YPC. Winter Our Autumn Edition Features Michael Gooch on the Cardiff City Region. The Newsletter for Young Planners in Wales

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1 Winter 2013 YPC The Newsletter for Young Planners in Wales Our Autumn Edition Features Michael Gooch on the Cardiff City Region Also In this Issue Draft Planning (Wales) Bill 3 Find out how you can comment on the Planning Bill Cardiff Capital Region 4 Michael Gooch on the evolution of the Cardiff City Region LDP & Housing Land Update 8 We ve provided an update on the status of LDP s and HLS in Wales Young Planners Conference 12 Rhys Govier & Yvonne Wilday review the YP Conference in Leeds Event Review 16 Daniel Mohamed writes on the recent Heritage Event Puzzle Page 18 A festive edition Young Planners Cymru is one of 15 separate networks across the UK that makes up the RTPI Young Planners Network. The network is free to join but is open only to RTPI members. Non-members can attend YPC events. For further information see The opinions expressed in the YPC Newsletter are the contributor s own unless otherwise stated. Young Planners Cymru or the Royal Town Planning Institute are not responsible for statements made or expressed in this newsletter. The RTPI is a charity registered in England and Wales

2 Chair s Introduction Winter 2013 Edition It s that time of year again when we look back over the year of 2013 and review the role of the group. We have finished our search for the new YPC Steering Group and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome your new chair for 2014, Tom Watson. There are a number of new members on the group and alongside the existing members I am sure that they will maintain its focus on improving membership and providing informative and social events. However, we are always looking for ideas. Could you add something? Have you got ideas about how we can keep moving forward and develop over 2014? Well get in touch with us. There is much to look forward to over the next year particularly with the introduction of the Planning Bill and the celebration of the RTPI Centenary, YPC will keep you informed and provide opportunities for socialising along the way. Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year! Lindsay Christian Chair of Young Planners Cymru Young Planners Cymru Upcoming Events YPC Newsletter Editor Daniel Co-Editor Rhys Govier Contributors Lindsay Christian, Gemma Christian, Rhys Govier, Tom Watson, Michael Gooch & Yvonne Wilday To contribute to a future issue of the YPC newsletter please contact the editor at: info@youngplannerscymru.org.uk YPC - First Launch Event 2014: Wales Planning Bill RTPI Cymru - Planning (Wales) Bill: Positive Planning Consultation Briefing RTPI Cymru - Planning (Wales) Bill: Positive Planning Consultation Briefing TBC Jan/Feb 10:00-12:30 24 Jan :00-12:30 30 Jan 2014 For information on all RTPI Events please visit: TBC Venue Cymru, Llandudno LL30 1BB Tapestri, Swansea SA1 5AJ YPC Steering Group 2014 Chair - Tom Watson Vice-Chair & RTPI Cymru Management Board Representative - Nick Peers Secretary - Elen Thomas Treasurer - Rhys Govier Communications Officers (Shared) - Yvonne Wilday & Michael Gooch National Representative - Daniel Mohamed RTPI Centenary 2014 Officers - Lindsay Christian & Gemma Christian Student Representatives - Kieran Gandhi & Willow Mercer Members - Christopher Clarke, Sarah Fox, Nick Humes & Robert Chiat 2 The Newsletter for Young Planners in Wales Contact us at info@youngplannerscymru.org.uk

3 Stop The Press! Draft Planning (Wales) Bill & Positive Planning Consultation Document Launched The Draft Planning (Wales) Bill was published by Welsh Government s Planning Division on the 4 December Following results of the Welsh devolution referendum in March 2011, Wales has the ability to introduce primary legislation in twenty subject areas, including town and country planning. The Draft Planning (Wales) Bill is one piece of legislation which comes as a result of the referendum and a subsequent evidence base that has reviewed components of the current planning system in Wales. How can Young Planners make comments? The Bill has been launched alongside a Positive Planning Consultation Document allowing members of the public the opportunity to comment on proposals. The Consultation Document sets out all the proposed changes to primary legislation, secondary legislation, policy and guidance and includes specific questions upon which members of the public can express their views. Not all the proposals are intended immediately and many are expected to take several years to implement but all can be commented on through the current consultation. The consultation response form is available online at: The closing date for replies is 26 February RTPI Cymru is holding two briefings on the Bill to encourage discussion around the consultation and to support organisations and individuals in developing their own responses. Each briefing will include a presentation by Rosemary Thomas, Chief Planner at the Welsh Government, followed by summary responses to the consultation by a number of professional bodies in Wales, including RTPI Cymru, Landscape Institute Wales, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Wales and the Royal Society of Architects in Wales. The two dates and locations for the briefings are: 24 January 2014 in Llandudno (Venue Cymru, The Promenade); and 30 January 2014 in Swansea (Tapestri, Orchard Street) Registration details for each of these two events are available on the RTPI Cymru website, or alternatively please contact Young Planners Cymru if you have any queries. Get involved - Shape the arena that you work or study in! We would encourage all Young Planners in Wales to take part in the consultation process, and attend one of the RTPI Cymru briefings. The consultation process on the Bill provides Young Planners a unique opportunity to shape planning legislation in the arena within which they will study, work or engage with into the future and should not be missed. Winter

4 The Cardiff Capital Region The story of Cardiff has never been one that should be read in isolation. From the days of coal, iron and steam, the futures of Cardiff and its neighbours have been inextricably linked. Although the industry that literally shaped the region has nowadays all but vanished, by no means has the interdependency of Cardiff and its hinterlands diminished. With a population of almost 350,000 people, Cardiff is one of the smallest capital cities in Europe, but this is not the whole picture. Around half of the Welsh population or 1.4 million people call the wider region, home, and in 2004, around 200,000 workers commuted everyday across Local Authority boundaries to their place of work that is, roughly one third of the entire local workforce. Additionally, with the absence of any up-to-date Local Development Plan, Cardiff has seen piecemeal development over the last few years and it is very unclear how the city will be able to accommodate sufficient development over the next few decades to sustain its growth. Michael Gooch Graduate Planner Boyer Planning It is facts such as these that have driven the recent impetus for one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in South Wales since the construction of the M4 motorway - the Cardiff Capital Region: a collaboration between Cardiff County Council and 9 other Local Authorities to encourage a cohesive and integrated city region alongside a metro style local transport network. The city region concept is not new to Wales however, and the seeds of regional co-operation had already been sewn. The Wales Spatial Plan, adopted in 2004 and updated in 2008, identified a number of polycentric, socio-economic hubs in Wales, including those centred on the urban areas of Cardiff-Newport in the South East and Swansea-Carmarthenshire in the West. The plan envisaged further co-operation in the future and this year could see the beginnings of unprecedented collaboration in the Welsh planning system. Only a few weeks ago, the Local Authorities of Swansea, Neath-Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire came together to form the Swansea Bay City Region, home to some 685,000 people and contributing approximately one fifth of Welsh GVA. The plan s strategic framework centres not only on encouraging competitiveness and the retention of existing employment opportunities, but on diversifying the region s economy and increasing specialisation of the workforce. Like the planned Cardiff Capital Region, the Swansea Bay City Region has been principally aimed at driving economic growth to reverse the decades-long trend of declining Welsh productivity compared to the UK average, which now sees Wales having the lowest GVA per capita of all the UK nations. It is of course, still too early to tell what impact the City Region concept will have for Swansea and South West Wales and it is not eminently clear how the proposed framework will deliver the ambitious targets. Whereas the Swansea Bay City Region is mainly a political collaboration, the Cardiff Capital Region will comprise new, improved physical connections and increased interconnectivity. Within the last month, Welsh Government Business Minister Edwina Hart announced she was very happy with the proposals for a Cardiff city region covering the South East Wales area and reiterated that there was an absolute consensus over the need for a regional metro system. An independent report commissioned earlier this year by the Business Minister revealed that such a metro system could cost in the region of 1.3bn to 1.5bn over the next years, although other independent reports suggest a higher figure of around 2.5bn. This substantial investment would, in tandem with the electrification the Valleys rail lines and the main line from Swansea to London Paddington, lead to further improvements on existing lines, including new train stock, faster travel times and improved rail stations. Most exciting of all however, is the creation of a new regional rapid transit system, which will take advantage of the region s high density, linear development and concen- 4 The Newsletter for Young Planners in Wales

5 tration of infrastructure. As part of the plans, new light-rail connections are envisioned across the Valleys along with new bus routes to Cardiff Airport and Cardiff Gate Business Park. These would operate alongside existing public infrastructure and ensure unprecedented connectivity across the entire region. This is not just political rhetoric, the wheels are already in motion to make the plan a reality. Attention has already been given to how to facilitate this system, including a new payment system in the style of London s Oyster Card, which would allow users to utilise the network with one fast and simple payment method. This would undoubtedly overcome the prevailing barriers to high public transport usage, those of cost, convenience and car-dependency. How then, will these ambitious plans help to foster the desired economic impact? For anyone living within the region, this will be non-too obvious. For many years, numerous sections of the South East Wales transport network have suffered from chronic under-investment and vehicle numbers that far exceed capacity. Primary commuter routes including those into Cardiff and the notorious Brynglas Tunnels in Newport endure particularly intense congestion on a daily basis. Not only has this led to on-going frustration for drivers and bus passengers alike, but also to a very literal bottleneck for growth; this is simply not sustainable. From another economic perspective, South Wales is also home to a growing number of respected educational and research institutions, which would benefit greatly from the increased opportunity for collaboration the system would offer. The newly branded University of South Wales, with campuses spread across the region in Cardiff, Newport and Trefforest, demonstrates how spatial thinking has changed with the onset of the Information Age. The additional benefits to the scheme are not just limited to the economy however, although this is undoubtedly crucial in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, in which Wales would presently be at a severe disadvantage. By providing real, tangible incentives for people to abandon their cars, a dense, electrified and dedicated public transport network can form a huge part of the Welsh Government s aim for a transition to a low/zero carbon economy. Given the limited scope for expansion of the road network, which could only be tenuously justified in the wake of concern over climate change, it has been clear for quite some time that new provisions of sustainable infrastructure are required. These plans surely have significant potential and such a large injection of capital spending into the region will undoubtedly improve the lives of people presently living in some of the most deprived areas of the UK. Yet, what of the old adage, where there are winners, there must be losers? Several of the Local Authorities outside Cardiff, especially Newport and the districts closest to the city, already have reservations in spite of their undeniable enthusiasm; not least of which is the idea that the project may be too Cardiff Centric. There is indeed evidence from interdependent city regions across Europe that the cores of these city regions tend to absorb the majority of the inward investment. With the central areas of significant settlements such as Newport, Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil in a steady state of decline, will improved connectivity with Cardiff s burgeoning City Centre actually make these areas worse off? These are genuinely rational concerns that are even backed up by the recent directions of development in South Wales. Business leaders however, including billionaire Sir Terry Mathews from Newport, owner of the Celtic Manor Resort, say that the name Cardiff is vital to the feasibility of the entire project. There are also further risks associated with implementing these ambitious plans, particularly with regards to funding and ensuring that the scheme is financially viable. It is hoped that by encouraging co-operation, Local Authorities will be able to attract private sector investment and European funding to ease the burden placed on public funds. It should also be remembered that the plans will be competing for funding with the planned M4 relief road south of Newport and other possible projects such as the completion of the Cardiff Peripheral Distributor Road and it is unclear whether such major extensions to the road network will even be economically justifiable alongside a Metro system. As an up-and-coming, young and growing capital city however, Cardiff is the paradigm of vibrancy and vitality that provides the gateway to Wales for investors and visitors. When taken as whole with its neighbours, the Capital Region has to potential to provide unique regional interconnectivity that would be unprecedented in the UK, with economic dynamism and sustainability at its heart, providing the basis for a prosperous, low-carbon and sustainable Wales for the 21st Century. Images Diagram (p.6) by MG Barry Consulting. Winter

6 Key features: Mix of electrified heavy rail, light rail and bus rapid transit Max 40 minute travel from periphery to Cardiff or Newport Max 15 minute wait at network periphery Max 5 minute wait at network core Other transport modes fully integrated with regard to timetables and ticketing Economic regeneration focussed on Cardiff Central & key interchanges Maesteg Treherbert Porth Llantrisant Miskin Maerdy Hirwaun Merthyr Rhymney Tredegar Pontypridd Beddau Coryton Pontllanfraith Ystrad Mynach/ Hengoed Caerphilly Heath Cardiff Gate Ebbw Vale Newbridge Cwmbran Cross Keys Abertillery Pontypool Bridgend Queen Street Newport Major Station/Interchange Enhanced & Electrified Heavy Rail New Tram/Bus Rapid Transit Culverhouse Cross Cardiff Airport Barry Penarth St Mellons Coedkernew Llanwern Severn Tunnel Junction Roath Basin 6 The Newsletter for Young Planners in Wales

7 Innovation & Engagement January Events - Jan & Feb Wildlife in the Anthropocene: Conservation Without Nature Dr Jamie Lorimer, University of Oxford, School of Geography and the Environment Tuesday 14th January :30pm The diagnosis of the anthropocene marks the public end of the idea of nature as a pure place removed from society and revealed by natural science. A Spatial Strategy for the Cardiff City-Region: An Exhibition Hosted by the Innovation and Engagment Unit and CPLAN Students Wednesday 15th January :30pm The Cardiff city-region is emerging as one of the new arenas of governance in Wales. This presentation and exhibition of student work explores the spatial planning agenda facing the Cardiff city-region. Mobile Knowledges: Exploring the (Im)possibilities of Monitoring Changing Views During Longitudinal Public Engagement Exercises Dr Adrian Evans, School of Planning and Geography Tuesday 21st January :00pm Environment Research Group Seminar - Mobile knowledges: exploring the (im)possibilities of monitoring changing views during longitudinal public engagement exercises. Environment Research Group PhD Seminar: Narrative Methods and Bamboo Policy Implementation Richard Samuels and Ray Chan, School of Planning and Geography Tuesday 28th January :00pm Please join us for this Environment Research Group PhD Seminar with Richard Samuels and Kin Wing (Ray) Chan. The titles of their individual talks and further information can be found by selecting the title above. February Reclaiming Jet Lag as the State of Travel Disorientation Dr Jon Anderson, School of Planning and Geography Tuesday 11th February :00pm This paper explores the consequences of mobility for those engaged in long-distance, high-speed travel. It reclaims the notion of jet lag and repositions it as the broader phenomenon of travel disorientation. See the CPlan Events Page for more information and to book places Winter

8 Local Development Plan Update So far during 2013, five Local Development Plans (LDPs) have been adopted across Wales. These were in the authorities of Bridgend, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. This means a total of 11 authorities (46%), out of 24 (bearing in mind Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey have decided to prepare a Joint LDP), now have adopted LDPs in place since Caerphilly led the field in adopting its LDP back in November A significant number LDPs are also well advanced, including many across south east Wales which will guide land uses and development in the most densely populated areas of Wales. Cardiff, Newport and the Vale of Glamorgan have all reached the Deposit LDP stage in recent months, for example. For Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan this represents important advancements in getting an up-to-date development plan in place following their earlier abandonment of LDPs. Also, at this time the first Annual Monitoring Reports (AMRs) are being prepared by those who have more established LDPs. This is all read in context of each authority s latest agreed five year land supply figures. Planning Policy Wales (Edition 5, November 2012) and Technical Advice Note 1: Joint Housing Land Availability Studies (June 2006) identify a requirement for authorities to provide a five year land supply, however, as the table identifies, 16 (64%) authorities have a shortfall, leaving just nine (36%) with an adequate five year supply. Welsh Local Development Plan Status Local Planning Authority Current Status* Adoption Date Target Adoption Date Blaenau Gwent Adopted Nov-12 Brecon Beacon National Park Adopted Dec-13 Bridgend Adopted Sep-13 Caerphilly Adopted Nov-10 Cardiff Deposit Oct-15 Camarthenshire Submission Sep-14 Ceredigion Adopted Apr-13 Conwy Adopted Oct-13 Denbighshire Adopted Jun-13 Flintshire Delivery Agreement TBA Gwynedd Isle of Anglesey Merthyr Tydfil Pre-Deposit Adopted May-11 May-16 Monmouthshire Examination Mar-14 Neath Port Talbot Deposit Jul-15 Newport Deposit Dec-14 Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Adopted Sep-10 Pembrokeshire Adopted Feb-13 Powys Pre-Deposit TBA Rhondda Cynon Taf Adopted Mar-11 Snowdonia National Park Adopted Jul-11 Swansea Pre-Deposit Dec-16 Torfaen Adopted Dec-13 Vale of Glamorgan Deposit Jan-17 Wrexham Pre-Deposit Dec-16 *Correct at time of writing 8 The Newsletter for Young Planners in Wales

9 Winter

10 Housing Land Supply Update Five Year Land Supply Local Planning Land Supply Base Date Method Authority (Years)* (1 April) Report Date Blaenau Gwent 7.6 Past Build Rate 2012 May-13 Brecon Beacon National Park 1.3 Residual 2013 Nov-13 Bridgend 5.1 Residual 2012 Mar-13 Caerphilly 3.5 Residual 2012 Nov-12 Cardiff 2.9 Past Build Rate 2012 Apr-13 Camarthenshire 4.1 Residual 2012 Nov-12 Ceredigion 5.3 Past Build Rate 2012 May-13 Conwy 4 Past Build Rate 2012 Mar-13 Denbighshire 3.5 Past Build Rate 2012 Mar-13 Flintshire 4.5 Residual 2012 Sep-13 Gwynedd 4.8 Residual 2012 Sep-13 Isle of Anglesey 5.8 Past Build Rate 2012 Sep-13 Merthyr Tydfil 3.6 Residual 2012 Nov-12 Monmouthshire 4.4 Past Build Rate 2012 Jan-13 Neath Port Talbot 6 Past Build Rate 2012 Feb-13 Newport 7 Past Build Rate 2012 Dec-12 Pembrokeshire Coast National Park 3.5 Residual 2012 Nov-12 Pembrokeshire 4.3 Residual 2012 Jul-13 Powys 4.1 Residual 2012 Apr-13 Rhondda Cynon Taf 4.5 Residual 2012 Dec-12 Snowdonia National Park 9.3 Residual 2012 Oct-12 Swansea 5.1 Residual 2012 Jul-13 Torfaen 6.3 Past Build Rate 2012 Mar-13 Vale of Glamorgan 4.4 Past Build Rate 2013 Oct-13 Wrexham 3.5 Past Build Rate 2012 Mar-13 *Based on latest available information in published JHLA Studies (December 2013) 10 The Newsletter for Young Planners in Wales

11 Winter

12 The Young Planners Conference Planning out of Recession YP Conference 2013 Review Leeds (10-12 October) This year s Young Planner s Conference, hosted by YORnet, the Yorkshire Young Planners network, took place in Leeds over October. It, once again, offered a good opportunity for Young Planners throughout the country to join together in a professional setting to better understand and discuss a topical issue as well as promote invaluable networking opportunities. The theme of the conference for 2013 was Planning out of Recession, a very topical focus following the context of recent years and the growth agendas being promoted by both central government and devolved nations. The topic was particularly relevant for Young Planners as, for most of the delegates in attendance, the economic downturn since 2008 has been our first experience of the trough of the economic cycle and the effects of which can still be seen, evening through recovery phases. With this in mind, the conference took a surprisingly, but welcome, upbeat approach to this backdrop. Thursday evening saw the conference launch with a drink reception, before the formal conference started proper on Friday morning at the Leeds City Museum, to the east of the Millennium Square of the city centre. The conference proceedings on Friday opened with an introduction from the YORnet Steering Group members and continued into three insightful plenary sessions and a group workshop throughout the day. The first plenary session, Autopsy of Planning for Growth, boasted an impressive line up of speakers including Steve Quartermain (Chief Planner, DCLG) and Trudi Elliot (Chief Executive, RTPI). All speakers spoke of the requirement for collaborative working to get planning back on the front foot and that the delegates, as the future drivers of planning, were the ones who needed to embrace the challenge. Steve Quartermain suggested the value in planning is not understood and is not being maximised. There was a feeling amongst several speakers that this exacerbates the tensions and opposition to any change, resulting in the danger of under planning and therefore under provision. Plenary session two, Unlocking Growth, took a notable private sector and consultancy spin with speakers from the British Property Federation, House Builders Federation, Igloo, No. 5 Chambers and Deloitte. The speakers highlighted the need for growth and the benefits (short, medium and long term) that growth can deliver. Some speakers were particularly vocal in their criticisms of the workings of the past and the need for attitude and culture change within the arena of planning. There is a virtuous cycle of a strong economy resulting in high demand so more development and refurbishment and therefore more employment and investment leading to a strong economy. However, there is another side to this, a weak economy results in low demand, little development and low employment and investment thus further weakening the economy. Liz Peace (Chief Executive, British Property Federation) suggested that to prevent this latter cycle there need to be tax breaks, reliefs and grants for development costs, plus measures to make investment more attractive and empower local authorities with business rate retentions and greater borrow- 12 The Newsletter for Young Planners in Wales

13 ing powers. After building up a much desired appetite from the morning s plenary sessions, delegates enjoyed an impressive buffet lunch and opportunity for networking in the nearby Electric Press Buildings, off Millennium Square. After lunch, workshops on a variety of topics were held, with delegates involved in interactive discussions and tasks. In the Viability workshop, for example, delegates were given a useful introduction to the increasing importance of viability in planning applications and in determining appropriate levels of planning obligations and were then invited in groups to model viability appraisals, based upon a range of scenarios and differences to a development project. In the High Street for the Future seminar, Deloitte looked at how the internet and mobile internet is shaping media and consumer choices, where High Street users can more readily compare products within stores and access special loyalty offers. There is a 2 missed opportunity in many areas to realise the impact of mobile internet is having on development and investment. Other workshops were held on topics around neighbourhood planning, the National Planning Policy Framework, the delivery of major developments and the role of design, to name but a few. Delegates then reconvened for the third and final plenary session of the day, Growing Communities, which offered another perspective on the need for growth and delivery. Speakers included those from the National Trust and Bellway Homes, providing often conflicting opinions on the role and purpose of the planning system now and into the future. Friday s events concluded with many of the delegates attending the black tie Gala Dinner held at the DoubleTree, Hilton Hotel. The evening offered good food and wine in an impressively luxurious venue with the opportunity to network amongst peers over a few bets at the pop-up casino! The conference resumed at the museum on Saturday morning with a fragile looking audience. The morning plenary sessions re-ignited the discussions and themes from the following day in a lively manner. Plenary session four, A Yorkshire Perspective, provided a local view on matters with speakers including Phil Crabtree, current Chief Planning Officer of Leeds City Council. These views were put in contrast with a southern view by Savills Alison Wright and Young Planner of the Year A final plenary session concluded the formal proceedings, with energetic presentations by the like of Hugh Ellis (Chief Executive, TCPA) and Peter Geraghty (President, RTPI) on the need for Young Planners to deliver change and drive planning through the recovery period and to represent the profession in a good, new light. Following lunch, delegates split into various study tour groups. Rhys Govier and Yvonne Wilday share their experiences of two different study tours on the following pages. 3 Winter

14 4 Trinity Leeds Study Tour Hosted by Land Securities by Rhys Govier This study tour involved a walking tour around the impressive retail-led development in the heart of Leeds City Centre known as Trinity Leeds, delivered by Land Securities. Although delayed several years by the recession and apetite for retail development, Trinity Leeds is now nearly fully operational and the largest major retail and leisure led city centre development to open during 2013 throughout Europe. The centre represents an impressive outcome of design and practicality that works well for both retailers and customer s own leisure experience. The development has attracted many popular high street retailers including Hollister, Apple, New Look, River Island and Superdry to name but a few. A range of food and drink units are also found throughout the development such as Girrafe, Nandos and TGI Friday s. The centre also hosts a number of impressive articles of public art, the focus point being Andy Scott s packhorse. It is clear Leeds Trinity resembles the multimillion pound development Land Securities intended it to be. During the study tour, delegates were invited to Land Securities impressive high rise offices overlooking the development and much of Leeds City Centre. Here, an introduction and background to the scheme was delivered, including discussion over impressive architectural models of the development. The study tour continued on foot with a tour of the development, stopping at key points of interest in the development for representatives from Land Securities to provide an interesting insight into the planning, delivery and on-going management of the centre. Observations identifying both areas of success and where the project encountered problems and the decisions taken to address these were delivered. Delegates became engaged in active discussions throughout the study tour. Trinity Leeds is comparable to many other impressive retail developments delivered by Land Securities across the country in recent years, including those of Cabot Circus, Bristol and St David s II, Cardiff. The development clearly shows there is both the appetite and ability to deliver impressive city centre retail-led regeneration schemes in the north, just as much as there is in the south of the country. 14 The Newsletter for Young Planners in Wales

15 5 We then travelled to St. Leonard s Place, Duncombe Place and York Minster. We discussed the new Piazza around York Minster and whilst it adds a sense of way finding framing of some of the buildings, the quality of the materials is already deteriorating. The next stop was the Guildhall, a complex of various buildings on the river side, which currently accommodates the Council (but who will be moving in part to a new site at West Offices). Creative options for the re-use of the building are being looked into and will be invaluable in informing the decision making process for the site. Next we travelled to the Eye of York at York s Castle. Across the mass of car parking dominating this area we considered Castle-Piccadilly, a problem site beside Clifford s Tower. The redevelopment of this site was intended to deliver a commercial boost to the city with larger retail units suitable for department stores as the city centre struggles to accommodate larger floor spaces. It would have also seen increased pedestrian movements around the area and increased the area of the central shopping core. The potential for the site to accommodate residential units is now being considered. York Heritage Tour Hosted by English Heritage by Yvonne Wilday York has been continuously occupied for almost 2000 years. It has a tight knit and compact core defined by city walls and the presence of York Minster, with the Rivers Foss and Ouse also defining the city. Our walking tour was lead by English Heritage, starting at York Train Station moving to Lendal Bridge over the River Ouse; there was a 6 month trial to close the bridge to traffic to help reinvigorate the city. The tour looked at the balance of protecting historic buildings with the need for regeneration and meeting present day needs. We walked to York Library to observe the Library Square Project, completed in April 2011, with the aim to improve disabled access in the locality by replacing a car park with an understated contemporary area of open space with good quality materials and a bespoke seating and lighting scheme. There are few new open spaces in York and therefore this makes the changes more significant. The scheme shows a shift in a focus on the quality of place over managing traffic flow. In addition, the pavement widening on Museum Street helped the high volume of pedestrian movements that flow between the train station and York Minster. The remains of St. Leonard s Hospital now has more of a presence rather than being to the side of a car park. We then went up Clifford s Tower and were able to see across most of the city despite the rain! On route back to the train station we proceeded via Cedar Court, the former North Eastern Railway Headquarters which in 2008 received consent to be converted into a five star luxury hotel. The tour progressed to the West Offices and the original York Railway Station, which itself is undergoing works to turn it into the Council s new Head Quarters and a new build hotel. A key theme emerging throughout the tour and the examples observed was the need to engage with our historic form and not put barriers around it so it s only looked at. Using historical built form helps keep it alive and relevant today, from touching, skateboarding, rolling on, to even the suggestion of licking (no one present obliged that suggestion), helps historic buildings remain involved and included in our day to day lives. Article by Rhys Govier & Yvonne Wilday Images 1. Live Boards 2. Top Man / Top Shop 3. Trinity Leeds Roof 4. Trinity Leeds Inside 5. York Skyline Winter

16 Event Review 1 Heritage Bill Event Discovering The Future of Our Past September 2013 Young Planners Cymru continued their series of evening presentations on Welsh Government s emerging planning legislation by hosting a recent event in Merthyr Tydfil on the Consultation Document for the Heritage Bill. The Soar Chapel in the town centre of Merthyr Tydfil played host to the evening where attendees included Conservation Officers, Private Practitioners working within the heritage sector and members of Planning Division. Angharad Huws from Cadw s Heritage Bill team kindly provided an overview of the Consultation Document: the future of our past. Angharad discussed the proposals for the historic environment in Wales which include suggested improvements to the listed building consent process. 16 The Newsletter for Young Planners in Wales The evening was timely in that it fell within the consultation window for feedback to be submitted, so that Young Planners could reflect on the event before expressing their views as part of the consultation process. Following the presentation and a subsequent roundtable discussion amongst Cadw and Young Planners, Christopher Clarke, Conservation Officer at Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council took the group on a walking tour of some of the many historical and architectural treasures that Merthyr town centre has to offer. The tour began with an introduction to the Pontmorlais THI (Townscape Heritage Initiative) scheme which has received funding and support from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Council have employed a carrot and stick approach to tidying up the High St area, with the carrot of THI grants incentivising property owners to carry out needed renovations and planning enforcement actions as the stick. The scheme aims to restore lost historic fabric and features and to re-use empty space at ground and upper levels. The next stop was to look at the Grade II listed former YMCA, a building-at-risk in private ownership which has been vacant for over 25 years and is in a sorry state. The building overlooks the busy A4102 and poses a health and safety risk to the highway. If urgent works are not undertaken, then the building faces the threat of imminent collapse. The Council have had a structural report carried out which states that necessary short term

17 measures to make the building safe, mothball and fully scaffold and protect would cost approximately 300,000. Full restoration and reuse of the building is estimated to cost a far higher amount of around 5million. The building is an unfortunate but not uncommon example of market failure, having a negative financial value given the responsibility that comes with its listing. Since the tour there has been positive news for the YMCA with the sale of the building to a Building Preservation Trust almost complete and an application for LBC submitted to bring it back into its former glory. The tour next visited the former Labour Exchange,Theatre Royal and Thespian House. These buildings are a cluster of vacant and disused buildings with heritage value. They are all in private ownership. The Council have been trying to contact the owners in order to address the harm the buildings are currently posing to the local amenity but the responses have been few and far between. Chris says potential re-development proposals have come forward which will hopefully form part of a bid for Vibrant and Viable Places funding. Following a whistle stop of other historic buildings in the town such as the; Synagogue and Former Miners Institute, the tour wrapped up on a positive note by introduction to the beautiful Town Hall building. Originally built in the 1890s by architect E.A. Johnson, the following its earlier municipal purpose, the Town Hall has been most recently used as a nightclub but fell vacant. The building is currently undergoing conversion to an arts complex. It has been totally renovated and lost historic features have been re-introduced. Amongst the changes, additional features such as a glazed pyramidal roof covering the internal courtyard for use as internal space. There have also been works to ensure the building is accessible to all with a new lift and the restoration of the clock tower. These works have been carried out using funding provided by Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Welsh Government, the Welsh European Funding Office, Cadw and the Ffos y Fran Community Fund; collectively providing over 16million. The project known as Redhouse Cymru is set for a grand opening on St David s Day Outside the Town Hall, a new urban space is being opened up. The square to be known as Penderyn Square is to be named after a local hero famous for campaigning for workers rights amongst other things. The works have involved the demolition of the former Castle Hotel and the new space is envisaged to become the main venue for outdoor events in the town centre, complemented by the fantastic Town Hall, the scheme hopes to shift the focus of the town centre onto the Pontmorlais THI area. Young Planners Cymru would like to express warm thanks to Angharad Huws and Bill Zajac of Cadw for their contribution to the evening and for the fascinating tour by Chris Clarke which highlighted the many heritage assets that Merthyr Tydfil has to offer. Article by Daniel Mohamed NLP Triumph in Autumn Quiz 2 YPC collaborated again with Planning Aid Wales to put on the ever popular YPC Autumn Pub Quiz this October, with all proceeds from the event being donated to Planning Aid Wales. Special thanks go to James Davies of Planning Aid Wales for playing the role as a fantastic quizmaster. Congratulations go to the winners of the quiz from Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners! Could you contribute towards YPC? Want to get involved? To find out more about upcoming events, please visit YPC s website. YPC publish a quarterly magazine to subscribe, or to find out more please info@youngplannerscymru.org.uk 3 Photos: 1 - Merthyr Town Hall Regeneration, 2 - The victorious NLP with Quizmaster James Davies and YPC chair Lindsay Christian, 3 - Team Hyder Consulting Winter

18 YPC Christmas Quiz Puzzle Page 1. What Actor starred in the muppet christmas carol? 2. Where was it always winter but never christmas? 3. What Dr Seuss character steals christmas? 4. There are 2 Christmas Islands name the oceans they are in? 5. According to the words of the song what gift was given on the 4th day of christmas? 6. What is the Scottish word for New Year's Eve? 7. In which 2003 movie does Will Ferrell play a character called buddy? 8. What is the first word of the song jingle bells? 9. How many La s in a line of deck the halls? 10. Ilex aquifolium is the Latin name for what? Answers 1. Michael Caine 2. Narnia 3. The grinch 4. Pacific and Indian 5. Calling birds 6. Hogmanay 7. Elf 8. Dasher Holly