Boys, and depicted the evacuees from the cities and the Blitz, the Women's Land Army, the Civil Defence Organisations, etc.

"We have tried to cover all aspects of the War effort on the home front while also commemorating those serving in all branches of the services - Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and Merchant Navy. It tells the story from being waved off to war, through to an aged veteran paying his respects to fallen comrades as we see every year across the country on Remembrance Day.

"We've had lots of public interest in the project, and even held a public consultation meeting at the library to show our idea and give people the opportunity to speak to us. The Royal Welsh Comrades Aberdare Branch has raised some funds and will be actively working on raising the remainder for the project. Like with the Memorial Garden, all the money that is raised will be due to the generosity of the people of the Cynon Valley and its Veterans."

Councillor Maureen Webber, Deputy Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and the Council's Armed Forces Champion, said: "I'm delighted that planning consent has now been granted for this exciting project, which will fill the empty space on the wall of Aberdare Library with a fantastic Armed Forces-themed mural. The Memorial Garden has created a place of reflection near the library, and the mural will ensure there is a suitable backdrop to it - further improving this public space which we are already very proud of.

"The Royal Welsh Comrades Association Aberdare Branch works very hard to maintain the Memorial Garden, and I'd like to thank them for their continued efforts. It's also fitting that the new mural has received planning consent at this time of year, as we're entering the period of Remembrance. The mural itself will be created next year, and I'm looking forward to seeing the project being progressed towards its delivery, with the full support of the Council."

The Royal Welsh Comrades Association are an all-Veterans branch who welcome ex service personnel from all branches of the services. They meet on the first Thursday of each month at 7.30pm, upstairs of the Cynon Valley club at 30 Victoria Square, Aberdare, CF44 7LB.

To find out more about the Cynon Valley Combined Services Memorial Garden, please visit this Facebook page, or visit www.cvmemorial.org

For information about the Rhondda Cynon Taf Armed Forces Covenant, including the Veteran Advice Service and links to community groups and charities, please visit the following page on the Council's website.

Posted on 07/11/2024

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