FESTIVAL Park, the Gwent shopping centre without any shops, has recently been sold – and you can help decide what happens next to it.

The Ebbw Vale retail space was once seen as a crown jewel of the local community, with shops, restaurants and activities galore.

But in recent years, the retailers have slowly left the site, until just one – Sports Direct, remained.

With an increasingly uncertain future, Festival Park was sold earlier this summer to Mercia Real Estate Ltd, a property developer based in Birmingham.

While Blaenau Gwent Council was able to confirm the sale, one key detail remained unclear – what might happen next to the site.

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To date, Mercia Real Estate has remained tight-lipped regarding the 91-acre site, but now, it seems as though local residents may yet get the opportunity to shape its future.

Newport based real estate agents M4 property has taken to social media, revealing that they are working with Festival Park’s new owners on a local level.

In a post on Twitter, they have revealed that they are currently seeking the opinion of locals in terms of the future of the site.

They have asked that people get in touch to give their thoughts “on a sustainable scheme” for the site.

The post reads: “We are working with the new owners of Festival Park in Ebbw Vale and would love to hear your thoughts on a sustainable scheme for the location.

“To register your interest please get in touch by emailing dan@m4pc.co.uk.”

Over the years, there has been a number of proposals to bring the site back into use.

At one stage, the council themselves considered buying the site – though these plans were later abandoned.

Had they progressed, it would have seen the site be used for a mixture of housing and business space.

South Wales Argus:

Other previous proposals are said to have included a splash pool, and a hotel development.

However, neither of these gained any traction, and further calls to attract new retail tenants to the site have also proved fruitless.

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In its heyday, Festival Park housed fairground attractions, a mechanical clock, and hosted Garden Festival Wales – attracting two million people.

Later, it housed as many as 30 retailers, restaurants, and a children’s play area.

But more recently, retailers have dwindled, including the flagship Marks and Spencer store.

And, as retailers left, the footfall dwindled too – and it is hoped by nearby tenants that the sale will bring the area back to life.