FESTIVAL Park has been sold after months of uncertain of what would happen to the shopping centre.

The news has been confirmed by Blaenau Gwent Council, with the buyers being named as Mercia Real Estate Ltd, a property developer based in Birmingham.

Pat Webber who currently works at the Owl Sanctuary near the site, says after months of speculation they will just be pleased to know what's going on.

She told the Argus it would be nice to do something with the centre and to turn it into a tourist attraction as the park has a lot of potential.

She said: "We are still open from 10am-4pm each day. The park has great potential, but vistors right now are disappointed as there are no toilet or food facilities available. We have to cancel school trips as the first thing children want to do when they get off the coach is go to the toilet.

"We still get a good number of visitors who come here from all over Wales to see the birds in sanctuary, so for all of us we will just be happy to know what's going on. There's been lots of speculation over the last year or so about what will happen, and it will be nice to have some clarity.

"We don't have any more information than that at the moment so it's just a case of keeping our fingers crossed and waiting to see now."

Blaenau Gwent council said: "The former Festival Mall facility at Ebbw Vale was purchased by Mercia Real Estate Ltd from its previous owners in July 2021.

READ MORE:

"The new owners are currently assessing the site and its potential for redevelopment and reuse and will begin discussions with the BG Council very shortly as to the future of the site.

"More information on this will be made available in the coming weeks and months."

It once played host to thousands of shoppers every week and the shopping centre had been labelled a 'ghost town', with only one store left open.