20 VALUER www.irrv.net planned. cumulative impacts upon based outcome the is that phases in developing in challenge greatest The to change. byadapting but design, original the closely byfollowing is not much today, asuccess reflection on considered is generally Cwmbran although which, Cwmbran, in success city” “garden Welwyn’s to replicate desire overt an was There Wales. of City Garden as Cwmbran confirms brochure 70s promotional mid aCDC of page front the from Abanner Manager. General the been had McComb where City, Garden Welwyn from came –who Menday Ronald and McComb –James Managers General of lineage its in to two due Wales of City Garden labelled was early (and ongoing) development from close quarters. Cwmbran (until its 1985) years to view able Ihave been twenty nearly for (CDC) Corporation Development Cwmbran for worked Having well. Iknow one of characteristics the on reflect help not I could immediate an housing need, fulfilling of ameans towns) being as (new cities garden towards move government the of light the In Cwmbran – Garden of Wales City over. stumbled Piet neatly later Hein and drew we neatly lines of because our airiest castles tumbled over, through, fallen have plans choicest Our cities Garden purchase Compulsory that theythat were planned may way not but the in succeed, tends to vary greatly with what was originally originally was what with greatly to vary tends idealistic concepts idealistic that demonstrate oneto on just towns by focusing at garden cities/new Edwards looks Stan 

the garden city of Wales. of city garden the building in components main the of cameos to give possible is only it case, the being This sit. all they which in Area environmental wider internal/external the and goods) and services people between (movement Accessibility agglomeration), (clustering, Associations social and environmental structures changed, adapting to imposed to adapting imposed changed, structures environmental and social economic, the However centre. the and industry to existing – close possible as central as placed also was Industry town. the through Lwyd river, the Afon side along recreation central the formed parkland of distributor lung road. Agreen byadistrict fed area each with facilities, shopping and educational social, own its had neighbourhood Each centre. town the around grouped to be town the of areas residential main comprised Pontypool (then) of Monmouthshire valley eastern the in villages 3160 of (1279 area acres existing 1949, in three ha.) around based designated original the of extent the shows picture above The demographic Structure –physical and plustransport and Situsand Succession Structure, linked of factors inextricably combined the to consider viewpoint economics land urban an from useful also is It intertwined. closely –all transport and retail employment, plan. original the on internaland impacts external of consequences unintended through shaped have been will end the in is produced whatever that reality the avoid will they cities, garden at glasses historic rose-tinted through gooey-eyed bylooking mesmerised are politicians and planners how or planned, are things well how matter no is that all of greatest The immense. are towns new other and Cwmbran from learned to be lessons the Ebbsfleet, as such town/settlement, any of small construction the in is that made to be point main The uses. associated and ancillary of raft awhole of development the way, necessitating apioneering in housing for aneed fulfilling of ways time their in were towns by new followed cities Garden one. anew to read than book old an re-read to better is often It sciences. physical the with as atheory, testing of way laboratory is no there science, is asocial economics although frequently were economics studied who Those No social science experiment In this vein, we will look at four sectors in Cwmbran –housing, Cwmbran in sectors atfour look wewill vein, this In 1 . Situs analysis in particular considers in detail Activities, Activities, detail in considers particular in analysis . Situs and Newport and . The proposed physical structure structure physical proposed . The , flowing north to south to south north , flowing warned that that warned between between housing, to: new of supply the regarding obvious was need The housing. primarily was Cwmbran of purpose original the Ebbsfleet, Like Housing of: terms in circumstances town blight. The provision was that within a statutory period period astatutory within that was provision The blight. town new of aform of 11 care to take Act the of Section afeature was consequences? 11 Towns 1946 –unintended New Section Act number of industrial developments. a of location the influenced also that afeature of 1960/70s respect in the in towns new other the from isolated not was Wales expected. demographic/tenure mix the altered that occurred things of anumber but Cwmbran, in remain and age 50000. under atjust estimated now is –it 35000 of 12000, atarget was with population initial The basis. aphased on created was centre town the Contemporaneously, west. north the with starting time, over direction aclockwise in area designated the within neighbourhoods housing of construction the for sites greenfield of acquisition the in enough simple was plan The CPO: particular to this sections three were there powers, CPO in interested those the For network. road trunk the with Cwmbran connecting Drive, to deliver highway essential infrastructure most used were CPOs that today. post-1980 was It situation similar a such see not –Icould byagreement acquired were Cwmbran in land residential future of tracts extensive the of most situations, 11 Section post strategic some from However, apart Myers. with encounter Keynes’s Milton being famous most the perhaps extensively, powers Towns CPO New Act the used towns new Many Land acquisition • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • There appeared a naivety that the population would just grow, just would population the that a naivety appeared There  attracted or in workers other key and for housing of provision       would make significant demands upon the housing market. housing the upon demands significant make would (BBs) 1947 the 20 in years that boomers baby recognise area to the replace aging terraced stock area. designated the within elements commercial and Towns –New –highway Act element CPO non-ministerial Act Highways area. designated to the road trunk –from Council County –Gwent element CPO non-ministerial Highways Act road. –trunk –Welsh Office element CPO ministerial changes. service health ‘60s late the in built atNewport, M4 the exansion for a push retailing of patterns in changes but location, shopping in just not changes ofremoval funding location HQ authority and reform government local an in ownership increase car time over traversing “47 the just bulge” -not change boomer demographic change in housing tenure change in household composition and formation base employment industrial of the failure lines branch valley the on axe Beeching the in a much greater way than waythan greater amuch in , notably Cwmbran Cwmbran , notably followed closely a “Welwyn” pattern that provided: that pattern a“Welwyn” closely followed CDC the rent, for been had housing of provision prime the Whereas Private housing sector private. but to rent, returning many now and ownership, to private rented –public turning keeps cycle The schemes. ownership” “shared of dimension additional the 1980 seen was from that in 1980s. late changing, However, the were in towns things new the of demise the until rent for houses building continued type. house and layout location, the upon depending housing affordable of Today, is asource stock older this of many 1980s the onwards. from builders volume bythe characterised sale, for built specially houses for demand triggering eventually culture, ownership ahouse creating in successful was scheme the whole, the On boundary. of inches over wars turf petty in engaged considered and therefore amply provided. even not were access and provision parking car reducing of lunacy present the that, said Having phases. newer the in layouts de-sac roofs experimenting with mono-pitched were planners and architects the time bythis but on, early advantage the saw layouts traditional with areas settled in Those board. the across not was take-up initial the again but advantage, government was it policy because done be could much nothing Board but opposition to much this, was there that is recalled It prices. atdiscounted to tenants houses rented 1970searly Conservative the was government directive the in market housing the impacting factor important other The Sale to tenants 11 repealed. Section time in was dimensions in terms of succession: of terms in dimensions anuisance as factor viewed was stock rented new brand in rehoused being time same atthe , whilst old properties sub-standard their to purchase CDC to compel opportunity the took older) (mainly residents many not intendedwas perhaps to it Whereas value. atmarket to acquire forced be could CDC the CDC, to the property their to sell approached been not properties had non-rented of residents the if town, the of formation the from • • • • • • • • • • This was notwithstanding of course that the Corporation Corporation the that course of notwithstanding was This owners new many and changed, suddenly Tenure mix

     sites for self-build plots or self build groups. build self or plots self-build for sites builders local for sites in-fill small sale for built houses quality industrial/employment use for intosites such convert and residue, tothe CPO task easy an became it that great, so became area aconcentrated in properties such of ownership Corporation’s the eventually ownership property of succession the did so and changed, mix demographic –the aneighbourhood dominated area one from people the all not that so time, over place took effect the re-let and to standard up brought to be stock, rented the entered purchased properties old impacted were catchments school neighbourhoods new in rehoused were families old quality enveloping schemes. a in Row, preserved were Garw e.g. cottages, acquired some time atthe developed being neighbourhoods to new was tenants and owners of relocation the again force people out of their houses, very very houses, their of out people force , but there were some interesting interesting some were there , but Compulsory purchase Compulsory in confusing service cul- service confusing in . Many tenants took took tenants . Many . At first this this . At first to sell to sell the the , 21 VALUER MARCH 2015 Compulsory purchase

CDC houses built for sale ceased by the early 1970s, and it was only and a number of tinplate and stamping works. Additionally, there when the New Town Corporations were close to being wound up were industries in surrounding areas such a Panteg Steelworks, that the volume builders were allowed to bid. McComb had gone, and eventually Llanwern Steelworks, plus BNS/ICI Fibres, not to but his residual influence against the early introduction of volume mention the basic coal and industrial South Wales. However, in the builders remained until the 1980s. 1960s the Corporation eventually recognised the need for quality rack-rented units (75sqm) and advance factories (2000sqm+), plus The neighbourhoods bespoke. The boom in Cwmbran came back, its Assisted Area The developed neighbourhoods still retain their own distinct status enabled two-year rent free periods to be granted to “suitably identities, and whereas the first estates are known by their names, qualified manufacturing industries”, and thereafter to expansion the residents of the later estates are quite happy (to this day) to space. This was before the fettering influence of the EU on state aid. be known by their estate development ID name and number. All After its acme in the 1970s/1980s, Cwmbran was not excluded from the estates are constantly going through demographic change, the vagaries of the world market. Most of those industries listed whether it be from the younger generation BBs gravitation to the above have now gone, with Precision Forgings/GKN closing in the cheaper properties of the 1970s and 1980s, or the BBs themselves early 1970s. PF/GKN lands were used to produce the Springvale now seeking to take advantage of large equities. Industrial Estate and the Cwmbran Retail Park, close to the town centre. The sad thing is that when the basic industries and those Severnside study and the expansion of the designated area associated with them leave, everything else becomes footloose. In 1970, the Severnside Study was published, wherein a The state aid regulations imposed by the EU have not enabled recommendation was to form a linear town from Newport to the industrial base to recover to its former glory, but Cwmbran’s Cwmbran and Pontypool, injecting an additional population location and ability to retain what is left does leave a tenuous of 50,000. Although the CDC carried out studies on this platform for growth. recommendation, they were dropped due to economic and political Many of the units are now well over 30 years old and require considerations. Following this, there was a move to expand the review, notwithstanding that many still operate effectively, but with designated area of the town. The first proposal, South Sebastapol, a much different trade pattern than in the early days. to the north, was abandoned in favour of Henlys (located in the Even the large employers like local authorities have in turn south west) and an area to the south that eventually became peaked and troughed in Cwmbran. Retail is however a big employer Llantarnam Industrial Park. In its final stages, (late 1980s) the CDC in Cwmbran and a large critical care hospital is proposed. sold its Henllys lands to volume builders, and a significant area to the Land Authority for Wales, which released phases to volume Application for Ebbsfleet? builders by tender over time. The existed and predicted employment bases are fluid, and will In recent years, Torfaen CBC has struggled to provide additional impact on household formation. housing with a project for South Sebastapol, notwithstanding the many objections to Cwmbran coalescing with an adjoining Retail and Leisure urban area to the north. Such recent developments include a social (affordable) housing requirement and low car provision, no matter It is on retail, and to a lesser extent leisure, that these days the what the impact on marketing. Coupled with this, the council spotlight falls. A new town centre was proposed in the master has recently received proposals for a 450 dwelling mixed use plan, and it seems from records that there were concerns from development to the south. It seems that the pressure is on for the surrounding local authorities at the time, but this was overridden. Severnside recommendations to be created by default. In the late 1960s, the same concerns were expressed for a new town at Llantrisant, north west of Cardiff, and there the opposition was The old villages formally successful. However, in the last 15 years, the development These areas still retain many second and third generations of the of nearby Talbot Green Retail Park and housing at Pontyclun has original population, and can still relate to community and roots. demonstrated that the market will finally hold sway, and an informal “new town” created by default. Application for Ebbsfleet? Just as with Cwmbran there seems a naive assumption of Cwmbran’s retail structure retention, no migration of population, and a limit on growth. The CDC’s implementation of retail was simple enough, and to be Cwmbran set out to have a dormitory function, with an ongoing fair there was no “competitive intent” with retail in surrounding provision for BBs. The dormitory function now has wider popular towns. However, the CDC was visionary in realising that retail commuter application. With Ebbsfleet, there must be an assumed success was geared to convenience and accessibility, in respect of dormitory function, plus some local employment. In reality, it seems accommodating the increased car ownership. Key to Cwmbran’s that over time the natural movement of growth is for coalescence town centre retail success was a large quantity of free parking. The with adjoining settlements, so that in such situations the “stand developed hierarchy of shopping was: alone” garden city just becomes a step in a strategic infill. • Pantry shops. Each residential neighbourhood had a “pantry shop” to provide facilities as a vanguard to the

www.irrv.net Industry and Employment provision of a neighbourhood /district centre. These were sacrificial, and could be easily adapted to residential use. Early on, the creation of industry and employment were not a • Neighbourhood/district centres. Neighbourhood shops VALUER priority. The town fared well within, with indigenous employers ranged from four to ten units, with a large district centre 22 such as Girling, Saunders Valve, Alfa Laval, Precision Forgings (GKN) totalling 20 units – each was successful in its time, but Compulsory purchase

many have fallen foul of the ravages and fragility of the spending elsewhere – the usual “chicken and egg”. CDC’s aim retail market. Many survived by combining units to form was the growth of convenience coupled with accessibility. As with supermarkets – a feature that arrived in the early 60s. The the neighbourhoods, this was not without its pub, The Moonraker early strict user clauses and cross-covenants had to be (Raker), which for many years was the established town centre pub. seriously revised. Turnover rents were considered to retain In the 1970s, the planned development of the town centre services in failing conditions. One centre, Llanyravon, with included quality apartments (Monmouth House) above the shops. more than ten units, is still successful, and its features Moving the CDC offices to the centre, as did the offices provision of convenience and accessibility attest to that. The for growing professional firms, assisted in reinforcing spending. neighbourhood centres declined as the influence of central Cwmbran attracted Woolco (replaced by Asda), Marks and retail core grew, but not just due to the growing impact of Spencer and Sainsbury’s to its core – Sainsbury’s (on its original that core, but to changes in the pattern of retailing generally. site) was the first in Wales. A leading journal at the time (1974), • Reformed local retailing – the cuckoo in the nest. Political and Economic Planning (PEP), stated that, “It would not be Whereas there has been a failure of formal neighbourhood surprising that Cwmbran soon comes to be regarded as Britain’s most centres, and to some extent traditional villages, the national successful “out-of-town” (OOT) shopping centre”. PEP was right in superstore operators, such as Tesco and Sainsbury, take one way and wrong in another. At the time, Cwmbran was OOT to advantage of a continued demand for local convenience Newport, but in the light of recent analysis, Cwmbran is regarded as shopping, using the muscle of economies of scale. Such one of Britain’s most successful “in town” shopping/town centres. stores operating locally acquire premises with parking OOT is no new 21st century thing. Even post-war expanded towns potential. Cwmbran is not immune from such activity, and impacted on their cores. Ebbsfleet will be OOT to its neighbours and redundant pubs are a target. It is easy to identify spending they to Ebbsfleet – cross impact. leakage, but socio/economic impact upon traditional stable centre is unassessed, providing, in many cases, unwanted Demographic impact of ‘47 grey pound BBs competition, and eventually establishing a monopolistic According to a recent survey2, the grey pound now accounts for position. In Cwmbran a failed purpose built neighbourhood £320billion a year – up by £100 billion in nine years. Spending on pub, the Golden Harvest, was taken over by Tesco. The food and non-alcoholic drinks rose at 5.1% a year from 2003 to 2012, Pontnewydd Inn is in transition as shown in the pictures. and the over-50s account for 76% of the nation's financial wealth. The application for the garden cities of tomorrow is that This impact on Cwmbran spending cannot be emphasised where they are formed in close proximity to existing towns/ enough. The issue for Ebbsfleet is that the impact of migration and villages many establishments within those centres will economic demography on issues such as future decrease in grey immediately be threatened by national store operators. pound impact (reduction) cannot be ignored. Such is the case where the planning system provides no protection against cuckoo egg laying. What happened? The wider impact In situs terms, Cwmbran’s profile and activities together with associations (agglomeration) and positive accessibility features, impact a much wider environmental area. Its basic structure was planned. So what is the analysis? Transport and Structure Change

Pontnewydd Inn 1976 Inn transition 2014 The physical structure of Cwmbran is roughly the same as the • Central Retail Core. The central retail core is an expanded master plan, with some adjustments for layouts and circumstances, version of the original Master Plan but even that may be with the addition of an expansion area and transport priorities. considered in terms of: Although the main railway line to Manchester and Holyhead still – town centre, forming the core, sitting within a one-way runs through the town, with its own busy station, the branch lines ring-road with four corner roundabouts to the valley which ran through the centre fell foul of the Beeching – an adjoining retail park with the usual retail warehouses axe. Although on the one hand considered a massive erroneous – expanded retail space including Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Lidl, decision, it had to be quickly countered with a rethink on transport, and most recently Morrisons. in terms of replacing rail with motor transport facilities, so that a Any needs in respect of a wider range of comparison goods new highway (Cwmbran Drive) would feed directly into the town are accessible within 15 miles. Cwmbran town centre has centre, and on wards north/south. evolved into a compact multi-retail sub-regional retail In the master plan, the proposal was a highway to the east destination. of the town centre running north/south. This remains, but not as a major route, but effectively adds to highway accessibility and Succession in Cwmbran town centre permeability. Additionally, for those wishing to by-pass the town The town centre followed the master plan up to a point. The retail completely, a highway to the east was constructed. All, including core was phased mainly in a “U”, with the first phase in the north district distributors, provide a highly effective highway network. MARCH 2015 (Caradoc Road) designed initially as a neighbourhood for the Northville estate. The trick with retail phasing is balance making Succession sure that there is not “too much too early” for the growing By succession, we mean how urban land use evolves, focusing on VALUER population, and not too late for the growing population to establish properties, neighbourhoods and assets over time. This process goes 23 24 VALUER www.irrv.net never felt the need for an academic on the Board. the on academic an for need the felt never was there though as seems it observation, an As issues. and needs community of understanding and appreciation agreat with action. combat WWII seen had whom of most leaders, acknowledged by led professionals, seasoned in-house comprehensive its of chemistry bythe provided enterprise, of aliberty through to deliver funding public received settlements such delivered that Quangos one). averse risk byaheavily replaced been pioneering culture (it’s is a today UK sector public in replicated be may not that Something Pioneering culture settlement. to the additions or from leakages causing externalities with concerned more far Iam –but towns new and cities garden in as focus, adeveloped of favour in –Iam wrong me get not Do consequences. unintended law of the in factor amajor being interest” of immediacy –“imperious expediency gung-ho of thrust externalities lurking many are there is that Ebbsfleet for fear My granted. for taken to be is nothing Cwmbran, from alead taking but goals, of set original an may have Ebbsfleet requirements. spatial intodifferent translating time, over cycles life through pass and static, not are these However, CPOs. and planning in characteristics these of importance but they have. they but decline, would centres neighbourhood naively, the that almost expected, it was neither And did. it but collapse, would base industrial traditional the that expected it was Neither did. it but – towns surrounding on impact not would core retail successful a that days these to think naive almost was It did. it but time, change. transport or industrial internal or migration, outward no be would grow, there would and town the where assumption, aceteris paribus almost in produced was plan master Cwmbran The Summary Prudential the with is now Ladbrookes, and 1988 March in up wound was it when CDC’s of assets, disposals of form the took succession characteristics succession demonstrate they that seen be intensity. and user use, of terms in is considered It renewal. of kind some perhaps growth through purchase Compulsory them seen in terms of proximity, connectivity and magnitude. magnitude. and connectivity proximity, of terms in seen them wants and needs, estate intoreal translating functions of a packet user/consumer spatial had the words, other In solutions. into spatial translated have to be etc.) transport, industrial retail, (residential, needs spatial but provider, space the was CDC the terms, situs In above. outlined location of characteristics the on focusing process, decision-making estate real the explores analysis Situs characteristics magnitude and connectivity proximity, –its Situs analysis. situs with interlocked are succession and structure However, both Housing. Community Afon Bron with now stock rented residual the with CBC, to Torfaen transferred were assets Staff and Board demonstrated a desire to succeed and deliver, and to succeed adesire demonstrated Board and Staff It was not expected that the housing market would alter over over alter would market housing the that expected not was It can it above, described sectors intothe deeply going Without We only have to look at the Wolves case Wolves atthe haveWe to look only related and housing the and off, sold were estates Industrial , maturity that have been deliberately suppressed in the the in suppressed deliberately have that been . The town centre was initially sold to sold initially was centre town . The and eventual and decline 3 to recall the the to recall . , followed then by then , followed . Finally,

in attempt to manage the final goal. final Cumulative the to manage Analysis Impact attempt in ongoing place in to put settlements new future of planning the in need be will radar. There the on appearing ones economic/planning the of one be not will situs but acatwalk, on than models more be Yes, will terms. there situs in assessed fully be not will Ebbsfleet is that guess My conurbations. growing of ameans are settlements such seems it expansion, to creeping avoid attempt an In Ebbsfleet flux. of state a in continually is everything that alesson is It park. retail and Sainsbury’s byNewport’s extent to alimited impacted to be seems to agglomeration). returns (diminishing doom own constraints Newport’s of and inconvenience seeds the sowed Cwmbran’s –accessibility all not fault were centre’s problems intodisarray. However, Newport gravitation retail of law [blunt] Reilly's throwing weight, its wayabove punches it 50,000, around at Cwmbran’s With population 306,844. of population urban an and 145,736 of population acity with Wales, in city largest third the was power. 2011 At the spending of catchment valleys Newport census, extensive areaNewport’s centre unintentionally capturing shopping free parking accessibility of because is that all of greatest The the IRRV website. website. IRRV the of area member the in found be can They Edwards. Stan expert law by case and process purchase compulsory the on articles Valuer [email protected] at contacted may be He WDA. the and Wales for Authority Land Cwmbran, in years 40 over CPOs managing project and retail centre town on worked He Member. Honorary an is now and Association, Purchase Compulsory the of Vice-Chairman formerly was He University. atCardiff development and planning retail in lecturer visiting 2003 since and process, CPO in specialising Consultancy Evocati of is aDirector Surveyor, aChartered Edwards, Stan 3. 2. 1. Footnotes something of unintended consequences! “imperious of interest” immediacy from suffer but agley”, “aft go only not men and mice of schemes laid best The For promis'dFor joy! an' pain, grief An' but us lea'e nought agley,Gang aft o' schemes mice an' best-laid men The vain: be may foresight proving In thy no lane, art thou Mousie, But it problem, OOT own have its not does Cwmbran Whereas Wolverhampton CityCouncil and another (Respondents) [2010] UKSC 20. v (Appellant) Ltd) Supermarkets Sainsbury's of application the R (on 2014. 7February Money, is Time in report Saga Estate. Real Behavioural 2. 1. Situs University –Washington DeLisle James Dr magazine has been privileged to publish a series of of aseries to publish privileged been has magazine : , Cwmbran would become a highly successful town town successful ahighly become would , Cwmbran and on 07879441697. on and

, convenience . Burns knew knew . Burns and and