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The Future of Welsh Towns

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The Future of Welsh Towns The means: to change places for the better THE FUTURE OF TOWNS IN WALES Prepared by Peter Williams December 2018 The means: to change places for the better London Office 28 Marshalsea Road, London SE1 1HF Phone: +44 (0)20 7403 4135 The means, Welsh Office Unit 3, 21-25 West End, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire SA15 3DN Phone: +44 (0)1554 780170 www.themeans.co.uk THE FUTURE OF OUR WELSH TOWNS 1 The means: to change places for the better The means: to change places for the better TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Executive Summary 2.0 Mapping the landscape 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Small towns in Wales 2.3 Megatrends 3.0 Analysis of the field research 4.0 Proposals for change – Our conclusions and recommendations Appendices Appendix 1 - National policy context Appendix 2 - Comparators from around the world Appendix 3 - Methodology, consultees and timeline The means: to change places for the better Annex 1 - The study towns London Office 28 Marshalsea Road, London, SE1 1HF Phone: +44 (0)20 7403 4135 The means, Welsh Office Unit 3, 21-25 West End, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire SA15 3DN Phone: +44 (0)1554 780170 www.themeans.co.uk 2 3 The means: to change places for the better The means: to change places for the better 1.0 The FSB brief for this work sets out a less deep look at a further eight Thirdly, despite the gloomy It is also important to note that the the context succinctly: places. In addition, we invited the predictions of many pundits, private sector is often more FSB membership throughout Wales respondents were optimistic that committed elsewhere e.g. in Wales is a small nation. With just to contribute through an online improvement would be achieved Germany through chambers of Executive 3 million people and a population version of the survey. The range and over the next five years. Our review commerce, a reminder of when density of 148 per square kilometre disparity of local conditions and of the changing scale of towns over guilds and the like were more in some ways Wales resembles the traditions present a quandary for the years testify to their ability to flex commonplace. The willingness of Summary Czech Republic or Denmark more policy making at the national level. A over time. businesses in the UK to support their than its neighbours in the United legitimate response for government centres has been evidenced through Kingdom. Where the population is is to define mechanisms and Fourthly, the message that towns the growing number of Business most dense it is in Wales’ cities, but interventions in terms of their need to evolve in order to prosper is Improvement Districts in which again these are smaller than those desired outcomes, providing generally understood and accepted. businesses are freely voting to elsewhere in the UK. As a result of general guidance and allowing that impose an annual levy on this, a significant proportion of the to be interpreted and customised Fifthly, new tools are already being themselves to fund improvements to day-to-day economy in Wales takes at the local level. There is plenty of utilised to good effect, and these and the centre. However too many place in towns. Towns are where precedent to inform how this might the effectiveness of levers applied in businesses prefer to trade in things are made, bought and sold or be administered through a “town other policy areas provide ideas and isolation, insulating themselves from where we go to consume our leisure challenge” type approach. However confidence. In Chapter 4 we recom- the communities that surround them and public services. Despite this, more thought (and resource) needs mend a suite of actions - most of other than for the purpose of the economic narrative in Wales to be given to how learning from which are relatively straightforward economic transaction. Successful focuses largely on cities. Thus, we different places can be transferred to implement – that would produce towns depend on the energy and have city regions, city deals and between towns. There is an benefits in the short to medium efforts of their enterprises. agglomeration economics that focus imperative to use what investment term. on building bigger, more connected there is to best effect. Finally, our review of the key urban areas. This undoubtedly Lastly there is the growing number megatrends caution that towns don’t provokes questions around the role Why should government get more of exemplar towns that are once stand still. They must respond of the Wales’ towns. What are the involved in the future of Welsh towns again proving they can be attractive positively to the demographic and policies that are needed today to and commit further resource? Firstly places to work, live and visit. other forces that impact them, or shape how towns look, feel and 40% of the Welsh population lives in face decline. respond to their long-term our small towns, the very places that This is not to argue that town challenges? These are the sorts of are most under threat from the centres are facing anything Action needs to take place at several questions the research will hope to technological and demographic other than significant headwinds. In levels – government, the town centre answer. trends that are underway, and are addition to the challenges alluded to and the individual firm, property outlined in Chapter 2. Secondly it is above can be added the more owner and organisation. To optimise Not only do towns face different evident in the results from our insidious ones of disinterest, the potential impact, the efforts of all challenges to cities, they also exhibit survey (set out in Chapter 3) that complacency, and fashion. Our policy players need to be co-ordinated. differences between one another. large proportions of the population review (see Appendix 1) suggests To grasp some of the implications consider that towns play a vital part that legislators in some other of this we broadened the required in our social and economic life. countries have been more active survey of four towns to encompass in addressing these issues than in Wales. 4 5 The means: to change places for the better The means: to change places for the better 2.0 2.1 Introduction The FSB brief set out the objectives having the unintended consequence 2.2 Small towns in Wales as follows: that smaller towns falling into a This study was commissioned by the policy void. Federation of Small Businesses in Wales is a small nation. With just 3 What is a ‘small town’? Mapping the the summer of 2018. It was million people and a population density Their proposed methodology undertaken against the backdrop of 148 per square kilometre in some required looking at four very What do we mean by the term “small of constant bad news from the high ways Wales resembles the Czech different towns which although not town”? A town, by definition, is a landscape street. Seemingly a week did not Republic or Denmark more than its to be taken as representative of any built-up area, with defined bound- pass without an announcement neighbours in the United Kingdom. “town types” did encompass a range aries, a name, and is larger than a about another well-known retailer Where the population is most dense it of locations that reflected different village yet smaller than a city (Oxford running into difficulties and tipping is in Wales’ cities, but again these are drivers to their development, and Living Dictionaries, 2018). Refining into administration. smaller than those elsewhere in the exhibited recognisable leading that further, a town’s population UK. As a result of this, a significant characteristics: can be between 1,000 – 100,000 at According to the Centre for Retail proportion of the day-to-day economy which point it becomes a city (Study, Research, 2018 is on course to be in Wales takes place in towns. Towns 2018). Settlements with a smaller the worst year for high street retail are where things are made, bought population than 1,000 are classed as store closures since 2008. and sold or where we go to consume Caernarfon – heritage/tourism villages. Undoubtedly this is having the effect our leisure and public services. of depressing the number of new Despite this, the economic narrative in Aberystwyth – public sector/ A large town’s population would be entrants into the sector. Short term Wales focuses largely on cities. Thus university between 20,000 and 100,000. rate relief may serve as a welcome we have city regions, city deals and Therefore, we take a ‘small town’ to respite. But they will not attract agglomeration economics that focuses Haverfordwest – market town be one with a population of between entrepreneurs who want to make a on building bigger, more connected 1,000 – 20,000. long-term commitment. They need urban areas. This undoubtedly Maesteg - post-industrial /valleys something more to overcome the provokes questions around the role gloom and doom. of Wales’ towns. What are the policies How many people live in small that are needed today to shape how welsh towns? towns look, feel and respond to their The focus was extended to include a Those who are coming into the High long-term challenges? These are the further eight places, to acknowledge The mid-year estimate (2016) of Street raise broader well-being sorts of questions the research will that these towns are very individual Wales’ population was 3,113,150 issues? hope to answer. and policy development needed to (CityPopulation, 2018) From data be informed and responsive to their collected from City Population, the • A growth in the number of fast In order to address the question1 specific requirements.
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