Plans have been unveiled to redevelop 1,000 acres of industrial land between Neath town centre and the River Neath in South West Wales.

Councillor Derek Vaughan, leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, said business, leisure and residential developments would regenerate the area.. He said: “These regeneration schemes will bring huge benefits to the people of Neath and secure the future of Neath town centre for years to come.”

The council leader said he believed the Neath Canal, which runs through the middle of the site, could provide a focus for the redevelopment, although no fixed decisions have been made and initial ideas will be put forward for public consultation in May or June.

In the meantime, work on an £80m retail complex being overseen by developer Simons gets underway next month. Vaughan stressed that 220,000 sq ft of new retail space would be created, along with a new “state-of-the-art” heritage centre, library, multi-storey car park and cafe quarter.

All together, these plans bring in a total investment of £100m for Neath town centre and the surrounding area.