Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site Management Plan (2018-2023)

Name of National Park Authority Committee Date 21st September 2018

Report Author Ruth Coulthard

Job title Funding Development Officer

Contact Details 01874 620481 [email protected] Purpose of Report To seek NPA approval of the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site Management Plan (2018-2023).

Single Integrated The Plan gives the Blaenavon World Heritage Site Assessment Partnership a strategic way forward to effectively protect and conserve the Blaenavon World Heritage Site for current and future generations and has social and economic wellbeing goals at its core.

List of Enclosures Enclosure 1: Blaenavon WHS Management Plan 2018-2023

Public Interest Test Not applicable

Recommendation(s) That the NPA approves the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site Management Plan (2018-2023).

1.1 Introduction or Background

The Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site is managed by the Blaenavon World Heritage Site Partnership within which the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority (BBNPA) is a key member. Whilst County Borough Council is the lead partner responsible for the day to day management of the site, the BBNPA play an active role in managing this landscape and attends both the Partnership Board and Steering Group meetings to monitor progress and influence policy. The other members of the partnership are: CC; • Blaenau CBC; Blaenavon Council; Cadw; Royal Commission Ancient & Historic Monuments ; National Museums Wales; National Resources Wales; Visit Wales and Canals & Rivers Trust.

Every World Heritage Site (WHS) is required to adhere to UNESCO’s Operational Guidelines which requires each WHS to have an appropriate management plan that states how the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of each site should be preserved and which sets out actions for the effective protection, conservation and presentation of the Site’s OUV for present generations as well as future generations.

A further requirement is that these plans must be reviewed and renewed every five years. The current Management Plan for the Site was approved in 2011 and is therefore due for renewal.

The current Plan has played a central role in managing the WHS and has been instrumental in informing and guiding landscape management, planning decisions, education and interpretation projects, marketing initiatives and project development as well as supporting individual funding applications. Welsh Government in its policy document “Managing Change in World Heritage Sites Wales” (May, 2017) recognises the Plan as an exemplar of best practice within the sector.

The new plan, to cover the period 2018-2023, seeks to continue to build upon the previous success.

1.2 Proposals

The Plan identifies an overall vision and key principles for the management of the WHS, together with short, medium and long-term objectives. These are supported by a number of policies that aim to deliver the continued and effective protection, conservation, presentation and communication of the Site’s OUV over the Plan period (2018-2023) identified under the following four themes:

1. Governance and Management of the World Heritage Site 2. Caring for the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape 3. Exploring and Enjoying the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape 4. Learning and Engagement in World Heritage

Specific actions for projects and activities are identified for each theme, together with timescales and potential sources of funding. The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 has been embedded into the Plan providing the opportunity to set in place policies and actions that recognise the present and future needs of Blaenavon’s community. It also aims to ensure that the policies and actions for managing the heritage contribute to economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being and sustainable development goals.

Highlighted in particular is the fact that heritage protection and heritage-led regeneration are complementary in helping to create a thriving, balanced and sustainable future for Blaenavon and the wider WHS, including the area within the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Extensive consultation has taken place in the development of this plan. Initially, a series of scene setting meetings were convened with the Partnership Board, the WHS Steering Group and the thematic Working Groups. Two public consultation events were also convened at Blaenavon Workmens Hall and Llanfoist Village Hall. Information and comments received as part of this process went into to the development of a draft Plan. After this, a six week public consultation exercise on the draft Plan took place in Spring 2018 which resulted in 10 comments being made and the Plan being amended accordingly.

Now that this process of consultation is complete, each of the Partnership Members are being asked to approve this new Plan and it is then intended that the Plan will be formally endorsed and launched at a Board Meeting of the Blaenavon WHS Partnership in the Autumn of 2018.

1.3 Implications

There are no direct financial implications to the NPA from this proposal. The Plan sets out a number of desirable projects to be delivered by all partners within the Plan period. Some projects are already underway with all funding secured. Other projects are aspirational and funding will be sought by individual partners from relevant external funding bodies during the Plan period as opportunities and resources arise.

1.4 Risk

The Blaenavon World Heritage Site is a key attraction for the National Park and contains some of the Park’s highly prized cultural and industrial heritage assets. Any degradation to the attraction or the key assets would be a risk. The revised Management Plan will be an effective tool to safeguard these elements but also provides the BBNPA with an essential tool to help influence and manage this landscape.

1.5 Conclusion

Having a robust and effective management plan is a requirement for any World Heritage Site and to maintain this designation, the plan has to be revised and updated every five years. This new Management Plan seeks to continue to build upon the success that has already been achieved through the implementation of the previous two Management Plans over the last 18 years.

By involving all partners and wider stakeholders the resulting plan gives the WHS an overall vision and key principles for managing this landscape together with short, medium and long- term objectives.

Before this plan can be adopted by the Partnership, each member of this Partnership needs to approve the document, which is the recommendation being sought in this report.

RECOMMENDATION(S):

a) That the NPA approves the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site Management Plan (2018-2023).