Tonyrefail - Our Community

09/05/2026

07/05/2026

30/04/2026

| Following reports from the community of anti-social behaviour and drug use on Wilfried Way in Tonyrefail. The neighbourhood support team in Rhondda regularly patrol the area to disrupt the problem.

Last night following a patrol they arrested and charged 19-year-old Corey Sutton from Tonyrefail with possession with intent to supply co***ne, being concerned in the supply of co***ne, and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

He will appear before Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court this morning.

| Following reports from the community of anti-social behaviour and drug use on Wilfred Way in Tonyrefail. The neighbourhood support team in Rhondda regularly patrol the area to disrupt the problem.

Last night following a patrol they arrested and charged 19-year-old Corey Sutton from Tonyrefail with possession with intent to supply co***ne, being concerned in the supply of co***ne, and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

He will appear before Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court this morning.

21/04/2026

A new 50-space car park to alleviate current parking pressures…

…if only a similar project was developed in Tonyrefail.

Full story:

New parking provision in Clydach Vale granted planning consent

Planning permission has been granted to build a 50-space ‘overflow’ car park in Clydach Vale to serve Cwm Clydach Country Park and users of the nearby sports club pitches. The new facility will be constructed on the land next to the industrial estate road, at the pictured location.

The Planning and Development Committee considered the application on Thursday, April 16, and Members agreed with officer recommendations to grant full consent for the project. The application includes provision of a connecting access road with junction improvements, and the development will include several extra disability spaces and new EV charging facilities to be installed in the existing nearby car park.

The Council’s application responds to current parking pressures at this location, where peak-time demand regularly exceeds the available capacity – resulting in potentially unsafe parking in the area. By helping to relieve this issue, the project will support the ongoing operation of Cwm Clydach Country Park – an important recreational and tourism asset for the County Borough.

The new car park will be free for all visitors to use, and will have a gated access that will be managed. The facility will be locked outside of the car park’s operating hours, and will therefore not be left open generally. This arrangement will prevent unauthorised access and deter anti-social behaviour.

The new facility will have a six-metre wide access road between the parking rows, and its surface will comprise a gravel/clean stone – intended to be low maintenance and durable, while supporting marked parking bays. A small area of informal off-road parking, next to the back lane off Railway Terrace, will be retained with some minor improvements. Vehicles will access the site from the existing industrial estate road, with the minor junction layout being revised. A low-lying boundary fence will be installed around the site perimeter.

In recommending the application for approval, officers noted the need for the additional and improved parking, with there being no other suitable location for such a facility near the country park. Their report also stated that the car park would not have a harmful impact in respect of visual appearance, residential amenity, flood risk nor ecology – while it would not reduce highway safety.

20/04/2026

13/04/2026

| We're at the scene of an incident on Collenna road, Tonyrefail.

The road is currently closed in both directions between the junction of Waunrhydd road and the junction of School street.

[You can find a map of the closed road here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5SATuBbWqPjY3rtB8]

It is expected to remain closed for some time; please avoid the area and use alternative routes where possible. We're grateful for your patience.

- The road is now open

| We're at the scene of an incident on Collenna road, Tonyrefail.

The road is currently closed in both directions between the junction of Waunrhydd road and the junction of School street.

[You can find a map of the closed road here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5SATuBbWqPjY3rtB8]

It is expected to remain closed for some time; please avoid the area and use alternative routes where possible. We're grateful for your patience.

10/04/2026

Saturday April 11th at Tonyrefail’s Savoy Theatre

The ultimate tribute to Billy Fury and Elvis Presley

Tickets available at Box Office during opening hours, or via Ticket Source: https://www.ticketsource.com/the-savoy-theatre

11/03/2026

Taff Ely Foodbank advice and information day
15 April 2026
Tonyrefail Leisure Centre

10/03/2026

How (Un)Clean Is My Valley?
Another observation from Dai Laffin, unofficial inspector of roadside nonsense

Dai Laffin took his usual morning wander up Barn Hill the other day, hands buried deep in the pockets of his famous green overcoat, beard catching the breeze, and string vest doing absolutely nothing useful beneath it except existing out of stubborn habit.

The sun was rising over the valley.
The birds were singing.
The wind turbines on the mountain were lazily spinning like giant hypnotists.

And the roadside verge looked like the aftermath of a travelling takeaway convention.

Litter.

Not the odd accidental crisp packet, mind you. No. We’re talking about a full-scale archaeological dig of modern civilisation.

Costa cups.
Monster cans.
Energy drink bottles that glow suspiciously in the morning light.
A McDonald’s bag wedged in a hedge like it’s trying to hide from its own poor life choices.
And something Dai swears might once have been a kebab tray but now resembles a piece of abstract sculpture.

“Remarkable,” Dai muttered, stroking his beard like a man observing rare wildlife.

Because it happens again and again.

One evening the road verges are tidy enough to eat your tea off.

The next morning?

It looks like someone drove through Tonyrefail conducting high-speed drive-by picnics.

Now Dai has spent many years studying the behaviour of the local population, and he knows this much:

It cannot be the people of Tonyrefail.

Impossible.

Locals here are tidy folk.

The sort who apologise to the bin if they miss it the first time.
The sort who rinse out yoghurt pots with the dedication of a laboratory technician.
The sort who feel genuine emotional conflict when deciding whether a plastic tray belongs in recycling or “general waste”.

No, this litter must be arriving via outsiders.

People passing through.

Passing through quietly.
Passing through suspiciously.
Passing through under the cover of darkness like a convoy of rogue snack enthusiasts.

Dai imagines them now.

A car gliding down Llantrisant Road at midnight.

Driver holding a burger.

Passenger finishing a milkshake.

Window slowly lowers.

“Right then boys,” someone says.
“Lovely valley this. Shall we redecorate it?”

And out it goes — the packaging arcing gracefully into the Rhondda night like a greasy meteorite of laziness.

Dai shook his head gravely.

“Absolute savagery,” he said.

Because the mystery is not just who is doing it.

It’s the scale of the operation.

This is not casual littering.

This is logistical commitment.

Somebody out there is generating enough packaging to supply three petrol stations and a minor music festival, and they’re distributing it exclusively along the verges of Barn Hill.

Which is why Dai has now proposed a perfectly reasonable and entirely necessary policy.

The return of Tonyrefail Toll Gates.

Yes.

At every entrance to the village.

A sturdy barrier.
A small wooden booth.
A sign reading:

“Welcome to Tonyrefail – Keep Your Rubbish or Turn Around.”

Inside the booth would sit Dai himself with a clipboard, a mug of tea, and the calm authority of a man who has seen far too many empty crisp packets in hedges.

Every vehicle would be stopped.

“Morning butt,” Dai would say.

“Quick question before you enter the village…”

“Are you planning to throw anything out the window today, or have you been raised properly?”

Anyone found carrying suspicious quantities of fast-food packaging would be required to surrender it immediately to the Official Dai Laffin Community Bin of Shame.

Repeat offenders would face a harsher penalty.

A fluorescent jacket.
A litter picker.
And three hours walking up and down Barn Hill collecting the very rubbish they helped decorate the valley with — all while Dai follows behind offering helpful commentary.

“Look at that now… another energy drink can.”

“Must be exhausting work, littering Wales one road at a time, mun.”

Until then, Dai continues his morning patrols of the valley, staring at the mysterious overnight rubbish deposits like a detective studying a crime scene.

Because one thing remains absolutely certain.

Tonyrefail didn’t drop it.

But somewhere out there is a driver who looks at a beautiful Welsh valley and thinks:

“Lovely place, this.”

“…be a shame if someone improved it with a Greggs bag.” 🗑️

08/03/2026

The Day the Bearded Dragon Almost Had to Clock In

A small tale from Dai Laffin, Patron Saint of Standing Around in Doorways

Word reached Dai Laffin earlier today of a small bit of excitement at the top of Waunrhydd Road, inside the well-known and much-appreciated new establishment called The Pet’s Empawrium.

Now for those who haven’t been in there yet, let Dai explain something straight away.

Despite what some people assume, The Pet’s Empawrium does not sell animals.

No.

What it sells is everything imaginable for animals — food, supplies, treats, toys, bits, bobs, contraptions, and mysterious packets that only dog owners seem to understand.

The animals you see in there — the reptiles, lizards and other scaly residents — are not for sale.

They are staff.

Or at least display consultants.

They sit there all day under heat lamps looking extremely unimpressed with humanity.

Anyway.

Earlier this morning, Sarah — the brave commander of this reptilian retail empire — had a bit of an episode and briefly blacked out in front of a couple of customers.

Now thankfully she’s absolutely fine, but as these things go it understandably caused a bit of a moment.

One kindly customer, trying to be helpful, said:

“Next time that happens you should give me a ring.”

Which is very generous advice.

Except Sarah quite sensibly replied:

“How exactly am I supposed to phone you if I’ve passed out?”

A small but important flaw in the plan.

This led to what Dai believes was a perfectly reasonable suggestion.

Send the bearded dragon.

Because if anyone in that shop looks like they could calmly handle an emergency situation, it’s the lizard sitting under the heat lamp looking like a retired police inspector.

Picture the scene.

Sarah keels over.

The bearded dragon slowly lifts its head.

Pauses.

Judges everyone silently.

Then waddles across the counter like a scaly shop assistant finishing its tea break.

It taps the phone with one claw.

“Hello emergency services, yes. Human has fainted again. Could you hurry please, the fish food delivery is due at eleven.”

Meanwhile the rest of the reptiles are watching the whole thing like an episode of Animal Planet: Tonyrefail Edition.

Now jokes aside, Dai did want to say something a bit important.

A lot of people live with hidden health conditions — things like seizures, blackouts, fainting episodes and other issues that you simply can’t see just by looking at someone.

One minute everything seems perfectly normal.

Next minute the body decides to switch off like a council streetlight after midnight.

It happens.

So if you ever see someone suddenly collapse or look unwell:

• Stay calm
• Make sure they’re safe
• Offer help
• And maybe avoid suggesting they phone someone while unconscious.

Just a thought.

And while we’re here, Dai would also like to say this:

If you’ve got pets — dogs, cats, reptiles, hamsters, guinea pigs, goldfish, or something that looks like it escaped from Jurassic Park — The Pet’s Empawrium on Waunrhydd Road is exactly the sort of local shop worth supporting.

Good people. Good advice. And enough pet supplies to keep half the valley fed and watered.

Plus you get to look at a lizard judging you from across the room, which frankly is worth the visit on its own.

Sarah, keep your chin up.

Tonyrefail is behind you.

And if you ever do need someone to answer the phone during an emergency…

Dai is fairly confident that bearded dragon has been quietly training for the job for years. 🦎