Revitalising town centres
As I write this Clinton Cards has announced its entry into receivership indicating again the crisis of our high streets and town centres. Interest has been focused on this issue by the Welsh Government Enterprise and Business Committee Report and the Portas Review, both published in recent months. These share a view of the recession-led threat to retail activity, but both also identify the longer-term trends towards internet and out-of-town shopping. These developments pose serious challenges to the high street and all experts agree that the future will require significantly less retail space in town centres, even if an economic recovery occurs. Despite this, much regeneration practice in the UK remains focused on retail-led solutions. Here in Wales the same paradigm dominates, for example in proposals for the new ‘town centre’ at Talbot Green, near Llantrisant. CREW advocates a challenge to this perspective to move us collectively to town centres with multiple functions where surplus retail premises are brought into housing use, office uses and where entertainment, leisure, education and health care facilities are developed to provide a variety of reasons to visit town centres.
Several CREW initiatives are helping promote this view. On 22 May 2012, we hosted with CPlan, Cardiff University a seminar and reception exploring ‘meanwhile uses’ of empty retail premises. At our ‘cross-border’ seminar last November we heard of the world class practice in this field developed in Bristol and now being applied in Swansea. In this Cardiff seminar, we received a presentation from Marcus Westbury, Director of Renew Australia and Renew Newcastle (NSW), both regarded internationally as exemplars in this practice of releasing the energy of local arts and cultural groups to bring vibrancy back to the high street while more permanent uses are found for retail premises. Closer to home, The Holyhead Town Centre Empty Shops Initiative has won the Action for Market Town’s Business and Economy Category Award and the All Wales award for its innovative response to the town centre crisis. Other winners in Wales included:
- Environment and Culture Category Winner: Old Hall Grounds Revival
- Partnership and Strategic Working Category Winner: Ruthin: Market Town of the Future
- Social and Community Category Winner: Bargoed Library
Since CREW first hosted a seminar on this issue in April 2011, we have been establishing a Town Centre: Policy and Delivery Network. Our first Steering Group meeting took place in November 2011 and we were delighted when Huw Lewis AM, Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage formally launched the Network in Bargoed Library on 28 May 2012. The Steering Group were able to join in discussion with the Minister about the challenges of revitalising town centres in Wales. If you would like to join the network, please email your contact details, location and role to enquiries@regenwales.org.
Housing
Resolution of the housing crisis in the UK has become a major issue in recent months especially as benefit reforms have focused attention on under-occupancy and housing shortage. Interest in innovative solutions was evident at our February seminar in Newport and in particular the presentation on the Triangle Swindon was enthusiastically received. This Kevin McCloud inspired and motivated return to the design of the ‘terrace’ has attracted considerable media attention and CREW was very pleased to host a site seminar in the Railway Museum at Swindon on 24 May 2012. The seminar included presentations by the architect, project managers and local authority planners and a visit with residents to the Triangle.
Low carbon skills
CREW has also recently finished the first delivery of The Core Module for Carbon Leadership which we commissioned to meet some of the training needs identified in our research report Low Carbon skills requirements for the regeneration and built environment services sector in Wales (bit.ly/JeKxmS).
Delivered in three locations in Wales, the 3 day course has been well received and has promoted interest in further opportunities to take the course into organisations and specific professional groups. Designed to provide the skills to take personnel forward into low carbon modes of delivery and practice, the course provides a thorough immersion in low carbon practice for senior managers required to lead teams in this field. If you are interested in delivery of this for your organisation or professional group, please contact dave.adamson@regenwales.org.
Details of future events will be posted on CREW’s website which we are in the process of redesigning. Visit www.regenwales.org