51.597°N -3.786°WThe Aberafan Shopping Centre is the only indoor shopping complex in Port Talbot, Wales. It currently has a floorspace of 24100m2 and houses over sixty stores on two levels, as well as the central library for Port Talbot. It was built in the 1970s by Star Dolphin Developments (part of English Property Corporation)[1] and was refurbished in the late 1990s.[2] It replaced parts of the old town centre, which was substantially demolished between 1971 and 1976 to accommodate a flyover section of the M4 motorway.[3]
When the centre opened, it contained a market area with stalls operated mainly by local traders. This replaced a covered market, originally established under the terms of the Aberavon Market Act in 1848.[4] The library moved into the shopping centre in 1997,[5] after being housed in temporary accommodation since the 1970s.
Examples of high-profile stores in the shopping centre include: Home Bargains, Boots, JD Sports, Superdrug, Poundland, Clinton Cards, Iceland, New Look and Argos. There are also many smaller shops like Holland & Barrett.
Rising to the south-east of the Aberafan Centre complex is Aberafan House. This concrete tower block is prominently visible when travelling through Port Talbot on the M4 motorway. The building is used partly by government organisations and partly by private firms.