In 2007, Merthyr Housing acquired the derelict Old Town Hall and secured £8m grant funding for the renovation of the building. The building was extensively renovated and restored, blending period features to become a brand-new arts centre. Redhouse officially opened on St Davids Day, 1 March 2014, with Merthyr College as a key anchor tenant.
It was always acknowledged that Merthyr Housing was best placed to take ownership, secure funding and undertake the renovation of the building, but not to run a public building. In 2015, Redhouse was leased to the newly formed Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust and the existing tenancies transferred.
The Leisure Trust successfully run the centre for a number of years but in May 2024 services provided by the Leisure Trust were transferred back to the local authority and Redhouse closed its’ doors.
We have since been working hard with the local authority and other partners to agree a way forward to re-open this historic and iconic building. This will require a sustainable business model and further capital and revenue funding. The building now needs to be in the right ownership for its future use and will still need to remain as an arts centre due to the original grant funding conditions.
It was agreed that the building should be transferred to the local authority and we can confirm that Redhouse officially transferred to the ownership of MTCBC on Friday 27 March 2026.
The local authority is best placed to manage this building going forward and will be working with the arts, creative industries, education and media sectors to establish a new sustainable business model for the Redhouse.
We now look forward to a new era where the Redhouse is managed under new ownership and to the day that this iconic building re-opens its’ doors.
