Future of Anvil Court council office, Abertillery, uncertain

Anvil Court in Abertillery is the council’s base for Social Services, and there have been question marks surrounding its future for several years.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Corporate and Performance Scrutiny Committee on Thursday, January 18, councillors agreed to receive a report on Anvil Court from the director of regeneration and community services, Ellie Fry in confidential session.

Under Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 the council deemed that “the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

Back in 2019 the building was identified in a review of council properties along with the now-demolished Civic Centre as “standing out” in terms of maintenance backlog.

Anvil Court in Abertillery - one of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council's offices - from Google Streetview.

Further questions were raised by councillors in December 2021 on the buildings ongoing suitability as a council office.

This is because it was deemed that Anvil Court would require a lot of investment if it were to come up to the condition required to help the council hit its Net Zero carbon neutral target by 2030.

In March 2022, the state of the Anvil Court was slammed by residents who said that the building reminded them of “slum.”

The added complication for the council is that the lease for Anvil Court will come to an end in 2025.

Comments and any recommendation from the committee will be added to the report which would be expected to go to both a Cabinet and full council meeting for decision.