Taff Bargoed Regeneration Strategy Action Plan - Merthyr Tydfil ...

Taff BargoedRegeneration Strategy andImplementation PlanFinal Report to Merthyr Tydfil CBCPrepared by Peter Williams Consultants LLPNovember 2006

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilCONTENTSPage NumberEXECUTIVE SUMMARY 31. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 72. REVERSING POPULATION DECLINE 113. STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY TIES 234. CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 315. TACKLING THE HIGH INCIDENCE OF ILL-HEALTH 436. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 477. ACTION PLAN 51APPENDIX A SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 55APPENDIX B COMPARATIVE HOUSE PRICES 61APPENDIX C TOWNSCAPE HERITAGE INITIATIVE 63APPENDIX D ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT 67APPENDIX E BUSINESS SURVEY 71APPENDIX F SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS AND BACKGROUND PAPER 73APPENDIX G CONSULTEES 891

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONSfig. 1.1. Taff Bargoed – the study area 7fig. 1.2. Reclamation, remediation and reuse 9fig. 2.1. Population movement in Merthyr Tydfil 11fig. 2.2. Housing a rapidly growing workforce 11fig. 2.3. Merthyr Tydfil location map 12fig. 2.4. Housing renewal 13fig. 2.5. Housing within Taff Bargoed 14fig. 2.6. Physical investments 14fig. 2.7. Programme of works 15fig. 2.8. Residential prices 16fig. 2.9. New residential developments 16fig. 2.10. Landscaping and approaches 17fig. 2.11. Social housing 18fig. 2.12. Poor condition of pavements and isolated streets 20fig. 2.13. Bedlinog conservation area 20fig. 2.14. Lower Dock Street THI, Newport 22fig. 3.1. An Industrial past 23fig. 3.2. Safer Merthyr Tydfil Wardens 24fig. 3.3. Bedlinog family centre 25fig. 3.4. WICC 26fig. 3.5. Boys and Girls Club 27fig. 4.1. Clearance of the Valley’s mines 31fig. 4.2. Empty commercial properties 32fig. 4.3. Building facelift schemes 33fig. 4.4. Key developments 34fig. 4.5. The welcome at Quakers’ Yard 37fig. 4.6. Performance of the Welsh coal field 38fig. 5.1. Impact of an industrial legacy 432

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilEXECUTIVE SUMMARYWhat vision is there for the Taff Bargoed Valley? Or perhaps more accurately what visionsare there? It appears that little forward planning work followed the enormous economic andsocial dislocation that resulted from the total closure of the mining industry and that theapproach since has been somewhat piecemeal. Perhaps this shouldn’t be that surprising giventhe market philosophy that characterised that period, and the scale of the challenges that thefuture of the valleys posed. Notwithstanding this what has taken place includes a number ofnotable achievements, foremost among these being the physical and environmentaltransformation of the colliery sites themselves. This at least provides a basis on which aregeneration strategy can be built. It has raised the confidence of local inhabitants and alsoraised their aspirations about what the valley could now become. It was difficult to worry andcomplain about the detail of the public realm whilst the extent of degradation dominated thevalley floor. Now people have begun to care about their environment, appreciating thewonderful setting and demanding that attention is applied to the aspects where unacceptablestandards persist. Development work, such as that undertaken by Groundwork for example,has strengthened people’s interest in environmental stewardship, and begun to develop asense of pride in where they live. The continuing maintenance and improvement of theenvironment could provide employment and training opportunities.The success of the Welsh International Climbing Centre in attracting significant visitornumbers illustrated that the valley can have a wider appeal. Caring for these visitors hascreated jobs for local people.This has begun to change the way people think about the place they live. The tragedy of thevalley was that it was so linked to a single industry and lacked diversity. This homogeneity inits economic life had broader implications, and its demise has led to the need for a majorrestructuring.The valley has been going through a transitional phase. Bruised by the recent past it appearsuncertain about the future. Nobody believes that there will be a return to the extractionindustries though many believe that the reserves that remain under the ground could beeconomically worked now that the balances of energy prices have swung away from gas andoil. The development of cleaner coal technologies adds to the case, but the opposition beingvoiced to the open cast development proposed in a much less populated neighbouring areaindicates the barriers to the return of mining to any significant degree.The importance of manufacturing to the economy of developed countries has declined inproportion as the number of knowledge workers and those in the service industry has grown.3

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilThere is very little manufacturing in the valley, and there is very little land or accommodationto encourage its growth.What Richard Ford describes as the creative industries are attracted to places where thereare creative people. The people who make up these new creative classes are notcharacterised by wealth or political affiliation but rather by the amount of discretion, decisionmaking and control they are required to exercise over their own work i.e. their creativity. Inthe modern economy this covers a huge range of occupations. Knowledge and skills, andtherefore education and training are crucial for employment in these areas. Ford encouragesauthorities to adopt strategies which aim to attract and develop creative people, and while anumber of the criteria he identifies are typically found in city settings, Taff Bargoed’s locationat the heart of a Cardiff City region, positions itself well to offer proximity to urban servicesin a wonderful natural setting.In Chapter 2 we discuss how these strengths can be built upon in order to reverse populationdecline and grow a diverse community with a variety of housing forms that will appeal todifferent people. At the symposium there was a measure of disquiet about how successfully“newcomers” could be integrated without losing traditional values and ethos. However thesymposium illustrated that whilst there are different views, a broad consensus can beachieved if there is a balanced strategy being implemented. (Further commentary in respect ofthe Symposium appears as Appendix F).Hence in Chapter 3 we sketch out the ingredients of a strategy that will preserve and developcommunity facilities within the valley. In terms of voluntary effort there is real energy availableto augment the recreational resources within the valley. What is needed is a plan to ensurethat these energies are channelled to best effect. Development of this communityinfrastructure will support the efforts being advocated in Chapter 2 above.Undoubtedly a part of the valley’s future role is as a commuter suburb of Cardiff. But thereare a number of ways in which economic activity can be secured which will help reinforce theother measures being advocated in this strategy.Chapter 4 identifies opportunities around tourism, environmental maintenance andenhancement, and social enterprise development from revived services in the town centreand in appropriately designed and located workspace.4

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilIn Chapter 5 we review the ways in which those currently excluded from the job market canbenefit from these changes. In addition we advocate that the valley can begin to portray itselfas a healthy place to live and pursue recreational activities.The previous chapters have dealt with the four strands of the strategy. Chapter 6 concludesthat for outcomes of the strategy to be fulfilled three things will be required: Local stakeholders and interest groups will need to sign up to the overall aims andobjectives of the strategy and to the principle that joint working will entail compromise. This process will need strong leadership and organisation. Significant levels of resources are called for.The logical next steps for the work are to: Begin to work up the outline projects, considering their resource implications and thecontribution they each make to the overall programme aims. Agree an implementation plan and timetable into which the projects would be structured.An Action Plan (Chapter 7) places projects within the four strands of the strategy anddetermines what partners should be included, what funding sources are more suitable andlikely timescales.5

6Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilThe project objectives are: The development of a comprehensive and communicable physical regeneration strategysetting out a clear vision for the Valley, building on work undertaken to date andfollowing discussions and consultation with key stakeholders. To set a strategic context and framework for future economic and social regenerationprogrammes and projects, including transport, housing, delivery of local authority servicesetc. To provide a short and long-term vision for the Taff Bargoed Valley, reflecting thecommunity’s priorities and opportunities for partnership working. Recommendations on the future delivery of a co-ordinated and prioritised programme ofregeneration initiatives that accords with and delivers the overall strategic vision for thevalley, including the safeguarding of existing facilities within the valley. An assessment and evaluation of potential projects, prioritized for implementation againsta suggested and agreed methodology, to include realistic timeframes for delivery andpotential funding sources.It would be facile to consider Taff Bargoed as “one place”. The Valley runs parallel to the TaffValley and joins the Taff at its confluence in Quakers Yard. Of the principal communitiescontained within the study Treharris & Quakers Yard form the gateway to the Valley in thesouth. Treharris is also considered the commercial hub of the Taff Bargoed Valley, whilst thevillage of Bedlinog in the north contains the Conservation area of Cwmfelin which includesearly mid 19 th Century workers cottages grouped around the original village square. The areais surrounded by steeply sloping hills of a height of up to 300 metres and this position hasshaped the patterns of North/South communication by road and rail. The communities ofBedlinog, Treharris and Trelewis continue to display evidence of post-industrial decline withpoor physical infrastructure.Like many Welsh Valleys Taff Bargoed has a fascinating history shaped by the demands of theBritish Empire and its need for coal, iron and steel. The closure of the three main pits in thevalley (Deep Navigation, Taff Merthyr and Trelewis Drift) had a major impact on theeconomy and left behind an industrial landscape in need of considerable improvement.Today the area has been the subject of much reclamation, remediation and reuse. Europeanand Millennium Lottery funds have been used to transform the post-industrial landscapeconsisting of the pits into a country park (Parc Taf Bargoed) with lakes, walks and bike trails.Water quality in the Taff Bargoed river courses has been steadily improving with theconstruction of a reed bed filtration system; extensive woodland infrastructure planting has8

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Counciltaken place in the upper Nant Llwynog (a tributary of the Taff Bargoed) and proposals exist inthe upper Taff Bargoed for a Local Nature Reserve.So much has already been achieved, but in order to secure ongoing, sustainable regenerationof the valley as a whole it is evident that a wide range of complex and often inter-relatedchallenges will need to be faced. The proposals that follow form a framework for theimplementation of a multi-faceted programme. The different strands will need to be pursuedin parallel. Each element is an important part of the whole, though emphases will change asfunding and opportunities allow.Success will depend on the extent to which the management and delivery of the programmecan harness the energy, enthusiasm and talents that exist within the valley, and attract inexternal resources from a range of different sources.(fig. 1.2. Reclamation, remediation and reuse)9

10Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilCHAPTER 2: REVERSING POPULATION DECLINEMerthyr Tydfil has the smallest population of all the Welsh Unitary Authorities. However, asit is also the second smallest in terms of area, it is relatively densely populated (9 th in Wales).Historically, as a result of the industrial cycle, it experienced a large rise in population (in1831 the population was larger than that of Swansea, Cardiff and Newport combined)interspersed with periodic falls. Population decline has been a stubborn feature of the periodsince the wars.9000080000Population size7000060000500004000030000200001000001740 1760 1780 1800 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000Year(fig. 2.1. Population movement in Merthyr Tydfil)Initially industry’s requirement to house the rapidly growing workforce meant that oftenaccommodation was sub – standard, built too close together and lacked the public health andtransport infrastructure that would be expected today.(fig. 2.2. Housing a rapidly growing workforce)Subsequent industrial decline was mirrored in population decline and this has been apersistent feature of the past decades. Addressing the declining population is one of the key11

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councilobjectives of the Community Strategy. In order to do this more of the indigenous populationmust be retained and not lost for career or other reasons to other areas, but also newinhabitants need to be attracted to reside in the area. A number of factors will influence thatoutcome, and Taff Bargoed in the South of the County Borough, close to Cardiff and the M4corridor, has an important role to play.Much of the population of Wales is tucked into its southeast corner. It contains the top fivemost densely populated unitary authority areas. At its heart is Cardiff, enjoying an economic,cultural and social renaissance. Cardiff is creating jobs at twice the rate of the rest of the UK,and it accounts for 20 per cent of the GDP of Wales 1 . The largest number of new jobs havebeen in public administration and comprise 30 per cent of the jobs in the city. Themanufacturing sector barely employs 9 per cent of the workforce.(fig. 2.3. Merthyr Tydfil location map)Treharris is the only ward in Merthyr which has bucked the trend in population decline. Thisperformance needs to be built on and a key ingredient in achieving this is to ensure theprovision of the right types of housing, through:- ensuring that where the quality of the existing stock is deficient it is brought up to theadequate standard where possible or removed when necessary. encouraging new attractive housing for sale providing sufficient affordable housing enhancing the amenity throughout the area1Magnus Linklater, The Times, 23 rd March 2005.12

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilProviding a high “minimum” standardAs we will note below the uplift in the value of residential property now means thatrefurbishing houses is economically viable – the costs of repairs can be recovered from thesale of the houses – and the threat of homes being simply abandoned, as has happenedelsewhere in the country, has lessened.Where there are owner occupiers who do not have the where-withal to undertake essentialmaintenance and improvements, there are measures that can be implemented. Thedesignation of a Housing Renewal Area would be a powerful step forward. There is an annualround of bidding for this source of funding and MTCBC has the highest allocation in Wales.There are currently two Investment Areas for Housing – Merthyr Vale for which a ten yearprogramme was declared in 2001, and Dowlais for which a ten year programme was declaredin 2003. These are comprehensive renewal programmes involving group repair, block repair,enveloping schemes and clearance. After the last Private Sector Stock Survey in 2004, TaffBargoed was identified as a potential Renewal Area, targeted for 2009-2010. Before beingdesignated, an area is subjected to a detailed Neighbourhood Renewal Assessment.(fig. 2.4. Housing renewal)Bringing the implementation date forward would stretch the capacity of the Council todeliver, with three schemes running concurrently. It would also impact on the progress of theothers, as the likelihood is that the same grant allocation would be made, with it being sharedbetween three as opposed to two areas. Hence what needs to be done is for the Council toconfirm Taff Bargoed as the next Housing Renewal Area and to commence reparatory works.Although a few empty council houses were noted during our audit, the number of voidsgenerally is low with demand for council housing remaining strong.13

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Council(fig. 2.5. Housing within Taff Bargoed)Improvement Area measures will need to tackle not only housing but the generalenvironment in which it is set. An illuminating comment was made at the CommunitySymposium to the effect that the valley’s homes were “palaces surrounded by dross”.It is true that the appearance of the valley has been transformed by the removal of the mineworkings and the accompanying slag heaps and waste tips. The development of the countrypark on the site of the worst degradation, and bringing the river to the surface are majorachievements. However there are other legacies of the industrial past which have not beenattended to. Carriageways, pavements, boundary walls and fences, bridges, bus stops all needinvestment.(fig. 2.6. Physical investments)A programme of targeted physical investment would lift the built environment andcomplement the environmental enhancement achieved in the Park. The programme of workscurrently underway have been very well received by the public during the extensiveconsultation that has been undertaken. In the main the programme avoids the urban form ofthe settlements and focuses on the boundaries and approaches. These link the settlementswith what the Council refers to as the valley’s unique selling points. These are its conifer less14

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councilslopes rich in historic monuments. Its appeal would be augmented by easing physical accessand improving interpretation through tools like the Common Ground Parish Map.Our environmental audit could be used to inform the further development of such aprogramme and extend it into the heart of the settlements. Its implementation could involveIntermediate Labour measures and create job and training opportunities for local people.(fig. 2.7. Programme of works)Variety in housing choiceThe imperative for environmental enhancement certainly applies if the challenge ofencouraging new attractive housing for sale is to result in the broad range of housing choicewhich we believe is desirable. Owner occupation in Treharris and Bedlinog/Trelewis isalready well above Merthyr and national averages. It was argued at the Symposium that thiscurrent incidence of high owner / occupancy rates can at least partially be explained by theincredibly low cost of housing available before the current buoyant period and by the sale oftied colliery accommodation at rock bottom prices.In recent years the local property market has experienced a boom and a number of newdevelopments in Treharris have resulted in a huge uplift in the average price of property. 2Greenfield developments at Ty Llwyd Park, Millbrook and Millfield have introduced a largelynew type of product into the valley.2See Appendix B15

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilAreaBedlinog &Trelewis (CF466)Treharris(CF46 5)Merthyr Tydfil(£)Cardiff (£) Wales (£) Englandand Wales(£)Detached 184,993 189,391 179,038 269,068 221,836 300,349Semidetached116,726 107,290 112,452 185,596 138,671 180,170Terraced 81,930 73,495 75,427 149,241 109,538 158,493Flat Unavailable Unavailable Unavailable 144,719 128,204 185,703All property 117,398 112,783 105,308 172,645 149,063 199,184The Land Registry August 2006 (for period April to June 2006)(fig. 2.8. Residential prices)More expensive developments dotted throughout the valley have proven popular and addedsignificantly to the mix of property available. Developers such as Redrow and Persimmonhave been active in the area for a number of years. Others such as Westbury and Barrattshave taken longer to become involved.(fig. 2.9. New residential developments)These developments can bring in new spending power that will begin to reverse the collapsein commercial and retail demand which resulted from the closure of the pits. The increase inproperties in higher community charge bands can also benefit the Council’s income profile.Consideration needs to be given to how this trend can be sustained and managed in a waythat any dis-benefits are minimised. This will involve the Estates department working withothers in developing a housing strategy which determines how existing sites allocated forhousing can best be brought forward, how they relate to one another and whether there areother locations that can be added to the mix. This is an opportune time to be undertakingthis as the Council reviews its planning strategies and policies. The potential contribution thatS106 agreements can make to this process should be determined.16

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilWhere there is land in council ownership some enabling works such as improvement interms of infrastructure and access and through the provision of quality landscaping should beundertaken if it can be justified in terms of the returns and the type of development itengenders. Private landowners should also be engaged and the strategy should indicate if andwhere it would be appropriate to utilise site development briefs.(fig. 2.10. Landscaping and approaches)Providing enough social housingThe down side of the increase in values is that affordability has been negatively affected. Thishas already led to a severe lengthening of the housing waiting list. Currently there are 1800on the waiting list, and with an average annual turnover of 381 units per year this potentiallyrepresents a long wait.The social housing stock in Treharris is at the national average of 6%, but Bedlinog is wellbelow at 3.2% - reflecting the lack of availability of sites. There will need to be developmentsfor general needs and special needs – such as schemes targeted at the disabled and for youngpeople. There is for example a waiting list of 24 for bungalows adapted for the needs of thephysically disabled.Social landlords like Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association (MTHA) are already operatingsuccessfully in the area. 55 units are in Treharris, and MTHA have other projects in thepipeline. MTHA’s next scheme involves the redevelopment of the semi derelict ex-Rhabersstore which currently occupies a key location in Treharris town centre. Eighteen one and twoperson flats are to be constructed, and a well designed and well managed scheme will mark amajor improvement at this busy junction.17

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Council(fig. 2.11. Social housing)MTHA would also be interested in a joint venture approach to other town centre sites thatwould combine a mix of uses, such as the cinema site.One of the social trends over the last decade has been the decrease in average householdsize - as families split, the average age at marriage increases and more take the decision to livealone. These factors make the challenge of growing the population even greater as thenumber of housing units will have to grow even more simply to compensate for them. It hasbeen estimated that 1900 new dwellings will need to be built over 15 years just to stand still.If the Council’s commitment to reverse population decline is to be realised then 3,000 –4,000 new dwellings over that period would be the target. To achieve this there will need tobe significant activity by developers and social landlords, particularly for specialist and sharedequity housing.The valley’s carbon footprintThe historical development of Taff Bargoed is inextricably linked to coal. It would be fitting ifthe nature of future developments was characterised by setting new environmental standardsin terms of energy usage. This would apply not only to housing but also to commercial andcommunity buildings.Residential development in this country lags behind that in other parts of Europe in respect ofenvironmental performance. The success of some exemplar projects has begun to changeviews, as too has the impact of toughening regulation. However, what will give this an extraimpetus is the rise in the real cost of fuel. The fact that Comet and B&Q are now retailingsolar panels and wind turbines are indicative of the way the market is moving.18

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilBuilding on the environmental credentials it has earned through the reclamation schemes,development in the valley should become strongly linked with an enhanced environmentalperformance. The council will have the opportunity to influence standards in the socialhousing sector through insisting on super-insulation and exploring where combined heatingand power applications would be feasible. The specifications for Housing Renewal canemphasise these considerations. Where sites are being brought forward for new privatehousing it will be more difficult except when a competition for sites exists and criteria canthen be set.Furthering the reach of environmental enhancementsAlongside the improvements to the housing stock, more attention will need to be paid to thegeneral amenity of the area. The removal of industrial dereliction and its replacement byattractive parkland represents a huge enhancement to the visual appeal of the valley, but it hasalso thrown into sharper relief the crumbling nature of some of the infrastructure. This is asmuch a legacy of the industrial past as the factories, slag heaps and sidings which have beenremoved through the land reclamation processes. If the conditions for a residential revival areto be sustained, more resources than there are currently available through highwaymaintenance and other funds will need to be identified.The Council’s budgets for Highway Maintenance are being squeezed, as demand for resourcesgrows. There has been significant investment in traffic calming schemes. The fact that thesehave a 4 to 5 year life presents a new liability for when replacement is due.No new major highway investment is currently planned for the valley. There is an aspirationfor a bypass of Trelewis and the line of the route is being preserved, but it is conceded thatthis stands little chance of proceeding into the mid term.An environmental audit 3 was undertaken with the intention of reviewing the three mainsettlements within Taff Bargoed as visitors and residents would perceive them. Seventeencategories were scored which were organised into three main themes: Identity, Security andCondition. The audit indicates that the area broadly suffers from a poor identity with a lowstandard of appearance suffering from a lack of street signage, furniture and planting. Security isrelatively good with the main issue being a lack of adequate lighting. Generally the area feelssafe, with low noise levels and slight traffic intrusion. The condition of the area is average butthere are issues around poor pavements, poor condition of isolated streets and occasionalpoor buildings.3See Appendix D19

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilWhere conditions are poor they are some way below what is acceptable and have the effectof creating a poor impression of the area as a whole – probably disproportionately to thescale of the problem. They are as much blots on the landscape as the more obvious spoil tipsthat have been cleared away. They will act as inhibitors to investment in many ways –residential, tourism, commercial.Correcting these matters will not require the scale of funding that has been expended onreclamation activity, but is beyond the Council’s ability within its current budgets. It isessential that the work that has been undertaken to the gateways and approaches, receivesfurther funding from WAG so that it can be continued and extended(fig. 2.12. Poor condition of pavements and isolated streets)Bedlinog Centre – Polishing the gemThe area around the square in Bedlinog represents a rare opportunity to create an attractiveand excellent environment. This is one of only three conservation areas within the Council’sboundary. The fundamental quality is apparent, if somewhat obscured by inappropriatealterations, developments and uses. All this is redeemable, but will require a concerted andimaginative approach.(fig. 2.13. Bedlinog conservation area)20

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilSome of the preliminary planning work has been undertaken by the Council. The morechallenging aspects involve brokering agreement from the different interests and working outthe right incentives for a scheme to go ahead. What is needed is a comprehensive treatment,one that enjoys the active co-operation of all the landowners and tenants. However acontingency plan should be progressed in parallel, which is robust enough to delivers its aimseven if some interest can’t be convinced.The impact for such a scheme could be felt right across the valley and be a central part of astrategy to lift standards.Funding support for this project could come from declaring a Townscape Heritage Initiativeand making application to the Lottery – the Council would need to prioritise this. A goodexample has been set recently by a scheme in the Lower Dock Street area of Newport - seefig. 2.14.21

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilLower Dock Street Townscape Heritage InitiativeLower Dock Street was a run down retail area near the docks to the south of Newport towncentre.Newport City Council secured funding from a number of sources to allow a £1.6m project torepair and restore a number of historic properties in the Lower Dock Street area of Newport, andto contribute to the economic and social regeneration of this area.The first phase of the scheme commenced in April 2000 with funding from the Heritage LotteryFund, Newport City Council, the Local Regeneration Fund (Welsh Assembly Government), theWelsh Development Agency, Cadw and the European Regional Development Fund to repairbuildings and reinstate lost architectural features within the Lower Dock Street ConservationArea. Phase I comprised of three critical buildings, a number of prominent properties alongLower Dock Street, and a Group Repair Scheme focusing upon residential properties. As a resultof the repair of these historic buildings, new restaurants and businesses are opening in the area.In June 2005 Newport City Council were awarded further funding from the Heritage LotteryFund, Cadw and the Physical Regeneration Fund (Welsh Assembly Government) to run asecond phase of the scheme. This grant scheme is available to property and lease owners (withan unexpired lease of 10 years) in Lower Dock Street for conservation repairs and reinstatementof lost architectural details.(fig. 2.14. Lower Dock Street THI, Newport)A detailed feasibility exercise needs to be progressed which would involve entering intodiscussions with all parties with an interest in the scheme. Once there are adequateindications that the scheme could proceed some preliminary design work should becommissioned with a view to developing a funding proposal for consideration by the HeritageLottery. This will involve the Council evaluating the potential in Treharris against that ofpotentially competing areas such as Pontmorlais and Dowlais.22

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilCHAPTER 3: STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY TIESPortrayed in the popular imagination, mining communities are places characterised by strongcommunal bonds and co-operative endeavours - people accustomed to working together andliving close-by with recreational and educational facilities being established through donationsfrom wages. No doubt there are other sides to this view, but what is beyond dispute is that,for a whole range of reasons, the loss of the mining industry had far reaching social as well aseconomic effects. It meant more to the communities impacted on than the closure of, forexample, a components factory would have.(fig. 3.1. An Industrial past)In light of this two questions suggest themselves. Have the levels of community activity andvoluntary effort recovered? What role does the third sector have to play in the regenerationof the valley?The voluntary and community sectorWhat is apparent is the number of groups and organisations which are active in the valley.There are lots of groups especially dealing with children and the elderly. Groups such as StayYoung at Heart and People Together Clubs are well supported. An important resource is thatprovided through Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil (VAMT) in Perrott St, Treharris. VAMThas had a presence in the town for a number of years and reports that the numbers ofvolunteers in the South of the County Borough are much higher than in the north. VAMToffer a resource to the community and voluntary sector, a place to meet and a focus foractivity.In truth the facility could be improved. The meeting space is on the first floor with noprovision for disabled access. The layout and the building itself is in need of improvement and23

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councilthe prospect of VAMT finding new, centrally based accommodation, preferably on a singlefloor is to be supported.The premises are being used by the new Safer Merthyr Tydfil team of wardens. As well astheir community safety role, the wardens take a much broader community development view,becoming involved in a wide range of project activity:- Anti-littering campaigns Breakfast clubs for school children Making contact with the lonely and/or vulnerable – how to deal with bogus callers,delivering birthday cards to the elderly Communicating job / training opportunities with Working Links.(fig. 3.2. Safer Merthyr Tydfil Wardens)The wardens currently only cover Treharris as the Objective 1 funding for Bedlinog andTrelewis expired. They are part of a much larger pan-Merthyr Tydfil organisation and enjoythe support that that provides. However sustainability will always be an issue unless theservice is able to attract mainstream funding support. Perhaps the best example of where thishas happened is in the London Borough of Southwark where a wardens scheme previouslysupported from a patchwork of different funding is now directly funded by the Council andemploys over 100 wardens,Another initiative based at VAMT is Communities at One, a digital inclusion project. It isattempting to work with the hardest to reach groups across the Communities First wardsand has a £4.5 million budget throughout Wales at its disposal. The project’s developmentofficer is based with VAMT.24

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilCommunities FirstThe creation of two Communities First Partnerships has certainly given an extra impetus tocommunity development within the valley. Both partnerships are delivering and facilitating arange of community initiatives. In Bedlinog an excellent family centre has been established in aredundant school. In Treharris, Communities First has a High Street presence.(fig. 3.3. Bedlinog family centre)These Partnerships have developed strong staff teams and are delivering an array of projects.Though ultimately employed by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and Merthyr TydfilHousing Association respectively there is a good level of participation from the community,but perhaps not as yet the feeling that they are “community owned”. Attention is alreadyturning to the forward strategy.Two Development TrustsThe Taff Bargoed Development Trust has been established for a number of years. In recenttimes its efforts have been increasingly directed on the Welsh International Climbing Centre(WICC) and it is intent on putting the business based on the climbing wall on a firm footingand continuing the development of the other facilities at the centre, such as the gym,conference centre, bar, catering and accommodation. However the Trust’s initial aims werearound the broader regeneration of the Valley and included producing a communitynewspaper, the Taff Bargoed Star, with a circulation of 4,500. The Trust plans to refocus onthis agenda in time, but currently has its hands full with the WICC.25

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Council(fig. 3.4. WICC)WICC is based on a 6.5 acre site of which the Trust has the freehold interest. The centreitself has been successful in attracting people to the valley and in creating jobs for local peoplein the process. Commercial pressures and disagreements about the way in which the centrewas developing has held the facility back. The resolution of these through a business planningexercise will allow the trust to move on and consider how the remainder of its asset can bedeveloped to benefit community regeneration. The combination of a committed andexperienced board, the lessons from the steep learning curve associated with the problems atWICC and the potential to develop other activities on the 6.5 acre site results in a potentiallypowerful regeneration driver.A second development trust has been established with an exclusively Treharris focus.Discussions with the board of Treharris Area Community Trust indicate that their initialagenda is concerned with raising the level of facilities available for sporting use. As we arguebelow, this objective fits well with the strategic themes which we are recommending. Theyare aware and supportive of the need to set their efforts in a context and would look to playa full part in delivering a global strategy for Sports Development in the area.Treharris Area Community Trust enjoys support from Groundwork Merthyr & RhonddaCynon TaffNothing better exemplifies a re-growth in community pride and confidence than its appetiteand capacity to run celebratory events. Over recent times there has been a resurgence ofinterest in such events, with input from the Communities First partnerships and Taff BargoedPark Management Committee. The lantern parade was a good example of this and this is nowpart of a programme that includes the Annual Mini-rugby Festival in April, the Treharrisfestival in June, It’s a Knockout in July and the Park Festival itself in August.These are good signs but at this early stage they will need to be nurtured carefully. There willneed to be a period of community development which is professionally supported.26

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilResources into the mid-term are likely to be scarce so efforts need to be applied in a coordinatedmanner and the best ways of delivering this should be thought through and agreednow.Social and recreational facilities for a growing communityIn our consideration of growing the population we referred to the importance of providingthe right quality of housing and surrounding environment. There are other factors in thedecision about housing choice. Famously, excellent schooling is a key ingredient, butprospective purchasers are also interested in the availability of sporting and cultural facilities.This is an area in which the valley does not currently excel, though again opportunities arebeginning to emerge.The new development trust established in Treharris has recognised this as an area of work.Its vision is to capitalise on the success that the introduction of mini-rugby has experienced.By attracting children and their parents to become involved a centre of activity has beencreated that they believe can be built upon. Their initial aspiration is to develop a facility thatcan attract more visiting teams, augment their tournaments which have a growing appeal andto provide a broader social and recreational offer to their members and the widercommunity. The trust also seeks to ensure a secure and successful future for Treharris Parkand Edwardsville Baths.Additionally the long established Boys and Girls Club which has significantly improved itsfacilities over recent years, is also moving forward with another phase of development. TheClub regularly attracts 80 members, but the management committee would like to extendmembership rates beyond the 20% penetration they have achieved to date, and are placingincreasing emphasis on outreach work.In addition to the services for its core users, it already hosts services for a wide age range. Aday centre for the elderly meets there on a daily basis, there is a fully equipped digi-lab, oneof six within Merthyr Tydfil, and the Healthy Living Centre operates from there.(fig. 3.5. Boys and Girls Club)27

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilThese two organisations are on adjacent sites and there is already a degree of liaison betweenthem. What must be avoided is any duplication of effort or provision. When resources arestretched, complementary services must be planned with opportunities for dual use andsharing facilities thoroughly explored. The potential for establishing some form of SportsAction Zone exists.This concept might also encompass the boxing club which badly needs to be upgraded and /orrelocated from its current town centre site. A new approach could also allow the re-siting ofthe Perrott St Sports Hall, freeing up that location for other uses. The feasibility of developingsuch a Zone and how it will be funded and managed should be investigated.Parc Taf BargoedThe establishment of Parc Taf Bargoed itself is probably the single most important factor inchanging the nature of the valley. In addition to the recreational opportunities that are beingrealised, significant economic benefits can be derived such as:- Establishment of social enterprises concerned with harvesting pond weed and managingthe ochre Intermediate Labour Market measures in respect of ongoing management – Hyderconsulting working on a studyFor these and the other potential opportunities of the Park to be realised a long termdevelopment plan needs to be put in place. This needs to quantify and allow for theconsiderable ongoing maintenance implications for the park. The plan would need to reviewthe advantages of continuing to outsource the management to the third sector, both in termsof capacity building and the ability to access external funding.Currently the Taff Bargoed Management Group are facilitated and supported by Groundworkbut the land ownership and liability rests with Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It isexpected that a new Management Lease will be agreed shortly setting out the future roles,responsibilities and liabilities of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and GroundworkMerthyr & Rhondda Cynon Taff and the relationship with the Taff Bargoed ManagementGroup. This needs to be done in the light of a comprehensive options review.Like many Millennium projects the ongoing commitments are considerable and insufficientprovision has been allocated to date to ensure the ongoing future of the park. Uncertaintyand under-investment is undermining the potential the park has.A good illustration of the kind of projects that could be developed once the rightmanagement framework is in place is provided by Taff Bargoed Angling Association. TheAssociation is developing a lakeside workshop / classroom at Taff Bargoed lakes; and Parc TafBargoed provides numerous opportunities for informal recreation. The lakeside workshop /28

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councilclassroom is one of several projects in the Taff Bargoed area to have received assistance fromthe Rural Key Fund.For its potential to be fully exploited, there needs to be a development plan, one which isclear about its aims and is able to quantify and identify the resources required to meet them.Much of the effort commented on to now is targeted at physical recreation, and this hasfar reaching implications for the efforts that are considered in more detail in the Healthsection below. The cultural offer does not currently appear to be the subject of so muchconcerted effort. We have been told of a number of concerts arranged through CommunitiesFirst, The Big V, a proposal from Treharris Stage School, the Arts Council supported NightOut and the events. What is required is a review of what demand exists and what is latent,what audience development strategy would be appropriate, what the potential is for morepeople to become active participants in cultural pursuits, and what facilities would supportsuch development. Bodies involved in the development and support of culture should bedrawn into the debate. Inclusivity and broadening the audience base are priorities for theArts. Proximity with the cultural offer in Cardiff is an important part of the local mix but itsaccessibility is an issue for many groups in the valley. What is being done with these groups inmind?Summary conclusionsOur preliminary research of the voluntary and community sector then has identified severalactive players pursuing the significant number of projects which are in train. Their realisationwould contribute to making the Valley a more attractive place to live and to visit, as well as tocreating employment. The challenge is partly how to secure sufficient resources and cruciallyto arrive at a sustainable level of provision which will continue to thrive once the initial burstsof enthusiasm wane.What has emerged from the consultation, research and visioning work undertaken is that abroadly based regeneration strategy is required to address both the range of challenges thatthese settlements face and to encompass those proposals and activities that are underway,but are currently only related to one another in the loosest fashion. Agreeing a clear sense ofdirection based on the four strategic themes will increase the chances of delivering theprogramme and projects that have been identified. There will need to be a body which coordinatesand oversees the next steps. Given the extensive scope of work the best approach29

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councilwould be to assign this task to the Taff Bargoed Regeneration Partnership withrepresentation from all the key stakeholders:- Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association Groundwork VAMT SMT Communities First Partnerships Treharris Area Community Trust Taff Bargoed Development Trust Taff Bargoed Park Management Group Local Health Board South Wales Police Local Community and Resident Groups Representative of the private sectorTerms of reference will need to be agreed for this body and resources put in place toallow for its efficient operation. It will not principally be a project deliverer. This will be theresponsibility of the project promoters themselves. The body will meet regularly and projectswill need to secure its endorsement and not take its support for granted. The Partnershipwould agree its strategic aims and then seek the most efficient ways in which they can be met.Its role would be to attract and channel resources and ensure that they are invested in themost effective manner, avoiding duplication of effort or provision. The Council in keepingwith its role in respect of the community strategy should communicate to potential partnersand funders that projects backed by the Taff Bargoed Regeneration Partnership should takepriority.30

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilCHAPTER 4: CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMICDEVELOPMENTIt is estimated that the loss of 2,000 jobs in 4 years took £6 million from the local economy.Not only is this in itself a high number, it also represents a sizeable proportion of thedisposable income of these settlements. As a direct result the life blood of the commercialcentres has all but drained away. Shops and homes went right up to the colliery gates and theclosure and clearance of the mines has left an economic and physical void.(fig. 4.1. Clearance of the Valley’s mines)Viable town centresChanging patterns of retail development and operation have accentuated the problems andmade it very difficult for those businesses which survived to fight back. Arguably the worsthas past and the centres have now found their own levels, delivering a limited range ofservices to a proportion of local residents with the majority going elsewhere. Treharris wasonce a thriving shopping centre, but though it is unlikely to ever again regain this role, unlikeBedlinog and Trelewis, it retains the feel of a retail centre. Efforts aimed at improving theviability of retailing should be focussed here.Generally the number of empty commercial properties conveys a depressing picture,especially as many are badly run-down or semi-derelict. Some commercial premises havebeen converted for residential use. Roughly a third of those that remain are vacant.31

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Council(fig. 4.2. Empty commercial properties)We undertook a business survey 4 to gauge the current climate throughout the valley. Thisincluded the majority of the remaining businesses. Most of these (65%) have been in the areafor over 10 years and are committed to the area for the long term with over 78% owning thepremises from which they trade.Half reported that turnover had worsened in the previous year and only 22% hadexperienced an upturn. Interestingly expectations for the future were equally split betweenthose who are optimistic and those who are pessimistic.There was general agreement among those we spoke to about what the issues are.Businesses see the main advantages of operating in the area as the loyal customer base andlittle or no local competition. The main disadvantage about trading in the area is seen asdifficulties in parking.The measures businesses would like to see introduced in the area to improve tradingconditions are: Increase spending power Provide easier parking Encourage more residential developments Improve street cleaning Better signage Improve street lighting Improve shop fronts – 71% of businesses would be interested in receiving a grant Improve street maintenanceThe perceptions of the businesses largely correspond to the findings of the EnvironmentalAudit 5 . Though outside the remit of the current study, it is evident that the number of on-4See Appendix E5See Appendix D32

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councilstreet and off-street car parking places should be more than adequate to provide for theneeds of centre users. It is worth reviewing the way that on street parking restrictionsoperate and also whether the linkages from the Perrott St car park and the centre could beimproved.Encouragingly despite the foreboding about the future many of the remaining businesses arelong term stakeholders and this is reflected in their interest in investing in their properties. Asa rule owner occupiers are more likely to invest in the improvement of their facades thantenants. Should a building facelift scheme be introduced, and proactively marketed andmanaged, there is the prospect that over 70% of properties could be improved. This is a triedand tested approach, delivered through Town Improvement Grant, or through thedesignation of a Commercial Improvement Area. Public grant support directly levers inprivate sector investment and makes a very visible impact.(fig. 4.3. Building facelift schemes)Improving the environment in town centres is a pre-requisite for attracting new customersbut there also has to be good reasons for accessing the town. It has to be acknowledged thatthe major retail spend has been lost to out-of town supermarkets and bigger centres, so theimportance of the role of other attractors grows. Civic purposes such as accessing publicservices, libraries, health facilities, voluntary organisations, training centres, specialistindependent shops, can all create footfall for adjacent commercial premises. There are anumber of opportunities to progress initiatives along these lines which not only will bring anew vibrancy to the town centre but will also reinforce the other strands of this regenerationstrategy. The library and a new training centre should have a central role in raisingeducational attainment; a new health centre and a permanent base for the healthy livingproject would be central to tackling ill health and helping in the transition from IncapacityBenefit to work; and local bases for VAMT, SMT and the successor bodies to theCommunities First partnerships will be key resources in terms of community development.One result of the decline is that there is a unique opportunity to bring forward a number ofkey developments right at the heart of the centre. Former Rhabers Store – the redevelopment of this derelict corner site will removeone of the major sources of blight at the centre. The proposal is for a social housing33

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councildevelopment of 18 one and two bedroom flats. The incorporation of a commercialelement at street level would have greatly enhanced the contribution this developmentcould make to the functioning of the centre. Discussions with Merthyr College indicatedthat they would have an interest in establishing an outreach base on the high street inorder to ease access to further and higher education opportunities and improve thecurrently poor participation rates. Unfortunately time scales did not allow for this optionto be included within the Rhabers redevelopment. There will be other opportunities tointroduce this facility. In future all town centre development proposals should be requiredto evidence how they contribute to the strengthening of the centre’s performance.Old Cinema Site – Merthyr Tydfil Local Health Board plans to rationalise and enhanceits services at Treharris. The Board has invited developers to prepare proposals for theCinema site that will include a pharmacy, clinics, treatment space, base for outreachactivities, community uses such as VAMT and possibly Communities First. It is anticipatedthat this will be a two or three storey development and if executed well will transformthe centre of town. A quality development here will make a statement and the proposeduses will generate much needed footfall. The health board are currently sifting theproposals and will take the preferred scheme to public consultation.Each of these developments should be judged on the contribution they make to thevitality and image of the town centre. Particular attention should be paid to the quality ofdesign and materials used plus the fit with other town centre uses.(fig. 4.4. Key developments)We have suggested above that growing the population can underpin demand for localservices. But this isn’t a given. Many of the new residents will commute to work elsewhere. Ifthe valley is going to capitalise on this facet of its role, as a dormitory suburb, then the34

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councilcentres must be made more attractive and activities and services must be available at thetimes people would wish to access them e.g. Saturdays.What is lacking though is any organisational response to these issues which harnesses theenergy and knowledge of the businesses themselves. The Chamber of Trade has in effectceased to exist.The supply of commercial accommodationTo provide vitality in the day, local commercial activity needs to be encouraged and whatwould give this a boost is the provision of workshop units. Where possible these could becreated through the adaptive reuse of empty premises like chapels, or otherwise newmanaged work space should be developed.Other opportunities exist to develop commercial units which can create activity and jobs:- Through relocating or rationalising inappropriate uses in Bedlinog centre By using some of the underused land and buildings at WICC By undertaking an exercise with a view to identifying suitable brown field location for thedevelopment of managed workspaceThere are a number of routes through which more commercial accommodation could bedeveloped. There would be advantages in working with an Enterprise Agency such as VentureWales who have track record of developing and managing such accommodation and wouldally the development with start-up and other forms of enterprise support. Alternatively,involving the local trusts would also bring the prospect of building up a local asset base.Attracting more visitorsWhat role could / should tourism play in diversifying the local economy? The followingobservation was offered in another coalfield town and seems to encapsulate the misgivings ofmany in embracing the change to a service industry led economy:-“my son will be a welder not a waiter”.Attitudes are changing, and there are few places now which don’t seek to benefit fromtourism spend. What this means though is that the competition is intense, and everyopportunity needs to be carefully nurtured and exploited. The travel guide books offer amixed review:-“the region is long on socio-historical interest and short on beauty. A landscape chopped and scarred,its towns down at heel, it serves as a memorial to what intensive industrialisation and Britain’s colonialmentality did right at home” 66Lonely Planet35

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Council“this is not traditional tourist country, and yet is one of the most interesting and distinctive corners ofWales…..the valleys combine unique sociological and human interest with staggering beauty in thesheer hills that rise behind each community” 7The debate at the Stakeholder Symposium (See Appendix F) endorsed these sentiments.There is a pride in the dramatic natural setting but that confidence is eroded through thesense of embarrassment that is felt about the state of the man-made environment and thelack of “decent” facilities. Under the auspices of the Heads of the Valleys Programmeconsultants are currently exploring the feasibility of developing the concept of a Valleys Park.Hopefully this will begin the task of positioning the valleys alongside the other areas ofoutstanding beauty. In order to compete on this national scale will require substantialattention being paid to all the elements in the product mix. Tourist infrastructure such ascatering and bed spaces will need to be raised several notches, interpretation and informationservices carefully thought through and new facilities introduced to ease access and enjoymentof the countryside. The biggest task of all though involves tackling the urban degradation thatis all too evident in the settlements and characterises much of the linkages between them.Applying the same philosophy which has lifted the appearance of the major trunk roadsthrough the region, to the other classified principal / distributor roads would be a mammothundertaking. Making a start through targeted interventions though is manageable, and wouldbe consistent with the objectives of the Physical Regeneration Funding which would be anobvious source of support.Those things which warrant attention in order to improve the tourist offer are, in the main,the same as were identified during the environmental audit and covered in our considerationof increasing the valleys desirability as a place to live. In addition there are several things thatcould be done for predominantly tourist ends:- Improvements to way finding Improving identity and legibility of the area Ensuring that transport nodes are of a consistently high standard – bus stops, trainstation, stopping places on the cycle network Lifting the approaches to the principle attractions through quality hard and softlandscaping, well designed signage and where appropriate public art installationsOnly when these phases of “product development” have been initiated could it beconvincingly argued that a concerted investment in marketing and area promotion wouldresult in an appropriate rate of return.7Rough Guide36

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilThe potential for growing the market is significant. The Brecon Beacons National Park(BBNP) has over 2 million people within 1 hour’s drive and is the closest mountainous area toLondon. Estimated number of visitor days to the BBNP is 3.6m with recorded visitors to theBBNP visitor centre in 2003 reaching 114,661. Many of these visitors access the area from theA470, passing the Taff Bargoed Valley as they do so. In October 2005 the western part of theBrecon Beacons National Park was the first in the UK to be designated a Geopark joining 23others in this UNESCO global network. Other Geoparks post-designation experienced majorincreases in visitor numbers resulting in substantial job growth.The estimated spend per visitor of people taking this form of recreation is £5.80 per personper day for holidaymakers staying outside of the park and £6.20 per person per day for daytrip visitors. If a fraction of this spend could be diverted into the valley it would havebeneficial effects.There are a number of attractions in the immediate vicinity of Taff Bargoed and strung outthrough the sub-region. The Welsh International Climbing Centre (characterised by RoughGuide as “the community thumbing its nose at decline”), and nearby Llancaiach Fawr Manorhave proven their ability to attract significant visitor numbers. Journeys of discovery on theTaff and Celtic Trails (both parts of the Sustran Network) are possible, with places such asQuakers’ Yard offering pleasant stopping off points. What seems to be missing are:- The required standard of tourist infrastructure – good quality food and accommodation The right sense of anticipation and arrival, with the approaches and linkages between theattractions often crying out for attention A means of making sense of the broader tourist offer – the ease of constructing a visitwhich takes in a number of attractions and/or activities without losing oneself.Quakers Yard seems to encapsulate what the problems are. A charming riverside locationwith a collection of interesting buildings and an interesting historical story, is let down by alack of care and attention. A derelict urinal marks the entrance and the attempts atinterpretation and the street furniture are vandalised beyond repair.(fig. 4.5. The welcome at Quakers’ Yard)37

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilEven its most ardent proponents would accept that tourism can provide only a smallproportion of the new jobs required to replace those that have been lost. A number of forcesare at work which makes this a difficult task.Firstly globalisation has had a spectacular impact on labour supply which, it is estimated, hastrebled in the past two decades 8 . Much of this “new” workforce is in countries where thecost base is much lower. Average labour costs per hour in Chinese manufacturing were just$0.60 in 2002 compared with $24 in Germany 9 . This suggests that the long term trend willmove jobs towards cheaper locations and/or reduce manufacturing wage rates in thedeveloped world. The TUC has reported that the rate of attrition is worse in the UK thanelsewhere with manufacturing jobs being lost at a rate twice as fast as other EU countries. 10The report argues for government support for infrastructure, R&D and investment in skills.The local implications of this are considered further below.Secondly the challenges of economic and industrial restructuring in the valleys have beenaggravated by the pace and scale of contraction of the mining industry. Ultimately within 9years of the 1984-5 mining strike, there was no deep mining in the coal field. This collapse insuch a short space of time overwhelmed attempts to create new employment which werealready only partially effective. Various initiatives over the years since the 1930’s had aimed toreplace the jobs being lost from mining but their success had been limited. Much commercialand community life continued to depend on mining and with its disappearance a void wascreated that inevitably led to social and economic dislocation“In its scale, speed and geographical concentration, the contraction of the UK coal industry isarguably the definitive example of de-industrialisation in Britain or western Europe.” 11How has the economy of the coalfield recovered in the 20 years since the strike? Worryinglythe performance of the Welsh coal field lags on a number of indicators as can be seen fromthe table of the largest four coal fields:-Coalfield Male jobs lost in coal Increase in male noncoal% of coal jobsjobsreplacedYorkshire 67,000 55,300 83Nottinghamshire 40,300 17,400 43South Wales 27,200 5,200 19Durham 22,800 23,900 100(fig. 4.6. Performance of the Welsh coal field)8Richard Freeman, BLS Monthly Labor Review, August 20059China and India’s Implications for the World Economy, www.oecd.org/dev/reisen10Felicity Williams, Making it in Wales, Bevan Foundation Review, Issue 7, Spring/Summer 200611Beatty, Fothergill and Powell38

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilThis is not the best indicator of economic regeneration as it fails to take into account thepre-existing unemployment in the coalfields and the natural increase in the local workforce.When the total job shortfall is considered, the South Wales coalfield is amongst the weakestperformers with only 35% of the shortfall eliminated by 2004. With a population of 1.136million the Yorkshire coalfield has increased the number of non-coal jobs by 55,300. In SouthWales with a population of 733,000 the corresponding increase is only 5,200. About 40% ofthe total coal jobs lost remains to be replaced. Nottinghamshire and South Wales togetheraccount for half of these.The reason that this is not reflected in the unemployment statistics is largely attributable tothe growth in take-up of incapacity benefits:-“there are five times as many people of working age in the coalfields who are out of workand claiming incapacity benefits as they are out of work and claiming unemploymentbenefits” 12And the highest density of incapacity claimants is in South Wales where the proportionreaches one in five of all working age men. This is a hidden form of unemployment which isapparent when considering actual employment rates. According to the 2001 census theBritish average male employment rate was 74% whereas for the South Wales coalfield it was64%. The authors of the report quoted above contrast the position in Yorkshire and SouthWales, both of which qualified for EU Objective 1 status. The recovery in Yorkshire has beenmuch more rapid and robust, and this they conclude is attributable to the difficult terrain andrelative isolation of the valleys communities.The skills deficitIt is not possible to consider education, training and workforce development withoutreference to the industrial history of the valley. The traditions built in communities where alarge proportion of employment was provided by heavy metal and extraction industries aresimilar throughout the UK and beyond. These industries relied on large numbers of manuallabourers and rewarded them relatively well. Academic knowledge and to a lesser extentvocational skills were not entry requirements. Through dedicated training centres andday/block release at colleges, industry provided applied and relevant off-the-job training. Abroader educational experience was attainable through the reading rooms, institutes, WEAand the like. Hence scholastic performance and rates of participation in higher education havetraditionally been below average.The Taff Bargoed area, particularly Bedlinog, suffers from much higher than average numbersof people with no qualifications and substantially lower numbers of people achieving degree12ibid39

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councillevel or higher qualifications compared to national averages. Index of multiple deprivationranking for both 2000 and 2005 indicate that education is an issue - Bedlinog is within theworst 11% in Wales.Bedlinog and Treharris (much like the rest of Merthyr Tydfil) have less managers, seniorofficials and professionals than the national average. There are more elementary occupations,and process plant & machine operatives in the area than for England and Wales indicating thatthe workforce is less skilled than the national average. Breaking these habits necessitates achange of approach. Making education and training as accessible as possible by locatingprovision at the heart of settlements can boost involvement. These methods have beensuccessfully introduced in neighbouring Caerphilly and elsewhere.There is also an excellent example in Merthyr Tydfil itself. The Council’s NeighbourhoodLearning Centre (NLC) has developed an imaginative response to the problems of economicinactivity at Gurnos Training Workshops. Despite the limitations imposed by operating fromconverted premises, impressive training facilities have been established in a number ofvocational areas: Retail – “dummy” shop, EPOS and, critically, excellent links with local employersproviding “interview guarantees” and routes into full time employment Hair and beauty – fully equipped professionally designed salon Construction – wood working, plumbing, plastering modules – would benefit the mostfrom more suitable accommodation Outdoor activities – operated from this base, including a mobile climbing wall toencourage wider participation Basic skills – providing, amongst other things, pre-employment training for the HealthTrust IT – a fully equipped IT lab with PC network etc Ceramics – slightly different to the rest of the provision, but similarly professionallyequipped. Non-vocational provision and community enterprise activityA strong management set up has been successful in accessing substantial ESF support.Appropriate relationships are in place with employers, Job Centre Plus, Working Links,Merthyr College, Open College, 14-19 Learning Pathways and Groundwork. There is aproject management board which allows for stakeholder involvement.The NLC is located at the heart of one of the areas of greatest need and recruitment hasbeen good with nearly one thousand beneficiaries to date, 60% of whom are from the northof the borough. The strategy is that each area of the council will have a Community Learning40

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilPlan, and, subject to a Welsh European Funding Office decision, a Community LearningOfficer will be appointed for Bedlinog. These are positive steps.Another aspect of the extension of a much fuller offer of Neighbourhood Learning to thesouth of the County Borough should involve the relocation of the Outdoor Activities team toWICC.There is also a proposal to work with the college to make much more of its base inTreharris. The college satellite is centrally located on an important site which appears to havethe potential for much more effective use. It is recommended that an audit and optionappraisal is undertaken in advance of any further developments on this site.41

42Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilCHAPTER 5: TACKLING THE HIGH INCIDENCE OF ILL-HEALTHHealth is a major issue within Merthyr Tydfil. Life expectancy at 73.4 years for males and 78.4years for females is lower than the England and Wales figures of 76.14 for males and 80.65 forfemales respectively. A third of the population and over a quarter of the working agepopulation in Bedlinog has a limiting long term illness. This compares unfavourably to Englandand Wales. In terms of health, Bedlinog is ranked within the most deprived 5% of electoraldivisions in Wales and Treharris is within the most deprived 20%. This points to the fact thatthere are reasons for concern about the health of the general population and specificproblems in respect of those of working age.In recent years the area has suffered from the social and economic results of the decline intraditional heavy industries, including coal mining. Although a programme of reclamation andremediation has improved the physical environment surrounding the pit locations the industrycontinues to impact on the health of the local community. Many, who no longer work inthese industries, are still suffering from diseases linked to their former employment. Whatexacerbates the health issue is that Merthyr Tydfil currently suffers outward migrationtowards areas such as Cardiff or further afield. The effect of fit younger people leaving to takeup employment, or to enter higher education, has left a sicker, older and more disabledpopulation.(fig. 5.1. Impact of an industrial legacy)Many factors affect an area’s impact upon health such as poverty, employment and economyas well as housing, environment and education. Considering the socio-economics of the area(see Appendix A), it is not surprising that Taff Bargoed and Merthyr Tydfil as a whole havesignificant health issues. Merthyr Tydfil has experienced an increase in the number of people43

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councilreporting a long term illness, health problem or disability that limits their daily activities orthe type of work they can do, from 22% of the population in 1991 to 30% in 2001.Self reported illness provides a good insight into how people view their current health andwell-being. Merthyr Tydfil suffers from a range of poor rankings: self-reported levels of arthritis are the highest in Wales; the number of people being treated by a doctor for anxiety or depression was 66% higherthan the average for Wales, higher levels of adults report poorer physical health than the Welsh average highest levels of self-reported health ‘not good’ in Wales (18.1% vs. 12.5% Wales average)In our review of economic performance above we drew attention to the issues aroundIncapacity Benefits. The Welsh Health Survey reports that the coal field has the highest levelof respondents who claim their physical health is problematical and Merthyr Tydfil is one offour Unitary Authorities who scored highest on the measure for mental health. Merthyr hasthe highest rate of recipients of benefits related to sickness and disability. Mental illness,particularly depression, is now the main reason for such claims. 13 Not only does this posemajor economic and social challenges at the level of the individual and the family it also hasconsiderable implications for the local economy. With the tightening of the employmentmarket over the past few years (in Sept 2005 the number of people in work had set a freshall-time high of nearly 29 million) immigration has played an important part in amelioratinglabour supply side concerns. Accordingly there is growing interest in ways in which theeconomically inactive can be reconnected to the jobs market. There are currently around 2.7million people on Incapacity Benefit in the UK and the target is to get 1 million of these backto work. 14 At Easington, where 1 in 5 is on Incapacity Benefit, the Primary Care Trust isrunning a two year £1.6 million pilot, the measures in which include:- giving claimants incentives to work legitimising the informal economy encouraging enterprise overcoming childcare and transport barriers tackling inter-generational dependencyMerthyr Tydfil is joint top of the league table with 20.5% along with Easington. In response,initiatives such as Want 2 Work have been introduced and have achieved a degree of success.13Rees and Stroud, 200414FT 21 st March 200644

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilAnother initiative, Pathways to Work, being piloted in a number of districts by Job CentrePlus has exceeded expectations in the number of claimants leaving Incapacity Benefits. TheWelsh pilots have been in Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taf. Peter Hain MP in answering aparliamentary question said they have been a real success, helping almost 4,000 people intowork. Pathways to Work will be extended to the Eastern Valleys from October 2006. As yetplans have not been published in respect of any national roll out.Naturally it will take increases in demand for labour too if people are to be attracted back towork, 15 and we discussed the measures that might support this above.The Welsh Assembly Government's 'Designed for Life' initiative aimed at modernising theNHS in Wales has prompted a discussion programme that encourages the public to join thedebate through a series of community based activities, such as local public involvement groupsand/or by contacting their Local Health Board. The Welsh Assembly initiative means that theNHS must change to meet ongoing challenges such as: the drive to bring down waiting times and raise standards an increasingly elderly population with more complex healthcare needs and a move away from 'institutional' hospital care to more flexible arrangements closer tohomeThe best use of new technology and up-to-date facilities are considered to be part of the wayin which healthcare services locally can adapt to meet patient needs. The 'Reshaping Your LocalHealth Services – Developing a Plan for South East Wales' document outlines the issues facing theNHS and suggests ways in which changes can be made locally including plans to remodel localprovision. Patients and carers throughout South East Wales are being asked their views onthe future of healthcare services.Each Local Health Board working with their Local Authority, other stakeholders and thepublic is expected to develop a Health, Social Care and Well-being Strategy, that identifiesand responds to care needs within their communities. The NHS intends to ensure that futureplans to redesign health services deliver on the issues in those local strategies.The Health Action Plan within Merthyr Tydfil’s Health, Social Care and Well-being Strategy2005-2008 has identified several themes within which action points are identified: Living independently15 Mobilising Britain’s Missing WorkforceUnemployment, incapacity benefit, and the regions By Steve Fothergill and John Grieve Smith September 200545

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilLearning for health and well-beingBetter health and social care servicesCreating an environment for healthy livingWorking togetherIssues such as high levels of chronic disease and access to the appropriate healthcare servicesare currently being addressed through development of strategies. Plans have been producedfor more locally based services in Cynon and Merthyr and work has begun on providingmodern services in modern facilities, exemplified by the new Ysbyty Cwm Rhondda hospital.The LHB is directly employing more GPs and nurses to ensure local people receive theadequate level of GP services. Their aim is to continue to provide acute, hospital-basedservices for seriously ill patients, while enhancing local community-based services. This willinvolve bringing closer together the services provided in Prince Charles Hospital in MerthyrTydfil and the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant and continuing the programme ofinvestment in hospital services in Merthyr Tydfil. More detailed plans are currently beingdeveloped and will be discussed with the public later in 2006.Within Taff Bargoed both Communities First partnerships have been involved in imaginativeinitiatives aimed at improving the health of the general population. Measures aimed atincreasing the fruit and vegetable intake in diet, and the plan to establish a Healthy LivingCentre as part of the refurbishment of a centrally based chapel are to be supported.Above we have considered the expanding opportunities for residents to be involved inphysical recreation of an informal and formal nature. There is already a Health Trail withinthe Park.Safety is another factor to consider in community well-being. For a full and active life peopleneed to feel free from crime and the fear of crime. Crime rates in small communities such asthese can be unduly influenced by the activities of a few individuals. During the research therehave been a number of disturbing stories including an allegedly racist arson attack. Suchevents can skew figures. Overall we are told that crime rates are falling.The elements of a programme aimed at making Taff Bargoed a safe and healthy communitywould involve a number of initiatives delivered through inter-agency working.46

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilCHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONSDrive through the Taff Bargoed Valley and you are immediately struck by the considerableregeneration challenges that exist. In the settlements retail units are boarded and shuttered,some exhibit fire damage, others such as the cinema site in the centre of Treharris have lainvacant for years following demolition after a blaze. Street furniture in many places is aging,damaged or vandalised. There is very little footfall on the streets and few of the businesseshave invested in their premises.Some housing is in need of repair, but most is of a good standard and there is considerableactivity in private sector development. The public space around homes leaves much to bedesired.Between the settlements, carriageways are in places below acceptable standards, edges areshored up, fencing has fallen away, and parcels of land are overgrown.The conclusions from this physical inspection are reinforced by an analysis of the socioeconomicstatistics. Rates of economic activity and unemployment, self employment, numberspermanently sick or disabled and on incapacity benefits, mortality rates, educationalperformance at key stages, skill levels, possession of higher degrees, car ownership – allcompare unfavourably with national averages.The responses to the various levels of consultation that were undertaken confirm the scale ofthe problems. There is a suspicion that located on the border as it is (with a tendency to looksouth to Pontypridd for services as much as to Merthyr town centre), the valley is habituallyoverlooked in the allocation of resources. There is anger that Treharris has declined from athriving local centre to a disjointed series of units without critical mass. The businesses thatremain are operating at the margin, but at least feel that the worst may have passed.However, while there is plenty of complaint there is also a commitment to address issues.The voluntary and community sector is stronger in Taff Bargoed than elsewhere in MerthyrTydfil. There are many more volunteers, more community groups and those that exist haveambition. WICC is perhaps the most audacious example, but the Parc Taf Bargoed and themajor providers of active recreation all have their roots in voluntary sector organisations.Groundwork has been instrumental in supporting much of this effort. In the last years thetwo Communities First partnerships have also been active and have spawned a number ofprojects.The reason for which this community was built has passed. Does the fact that its originalpurpose is no longer relevant mean that it has also lost its purpose for being? Following yearsof under investment that followed the closure of the mines, can an argument now be madefor investing in the future of the valley, and, if so, can the resources be found?47

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilWe have documented the challenges the valley faces, we will now revisit and focus on therationale which underlies a strategy for regeneration and renewal - one which seeks toexploit what the valley has to offer:- Despite the severe economic downturn the population of the valley has remained stable,proving that this is a place where people like to live. Quality housing developments havebeen completed and more are underway. There are a number of development sites whichpotentially could come forward for housing. Cardiff is 17 miles away and an easycommute by road or rail. Although close to Cardiff the location offers other attractions to would be house buyers.There is a strong sense of community with all that that entails. It will appeal to theincreasing number of buyers who will appreciate the historic references. The potentialthat Bedlinog in particular but also Quakers’ Yard offers, remains underexploited. The valley also enjoys a beautiful natural setting and has avoided the monoculture that hasbeen the result of intensive a-forestation elsewhere. The clearance of dereliction and theprocess of reclamation mean that even the valley floor is improved beyond recognition.The current physical enhancement schemes are illustrating what can be done costefficiently with well thought through interventions. New and old residents demand new recreational facilities and the existing inhabitants areactively pursuing these ends. The components of the strategy in this respect are alreadyemerging and need to be moulded into a comprehensive master-plan, agreed bystakeholders and funders alike. (Less is being done about the cultural offer andpreliminary discussions with the appropriate agencies should be initiated as a matter ofurgency). Those aspects that will appeal to potential residents will also assist in drawing visitors,though without an obvious “honey-pot”, tourism can supply only a fraction of the newjobs that are needed. WICC supported through its current problems will continue tobring in credible numbers and there are opportunities to ally this with other out-dooractivities. More will need to be done to generate new jobs in the valley. A sizeable proportion ofthese will need to come from small businesses and there is potential for developing newworkspace both through new build on brown field sites at WICC and elsewhere andthrough the adaptive reuse of currently redundant buildings in the centres. Suchdevelopments could be promoted by the local authority (possibly with an EnterpriseAgency partner) or through one of the trusts as part of a strategy to build a communityasset base.48

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilMore commerce will increase demand for town centre services and create a virtuouscycle. To maximise impact though, the new jobs need to be taken up by local people andthere are two ways in which this could be achieved.o The skills deficit needs to be addressed through training which is easilyaccessible and locally delivered. Merthyr College / University of Glamorganhave made clear their interest in having a presence in the valley. The currentfacility adjacent to the school in the centre of Treharris needs reinvigoratingor being rethought. Another model which is relevant is the work that hasbeen done through the Neighbourhood Learning centre at Gurnos.o The second target will be to significantly reduce the numbers of people whoare currently out of the labour market due to sickness and ill-health.Imaginative approaches piloted elsewhere have proven their potential andshould be supported within the valley with the level of resources equal to thescale of the challenge presented. Merthyr Tydfil is one of the places in the UKmost affected by problems of ill-health.This study commenced and is focussing on an examination of the condition of the physicalenvironment in the valley. The obvious problems that exist are partly attributable to thelegacy of the valley’s industrial history and partly due to the under-investment that hascharacterised the years of industrial decline. We have identified four strands for a strategythat offers a new sustainable future for the valley:- Growing the population Building on the strengths of the community Encouraging the diversification of the local economy through the development of smallbusinesses Making substantial improvements to community health and well-beingThe programme made up of these strands has been tested with a wide cross section of thecommunity and gained broad support. In many respects it is consistent with efforts that areunderway. However for the outcomes of the strategy to be fulfilled three things will berequired. The local stakeholders and interest groups to sign up to the overall aims and objectives ofthe strategy and to the principle that joint working will entail compromise. Theimplication of this is that project proposals will be scrutinised on the basis of thecontribution they make in meeting the aims of the strategy. There will be occasions whencredible projects will not be approved because alternative means of delivering those49

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Counciloutcomes are adopted. Those projects that are approved would have the support of allthe stakeholders. Those that aren’t would be discouraged from proceeding and would nothave backing for development support, funding and so on.This process will need strong leadership and organisation. We have proposed in Chapter3 above that a co-ordinating role be given to the Taff Bargoed Regeneration Partnershipwith appropriate levels of support both to facilitate meetings etc and to develop theelements of the programmeSignificant levels of resources are called for. The scale of the programme proposed isextensive and would represent a sizeable investment in the area. The source of thisfunding though is shared between a number of agencies. This adds to the complexity andefforts involved but also increases the chances of successIn practical terms it also means that the programme needs to be translated into a number ofelements each of which will have its own work-plan, objectives and resource implication. AnAction Plan is included in the next chapter.50

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilCHAPTER 7: ACTION PLANReversing population declineElementImproving existing housingstockBringing forward sites fornew housingA programme of targetedphysical investmentImprovements tocountryside accessBedlinog conservation area- an exemplar schemeProject descriptionNeighbourhood renewal assessmentDesignation of a housing renewal areaHousing StrategyDevelopment briefs / LDPUndertaking enabling worksImprovement in infrastructure and accessProvision of quality landscapingContinuation of Gateways SchemeExtension into settlement areasImproving amenity and public realmPromoting access into the countryside throughphysical and interpretation measuresPreliminary worksStage 1 applicationStage 2 application - action plan for the life of theschemeFive year schemePartnersMTCBC /MTHAMTCBC /PrivateMTCBCMTCBC /GroundworkMTCBC /CADW /PrivatePotentialFundingSources(s)MTCBC /WAG / MTHAMTCBC /WAGWAG -DEINWAG /HoVMTCBC /HLF /PrivateTimescale/ TargetDate20102011- 2021200720082008-20112007-20102007 -20092007200720082009-2014Lead BodyHead of Housing(RD) MTCBCEstates &PlanningDepartment (ND/ MT)MTCBCPhysicalRegeneration(DJ) t MTCBCCountrysideOfficer /GroundworkPhysicalRegeneration &PlanningDepartment (DJ /ND)51

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilStrengthening community tiesElementCommunity developmentstrategyAgreed masterplan torealise the social andrecreational opportunitiesLong term DevelopmentPlan for the Parc TafBargoedReview of the demand /supply in terms of thecultural offerLeadership andorganisationProject descriptionRationalisation / harmonisation of theapproach to community development withinthe valleyFeasibility and development of Sports ActionZoneFollowed byImplementation of constituent projectsAgreeing the long term management modelfor the parkSupporting growth of social enterpriseDelivering ILM projectDetermining potential, audiencedevelopment strategyCommunity Arts Development OfficerDeveloping the role and capacity of the TaffBargoed Regeneration PartnershipPartnersMTCBC / MTHA /TACT / Groundwork /VAMT / Taff BargedTACT / TBDT /Sports Council /MTCBC / GBC /GroundworkMTCBC / TBMC /GroundworkArts Council /MTCBCAllPotentialFundingSources(s)WAGCommunities FirstSports Council/ MTCBCMTCBC /CommunitiesFirst / HoV –Greening theValleysArts CouncilWCVATimescale/ TargetDate200720072008 -201320072007 – 20112007 - 201120072007 - 2012Lead BodyBedlinog &Trelewis /Treharris CFHead ofRecreation &Sport - MTCBCMerthyr & RCTGroundwork &CustomerCommunityDirectorateRegeneration– ArtsDevelopmentOfficer (GP)Communities FirstProgramme52

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilCreating the conditions for sustainable economic developmentElementTown CentreEnhancementsA strategy for the keydevelopment sitesIncreasing the supply ofcommercialaccommodationSupporting thedevelopment of tourismWorkforce developmentProject descriptionBuilding facelift schemeImprovements to the public realmAssembling /promoting package ofsupport to include grant aid.Project managementPlanning guidanceDeveloping workshop units on brown fieldsites and through refurbishmentBetter interpretation and promotionTargeting physical improvements atgateways and attractionsCreating new training facility in the heart ofthe valley – possibly on the Perrott streetsitePartnersMTCBCMTCBC / MTHA/Private / TaffBargoed DTTrusts / EnterpriseAgenciesMTCBC /Groundwork /HERIANMerthyr College /University ofGlamorgan /MTCBCPotentialFundingSources(s)WAG - DEIN /PrivateWAG - UCG andPDG / PrivateConvergence/ Private / EACRT / VisitWales / WAG/ConvergenceConvergenceTimescale/ TargetDate2007-20122007 - 20122007 - 20122007 –20112007 - 2012Lead BodyPhysicalRegeneration(DJ) - MTCBCHead of Estates(MT)MTCBC - &MTHAEconomicDevelopment &Strategic Tourism(CL) - MTCBCRegenerationDepartmentUniversity ofGlamorgan53

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilTackling the high incidence of ill-healthElementSupporting thedevelopment of a healthcentre in TreharrisRaising general level of healthInter-agency workingaround return to workPromoting communitysafety and well-beingProject descriptionHealth centre and allied uses in Fox Street.Exploring the potential for a healthy livingcentrePromoting recreation and healthy dietPathways to Work / Want 2 Work / Job CentrePlusCommunity based initiatives / ILMCommunity wardensCommunity safety partnershipPartnersLHB / VAMT /MTHA/TBDevelopment TrustCommunities First /Local HealthBoardJob Centre Plus /VAMT / HoV /MTCBCSMT / SWP /MTCBCPotentialFundingSources(s)NHS / Private /MTHABig LotteryJob Centre Plus /ConvergenceTimescale/ TargetDate2008 - 20102007 - 20112007 - 20122007 -2012Lead BodyLocal HealthBoardCommunityFirstPartnershipsJob CentrePlusCommunityFirstPartnerships54

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilAPPENDIX A: SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILEIntroductionFrom an assessment of statistics from a number of sources it is evident that Taff Bargoed(much like Merthyr Tydfil) suffers from a range of health and employment issues. Bedlinog hasparticular issues and often performs less well than Merthyr Tydfil whereas Treharris generallyoutperforms the County Borough.The AreaTaff Bargoed encompasses two wards within the County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil: Bedlinog;and Treharris. The population of this area, 9539, accounts for 17.1% of the 55,766 withinMerthyr Tydfil. Situated to the South and South East of the borough the two wards cover2,329 ha which accounts for 21% of Merthyr Tydfil’s land.Taff Bargoed (measured from Perrott St, Treharris) is: 17.2 miles from Cardiff by road and travel takes 32 minutes 27.0 miles from Newport by road and travel takes 41 minutes 38.0 miles from Swansea by road and travel takes 1 hour and 5 minutes 56.0 miles from Bristol by road and travel takes 1 hour and 9 minutesNb. Based on an average speed of 30 Miles/h on national and country roads and an average speed of 60 Miles/h onmotorways.PopulationArea Population (2005 est) Population (2001) Household (2001)Bedlinog 3,376 3,396 1,378Treharris 6,163 6,251 2,471Taff Bargoed 9,539 9,647 3,849Merthyr Tydfil 55,766 55,979 23,145Source WIMD 2005 Population estimates; Census 2001Taff Bargoed has a working population of 5,889 (61.7%) which compares favourably toMerthyr Tydfil (60.2%) and Wales (59.9%).Area% of households with no car orvan (2001)% of households with 2 or morecars or vans (2001)Bedlinog 32.4 23.1Treharris 27.3 30.8Merthyr Tydfil 35.2 20.3England and Wales 26.8 29.455

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilAs an indicator of underlying income car ownership in Bedlinog is low despite the area notbeing adequately provided for with public transport.Area% of households withdependent children (2001)% of lone parent householdswith dependent children(2001)Bedlinog 33.5 8.3Treharris 35.5 7.3Merthyr Tydfil 33.5 9.6England and Wales 29.5 6.5Bedlinog and Treharris are comparable to Merthyr Tydfil in terms of households withdependent children and lone parent households with dependent children. Merthyr Tydfilcontains marginally more dependent children for both indexes than national averages.Area % of population aged under 16(2001)% of pensionable agepopulation (2001)Bedlinog 21.2 19.9Treharris 22.8 18.1Merthyr Tydfil 21.5 21.4England and Wales 20.2 20.9DeprivationIn terms of the Index of Multiple Deprivation the IMD2000 ranks Bedlinog as the 5 th mostdeprived electoral division in Merthyr Tydfil and the 66 th most deprived in Wales (out of865). Whilst the statistics for Treharris are not so stark the town has experienced significantdeterioration from the days when it was an important retail / civic centre. The IMD forTreharris is 249 which would not ordinarily allow it to be eligible for full-ward levelCommunity First status. Due to deprivation within Treharris the area has obtained sub-wardCommunities First status.ElectoralDivisionnameRank ofIndex ofMultipleDep.Rank ofIncomeDomainRank ofEmploymentDomainRank ofHealthDomainRank ofEducationDomainRank ofHousingDomainRank ofAccessDomainRank ofChildPovertyIndexBedlinog 66 149 35 40 95 513 508 172Treharris 249 302 172 148 284 554 470 419IMD 2000 – Ranking 1 (most deprived) to 865 (least deprived)The updated IMD2005 data indicates that the lower layer super output areas (LSOAs) makingup the two wards are largely within the worst 20% in Wales. 13 of Merthyr Tydfil’s 3656

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilLSOA’s (36%) are within the 10% most deprived LSOA in Wales and 86% are within theworst 50% in Wales.Lower LayerSuper OutputAreaOverallindexRank ofIncomeDomainRank ofEmploymentDomainRank ofHealthDomainRank ofEducationDomainRank ofAccessDomainRank ofHousingDomainRank ofPhysicalEnvDomainBedlinog 1 176 744 112 123 171 427 892 526Bedlinog 2 398 677 328 195 258 1143 1039 1208Treharris 1 1170 1566 1207 209 1337 988 1545 1012Treharris 2 613 801 490 305 484 1148 1369 1372Treharris 3 236 485 273 81 261 787 714 788Treharris 4 230 561 290 8 382 1297 882 790IMD 2005 – Ranking 1 (most deprived) to 1896 (least deprived)Employment and Income SupportJSA claimants as a proportion of resident working-agepopulationArea All people (%) Male (%) Female (%)Bedlinog 4.0 6.1 1.7Treharris 2.8 4.1 1.3Merthyr Tydfil 4.1 6.2 1.9England and Wales 2.7 3.8 1.4National Statistics / Jobcentre Plus – claimant count with proportions (February 2006)Treharris is comparable to national averages in terms of proportion of working-agepopulation claiming Job Seekers Allowance. Bedlinog, like Merthyr Tydfil, suffers from a largerproportion with particular emphasis on the proportion of males.JSA claimants as a proportion of resident working-age populationBy age of claimantBy duration of claimArea Aged 18-24 Aged 25-49Aged 50and overUp to 6monthsOver 6 upto 12monthsOver 12monthsBedlinog 32.5 56.6 8.4 62.7 16.9 20.5Treharris 40.4 47.1 12.5 58.7 15.4 26.0Merthyr Tydfil 39.4 49.0 9.8 62.5 17.3 20.2England and29.9 52.5 16.2 68.5 17.7 13.8WalesNational Statistics / Jobcentre Plus – claimant count age and duration (February 2006)57

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilBedlinog and Treharris (as does Merthyr Tydfil) suffer from a larger proportion of 18-24 and25-49 claimants than the national average. Generally 88-92% of claimants are under 50compared to 84% in England and Wales.Economic ActivityEmployment in Bedlinog and Merthyr Tydfil is substantially lower than national averages.Health is an issue within Merthyr Tydfil with 16.3% of Bedlinog’s population beingpermanently sick or disabled compared to 5.5% in England and Wales.AreaEmployed(2001) %Unemployed(2001) %Retired (2001) %Permanently sickor disabled %Bedlinog 47.4 4.0 13.1 16.3Treharris 55.6 3.9 12.4 12.2Merthyr Tydfil 48.6 4.0 13.9 15.9England and Wales 60.6 3.4 13.6 5.5Economic activity is significantly lower in Merthyr Tydfil than national averages. Bedlinog isnoticeably worse than Merthyr Tydfil and England / Wales averages.AreaEconomically activeTotal (%) In employment(%)Employees (%) Self employed(%)Unemployed(%)Bedlinog 59.7 55.1 50.0 5.1 7.6Treharris 70.2 65.4 59.5 5.9 6.8Merthyr Tydfil 63.6 58.4 53.5 4.9 8.1England andWales76.0 71.6 62.6 9.0 5.8Economic inactivity in Merthyr Tydfil is substantially worse than national averages. Bedlinogperforms particularly poorly with nearly double the amount of economic inactivity comparedto England and Wales averages.AreaEconomically inactiveTotal (%) Retired (%) Student (%) Other (%)Bedlinog 40.3 2.6 5.3 32.4Treharris 29.8 1.7 4.5 23.7Merthyr Tydfil 36.4 2.0 5.0 29.4England andWales24.0 2.2 5.5 16.358

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilEarningsAverage gross weekly earnings are £405.10 in Merthyr Tydfil which is the fourth lowest inWales. This is below the Welsh average of £455.00 (Halifax plc March 2005).OccupationBedlinog and Treharris (much like the rest of Merthyr Tydfil) have less managers, seniorofficials and professionals than the national average. There are more elementary occupations,and process plant & machine operatives in Bedlinog, Treharris and Merthyr Tydfil thanEngland and Wales. This indicates that the workforce in the area is less skilled than thenational average.Area Bedlinog Treharris Merthyr Tydfil England andWalesManagers and senior9.2 11.0 9.8 14.9officialsProfessional 5.3 9.0 7.6 11.2Associate professional and9.5 13.2 12.8 13.9technicalAdministrative & secretarial 11.3 11.6 12.1 13.2Skilled trades 17.2 12.9 12.9 11.8Personal services 7.6 7.2 7.1 6.9Sales and customer services 6.3 9.7 8.9 7.7Process plant and machine15.8 11.8 11.9 8.7operativesElementary occupations 17.8 13.8 16.9 11.8Qualifications and SkillsLack of qualifications is a concern within Merthyr Tydfil and particularly Bedlinog. 51.1% ofpeople in Bedlinog have no qualifications compared to 29.1% in England and Wales. Only 8.6%of Bedlinog’s population have qualifications to degree level or higher compared to nationalaverages of 19.8%.AreaHad no qualifications (2001) % Qualified to degree level orhigher (2001) %Bedlinog 51.1 8.6Treharris 39.0 13.4Merthyr Tydfil 43.9 11.6England and Wales 29.1 19.8HealthHealth is a major issue within Merthyr Tydfil. Life expectancy at 73.4 years for males and 78.4years for females is lower than the England and Wales figures of 76.14 for males and 80.65 for59

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councilfemales. A third of the population in Bedlinog has a limiting long term illness and over aquarter of the working age population have a limiting long term illness. This corresponds toMerthyr Tydfil averages which do not compare favourably to England and Wales.AreaGood (2001)%HealthFairly good(2001) %Not good(2001) %Limiting longterm illness(2001) %Working agepop withlimiting longterm illness(2001) %Bedlinog 58.8 24.0 17.2 30.2 27.8Treharris 63.6 22.1 14.3 25.7 23.0Merthyr Tydfil 58.6 23.3 18.1 30.0 26.7England and Wales 68.6 22.2 9.2 18.2 13.6HousingOwner occupied housing in Bedlinog and Treharris is substantially more than the CountyBorough and national averages. Treharris has noticeably less reliance on Council housingrental than national levels although Merthyr Tydfil as a whole has a greater reliance.AreaOwner occupied(2001) %Rented fromCouncil(2001) %Rented fromHousing Assoc. orReg. SocialLandlord %Rented fromPrivate Landlordor Letting AgencyBedlinog 75.3 11.4 3.2 6.8Treharris 78.9 5.9 6.1 5.9Merthyr Tydfil 66.8 17.4 5.4 5.2England and Wales 68.2 13.2 6.0 8.760

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilAPPENDIX B:COMPARATIVE HOUSE PRICESHousing prices are substantially lower in Merthyr Tydfil than England and Wales despite beingwithin 20 minutes drive time of Cardiff.AreaBedlinog &Trelewis (CF466)Treharris(CF46 5)Merthyr Tydfil(£)Cardiff (£) Wales (£) Englandand Wales(£)Detached 184,993 189,391 179,038 269,068 221,836 300,349116,726 107,290 112,452 185,596 138,671 180,170Terraced 81,930 73,495 75,427 149,241 109,538 158,493Flat Unavailable Unavailable Unavailable 144,719 128,204 185,703All property 117,398 112,783 105,308 172,645 149,063 199,184The Land Registry August 2006 (for period April to June 2006)Residential property in Merthyr Tydfil has increased, over the period January 2000 to June2006, proportionately more than national averages and important regional areas of commercesuch as Cardiff. Within the Taff Bargoed area Bedlinog has seen less of an increase whereasTreharris has experienced an overall increase of 295.75%. The biggest rise (183.59%) wasseen in Treharris for semi-detached property. This can partly be explained due to thecomparatively cheaper property in January 2000 for Treharris (£37,833) compared to Cardiff(£78,695).AreaBedlinog &Trelewis (CF466)Treharris(CF46 5)Merthyr Tydfil(£)Cardiff (£) Wales (£) Englandand Wales(£)Detached +101.38 0 +127.23 +98.55 +126.18 +94.26SemidetachedSemidetached+107.05 +183.59 +125.7 +135.84 +147.97 +108.78Terraced +142.54 +178.96 +169.31 +132.8 +156.72 +99.47Flat 0 0 0 +104.6 +124.6 +74.77All property +100.61 +295.75 +157.28 +112.04 +130.37 +80.01The Land Registry August 2006 (for period January-March 2000 to April- June 2006)Nb Where ‘0’ is illustrated fewer than three properties have been sold and percentagescannot be accurately used to represent the postal area.61

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Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilAPPENDIX C: TOWNSCAPE HERITAGE INITIATIVEWhat is THI?The Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) is the Heritage Lottery Fund's grant givingprogramme for the repair and regeneration of the historic environment in towns and citiesthroughout the UK. The programme is designed to address problems in areas of particularsocial and economic need. It encourages partnerships of local, regional and national intereststo carry out repairs and other works to a number of different historic properties withinthose areas, and improve the quality of life for all those who live, work or visit there.The THI was launched in 1998 with a £60 million budget for three annual bidding rounds.Highest priority is given to applications from areas of social and economic deprivation.A partnership approachThe THI offers funding for comprehensive and targeted programmes of repair, re-use andenhancement of historic urban areas. The main aim of the scheme is to encourage viable useof the buildings which make up the special architectural character of historic urban areas,giving highest priority to the repair of historic buildings and to bringing derelict and underusedhistoric buildings back into use.Grants are awarded to local partnerships which manage a common fund from which smallergrants are offered to property owners. The programme addresses the conservation needs ofparticular buildings within an overall strategy, rather than as ad-hoc restoration projects. TheTHI may only be one element of a much wider economic regeneration scheme. Thepartnerships are usually led by the local authority, although they may also include otherorganisations such as community groups, building preservation trusts, development agencies,and civic societies. The partnership is responsible for developing an integrated strategy forthe social and economic regeneration of the area together with a pool of funding from avariety of sources to fund the strategy.Applications are assessed in two stages, with stage one applications submitted in May of eachyear and in principle indications of support from HLF made by September. Stage twosubmissions include the development of an action plan for the life of the scheme which setsout the proposed programme of work.Building owners may apply for a grant from the pool of funding and the local authority andother major partners may carry out direct works to buildings in their ownership or to thepublic realm.63

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilRequirements and conditionsAll eligible THI schemes should: involve a range of works to a number of buildings, structures or spaces within a definedarea involve the local community benefit the wider community as well as those directly concerned with grant aidedproperties.The THI programme offers grants of between £250,000 and £2 million towards the commonfund. The common fund consists of contributions from a variety of sources. These funds arepooled together to allow the recipient partnership to make grant awards to support anumber of individual projects and activities that will make up the THI scheme. THI schemesrun for five years.The partnership is expected to contribute at least 25% of the value of the common fund fromother sources.EligibilityThe THI aims to contribute to the sustainability of local economics and to support thecommunities that live and work in each area. Projects might include bringing vacant floorspace in historic buildings back into use or making an historic area more attractive as alocation for businesses or as a tourist destination. HLF can, under certain circumstances,support the repair and authentic reinstatements of elements lost from the public realm orsupport the authentic reinstatement of architectural features to historic buildings and theirsettings.The THI cannot support schemes which might fall under other FILF grant programmes suchas active places of worship or urban parks and town squares.The THI programme lists several questions to assist applicants determine whether the fundingprogramme is suited to their scheme:1. Is your scheme for an area that has, or deserves to have, conservation area status?2. Does your THI scheme involve work to a number of buildings?3. Is the special character of the area threatened by problems of poor repair, inappropriatechange, vacancy and loss of buildings that result from wider decline?4. Will your THI scheme contribute to the area’s regeneration?5. Will your THI scheme involve and deliver benefits to the local community?6. Will the benefits of the THI scheme be maintained through a long-term approach toconservation issues?64

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilTimescales and deadlinesThe deadline for 2006 Stage 1 applications was 8 th May 2006 and decisions on theseapplications is scheduled to be made by 17 th October 2006. Stage 2 applications are due by 17October 2007 and decisions will be made on these applications by the end of February 2008.Details for the 2007 THI bidding round will be released early 2007.65

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Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilAPPENDIX D: ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT67

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Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilAPPENDIX E:BUSINESS SURVEY71

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Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilAPPENDIX F: SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS AND BACKGROUND PAPERStake holder Symposium – 4 th May 2006.The symposium was held at the Wales International Climbing Centre. An invited group ofstakeholders representing the different sectors convened between 4:00 and 6:30 pm.65 people were invited and 28 attended.A paper had been circulated before hand and this appears at the end of this account.Following a short presentation to set the scene, attendees were split into three groups. Theoutcome from each was reported back at the plenary session.Each group was asked to consider the valley as a place to work, visit and live in, though it wasrecognised that there would be much overlap between these three categories.What follows is an annotated account of what was reported back from the groups.Opening remarks were delivered by Beverley Owen, Senior Manager Regeneration, Merthyr TydfilCounty Borough Council.Plenary SessionPlace to visitThe starting point is a degree of reluctance to even invite visitors into the valleys, emanatingfrom almost a sense of embarrassment about the condition of the valley due to:- Its poor environment and dated highway design. The lack of basic amenities e.g. no public toilets Lack of “finish” and attention to detail An “it will do” culture And lack of civic prideAgainst this there are signs that attitudes are changing. The removal of the industrial blots onthe landscape has made people look differently at the valley and appreciate the wonderfulnatural setting – “a very beautiful place”. Further work needs to be done to change theperceptions internally and externally. This could be achieved through a programme ofactivities aimed at encouraging local people to engage more fully and directly with theirenvironment and increase civic pride. This may be through purely recreational events but mayalso include things such as litter picks. Changes in the responsibilities of commoners willresult in the tidying up of unsightly corners.The valley’s tourist offer is still confused but a product is beginning to emerge. Knowledge of“where we are” is essential in planning for the future. Need for:-73

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Council Cross border marketing, combining different visitor attractions Providing better interpretation through more marketing materials and perhaps atourist information centre Better signposting and way-finding Enhancing the excellent Taff and Celtic Trails through more access points andpublicising planned circuitous routes Working with others to exploit the potential of heritage tourism Working with education department(s) to make Taff Bargoed a major destination forenvironmental education and activities.Wales International Climbing Centre is a proven draw but the offer needs to be enhanced,specifically through the upgrading of the accommodation. It can and must act as base for manyother outdoor pursuit opportunities throughout the valley and beyond. Plans need to dovetailwith the Merthyr wide Outdoor Activity Programme.Other development proposals need to be integrated in a way that they complement oneanother. There needs to be a continuous dialogue between the Boys and Girls Club,community centre, Mini Rugby, Wales International Climbing Centre.Generally facilities for eating out and staying over need to be radically improved. Beginningwith small scale B&B type accommodation. Opportunity for social enterprises to providecatering services based on quality local produce.Place to liveLocal residents consider the valley as a beautiful place to live. The sense of seclusion andsafety in an uncertain world are comforting. As are the low crime rate and the relatively lowlevels of vandalism.The valley may be lacking in facilities, and for young people in particular there may be“nothing to do”, but all the attractions of a major city are at hand and easily accessible, atleast for those who don’t have to rely on public transport. In addition to Cardiff’s facilitiesPontypridd, Blackwood and Treforest are regularly visited for a variety of reasonsThe valley itself provides significant opportunities for physical recreation, with facilitiescurrently going through a development phase. The opportunity for such activities as teamsports, angling, cycling, and rambling have never been better. The development of the park atthe heart of the community has been a real success.However attempts to enliven the cultural life of the valley have not as yet met with the samesuccess. The response to various initiatives illustrates that there is a major task for audiencedevelopment. There are few opportunities for social networking.74

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilIf the quality of the rural environment compares favourably with the best, the same can notbe said about the urban areas. Characterised as “desert towns” they offer little. Pubsuniformingly provide the same fare / formula.The appearance of the centres should be significantly enhanced – the conservation area atBedlinog and the town centre at Treharris being the priorities.Public transport is totally inadequate and despite the low published car ownership rates moreand more emphases is place on car travel. This has major implications for the already understrain infrastructure – putting further pressure on roads and the limited parking facilities.Community transport has a role to play, possibly provided on a seasonal basis during the darknights and the wintry weather. Walking and cycling being encouraged in the summer monthsThough an increase in population may be warranted, can the infrastructure cope? There arealso fears about affordability levels of new housing, and local people’s inability to match themortgage requirements.Another fear surrounds the successful assimilation of new inhabitants. They do bring newenergy, ideas and enthusiasm on occasion. Often those involved in voluntary efforts are new,or returning, to the valley. However is there a fear that they could disrupt community life,have a negative effect on community spirit and dilute old values.The current incidence of high owner / occupancy rates can at least partially be explained bythe incredibly low cost of housing before the current buoyant period, and the sale of tiedcolliery accommodation at rock bottom prices.There is unmet demand for new housing, e.g. it is difficult for those with growing families totrade up to larger properties. Hence housing should reflect local needs not be developer led.Self build schemes should be part of the mix. Land disposal and planning should be based oncommunity regeneration and sustainable development principles. There is an opportunity towork out what this might mean in practice through the council’s current work on the LocalDevelopment PlanPhysical improvements could and should be funded through the Heads of the Valleys Strategyand Objective 1. Physical regeneration must be set in the context of social and economicdevelopment. The task of environmental enhancement can create local jobs and provideopportunities:- to engage with the economically inactive, for volunteering for educational programmes for young people75

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilExpressions of surprise and concern were sounded about the educational performance in thevalley as compared to the county borough and national averages. This would need to beaddressed in the forward strategy.The whole process of taking forward proposals should be led by a reinvigorated Taff BargoedRegeneration Partnership – “a body with teeth”. The chamber of commerce should besupported to develop promotional campaigns.Place to workHaving been a major employment base the valley was now facing a future as a commutersuburb and this prospect was met with disquiet and alarm. It would result in a furtherdiminution of the roles of the centres and deterioration in services.The main impediment is the lack of workspace for SMEs and for live/work.To address this there needed to be a development programme of workshop accommodationand managed workspace. These needed to be sensitively developed so as not to detract fromthe ongoing efforts to improve the appearance of the valley. Not tin sheds but units designedto be sympathetic to their surroundings incorporating high environmental design standards.Site opportunities include WICC where the management is interested in this form ofdevelopment. Smaller opportunities exist within in the town centres where the empty retailunits and chapels and churches could be adapted for commercial / light industrial uses.Treharris town centre could recapture some of its previous vibrancy through the carefuldevelopment of facilities such as the health centre – especially if this incorporates other publicuses in the build.There needed to be mechanisms for inspiring action and innovation. The potential for thetransfer of assets needed to be explored. The kind of vehicles for taking these proposalsforward would include Community Development Trusts / Land Regeneration Trusts.There also needs to be an emphasis on the development of the local workforce, on creatingjobs for local people. Initiatives should include ILM and vocational training measures.Biz Inc has already brought benefits. A web based directory of local businesses is going on lineshortly. There should be further work through Merthyr Business Support Partnership.Social enterprise needs to be encouraged and support provided for those and small [privatecompanies to allow them to compete for tenders.Concluding remarks were provided by Jill Shuker, Director of Corporate Centre76

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilTAFF BARGOED STRATEGY – STAKEHOLDER SYMPOSIUMBackground PaperThis paper is being circulated in advance of the symposium on the 4 th May. The event isdesigned to provide the opportunity to pool thinking about what is being done, and what elseis needed in order to secure the lasting regeneration of the Taff Bargoed Valley.These background notes arise from the consultation that we have undertaken to date and areoffered as a spur to critical thinking beforehand that will aid discussion on the evening.If, for whatever reason, you can’t make the event we would be very happy to receive awritten response, or feel free to contact us by phone to discuss any aspect you might want toraise.In reviewing the current state of the Valley it is very quickly apparent that much needs to bedone, and that this will require a significant investment of time, effort, expertise andresources. As important as this though is to agree a clear and shared view of what the Valleycould become and the role which it will play in the region. Then a sense of direction can beestablished.Our preliminary thoughts are that the forward strategy should be formed around meeting thefollowing four key objectives:- Reversing population decline by providing people with the variety, quality and quantity ofaccommodation they require Strengthening community ties Creating the conditions for sustainable economic development both through measures toestablish a supportive commercial environment and interventions aimed at workforcedevelopment Tackling the complex issues that have resulted in the high incidence of ill-healthThere are many inter-linkages between the four and the aim in implementing a balancedprogramme would be that they each mutually reinforce one another.The symposium is to address - whether these are the key areas; if so, how should they beprioritised and where should be the emphases be placed; and what else needs to be included.1. Reversing population decline by providing people with the variety, quality andquantity of accommodation they requireMerthyr Tydfil has the smallest population of all the Welsh Unitary Authorities. However, asit is also the second smallest in terms of area, it is relatively densely populated (9 th in Wales).77

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilHistorically, as a result of the industrial cycle, it experienced a large rise in population (in1831 the population was larger than that of Swansea, Cardiff and Newport combined)interspersed with periodic falls. Population decline has been a stubborn feature of the periodsince the wars.Initially industry’s requirement to house the rapidly growing workforce meant that oftenaccommodation was sub – standard, built too close together and lacked the public health andtransport infrastructure that would be expected today. Subsequent industrial decline wasmirrored in population decline and this has been a persistent feature of the past decades.Addressing the declining population is one of the key objectives of the Community Strategy.In order to do this more of the indigenous population must be retained and not lost forcareer or other reasons to other areas. But also new inhabitants need to be attracted toreside in the area. A number of factors will influence that outcome, and Taff Bargoed in theSouth of the County Borough, close to Cardiff and the M4 corridor, has an important role toplay. Treharris is the only ward in Merthyr which has bucked the trend in population decline.This performance needs to be built on and a key ingredient in achieving this is to ensure theprovision of the right types of housing, through:- Ensuring that where the quality of the existing stock is deficient it is brought up to theadequate standard where possible or removed when necessary. As we will note belowthe uplift in the value of residential property now means that refurbishing houses iseconomically viable – the costs of repairs can be recovered from the sale of the houses –and there is no pressure to abandon homes, as there has been elsewhere in the country.Where there are sitting tenants who do not have the where-withal to undertake essentialmaintenance and improvements, there are measures that can be implemented. Thedesignation of a Housing Renewal Area would be a powerful step forward. Measureswould need to tackle not only housing but the general environment in which it is set. This certainly applies if the task of encouraging new attractive housing for sale is toresult in the broad range of housing choice which we believe is desirable. Owneroccupation in Treharris and Bedlinog/Trelewis is already well above Merthyr and nationalaverages. In recent years the local property market has experienced a boom and anumber of new developments in Treharris have resulted in a huge uplift in the averageprice of property.More expensive developments dotted throughout the valley have proven popular andadded significantly to the mix of property available. These developments can bring in newspending power that will begin to reverse the collapse in commercial and retail demandwhich resulted from the closure of the pits. The increase in properties in highercommunity charge bands can also benefit the council’s income profile.78

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilConsideration needs to be given to how best existing sites allocated for housing can bebrought forward, how they relate to one another and whether there are other locationsthat can be added to the mix. This is an opportune time to be undertaking this as thecouncil reviews it planning strategies and policies.The down side of the increase in values is that affordability has been negatively affected.This has already led to a severe lengthening of the housing waiting list. Social landlordslike Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association are already operating successfully in the area andhave other schemes in the pipeline. The social housing stock in Treharris is at the nationalaverage of 6%, but Bedlinog is well below at 3.2% - reflecting the availability of sites.There will need to be general and specialist developments – such as schemes targeted atthe disabled and for young people.One of the social trends over the last decade has been the decrease in average householdsize, as families split, the average age at marriage increases and more take the decision tolive alone. These factors make the challenge of growing the population even greater asthe number of households will have to grow even more simply to compensate for them.There will need to be significant activity by social landlords, particularly for specialist andshared equity housing.Alongside the improvements to the housing stock more attention will need to be paid tothe general amenity of the area. The removal of industrial dereliction and itsreplacement by attractive parkland represents a huge enhancement to the visual appeal ofthe valley, but it has also thrown into sharper relief the crumbling nature of some of theinfrastructure. This is a much a legacy of the industrial past as the factories, slag heaps andsidings which have been removed through the land reclamation processes. If theconditions for a residential revival are to be put in place more resources than there arecurrently available through highway maintenance and other funds will need to beidentified.An environmental audit was undertaken with the intention of reviewing the three mainsettlements within Taff Bargoed as visitors and residents would perceive them. Seventeencategories were scored which were organised into three main themes: Identity, Securityand Condition. The audit indicates that the area broadly suffers from a poor identity with alow standard of appearance suffering from a lack of street signage, furniture and planting.Security is relatively good with the main issue being a lack of adequate lighting. Generally thearea feels safe, with low noise levels and slight traffic intrusion. The condition of the area isaverage but there are issues around poor pavements, poor condition of isolated streetsand occasional poor buildings.79

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Council2. Strengthening community tiesPortrayed in the popular imagination, mining communities are places with strong communalbonds and co-operative endeavours. People working together and living close-by.Recreational and educational facilities established through donations from wages. No doubtthere are other sides to this view, but what is beyond dispute is that, for a whole range ofreasons, the loss of the mining industry had far reaching social as well as economic effects. Itmeant more to the communities impacted on than the closure of e.g. a components factorywould have.Have the levels of community activity and voluntary effort recovered? What role does thethird sector have to play in the regeneration of the valley? The creation of two CommunitiesFirst Partnerships has certainly given an impetus. Both are delivering and facilitating a range ofcommunity initiatives. In Bedlinog an excellent family centre has been established in aredundant school. In Treharris Communities First has a high street presence. And anotherresource is that provided through Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil in Perrott St.The Taff Bargoed Development Trust has been established for a number of years. In recenttimes its efforts have been increasingly directed on the Welsh International Climbing Centre,and it is intent on putting the climbing wall on a firm footing and continuing the developmentof the other facilities at the centre, such as the gym, conference centre, bar and catering andaccommodation. However its initial aims were around the broader regeneration of the Valleyand the Trust plans to refocus on this.Nothing better exemplifies a re-growth in community pride and confidence than its appetiteand capacity to run celebratory events. The lantern parade was a good example of this. Theseare good signs but at this early stage they will need to be nurtured carefully. There will needto be a period of community development which is professionally supported, and the bestways of delivering this should be thought through and agreed now.In our consideration of growing the population we referred to the importance of providingthe right quality of housing and surrounding environment. Other factors matter in thedecision about housing choice. Famously, excellent schooling is a key ingredient, butprospective purchasers are also interested in the availability of sporting and cultural facilities.This is an area in which the valley does not currently excel. Though again opportunities arebeginning to emerge.A new development trust has been established in Treharris. Its vision is to capitalise on thesuccess that the introduction of mini-rugby has experienced. By attracting children and their80

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councilparents to become involved a centre of activity has been created that they believe can bebuilt upon. Their initial aspiration is to develop a facility that can attract more visiting teams,augment their tournaments which have a growing appeal and to provide a broader social andrecreational offer to their members and the wider community. The trust also seeks to ensurea secure and successful future for Treharris Park and Edwardsville baths.Additionally the long established Boys and Girls Club is also moving forward with anotherphase of development; Taff Bargoed Angling Association is developing a lakeside workshop /classroom at Taff Bargoed lakes; and the Millennium Park itself provides numerousopportunities for informal recreationMuch of this effort is targeted at physical recreation, and this has far reaching implicationsfor the efforts that are considered in more detail in the Health section below. The culturaloffer does not currently appear to be the subject of so much concerted effort. We havebeen told of a number of concerts arranged through Communities First, The Big V, aproposal from Treharris Stage School, the Arts Council supported Night Out, and the events.What is required is a review of what demand exists and what is latent, what audiencedevelopment strategy would be appropriate, what the potential is for more people to becomeactive participants in cultural pursuits, and what facilities would support such development.Our preliminary research then has identified a number of projects which are in train. Theirrealisation would contribute to making the Valley a more attractive place to live and to visit,as well as to creating employment. The challenge is partly how to secure sufficient resources,and crucially to arrive at a sustainable level of provision which will continue to thrive once theinitial bursts of enthusiasm wane.3. Creating the conditions for sustainable economic development both throughmeasures to establish a supportive commercial environment andinterventions aimed at workforce developmentIt is estimated that the loss of 2,000 jobs in 4 years took £6 million from the local economy.Not only is this in itself a high number, it also must represent a significant proportion of thedisposable income of these settlements. As a direct result the life blood of the commercialcentres has all but drained away. Changing patterns of retail development and operation haveaccentuated the problem and made it very difficult for those businesses who survived to fightback. Arguably the worst has now elapsed and the centres have now found their own levels,delivering a limited range of services to a proportion of local residents with the majority goingelsewhere.81

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilWe undertook a survey which included the vast majority of remaining businesses. Most ofthese (65%) have been in the area for over 10 years and are committed to the area for thelong term with over 78% owning the premises from which they trade.Half reported that turnover had worsened in the previous year and only 22% hadexperienced an upturn. Interestingly expectations for the future were equally split betweenthose who were optimistic and those who are pessimistic.There was general agreement among those we spoke to about what the issues are.Businesses see the main advantages about operating in the area as loyal customer base andlittle or no local competition. The main disadvantage about trading in the area is parking.The measures businesses would like to see introduced in the area to improve tradingconditions are: Increase spending power Provide easier parking Encourage more residential developments Improve street cleaning Better signage Improve street lighting Improve shop fronts – 71% of businesses would be interested in receiving a grant Improve street maintenanceThe perceptions of the businesses largely correspond to the findings of the environmentalaudit.What is lacking though is any organisational response to these issues which harnesses theenergy and knowledge of the businesses themselves. The Chamber of Trade has in effectceased to exist.Improving the environment in town centres is a pre-requisite for attracting new customersbut there also has to be good reasons for accessing the town. It has to be acknowledged thatthe major retail spend has been lost to out-of town supermarkets and bigger centres, so theimportance of the role of other attractors grows. Civic purposes such as accessing pubicservices, libraries, health facilities, voluntary organisations, training centres, specialistindependent shops, can all create footfall for adjacent commercial premises. One result of thedecline is that there are a number of development opportunities in the centres. What is thebest ways in which to bring these forward?82

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilWe have suggested above that growing the population can underpin demand for localservices. But this isn’t a given. Many of the new residents will commute to work elsewhere. Ifthe valley is going to capitalise on this facet of its role, as a dormitory suburb, then activitiesand services must be available at the times people would wish to access them e.g. Saturdays.To provide vitality in the day local commercial activity needs to be encouraged, and whatwould give this a boost is the provision of workshop units. Where possible these could becreated through the adaptive reuse of empty premises like chapels, otherwise new managedwork space should be developed.What role could / should tourism play in diversifying the local economy? The followingobservation was offered in another coalfield town and seems to encapsulate the misgivings ofmany in embracing the change to a service industry led economy:-“my son will be a welder not a waiter”. Attitudes are changing and there are few places nowwhich don’t seek to benefit from tourism spend. What this means though is that thecompetition is intense, and every opportunity needs to be carefully nurtured and exploited.The travel guide books offer a mixed review:-“”the region is long on socio-historical interest and short on beauty. A landscape chopped andscarred, its towns down at heel, it serves as a memorial to what intensive industrialisation andBritain’s colonial mentality did right at home” 16“this is not traditional tourist country, and yet is one of the most interesting and distinctive corners ofWales…..the valleys combine unique sociological and human interest with staggering beauty in thesheer hills that rise behind each community” 17There are a number of attractions in the immediate vicinity and strung out through the subregion.The Welsh International Climbing Centre (characterised by Rough Guide as “thecommunity thumbing its nose at decline”), Llancaiach Fawr Manor have proven their ability toattract significant visitor numbers. Journeys of discovery on the Taff and Celtic Trails, withplaces such as Quakers’ Yard offering pleasant stopping off points. What seems to be missingare:- The required standard of tourist infrastructure – good quality food and accommodation The right sense of anticipation and arrival, with the approaches and linkages between theattractions often crying out for attention A means of making sense of the broader tourist offer – the ease of constructing a visitwhich takes in a number of attractions and/or activities without losing oneself16Lonely Planet17Rough Guide83

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilEven its most ardent proponents would accept that tourism can provide only a smallproportion of the new jobs required to replace those that have been lost. A number of forcesare at work which makes this a difficult task. Firstly globalisation has had a spectacular impacton labour supply which, it is estimated, has trebled in the past two decades 18 . Much of this“new” workforce is in countries where the cost base is much lower. Average labour costsper hour in Chinese manufacturing were just $0.60 in 2002 compared with $24 in Germany 19 .This suggests that the long term trend will move jobs towards cheaper locations and/orreduce manufacturing wage rates in the developed world.Secondly the challenges of economic and industrial restructuring in the valleys have beenaggravated by the pace and scale of contraction of the mining industry. Ultimately within 9years of the 1984-5 mining strike there was no deep mining in the coal field. Variousinitiatives over the years since the 1930’s had aimed to replace the jobs being lost frommining but heir success had been limited. Much commercial and community life continued todepend on mining, and with its disappearance a void was created that inevitably led to socialand economic dislocation“In its scale, speed and geographical concentration, the contraction of the UK coal industry isarguably the definitive example of de-industrialisation in Britain or western Europe.” 20How has the economy of the coalfield recovered in the 20 years since the strike? Worryinglythe performance of the Welsh coal field lags on a number of indicators as can be seen fromthe table of the largest four coal fields:-CoalfieldMale jobs lost in Increase in male % of coal jobscoalnon-coal jobs replacedYorkshire 67,000 55,300 83Nottinghamshire 40,300 17,400 43South Wales 27,200 5,200 19Durham 22,800 23,900 100This is not the best indicator of economic regeneration as it fails to take into account thepre-existing unemployment in the coalfields and the natural increase in the local workforce.When the total job shortfall is considered the South Wales coalfield is amongst the weakestperformers with only 35% of the shortfall eliminated by 2004. With a population of 1.136million the Yorkshire coalfield has increased the number of non-coal jobs by 55,300. In SouthWales with a population of 733,000 the corresponding increase is only 5,200. About 40% of18Richard Freeman, BLS Monthly Labor Review, August 200519China and India’s Implications for the World Economy, www.oecd.org/dev/reisen20Beatty, Fothergill and Powell84

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councilthe total coal jobs lost remains to be replaced. Nottinghamshire and South Wales togetheraccount for half of these.The reason that this is not reflected in the unemployment statistics is largely attributable tothe growth in take of incapacity benefits:-“there are five times as many people of working age in the coalfields who are out of workand claiming incapacity benefits as they are out of work and claiming unemploymentbenefits” 21And the highest density of incapacity claimants is in South Wales where the proportionreaches one in five of all working age men. This is a hidden form of unemployment which isapparent when considering actual employment rates. According to the 2001 census theBritish average male employment rate was 74% whereas for the South Wales coalfield it was64%. The authors of the report quoted above contrast the position in Yorkshire and SouthWales both of which qualified for EU Objective 1 status. The recovery in Yorkshire has beenmuch more rapid and robust, and this they conclude is attributable to the difficult terrain andrelative isolation of the valleys communities.It is not possible to consider education, training and workforce development withoutreference to the industrial history of the valley. The traditions built in communities where alarge proportion of employment was provided by heavy metal and extraction industries aresimilar throughout the UK and beyond. These industries relied on large numbers of manuallabourers and rewarded them relatively well. Academic knowledge and to a lesser extentvocational skills were not entry requirements. Through dedicated training centres andday/block release at colleges, industry provided applied and relevant off-the-job training. Abroader educational experience was attainable through the reading rooms, institutes, WEAand the like. Hence scholastic performance and rates of participation in higher education havebeen below average.The Taff Bargoed area, particularly Bedlinog, suffers from much higher than average numbersof people with no qualifications and substantially lower numbers of people achieving degreelevel or higher qualifications compared to national averages. Index of multiple deprivationranking for both 2000 and 2005 indicate that education is an issue - Bedlinog is within theworst 11% in Wales.Bedlinog and Treharris (much like the rest of Merthyr Tydfil) have less managers, seniorofficials and professionals than the national average. There are more elementary occupations,and process plant & machine operatives in the area than for England and Wales indicating thatthe workforce is less skilled than the national average. Breaking these habits necessitates a21ibid85

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough Councilchange of approach. Making education and training as accessible as possible by locatingprovision at the heart of settlements can boost involvement. These methods have beensuccessfully introduced in neighbouring Caerphilly and elsewhere.4. Tackling the complex issues that have resulted in the high incidence of illhealthHealth is a major issue within Merthyr Tydfil. Life expectancy at 73.4 years for males and 78.4years for females is lower than the England and Wales figures of 76.14 for males and 80.65 forfemales respectively. A third of the population and over a quarter of the working agepopulation in Bedlinog has a limiting long term illness. This compares favourably to Englandand Wales. In terms of health Bedlinog is ranked within the most deprived 5% of electoraldivisions in Wales and Treharris is within the most deprived 20%. This points to the fact thatthere are reasons for concern about the health of the general population and specificproblems in respect of those of working age. In our review of economic performance abovewe drew attention to the issues around Incapacity Benefits. The Welsh Health Survey reportsthat the coal field has the highest level of respondents who claim their physical health isproblematical, and Merthyr Tydfil is one of four UAs who scored highest on the measure formental health. Merthyr has the highest rate of recipients of benefits related to sickness anddisability. Mental illness, particularly depression, is now the main reason for such claims. 22 Notonly does this pose major economic and social challenges at the level of the individual and thefamily it also has considerable implications for the local economy. With the tightening of theemployment market over the past few years (in Sept 2005 the number of people in work hadset a fresh all-time high of nearly 29 million) immigration has played an important part inameliorating labour supply side concerns. Accordingly there is growing interest in ways inwhich the economically inactive can be reconnected to the jobs market. There are currentlyaround 2.7 million people on Incapacity Benefit in the UK and the target is to get 1 million ofthese back to work. 23 At Easington, where 1 in 5 is on Incapacity Benefit, the Primary CareTrust is running a two year £1.6 million pilot, the measures in which include:- giving claimants incentives to work legitimising the informal economy encouraging enterprise overcoming childcare and transport barriers tackling inter-generational dependency22Rees and Stroud, 200423FT 21 st March 200686

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilMerthyr Tydfil is joint top of the league table with 20.5% along with Easington. One initiative,Pathways to Work, being piloted in a number of districts by Job Centre Plus has exceededexpectations in the number of claimants leaving Incapacity Benefits. The Welsh pilots havebeen in Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taf. Peter Hain MP in answering a parliamentaryquestion said they have been a real success, helping almost 4,000 people into work. Pathwaysto Work will be extended to the Eastern Valleys from October 2006. As yet plans have notbeen published in respect of any national roll out.But it will take increases in labour demand too if people are to be attracted back to work, 24and we discussed the measures that might support this above.Both Communities First partnerships have been involved in imaginative initiatives aimed atimproving the health of the general population. Measures aimed at increasing the fruit andvegetable intake in diet, and the plan to establish a Healthy Living Centre as part of therefurbishment of a centrally based chapel are to be supported.Above we have considered the expanding opportunities for residents to be involved inphysical recreation of an informal and formal nature.For a full and active life people need to feel free from crime and the fear of crime. Crimerates in small communities such as these can be unduly influenced by the activities of a fewindividuals. During the research there have been a number of disturbing stories including anallegedly racist arson attack. Such events can skew figures. Overall we are told that crimerates are falling.The elements of a programme aimed at making Taff Bargoed a safe and healthy communitywill not be hard to assemble24 Mobilising Britain’s Missing WorkforceUnemployment, incapacity benefit, and the regions By Steve Fothergill and John Grieve Smith September 200587

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilConcluding RemarksThe strands of a successful regeneration strategy are multi-fold. If a few interventions couldresult in a virtuous cycle of sustainable change and renewal then we would not be confrontedwith so many areas where problems have persisted for years. Increasingly we live in aninterlinked and complex world. Hence efforts need to be focussed and redoubled.The purpose of this background paper has been to provoke debate at the Symposium. It isbased on our preliminary research and feedback from the consultees we have interviewed todate. The range of issues means that we have not always been able to enter into the depthwe would have liked. Similarly there are aspects which we are yet to unearth.We look forward to the airing of the views of those with a real stake in the valleys future.Peter Williamspeter.williams@regen-uk.comJames Thomasjames.thomas@regen-uk.comTel: 01554 780170April 200688

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilAPPENDIX G: CONSULTEESBramley, TomMTCBC - PlanningChatter, Christine Tredegar residentConnelly, Sarah MTCBCCousins, SusanSafer Merthyr TydfilCronin, Malcolm Merthyr Tydfil Housing AssociationDavies, SteveMT Local Health BoardCunnick, TanisMTCBC - EducationDavies, JohnJohn Davies & Sons - Funeral DirectorsDavies, Norman MTCBC - PlanningDavies, Robert MTCBC - Housing & Technical ServicesDavy, IanVoluntary Action Merthyr TydfilEdwards, Chris MTCBC - PlanningEdwards, Jeff (Cllr) MTCBCFairhall, KeithGroundwork MRCTFoley, EdMTCBC - EngineeringGreening, JeanTreharris residentHannigan-Popp, Margaret Merthyr & Rhondda-Cynon-Taff GroundworkHouse, DavidMTCBC - EngineeringHughes, Robert Bedlinog residentJackson, Howard Taff Bargoed Development TrustJames, GeraintMTCBC - LibrariesJenkins, Howard Merthyr CollegeJones, Alan (Cllr) MTCBCJones, DavidMTCBC - Regeneration DeptJones, GavinGroundwork MRCTJones, MelMTCBC - Communities FirstJones, SherelleMTCBC - Bedlinog & Trelewis Communities FirstLewis, GavinMTCBC - Regeneration DeptLewis, HuwMTCBCLloyd, GrahamMTCBC - EstatesMcShay, HelenSMT - Treharris Community WardensMitchell, Roger Safer Merthyr TydfilMorgan, Jeremy MTCBC - EngineeringNeil, AlistairMTCBC89

Taff Bargoed Regeneration StrategyMerthyr Tydfil County Borough CouncilOwen, BeverleyParry, KenPhillips, RobinPrice, Glenn (Cllr)Rees, JohnRichards, LisaRogers, AngelaRogers, JohnShankland, PaulSharples, CarolynShuker, JillSmart, Leighton (Cllr)Symonds, MarkTaylor, MarkThomas, EThomas, GaryThomas, Helen (Cllr)Thomas, ShayneTuck, Ian (Cllr)Watkins, Gareth (Cllr)Williams, GeraintWilliams, SteveWilliams, StevenMTCBC - Regeneration DeptTreharris residentMTCBC - EstatesMTCBCTaff Bargoed Development TrustTreharris Boys & Girls ClubSouth Wales PoliceSouth Wales Police - Division AMerthyr CollegeMTCBC - Regeneration DeptMTCBC - Corporate CentreMTCBCMTHA - Treharris Communities FirstMTCBC - EstatesBedlinog Community CouncilMTCBC - Housing & Technical ServicesMTCBCSouth Wales PoliceMTCBCMTCBC - Treharris WardJob Centre Plus - Want 2 WorkTreharris Rugby ClubTrelewis resident90