Bronllys wellbeing Community Hub

by Karen Greenough.

I recently chatted with Barry Farrell, the deputy chair of the Bronllys Well-Being Park CLT to learn more about the project, the work carried out this far, the challenges and the renewed hope for the future of Bronllys Well-being Park or Bronllys Well-being community hub as it is now better known. 

As described on their website https://www.bronllyswellbeingpark.org/ the vision is: To create and deliver a groundbreaking community asset which is inspired and owned by local people. Bronllys Well-being Park believes it will complement and enhance Bronllys community hospital itself through the sustainable development of housing, transport, work and leisure. 

Extensive work has already been carried out over the past 5 years in terms of feasibility studies and reports and the Covid pandemic certainly played a part in slowing the process down. However there still remains a lot of work to do, with the community asset transfer proving  to be something of a sticking point. However as the following article explains Bronllys Well-being Park has renewed hope of this ambitious and exciting project progressing to the next stage.

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Building a Future Worth Having:

Bronllys Well-Being Community Hub

Ten years after its passage, the Well-being of Future Generations Act (2015) has earned Wales international acclaim as a pioneer in long-term thinking and sustainability. Yet, for many communities, the Act’s promise remains unfulfilled — admirable in principle, but short on delivery.

Driven by a commitment to community well-being and social equity, Bronllys Well-Being Park Community Land Trust (BWBP), based in Talgarth, has spent more than a decade pressing for lasting change. BWBP’s long-running campaign to repurpose the underused NHS land surrounding Bronllys Hospital reflects our vision of a Well-Being Community Hub that offers sustainable housing, preventative healthcare, inclusive spaces, and meaningful local employment.

Despite broad public support and strong alignment with Welsh Government priorities, BWBP’s efforts have often been stalled by bureaucracy, fragmented decision-making, and a lack of sustained engagement from public authorities.

Encouraging signs of change are finally emerging. After years of limited and sporadic engagement, Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) has shown a renewed willingness to engage with BWBP in a spirit of collaboration.

While challenges remain, this shift toward collaboration is a promising development. It suggests that PTHB may be starting to take its responsibilities under the Well-being of Future Generations Act more seriously. For BWBP, it brings cautious optimism — not only for the Well-Being Community Hub, but also for greater recognition of the strategic role communities can play in addressing systemic health and well-being challenges across Powys. The path ahead remains uncertain, but there are clear signs that a more effective and trusting alliance is beginning to take shape.

At the national level, Derek Walker, the Future Generations Commissioner, has recently called for reforms to strengthen his office’s enforcement powers and establish clearer legal obligations for public bodies. BWBP strongly supports these recommendations and continues to advocate for improvements to the Community Asset Transfer process, which remains confusing and inconsistently applied across Wales.

Our message is straightforward: communities deserve more than empty promises and polite lip service. Wales needs a system that delivers tangible results — like the Bronllys Well-Being Community Hub. Much work lies ahead, but the emerging partnership with PTHB offers real hope for genuine progress.

If you would like any more information about the Bronllys Well-being Community Hub please contact Barry Farrell (Deputy Chair, Bronllys Well-Being Park CLT) barrymfarrell@gmail.com