Visitors returning to Blaenavon after more than a decade’s absence could be excused

for thinking they’ve wandered into the wrong valley.Gone are the boarded-up shop windows, empty properties and general neglect of latter days; today’s visitor will be greeted with restored Victorian shop fronts, refurbished housing, improved access and car parking, and a new World Heritage Visitor Centre.

The remarkable physical transformation of this former mining village has its beginnings in the late 1990s when Torfaen Council sought Renewal Area Status for the centre of the town.

Blaenavon Renewal Area was declared in February 1999 and was the catalyst for massive investment; almost £12 million of public and private money has now been spent in the town.

World Heritage Status, achieved in 2000 and now attracting over 160,000 visitors a year, has further regenerated Blaenavon, bringing in additional funding and putting the town firmly on the international map.

“I am optimistic about Blaenavon’s future, I always have been,” said Barbara Lewis, who was chairman of Blaenavon Traders Association for ten years. “Much has been achieved already and I think that in future even more people will come to understand the importance of this valley town.”

Blaenavon has always been a strong community where people stood together against adversity; now, it is a renewed pride and optimism in their town which unites them.

A DECADE OF CHANGE

NOW

We have a very strong community in Blaenavon and it’s that which makes the town; I’d say we have the best community spirit in Wales.

Torfaen Councillor Brian Whitcombe

BlaenavonRENEWAL AREA

A Renewal Area is one identified as having poor housing conditions, coupled with social, economic and environmental needs. The aim is to halt the decline of an area and to increase public confidence by improving housing conditions, renovating and maintaining properties and creating attractive places in which to live. Improvements to the infrastructure and environment bring benefits to a wider area. Renewal Area Status usually lasts for ten years.THEN

INSIDE: • Ten years of investment • Renovation on a large scale• Renewal Area Status: a catalyst for regeneration • A bright future

FEBRUARY 2009

NOW

THEN

Forewordfrom Councillor Gwyneira Clark,Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Public Protection

“Over the past decade, Blaenavon’s physical appearance has changed beyond recognition. What has held firm throughout, however, is a strong sense of belonging and community spirit.

“The people of Blaenavon are rightly proud of their town, its industrial heritage and the harshly beautiful landscape which isolates it from neighbouring communities.

“Ten years of Renewal Area Status have secured much-needed investment in the central area of Blaenavon, and a large number of dilapidated and derelict properties have been brought back into commercial and residential use. Outwardly, the town’s historic buildings have been restored, boarded-up retail premises have mostly disappeared and environmental works have improved the overall appearance of the town; this is not the end of the story however. Blaenavon looks great but economically things are still difficult for local people.

“Last year, Blaenavon’s World Heritage Status attracted record crowds to the area, and we are now exploring ways of encouraging them into the town centre to bring much-needed custom to local retailers, including improved visitor signage and maps linking Blaenavon’s attractions to the town centre. Later this year, work will begin on the £15m Blaenavon Community Campus.

“Blaenavon’s Renewal Area Status may be ending, but investment and confidence in the town is set to continue.”

Ten years of investment

NOW

NOW

THEN

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Over ten years, improvement work has been carried out in:

Alma Street

Broad Street

Burford Street

Castle Street

Cross Street

Cwmavon Road

George Street

High Street

King Street

Lower Hill Street

Lower Waun Street

Lower Woodland Street

Market Street

Mary Street

Old James Street

Old William Street

Park Street

Philip Street

Queen Street

New Queen Street

South View Terrace

Ton Mawr Street

Upper Waun Street

Vincent Street

Woodland Street

Once called ‘Plyboard City’ by The Observer newspaper – a reference to the number of shops that were boarded up – a decade of investment in the

built landscape and infrastructure has transformed Blaenavon.

Renewal Area Status has brought in substantial grant funding to tackle vacant commercial premises, poor private housing, illogical road access and parking, and the general dilapidated townscape. A firm base has been established for further public and private regeneration, confidence in the local economy is being restored and the air of optimism is tangible.

“The physical regeneration is all around us to see,” said Barbara Lewis. “It has lifted the perception often held – though not by me – that Blaenavon was a dreary and depressed valley town.”

“During the past ten years some of the more severe pockets of deprivation in the town have been improved or demolished which I think has had a positive effect on the community generally,” said Dr Wayne Lewis. “The centre of the town is certainly more conducive to a positive outlook on life.”

The investment that has taken place has been embraced by the town and has restored (or reinforced) the feeling of pride within the town.

Steve Flay, P & P builders

Ten years of investment

Group Repair Schemes target owner-occupied homes (owners are required to contribute up to 25% of the overall cost of the work based on their income). Group repair has the advantages of economies of scale and encourages owners to carry out further investment in their properties.

Enveloping Schemes concentrate on small pockets of mixed commercial and residential properties and are funded by public investment.

Numerous environmental improvements include:

• Provisionofadditional car parking spaces in the town centre

• Enhancementofstone staircase at end of Boot Lane

• Landscaping and paving improvements in and around Broad Street

• Boundary wall at bottom of Lower Hill Street and South View Terrace made safe and rebuilt to improve its appearance

• Improved vehicular access to the town centre

THEN

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The centre of town looks very different than in the late 1990s. Whole streets of residential and commercial properties have benefited from a range of

enveloping and group repair schemes.

Many listed buildings are excellent examples of Welsh Industrial Heritage and the boundary of Blaenavon’s Conservation Area lies within the declared Renewal Area. This meant any proposals had to preserve the town’s heritage assets and enhance the visual architectural and historic character of the area. Construction materials were chosen to reflect those originally used and local builders were committed to achieving a high quality finish that met demanding conservation standards.

Initial renovation work focused in and around Broad Street, with large-scale improvement schemes in High Street, Boot Lane and South View Terrace following.

Work delivered through the Renewal Area has been further complemented by environmental improvement schemes, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and delivered through the Blaenavon Town Centre Regeneration Scheme 2006-09.

Blaenavon Mayor and Torfaen Councillor, Tom Huish, said people had been very positive about the improvements to their properties and were happy with the overall service they received.

It is a harsh landscape – it was never a pretty, pretty town – are you going to make it pretty and touristy or say ‘we’re going to make it the way it was’. It needs careful thought and I don’t think the answers are particularly easy.

Stephanie Nummelin, Brownings Books

Amelda Watkins is impressed with the ‘remarkable attention to detail’ shown by local builders, A J Quinn.

“I’d always thought the house was two knocked into one but the building work showed it had always been one house,” she said. “We discovered the original kitchen window space had been made smaller at some point. The replacement window had already been ordered so the builders brought a stone mason in who made the window smaller. It was brilliant, really clever; I’m really pleased with the work.”

With the boundary of Blaenavon’s Conservation Area lying within the declared Renewal Area, it was vital that any improvement or building work did not threaten the architectural and historic character of the town centre but rather, would enhance them.

Both the council and its contractors were committed to achieving a high quality finish and construction materials were carefully chosen to reflect those originally used.

Renovation on a large scale

A new section of stonework was added around Amelda Watkins’ window

THEN

NOW

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Mrs Beryl Phillips, 90, has benefited from a bathroom extension, with a walk-in shower, to her terraced home, built by local builders, G J Probert. “They couldn’t have done a better job, it’s lovely,” she said.

Jane White owns one of the only Grade II Listed shops in Broad Street – the first properties to be renovated as part of the Group Repair and Renovation Scheme – and inside the Conservation Area.

“Everything had to be done to the detail of the conservation officer, including restoration of the original ceilings and the shop front,” she explained. “It was probably one of the most difficult projects the builder, Allan Quinn, has tackled.”

Steve Flay, of P & P Builders, said his firm’s sister company, Definitive Joinery, was instrumental in ensuring the shop fronts through Broad Street were recreated as closely as possible to the original designs.

“The broad spectrum of works carried out gave our employees the opportunity to try out new or even ‘long-forgotten’ traditional methods of working to ensure compliance with conservation requirements,” he said. “This contributed to a high degree of job satisfaction for all involved.

Builder Allan Quinn has also been at the heart of the conservation work.

“We’ve taken out internal covings, spindles, staircases, box sash windows, sanded them and restored them to exactly how they used to be – they had to be spot on,” he said. “We’ve done work in Philip Street, High Street, Broad Street and New Queen Street – the properties all differed. We put in cast iron down-pipes, aluminium guttering, UPVC box sash windows to closely match the originals and timber fascias.”

Ben Payne, 32, and wife, Clare, 33, moved to Blaenavon more than two years ago. Their son, Noah, was born in July.

“We moved here because we feel it is the best valleys town in South Wales. We were made to feel very welcome and what was most striking from the start was that a strong sense of community still exists,” said Ben. “Another factor which attracted us to the area was the town’s proximity to breathtaking landscapes. We feel very lucky to be part of Blaenavon’s future.”

Renovation on a large scale

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Ambitious from the outset, Torfaen Council’s vision was to boost community confidence, stimulate the local economy and improve local living conditions, starting with the creation of an attractive physical environment. The intention

was that the ‘bricks and mortar’ improvements to derelict properties would act as a catalyst for a revitalised local economy.

Bringing about visual and structural improvements to Blaenavon’s commercial centre and the approach to the town centre was viewed as essential.

Despite competition from out-of-town retail parks and supermarkets, retailers are now fighting back. Established and new businesses have their sights set firmly on attracting World Heritage visitors into town.

Barbara Lewis, whose family business Morris Butchers was established by her grandfather in 1911, said things were still very difficult economically for retailers and that various businesses had tried and failed simply because not enough people are visiting the town centre. “The future success and prosperity of Blaenavon town centre will depend on finding a way to increase visitor footfall,” she added.

“It can happen, it will happen, it must happen,” said Brownings Bookshop owner Stephanie Nummelin, of Blaenavon’s long-term rejuvenation. “We have some really nice little businesses now. So much fabulous work has been done here, the Victorian fronts are back on the shops and they look very attractive but we need to fill them. I think the long-term prospects for Blaenavon are good, but long-term is the key – it takes a long time to restart an economy.”

Susan Fiander-Woodhouse and her husband run a successful business selling cheeses matured at the bottom of Big Pit mineshaft.

It’s lovely to see the town now – it looks beautiful, it’s really uplifting. All we need is the trade.

Janet George, local greengrocer

Renewal Area Status: a catalyst for regeneration

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“On the whole the town looks much better,” said Janet George, who runs the greengrocery with husband Mike. “The shops look beautiful and have brightened the town up. I’d like to be optimistic and think that Blaenavon will rise again.”

Jane Webb opened her gift shop, Inspirations, four and a half years ago.

“We need shops offering a very different product to draw people in,” she said.

Gary Mills opened welshgifts.co.uk just four months ago, in premises he’s owned since the early 1990s. Basing his business on the ‘brick and click’ model means the online sales can support a physical presence on the high street.

“The expansion of the internet closed a lot of stores but strangely, without the internet this shop couldn’t survive in Blaenavon; it’s being subsidised by Welsh people living all over the world,” he said. “We’re here to stay – I’ve been surprised just how much business I’m getting into the shop.”

While Book Town Blaenavon may not have been a resounding success in its own right, the initiative did encourage other businesses to set up in the town which might not otherwise have happened.

“Maybe Book Town was just a bit early,” said business owner, Jane White. “Many of the improvements hadn’t been done and there were still a lot of derelict properties on Broad Street. We should now be looking after our own residents a bit more and telling them what we have in our town – we need them to come in and use our little shops.”

“The future success and prosperity of Blaenavon town centre will depend on finding a way to increase visitor footfall,” said Barbara Lewis.

Renewal Area Status: a catalyst for regeneration

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“The rise in property values and the demand for property in Blaenavon cannot be a coincidence,” said quantity surveyor Steve Flay. “The improvements to the town centre are noticeable and have made a distinct and positive visual impact. As well as attracting commercial and residential interest from outside the town, the investment will go a long way to encouraging those who currently trade and live here to stay.”

“I can’t believe property prices have risen so high,” said estate agent Janet Jones, of Foy Williams. “We saw a big boom two years ago which continued to the end of 2006, throughout 2007 and during the first few months of 2008, though in the last six months it’s dropped a little, probably by around 5-10%.

“Property is still a good investment and prices here are still very competitive compared to neighbouring towns,” she said. “Our customers are a mixture of local people and people who are retiring and want to come back and people looking for investments and putting rental tenants in there.

“It just shows that Blaenavon is a good place to live and bring up children. There is so much going on, so many activities and such a fantastic community spirit. If the council continues to regenerate the town and provide facilities for young people, children and the elderly, it will continue.”

“The improvements that have resulted from renewal area status have made Blaenavon a lot better place than when we came up here years ago. I definitely feel a real sense of pride,” said Allan Quinn.

There are masses of amazing opportunities in Blaenavon if you take them. It’s an amazing place to live, I have been very lucky.Jane White, who moved to Blaenavon 20 years ago

Renewal Area Status: a catalyst for regeneration

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Typical Blaenavon house prices:

Two-bed houses from £89,000 to mid £90,000s

Three-bed terraced from £110,000 – £118,000

Detached new houses up to £250,000

Some of the long-term benefits of renewal area status have been the number of building jobs and apprenticeships created locally. “We’ve expanded and we are now up to 32 from 12,” said Allan Quinn. “Over the past seven years, I’ve trained over 30 apprentices and I’ve got 14 now.”

Steve Flay said P & P Builders – founded in 1986 by Blaenavon man, Paul Jones, who still lives in the town – had benefited in many ways from the investment in Blaenavon. “It has enabled us to sustain and increase our local workforce and this benefit has extended to our sister companies Definitive Joinery and Blaenavon Builders Merchants,” he said. “At any one time, we have all levels of apprentices across many trades working in the Renewal Area, together with the more mature trainees we employ.”

Vin Sullivan Foods Ltd relocated to Blaenavon 16 years ago. The company has recently carried out extensive and environmentally-friendly refurbishments to its site on Gilchrist Thomas Industrial Estate, including the provision of a small retail shop.

Managing director, John Sullivan, said, “We chose Blaenavon because we were looking for larger premises. Everybody told us ‘you must be mad – it’s a horrible place’. In fact, it’s been brilliant, the council has been brilliant and the people have been brilliant.”

Vin Sullivan boasts the UK’s top fishmonger. Jonny Jenkins won the British Fish Craft Championships 2008 and will compete to retain the title at Cardiff’s Harbour Festival in 2009.

Renewal Area Status: a catalyst for regeneration

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The end of Renewal Area Status does not mark a stop to large-scale investment

in Blaenavon although attention will now transfer from the built environment to the local economy and natural landscape.

The WAG-funded Heads of the Valley (HOV) project will continue to boost tourism and lift the economy and the £1.6m Forgotten Landscapes project – due to start this year – is posed to bring significant long-term benefits by protecting and promoting the area’s outstanding landscape. Work on the Blaenavon Campus also begins in 2009.

Independent Town Councillor Janet Jones believes the key to Blaenavon’s future is attracting more business into the town and providing leisure facilities for young people.

“We have to make sure we have facilities for our children and teenagers so they are not walking about the streets,” she said.

Other agree; Torfaen Councillors Tom Huish, Stuart Evans and former councillor Neil Lewis last year combined their individual £10,000 allocations for a locally determined capital project to set up a youth club underneath Blaenavon Rugby Club.

“They need somewhere dry where they can chill out, have a coffee and meet their friends,” explained Councillor Huish. “We want young people to take ownership and feel that the centre is theirs. “

Elsewhere, the Future Blaenavon Crew – for 7-11 year olds – has been set up by local councillors and the police.

“Pride in the town is growing and its World Heritage Status is providing a vehicle to celebrate and expand community events – these are becoming part of a lasting tradition knitting the present community together,” said Jan Cook, head teacher of Hillside Primary School. “The school has been included in many of these, which enhances the curriculum for our children and prepares them for the future as active members of their community.”

At the beginning of 2009, it would appear there is plenty for Blaenavon to be optimistic about.

Blaenavon is a very, very strong, close community – people return here because we have a fantastic community spirit.

Independent Blaenavon Town Councillor, Janet Jones

A bright future

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Former Councillor Neil Lewis was Executive Member for Regeneration for most of the Renewal Area Status period.

“I’m pleased I was able to be part of one of the most exciting regeneration periods in Blaenavon’s history,” he said. “Renewal Status has been fantastic for the town; the entrance to Blaenavon is vastly improved and the boarded-up shops at the lower end of Broad Street have been converted to housing which was a great benefit. The housing regeneration has helped the regeneration of the town, which was needed, and World Heritage Status gave us that initiative to move forward and get things done more quickly. It’s all been linked.”

Forgotten Landscapes

This 70km² conservation project will help to protect and promote what is seen as one of the finest examples of heritage-led regeneration projects in Britain, breathing new life into the historical and industrial landscape in Blaenavon. Planned projects include the conservation and restoration of buildings, post-industrial features and ancient monuments, improved access to the wide area and educational projects. Wetlands, grasslands and heather moorlands will be restored to provide habitats for local wildlife e.g. red grouse and Welsh Mountain ponies. Volunteers will be needed to act as guides on trails and walks.

www.forgottenlandscapes.org.uk

The World Heritage Centre is an outstanding facility for local people as well as tourists. As well as the interpretation materials, there are state-of-the-art conference facilities, an art gallery, a gift shop and an excellent café with stunning mountain views.

“I love it here and bring my friends all the time,” said Jane White. “The food is really nice; I just wish more local people would use it.”

Heads of the Valley

“In terms of Heads of the Valleys funding, Blaenavon is being held up as an example of what everyone is trying to achieve,” said Councillor Richard Clark, Executive Member for Regeneration. “We are lucky to have five major tourist attractions within walking distance.”

Future work will focus on marketing everything Blaenavon has to offer as one ‘visitor experience’.

• Newvisitorsignage,bothwithin the town and across the Heads of the Valleys area, will encourage people to visit more than one attraction so that the economic benefits of the larger and longer-established sites like Big Pit and the Ironworks, are spread across the World Heritage Site and the businesses operating there

• Freeorientationmapswillencourage visitors to stay in the area for longer and visit all the attractions, including the Heritage Town.

Blaenavon Community Campus

The £15m campus will provide a wide range of high-quality, modern health and community services, a 130-place nursery and 450-place primary school, and community leisure facilities. There will be access to customer care, the police and other services. Its development will release much-needed land for affordable homes and extra care accommodation.

A bright future

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From the outset, there was no doubt that any improvements to

Blaenavon town centre needed to be radical if economic regeneration was to become a reality.

A Welsh Assembly Government grant of £1.7 million has been used to transform seven ‘open spaces’ including the steps at the end of Boot Lane and landscaping at South View Terrace.

The dimly-lit and uninhabited Boot Lane had become a magnet for all types of anti-social behaviour including vandalism, graffiti, fly-tipping, window-breaking and dog fouling.

Boot Lane is barely recognisable now. All units have been refurbished and are now inhabited, turning a ‘no-go’ area into a pleasant place to live.

We have achieved a lot in Blaenavon. World Heritage Status has helped enormously but the council has also demonstrated that it can deliver high quality projects and pull in additional funding.

Councillor Gwyneira Clark, Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Public Protection

Booting out anti-social behaviour

Published by the Housing Renewal Team, Torfaen Social Care and Housing Services.

Torfaen Council’s community safety manager, David Jeremiah said that the physical improvements to properties in Boot Lane had had a positive impact on crime reduction in the area.

“Boot Lane was an area which was conducive to antisocial behaviour and consequently, we have seen a marked reduction in misbehaviour in the town,” he added.