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The Plan

One of the first things that became which they live, not any sort of wider apparent from the consultation administrative area. meetings was the marked differences between our communities. If problems Each of these Fora would meet are to be dealt with as local people quarterly in their “patch” facilitated would like, they cannot all be lumped by officers from the Local Authority together and dealt with across the and the Council for Voluntary Service. County in one way from centralised The forum would consist of residents offices. This therefore requires new who had attended the public mechanisms to be put into place (i) to consultation meetings, members of the listen and (ii) to deliver on a more local Councils, school locally sensitive system. The Agenda representatives, local Councillors, 21 Plan will be integrated into the members of local voluntary Community Strategy for Neath Port organisations indeed any local person Talbot. Guidance on the preparation who wishes to actively improve their and implementation of this new community. Any existing fora or statutory duty will be issued by the similar community groupings already National Assembly for during meeting, would not be competed with the Spring of 2001. The Authority will but hopefully be involved and seek ways of addressing community enhanced. involvement and integrating this into the working of the Council, in order The remit of the forum would be to that it and its partners may be more consider the Agenda of issues that aware of and responsive to local have been collected for their particular community aspirations and issues. “patch” and by prioritising the issues, receive presentations and hold (i) One possibility could be the discussions with any relevant creation of Community Area Fora organisations or officers about 1 based upon area groupings. Local particular subject at a time. The idea People identify with those areas with being to get service deliverers and which they are familiar and although support organisations to thrash out politically there is a strong will to pull local problems face to face with the the people of community, looking for positive ways together, the majority of people forward, not looking back to past naturally have their strongest mistakes. allegiance to the village or estate in

A AF N N E E W D A D T 41 A 1 G 2 E N D A Figure 15 Community Planning/Agenda 21 - a possible way forward

Meet quarterly Serviced Serviced by Could be 3, 5, 14, 29 fora - not by Community Planning Community yet decided! Initial core to be Officers Planning Officers made of attendees at the public meetimgs.Serviced by Agenda e.g. One Stop Shop, Serviced by CVS Community Steward 21 officer and CVS or Caretaker Plus Development Officer. Meet quarterly within their area

COMMUNITY 21 AREA FORUM PARTNERSHIP for Agenda 21 Consisting of partner agencies, consisting of e.g. Health Authority, Police, CVS Public volunteers who mail interested local their views on Council residents and Services. community council Numbers to be increased to representatives as take on additional promised at the volunteers from the Agenda public meeting AREA FORUM 21 process for Agenda 21 consisting of interested local AREA FORUM residents and NPT VOLUNTARY community council for Agenda 21 representatives as SECTOR FORUM COMMUNITY consisting of promised at the interested local (already in existence- extend DELIVERY public meeting residents and agenda content to include a MECHANISM community council slot on Agenda 21 or representatives as for the increase meeting frequency promised at the to have dedicated meetings outlying public meeting communities on Agenda 21) A AF N N E E W D A D Agenda 21 Strategy T for Neath Port Talbot

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For example, one meeting could be Community initiative could work as a dedicated solely to the flytipping very simple version of the One Stop problem for the an area Forum and Shop, it could be a community hence they would invite the steward, it could be caretaker plus Environment Agency, Litter Wardens, Keep Wales Tidy Officers and the The new mechanism should be seen Clean Rivers Project Officer all to one as the contact on the ground for all evening meeting for open discussion organisations and it is therefore on how to create a new initiative to essential that the officers selected are deal with the problem. The local experienced and understand the people should be involved as much as working of various bodies from the possible in the solutions, with support Council for Voluntary Service through from the agencies. to the Environment Agency. Indeed funding for such an initiative could be Different solutions may be agreed provided in a shared way. independently by the various Fora to a similar problem, but that is not a The mechanism could be responsible difficulty as long as each can be for monitoring the level of service delivered. response their residents get and thus feed through to the Best Value system. As the Fora over the months, work It must not subsume the role of the through their priorities, new issues local Councillor who is irreplaceable will emerge but also minor issues as the voice of the people but may would niggle as not large enough to assist the Councillor with warrant the whole groups time and administrative support for local these could become divisive over community issues. time. It is these smaller day to day or very localised problems which have (iii) It is proposed that these historically posed problems for Community Delivery Mechanisms service deliverers and residents alike. feed directly to the Neath Port Talbot Community 21 Partnership who are also responsible for the (ii) It is therefore proposed that a delivery of the Community Plan. They Community Delivery Mechanism be should also be expected to feed the put in place in each community to Area Community Fora meetings. (See work alongside the Community Police Fig 15) Officer, the local Councillor and the Community Councils. This This improved community deployment will be phased, starting involvement and tackling of issues with the most distant communities locally will help reduce unnecessary from central services. This journeys and the feelings of

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A 1 G 2 E N D A alienation, in return for empowerment month to a local voluntary and increased community satisfaction. organisation until all requests have However, this will not achieve been satisfied. There are dozens of sustainable communities alone. A WIs, Rotary Clubs, Round Tables, massive awareness raising/education Towns Womens Guilds, campaign is needed to help people to Soroptomists and Probus Clubs who make the right choices when it comes are constantly looking for evening to looking after our local and global speakers. The message of all talks environment. Even television should be “what can individuals do commentators get confused whether to understand and help protect the they are talking about ozone depletion environment”. It would be extremely or global warming and so it is not helpful if the Environment Agency surprising that a topic that sits largely and Health Authority could make outside the National Curriculum, yet similar commitments to water affects all of us daily, is not widely pollution and healthy lifestyles. understood. • That all of the Council’s (iv) It is therefore proposed that a environmental units listed above be major awareness raising campaign given sufficient funds to produce a be launched containing the following leaflet for every household on what as a minimum: individuals can do to help the environment e.g. on energy saving. • That INSET training be arranged for The mailing out of these should be staff of every primary and secondary phased and co-ordinated. school over the next 5 years on the full range of environmental issues • That the Eco Information points at affecting us locally. each of the libraries be used by all departments to get sustainability • That every school works towards messages over to the public. achieving the ECO Schools awards in the next 5 years. • That an Eco Centre be opened in an accessible venue for people to have • That staff of the remaining local all of the environmental queries authority departments are trained on dealt with. the environmental impacts of their sphere of work - 30 staff per month. •ASupporting Awareness Raising Strategy for wildlife is available in • That officers from the waste, energy, the Biodiversity Action Plan. wildlife, transport and air pollution units are made available to carry out • Finally, we need to achieve at least 1 evening talk each, every confirmation that all of our efforts

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towards working and living more by means of external validation that a sustainably are a reality in terms of company is striving to continually action not a delusion. This is best reduce its impacts on the achieved by external checking. Environment. A similar standard ISO 14001 has already been achieved by (v) It is therefore recommended the local Transport, Highway and that the Neath Port Talbot County Engineering Department and it is felt Borough Council commits to the other departments should show a achieve Eco Management and Audit similar level of commitment. Scheme accreditation by 2006. The current commitment is for 2007, but To acknowledge and reward strengthening this commitment would projects of a sustainable nature harmonise with the 5 year Agenda 21 which originate from the community review period and also the and voluntary organisations, subject to Community Plan targets for 2006. appropriate funds being available a grant fund will be made available The Eco Management and Audit annually of some £5,000 giving Scheme is an environmental quality grants up to £1,000 to help get new standard used across the UK to show sustainable initiatives going.

How does the Agenda 21 Strategy fit with other plans

As has already been explained the The Community Plan (2000-2006) has Agenda 21 Strategy is about how considerable overlap with the Agenda things should be done in the 21st 21 strategy, both striving for healthy Century to redress the imbalances vibrant communities achieved through which have been the hallmark of sustainable means. The difference is previous centuries – social that the Community Plan lays down inequalities, exploitation of peoples, firm targets of what the community resources and the environment. It lays and partners would like to see happen down mechanisms to help people on firm timescales over the next 5 achieve their ambitions, but does not years. Basically we find ourselves dictate what these ambitions should be with a Community Plan saying as long as they are in harmony. “What” and an Agenda 21 Strategy explaining “How”.

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The Council has The Unitary Development Plan (2001- decided that the Community Plan 2014) through the local planning and Agenda 21 Strategy be bound system strives to control the loss of together and integrated as one greenfield sites and natural habitats to document as “Community 21”. development where appropriate brownfield sites are available. This It is the intention to review the will be closely linked with the Agenda 21 Strategy every 5 years, Biodiversity Action Plan and again consulting the community reviewing support the Agenda 21 Strategy. the indicators, suggesting mechanisms Unfortunately Local Unitary which can fine tune our aims to be Development Plans have certain more equitable and sustainable. We prerequisites nationally dictated such should have no illusions that we will as the number of housing sites it has achieve total sustainability within our to set aside, this in turn means more life times, if ever, hence we must aim sites have to be identified than for continuous improvements. perhaps would locally be liked.

The Green Transport Plan for example The Airwise Strategy which monitors is a mechanism to reduce the Local the Air quality of the area is another Authority’s travel impacts on the local important element of Agenda 21. environment. There is a duty placed Similarly the Health Improvement on any employer in an area with over Plan (HIP), the Crime and Disorder 500 employees to produce such a Strategy, Economic Development plan, as the Ford plant as Jersey Strategy, Development of Life Long Marine has already done. These plans Learning and Skills Training and the greatly help the Agenda 21 aims but Youth Justice Plan are all intended to more SMEs should be encouraged to be delivered through the Agenda 21 do the same. mechanisms of consultation and local involvement, minimising pressure on The Neath Port Talbot Biodiversity the environment. Action Plan (2001-2006), a BAP as it is fondly known, is a targeted plan to help the conservation of local wildlife and habitats in the area. This is a legally required plan which also fulfils the Agenda 21 aims.

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Summary of the Tawe Afan Nedd Agenda 21 Strategy - Commencing 2001

1. Inform 4. Respond by publishing the Sustainability to community needs on the ground Indicators in the Authority’s by phasing in a community Annual Report, to every household, delivery mechanism, such as a One thus enabling local people to base Stop Shop, a Community Steward their understandings on up-to-date or Caretaker Plus in the villages to information rather than complement the role of local perceptions. Councillors and Community Councils. Dealing with each of the 2. Involve agencies, not simply the Local by creating area based Community Authority, and perhaps monitoring Fora, consisting of local residents, the response for Best Value. The organisations and representatives. role could be linked closely to that To meet quarterly to progress of the Community Police officer. initiatives in a sustainable manner on their local Agenda with the 5. Change relevant partner agencies. peoples understanding and habits by a major awareness raising drive- 3. Listen training teachers and staff, by bringing together the agencies challenging schools, talking to and service providers including the voluntary groups and Police, The Voluntary Sector and comprehensive leaflet distributions. the Health Authority to form the Community 21 Partnership. To 6. Achieve listen to the Area Fora issues and Eco Management and Audit help in their delivery in a “joined Scheme accreditation for the Local up” manner. To receive reports Authority by the end of 2006. Also from the Communities. This to achieve practical sustainable Community 21 Partnership is a community led projects on the cornerstone of the Community Plan ground with the aid of Agenda 21 and will integrate the Agenda 21 starter grants provided by the local and Community Plan together. Authority.

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Appendix I Programme of Public Consultation Meetings

Coedffranc community held on community held on 5th May 1998, in the Memorial Hall, 3rd November 1998, in Glyncorrwg Park chaired by Community Centre, chaired by Mr. Emyr Gough. Attendance: 53 Hazel Ackery. Attendance: 20

Dyffryn community held on community held on 19th May 1998, in the Memorial Hall, 18th November 1998, in Blaengwynfi chaired by Social Welfare Centre, chaired by Mr. D. Harry. Attendance: 39 Mr. M. Christopher. Attendance: 18

Cilybebyll community held on Cymmer community held on 9th June 1998, in Rhos Primary 1st December 1998, in Croeserw School, Rhos, chaired by Community Centre, chaired by Mr. S. Hastings. Attendance: 34 Mr. Ieuan Davies. Attendance: 24

Pontardawe community held on community held 23rd June 1998, in Arts on 20th January 1999, in Centre, Pontardawe, chaired by Community Centre, chaired by Reverend Richard Jones. Mr. R. Hart. Attendance: 46 Attendance: 61 community held on Gwaun Cae Gurwen community held 3rd February 1999, in Margam on 15th September 1998, in Community Centre, chaired by Gwaun Cae Gurwen Community Hall, Mr. Don Thomas. Attendance: 28 chaired by Reverend Richard Jones. Attendance: 27 Sandfields and community held on 24th February 1999, in Dalton community held on Road Community Centre, chaired by 29th September 1998, in Cwmllynfell Dr. Joan Richards. Attendance: 23 Primary School, chaired by Mr. E. Richards. Attendance: 17 community held on 17th March 1999, in Baglan community held on Community Centre, chaired by 20th October 1998, in St. David’s Mr. J. Hussel. Attendance: 33. Hall, Ystalyfera, chaired by Reverend Anthony Turner. Attendance: 25 community held on 31st March 1999, in Glynneath Town Hall, chaired by Reverend Robin Angel. Attendance: 37

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Blaengwrach community held on Tonna community held on 21st April 1999, in 30th September 1999, in Tonnau Cwmgwrach Welfare Hall, chaired by Primary School Community Hall, Mr. Gerald Harris. Attendance: 40 chaired by Mr. Iorwerth Thomas. Attendance: 24 and Clyne community held on 11th May 1999, in community held on Resolven Rugby Club, chaired by 13th October 1999, in Briton Ferry Reverend Norman Hadfield. Pensioners Hall, chaired by Attendance: 46 Mr. Huw James. Attendance 52

Pelenna community held on Community held on 19th May 1999, in Ponthydyfen 10th November 1999, in Taibach Community Centre, chaired by Community Centre, chaired by Reverend Denys Brace. Carole Wellington Attendance 20 Attendance: 24 community held on community held on 24th November 1999, in Crynallt 17th June 1999, in Onllwyn Welfare Junior School, chaired by Hall, chaired by Mr. A. Thomas. Reverend Cliff Thomas. Attendance 38 Attendance: 29

Seven Sisters community held on Melincryddan community held on 7th July 1999, in Canolfan, chaired by 19th January 2000, in Melin Junior Mr. Emyr Lewis. Attendance: 17 School, chaired by Mr. Ron Gallender. Attendance: 34 community held on 14th July 1999, in Crynant Port Talbot community held on Community Centre, chaired by 3rd February 2000, in Port Talbot Arts Mr. Barry Michael. Attendance: 75 Centre, chaired by Father Steven Kirk. Attendance: 26 Blaenhonndan community held on 15th September 1999, in Catwg Neath community held on Primary School, chaired by 17th February 2000, in St. David’s Mrs. Margaret Thorn. Attendance: 54 Church Hall, chaired by Mr. George Griffiths. Attendance: 32

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Appendix II Agenda 21 School Comments

Coedffranc school comments from Margam school comments from Coedffranc Junior School. Groes Primary School.

Dyffryn Clydach school comments Sandfields and Aberavon school from Infants School and comments from Melynchlog Nedd Juniors. Glanymor Primary School, St. Therese’s Primary, school comments from Sandfields Primary, Rhos Primary School and St. Joseph’s Junior School and Primary. Sandfields Comprehensive School.

Pontardawe school comments from Baglan school comments from Rhydyfro Primary School, Blaenbaglan Primary School and Llangiwg Primary School, and Baglan Primary School. YGG Pontardawe. Glynneath school comments from Cwmllynfell school comments from Cwmnedd Primary School and Cwmllynfell Primary School and YGG Cwmnedd. Primary School. school comments from Ystalyfera school comments from Blaengwrach Primary School. YWern Primary School. Resolven and Clyne school comments Gwynfi school comments from from Clun Primary School and Abergwyhfi Junior School. Ynysfach Primary School.

Cymmer school comments from school comments from Croeserw Primary School, Tonmawr Primary School and Cymer Afan Primary School, and Primary School. Cymer Afan Comprehensive School. Onllwyn school comments from Bryn and Cwmavon school comments Maesmarchog Primary School, from Cwmavon Junior School, Cwmavon Infants School, and Bryn Primary School.

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Seven Sisters school comments from Taibach school comments from Blaendulais Primary School, Eastern Primary School. Ysgol Gymraeg Blaendulais, Cimla school comments from Crynant school comments from Crynallt Infant and Creunant Primary School. Crynallt Junior Schools.

Blaenhonddan school comments from Melincryddan school comments from Catwg Primary School, Melin Junior School and Cilffrew Primary School and Melin Infants School. Primary School. Port Talbot School comments from Tonna school comments from Central Infants and Juniors. Tonnau Primary School. Neath School comments from Briton Ferry school comments from Gnoll Primary School, Brynhyfred Primary School, St. Josephs Roman Catholic Primary Llansawel Primary School, School, Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Tyle’r Ynn Alderman Davies Primary School and and Ynysmaerdy Primary School. Ysgol Gymraeg Castell Nedd.

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Appendix III Welsh Headline Indicators

Proposed Welsh Indicator •Total output of the economy (GDP and GDP per head) •Percentage of UK business research and development expenditure which occurs in Wales •Proportion of people of working age who are in work •To be determined in the context of the Social Inclusion Action Plan and Annual Report, and the development of the `Communities First’ policy •Qualifications at age 19 •Standardised mortality rate per 100,000 population •Houses judged unfit to live inLevel of crime •Emissions of greenhouse gases •Days when air pollution is moderate or high •Road trafficRivers of good or fair quality •Populations of wild birds •Use of previously developed land, and pressures on undeveloped land •Waste arising and management Satisfaction with quality of life (to be developed) •GDP per head and household disposable income per head in the Valleys and the west of Wales, relative to the Welsh average •Welsh domiciled students leaving higher education after qualifying and going into employment in the UK who go into employment outside Wales •Proportion of people who can speak Welsh •Electricity produced in Wales generated from renewable resources.

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Appendix IV Useful Contacts

Throughout the document there have been references made to local projects. If you would like to know more, here are the main contacts: (all numbers are 01639 unless otherwise stated)

Agenda 21 Suzanne Waldron 764277 Neath Port Talbot Clean River Project Mr Mike James 764370 Four Valleys Furniture Initiative Mr Simon Williams 01792 321341 Energy Efficiency Unit Mr Peter Morgan 01792 512610 Awel Aman Tawe Community Wind Project Mr Dan McCallum 01269 822954 Clean Up After your Dogs Campaign Mr Chris Willans 764266 Community/School Litter Picker Mr Alan Shields 01792 512581 Airwise Stategy Mr Peter Hollingsworth 897548 Neath Port Talbot Biodiversity Forum Isabel Macho 764273 Unitary Development Plan Mr Owain Lewis 764287 Forest Enterprise Red Squirrel Project Mr Chris Tucker 701880 Dulais Valley Job Search Brian Ahearne 701880 National Trust Falls Mr Vic James 636674 Business Connect Mr Greg Kaminares 01792 817575 Community Development Trusts Mr Adrian Howells 764371 Crime Prevention Unit Mrs Jane Griffiths 764428

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Appendix V Bibliography

A Sustainable Wales Preparing Community Strategies Measuring the Difference (Draft Guidance to Local Authorities) (Consultation Indicators) 2000 DETR 2000 National Assembly for Wales A Healthier Future for Neath Port Sustainable Communities in Wales Talbot (Ensuring that the contribution for the 21st Century of the Voluntary Sector makes a real (why and how to prepare a local difference) agenda 21 strategy) 2000 Neath Port Talbot Council for 1998 Welsh Local Government Voluntary Services Association Neath Port Talbot Local Transport Draft Neath Port Talbot Community Plan Plan (Achieving Better Communities) 2000 NPTCBC 2000 NPTCBC Neath Port Talbot Tourism Strategy Airwise – Local Air Quality Strategy 2000 NPTCBC for Neath Port Talbot 1999 NPTCBC Local Environment Agency Plan Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend Area Quality of Life Counts 2000 Environment Agency Wales (Indicators for a strategy for sustainable development for the UK) Local Environment Agency Plan 1999 DETR and Llanelli Area 2000 Environment Agency Wales Neath Port Talbot Crime and Disorder Strategy 1999 Police

Predeposit Consultative Draft of the Neath Port Talbot Unitary Development Plan 2000 NPTCBC

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