Scaffolding has covered House of Fraser in Cwmbran since July 2020. The store is open as normal to shoppers.

Cwmbran Life first reported on the scaffolding in April 2021 and a spokesperson for Cwmbran Centre said: “The scaffolding was originally put in place in July 2020 to remove the cladding on the building exterior, which had fallen into disrepair over time. We are currently reviewing the need for additional maintenance work to the building, hence the scaffolding has remained in place while we carry out our due diligence. This has taken longer than anticipated, in part due to the impact of the pandemic over the past year, although we hope to have a resolution very soon.”

It’s now 17 months since the scaffolding was put up. Cwmbran Life asked the Centre for an update and was only told it’s “due to factors beyond our control” with no detail on the problem or any expected finish date.

A spokesperson for Cwmbran Centre said: “The works to the building exterior are part of our wider efforts to create a more attractive environment for retailers and shoppers. Unfortunately due to factors beyond our control the improvement works are taking longer than anticipated. We are continuing to press forward as fast as we can and we hope to have a resolution soon.”