A GIANT advertising screen is planned to replace a clock and two iconic statues overlooking one of Gwent’s busiest shopping centres.
Plans have been submitted to pull down the statues of a shepherd, with a lamb and sheepdog at his feet, and a woman in traditional Welsh dress, named Dai and Myfanwy, that are thought to have stood either side of the ‘Congress Theatre’ clock in Cwmbran since the 1970s.
They and the clock are mounted to the south-facing wall of the theatre’s auditorium and overlook Gwent Square, the centre point of the privately-owned shopping centre.
Applicants Smart Outdoor Limited, of Boldon Colliery, near Gateshead, have applied to Torfaen Borough Council for advertising consent permission for the screen that would be above Boswell’s cafe.
Plans state the 7.2 metres wide and 4.5m tall screen would replace the landmark clock and statuettes that would be removed.
A letter submitted as part of the application states as well as being used to display static and animated adverts the screen could support Gwent Square being used as a fan zone during major sporting events.
Audio would only be used during the shopping centre’s opening hours.
Shoppers in the Cwmbran Centre said they want to see the statuettes remain in place and many could remember when the clock was working and Dai and Myfanwy would rotate.
Cwmbran “born and bred” Sandra Davies said other features, such as the bandstand that had stood outside the Congress Theatre, had been removed in recent years.
“They definitely should not take them down,” said Ms Davies: “They’ve taken the bandstand, the water feature. They are taking everything away that was Cwmbran. That is part of Cwmbran and it should stay there.”
Anthony Davies, also of Cwmbran, said: “The statues used to turn. When it rained they would face the wall and the opposite way when the sun was out.”
Kez James, who’d been having dinner at Boswell’s, underneath the clock and figures, with his mother and brother also said he thought removal would be a loss: “It’s kind of taking away from the character of the building as it is quite traditional.”
He also said he doesn’t see the attraction in using the screen for showing sporting events, adding: “I’d rather go to the pub and watch the game.”
Dani Bolt, of Cwmbran, said she would rather see money spent on restoring the feature: “I loved it when it worked, and the characters used to turn and the clock chimed. Why don’t they look after what we already have? We don’t need a big TV screen, that’s what Whetherspoon’s is for.
Other shoppers described the clock and statuettes as part of the history of the town and questioned the need for more advertising in the commercial area.
Tasha Hawkins, the manager of Boswell’s, which isn’t part of the application, said she could see the benefits of revamping the area and if it could be used to keep people in the centre when rugby internationals are on, noting trade drops when Wales play in the Six Nations.
She said: “It could be good for Cwmbran as it goes dead when the match starts as people go home or to Cardiff. I would quite like a bit of modernisation, it will bring us into 2025 like all the big cities have these massive boards like New York, China or Hong Kong.”
According to the application, which is being considered by the council, the screen could display charity adverts during void periods and is also more sustainable than large printed adverts.
The application states: “The display would present a range of advertisements both static and animated along with content in support of special events at the Square; these could include fan zones for sporting events, festive celebrations (such as a winter wonderland) along with useful day-to-day content such as local information, weather and news.”