Pontypool residents want people to take pride in high street

The lack of places to go in Pontypool town centre has been an issue for residents who want to spend their afternoon out in the town.  

If you walk down Commercial Street you'll find large empty units, but this is where I met Rosemary Matthews, from the community council.

Rosemary Matthews tending to plant pots on Commercial Street (Image: Newsquest)

Cllr Matthews was spending her afternoon re-composting the flower and plant pots that had been installed on the street. 

"The pots and benches help get people out, you can see the people over there congregated in the town near them.

"We have children from the Osbourne Lodge Nursery out helping with the plants. We have given them little cameras and asked them to take photographs of the town from their perspective."

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Kathleen Adkins sat on a bench outside a shop where she previously swept with a broom (Image: Newsquest)

Another local resident, Kathleen Adkins, 72, said that while she felt the pots are 'a waste of money', she recently took the matter of rubbish on the streets into her own hands.

“This one morning, I was sitting here and saw the rubbish on the ground. I went into the shop and asked them if I could use their broom and swept it up."

Julie Baynahm, who works at the market in Pontypool, said: "We have got a litter hub for anyone who wants to help. 

"They do have to sign off for them, but that's just because we've had some not come back in the past."