Swansea, and specifically Swansea docks, has seen a turbulent economic time. The docks area which is now largely referred to as the SA1 Swansea Waterfront actually refers to several of the docks that are located to the south east of Swansea city centre. At one time, the docks were hugely active and during the mid 19th century it was thought that around 60 of the worlds copper was being exported through the docks, making it an active and vibrant region.
In reality, the docks referred to numerous separate individual docks all of which have their own history as well as geographic benefits and disadvantages. These will be discussed briefly below as they are relevant to the way in which the modern day policies have been formed within the SA1 area.
Historically, the area of the Swansea docks grew very rapidly in order to accommodate the massive increase seen in the trades of tinplate, copper, zinc and iron which, in turn, led to the shipping industry developing a much wider fleet of larger vessels. This led to the Swansea Harbour Trust deciding to begin construction of the Prince of Wales Dock which was eventually opened in 1881 and fully completed in 1882.
Other developments such as the growth of the rail network, particularly in the Rhondda Valley area, further increased the demand placed on the docks to provide large scale sea transport options.
As other transport methods became more efficient and the industries which fed the docks began to decline, so did the demand for the docks themselves. The docks remained in considerable use during the Second World War with the Queens Dock being one end of the only submarine oil pipeline in the world. Although this was beneficial for the industrial growth of the area, it nevertheless made Swansea a target for bombing. Swansea suffered badly with the various bombings and this had a disastrous impact upon the docks area that suffered continual decline, from this point onwards.
By the 1960s, the entire industrial area around Swansea was also in decline and several schemes were put in place to try and make use of the now waste land, much of which was polluted. Some of these schemes were successful, for example, in the case of the Enterprise Zone, Llansamlet, which made use of some of this land. The old South Dock became home to the central leisure centre and marina, although the development was piecemeal at best, until recently.
Now owned by the Associated British Ports Holdings, the port facilities are much more geared up to leisure use rather than heavy industrial use, with three large transit sheds offering storage, two dry docks and container terminals. It also offers warehousing for those companies that continue to use it as a means of transporting business goods such as minerals and forest products.
Recognising that the Swansea docks area (referred to hereinafter as SA1) was not being used to its full potential, several bodies including the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) began to look at ways in which the region could undergo regeneration. Collaborations, such as those seen with Swansea University, have resulted in projects such as a new Innovation Campus being planned for the area in a bid to attract new companies in the technology sector to come to the region. These individual initiatives have been combined with a wider strategy to encourage considerable urban regeneration within the whole area.
Urban Policy and Programmes in SA1
Swansea City Council, following the recommendations and ideas laid out by the Brownfield Regeneration programme coming out of WAG, have developed a spatial strategy aimed at regenerating the region of SA1.These plans were written in the context of the wider town planning issues of reinvigorating the whole of the city centre however, the focus in this report is on the specific issue of regenerating the Waterfront area.
All of the policies and programmes have also been developed in line with the Wales Spatial Plan, making the most of all sites across Wales, both Greenfield and Brownfield, as required. In this case, however, the report focuses on the Brownfield regeneration of the SA1 Waterfront area.
The regeneration programme for the SA1 site is a joint programme between WAG and Swansea Council. As stated by the regional director for WAG SA1 is thriving. Its already a massive success, and theres still a lot of committed development going on to make that success even greater. This indicates that the policy surrounding regeneration is very much a growing policy that seeks to improve the area over a prolonged period of time, rather than being a one-off, quick fix approach. This approach is also supported by the fact that the regeneration of the SA1 area is being seen in line with the wider regeneration of the Swansea Bay and city centre areas.
The focus in the SA1 Waterfront area has not been solely on business development, but also on residential regeneration, as well as providing nightlife, cafs and restaurants. Investment from the WAG has been in excess of 50million and the private sector has also put in investments of approximately 150 million.
Overall, it is anticipated that the SA1 development will secure approximately 4,000 new jobs and will provide 2,000 new residential properties. One of the key focuses of this new regeneration has been to improve the overall transport links to the Brownfield area. This is partly due to the geographical proximity to the main motorway trunk road (the M4), but also due to the fact that the policy plan has clearly stated that transport and accessibility are both likely to be key to the success of the regeneration in attracting businesses and individuals to the area, in the first place. Defined examples of these factors to date include the new bridges linking the region to the city centre, as well as the SA1 gateway road and the development of local airports and major railways.
Primarily, the focus is on establishing sustainable regeneration and an area that will grow from what has been seen as a blank canvas, for many years. Businesses of all types have been attracted to the area, for example, with the use of Technium 1 and Technium 2 that offer opportunities for start-up technology companies, as well as established companies such as The Village Hotel and Morgan Cole Solicitors.
More recently, the focus has also shifted towards encouraging private sector investment with residential properties being encouraged, the most recent notable example of which being the Meridian Quay Tower which has seen completion, despite some setbacks, in the recent months. All of these policies aim to encourage spending in the area and to attract businesses to service these residential locations.
Additional effort has been made as part of the programme to attract a wide range of individuals to the area with a drive from Coastal Housing to create affordable flats that are environmentally friendly and in line with the sustainability requirements, whilst also offering waterside living to a wider group of people.
Effectiveness of Urban Regeneration
The process of urban regeneration in the SA1 area is still only partially complete. Certain elements of the transformation have certainly been completed with considerable success others have not achieved the success they would hope for, at least not in their current state.
From the outset, the policy was to prioritise the infrastructure surrounding the area. This was seen as important, not only to the immediate SA1 area, but also to the wider Swansea Bay area and the city centre which is also undergoing substantial redevelopment at the current time.
It should be noted that the regeneration plans are likely to take place over a period of 15 to 20 years and therefore it is only natural that certain benefits attached to some elements of the plan will not be seen in full until the final completion of other aspects. Throughout the development phases, it has been necessary for the correct planning permission to be obtained. For example, one of the projects has been to enhance the footpath along the seafront and therefore also improve the access to attractions such as the Yacht Club and the public art feature that is adjacent to Sainsburys. In this case, it was necessary for the developers to obtain planning permission in order to deal with the diversion of traffic and the likely disruption, albeit temporary. This planning consent was duly obtained in October 2009.
When considering the planning application, it is necessary for the Council to consider the wider implications in relation to the strategic plan and the overall policy surrounding the SA1 area.
A prime example of this can be seen in the permission given to Meridian Quay, to build the highest residential block of flats (29 storeys) in Wales. Whilst recognising the potential economic benefit of such a development, the task facing the planning department of the City Council was to balance the overall objectives of the regeneration policy with the needs of those in the immediate environment and further afield.
Using this as an example, it can be seen how such a large project can have a huge impact on the overall regeneration of an area. This building was designed to offer an additional 291 apartments and car parking facilities for those looking to relocate to the area. The apartments were designed to be high end and to attract those who are likely to contribute in the future to the business regeneration of the area. To supplement this offering, a restaurant was established at the top of the building, although initially this has met with varying success due to the management of the restaurant and the perception of poor service. Issues such as access and parking were deemed critical for the planning element of the project, in order to ensure long term sustainability.
Throughout the regeneration of the SA1 area, the planning process has looked at the key objectives of ensuring sustainability through encouraging sufficient good quality access and parking, where appropriate.
Regeneration needs to be tightly controlled and this is evident in the approach being taken by the Planning Office in Swansea Council. As a result, the process of regeneration is likely to be slow and take place over a period of several years, making it difficult to generate the necessary interest in new ventures, without the other businesses to support these ventures. For example, encouraging new restaurants can be difficult if there is not yet the residential uptake to sustain such facilities. As a result, certain aspects of the regeneration have been slower to gain full recognition or (in the case of residential property) to become fully occupied.
Policies for Success and which should be Replicated
Placing a high focus on transport links and infrastructure has undoubtedly been one of the key points for the regeneration and has led to greater success, as well as a greater acceptance amongst those most directly affected. Those living in the immediate proximity have naturally had concerns regarding the developments, particularly in relation to the increased amount of traffic to the area. Local employers such as BP have also raised concerns, at various stages, in order to ensure that the correct approach is being taken to every stage of the regeneration.
Typically, employers have shown support for the regeneration as existing employers will find themselves benefitting from the better infrastructure servicing the area, as well as benefiting from the new talent that is being attracted to the residential properties in the area. Further benefits that are seen as being linked to the regeneration include the heightened level of publicity and the perceived good name that will be generated in the area. This will be likely to elevate the position of the existing businesses due to the publicity that the area will receive. Real estate prices will also increase, meaning that those in the local area (both individuals and businesses) will be likely to see the value of their assets increasing. This may, however, be a more medium to long term benefit, due to the fact that there will be disruption throughout the building works that are taking place.
One of the key positives that have come from the regeneration programme to date has been the collaborative effect seen by the coming together of the local council and WAG. This has encouraged a good mix of both private and public funding. An entirely privately funded regeneration may lack the necessary centralisation of efforts and overall strategy, whereas an entirely publicly funded regeneration may lack the necessary commercial reality. By combining the two sources and also involving the private sector, there has been a much greater acceptance overall of the plans that have been put forward.
The private sector has been encouraged to become involved at the planning stage and as such this has generated objections and suggestions that may be seen to be slowing down the process of approving planning applications. Despite this, overall, this strategy has proved effective and transparent use of policies has ensured less delay than might have occurred had there been no disclosure to those with an interest in the area.
Measuring the success of the policies to date proves slightly harder to achieve, due to the fact that it is only partly complete. Certain elements of the development can be seen to have been successful, with property in the newly developed residential buildings (both Meridian Quay and the surrounding apartment blocks) being sold at an above average price compared with similar housing in the area. Businesses such as Admiral Insurance have been attracted to the area and the Village Hotel has recently also been attracted to the region. The popularity of both businesses and residential property in the immediate area is indicative of the success of the early stages of the programme.
In terms of viewing the benefits to the wider economy of the area, it is likely that this will not be apparent for some years to come. Occupancy levels remain high and the public perceptions appear positive. These are two factors that are likely, in the long term, to establish success for the Waterfront area.
Wider Swansea Issues Going Forward The Future
It is impossible to consider a regeneration project such as the SA1 development as a lone project. Swansea city centre is also undergoing considerable redevelopment, in the form of infrastructure improvements and attracting new businesses to the area.
The geographic locality of the city centre in comparison to the SA1 Waterfront is relatively close and therefore any improvements impacting on the Waterfront are also likely to be relevant for the city centre. Those living in the SA1 Waterfront area will look towards the city centre for their shopping and entertainment, making the two areas inseparable from a policy point of view.
SA1 redevelopment is part of the wider Swansea 2020 policy and plan which integrates the Waterfront redevelopment with other aspects of the city plans. It is important to recognise that all decisions associated with the Waterfront planning and regeneration must be made with reference to the wider Wales Spatial Plan which requires the decisions to be made in accordance with the Waterfront plans stretching from Porthcawl to Pembrey, including the SA1 area.
The WSP recognises that the Swansea Bay will be central to the knowledge economy and as such the policies and planning decisions are all focused on the generation and establishment of knowledge-based companies. A key example of this can be seen with the Technium buildings that encourage the use of expertise from the neighbouring Swansea University to encourage new start-up companies that involve a high level of technical expertise.
In order to attract world class expertise, it is not only necessary to attract the organisations themselves, but it is also important to retain the knowledge that exists in the area, either through those who have moved to the region or those who are affiliated with the university. Attracting these individuals requires not only the work opportunities, but also the need to provide state of the art entertainment, accommodation and shopping, all of which are part of the regeneration programme at SA1 Waterfront.
Success will be measured, over several years, looking at factors such as residential property prices, unemployment in the city, average salaries and new businesses attracted, as well as the softer issues such as public perceptions and general attitudes towards the city centre as a location.
The role of planning, on a national, international and regional basis has been critical in the development of the SA1 Waterfront both to date and also for the future. Throughout the process, the council has worked closely with the WAG in order to ensure that the activities in SA1 are consistent with the wider WSP.
As well as ensuring that the actions are consistent with the wider national plans, Swansea Council has considered the wider implications of the activity throughout the planning process, for example, in terms of traffic congestion or disruption to those in the immediate area. The private sector has been involved with the processes and feedback has been encouraged, in order to gain acceptance and also to maximise the private sector investment that is put into the area.
This is a long term project where the benefits will have to be monitored over a long term period to date, however, the overall success level has been high and the linking of the projects planning with other regions has been key to this success.
In reality, the docks referred to numerous separate individual docks all of which have their own history as well as geographic benefits and disadvantages. These will be discussed briefly below as they are relevant to the way in which the modern day policies have been formed within the SA1 area.
Historically, the area of the Swansea docks grew very rapidly in order to accommodate the massive increase seen in the trades of tinplate, copper, zinc and iron which, in turn, led to the shipping industry developing a much wider fleet of larger vessels. This led to the Swansea Harbour Trust deciding to begin construction of the Prince of Wales Dock which was eventually opened in 1881 and fully completed in 1882.
Other developments such as the growth of the rail network, particularly in the Rhondda Valley area, further increased the demand placed on the docks to provide large scale sea transport options.
As other transport methods became more efficient and the industries which fed the docks began to decline, so did the demand for the docks themselves. The docks remained in considerable use during the Second World War with the Queens Dock being one end of the only submarine oil pipeline in the world. Although this was beneficial for the industrial growth of the area, it nevertheless made Swansea a target for bombing. Swansea suffered badly with the various bombings and this had a disastrous impact upon the docks area that suffered continual decline, from this point onwards.
By the 1960s, the entire industrial area around Swansea was also in decline and several schemes were put in place to try and make use of the now waste land, much of which was polluted. Some of these schemes were successful, for example, in the case of the Enterprise Zone, Llansamlet, which made use of some of this land. The old South Dock became home to the central leisure centre and marina, although the development was piecemeal at best, until recently.
Now owned by the Associated British Ports Holdings, the port facilities are much more geared up to leisure use rather than heavy industrial use, with three large transit sheds offering storage, two dry docks and container terminals. It also offers warehousing for those companies that continue to use it as a means of transporting business goods such as minerals and forest products.
Recognising that the Swansea docks area (referred to hereinafter as SA1) was not being used to its full potential, several bodies including the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) began to look at ways in which the region could undergo regeneration. Collaborations, such as those seen with Swansea University, have resulted in projects such as a new Innovation Campus being planned for the area in a bid to attract new companies in the technology sector to come to the region. These individual initiatives have been combined with a wider strategy to encourage considerable urban regeneration within the whole area.
Urban Policy and Programmes in SA1
Swansea City Council, following the recommendations and ideas laid out by the Brownfield Regeneration programme coming out of WAG, have developed a spatial strategy aimed at regenerating the region of SA1.These plans were written in the context of the wider town planning issues of reinvigorating the whole of the city centre however, the focus in this report is on the specific issue of regenerating the Waterfront area.
All of the policies and programmes have also been developed in line with the Wales Spatial Plan, making the most of all sites across Wales, both Greenfield and Brownfield, as required. In this case, however, the report focuses on the Brownfield regeneration of the SA1 Waterfront area.
The regeneration programme for the SA1 site is a joint programme between WAG and Swansea Council. As stated by the regional director for WAG SA1 is thriving. Its already a massive success, and theres still a lot of committed development going on to make that success even greater. This indicates that the policy surrounding regeneration is very much a growing policy that seeks to improve the area over a prolonged period of time, rather than being a one-off, quick fix approach. This approach is also supported by the fact that the regeneration of the SA1 area is being seen in line with the wider regeneration of the Swansea Bay and city centre areas.
The focus in the SA1 Waterfront area has not been solely on business development, but also on residential regeneration, as well as providing nightlife, cafs and restaurants. Investment from the WAG has been in excess of 50million and the private sector has also put in investments of approximately 150 million.
Overall, it is anticipated that the SA1 development will secure approximately 4,000 new jobs and will provide 2,000 new residential properties. One of the key focuses of this new regeneration has been to improve the overall transport links to the Brownfield area. This is partly due to the geographical proximity to the main motorway trunk road (the M4), but also due to the fact that the policy plan has clearly stated that transport and accessibility are both likely to be key to the success of the regeneration in attracting businesses and individuals to the area, in the first place. Defined examples of these factors to date include the new bridges linking the region to the city centre, as well as the SA1 gateway road and the development of local airports and major railways.
Primarily, the focus is on establishing sustainable regeneration and an area that will grow from what has been seen as a blank canvas, for many years. Businesses of all types have been attracted to the area, for example, with the use of Technium 1 and Technium 2 that offer opportunities for start-up technology companies, as well as established companies such as The Village Hotel and Morgan Cole Solicitors.
More recently, the focus has also shifted towards encouraging private sector investment with residential properties being encouraged, the most recent notable example of which being the Meridian Quay Tower which has seen completion, despite some setbacks, in the recent months. All of these policies aim to encourage spending in the area and to attract businesses to service these residential locations.
Additional effort has been made as part of the programme to attract a wide range of individuals to the area with a drive from Coastal Housing to create affordable flats that are environmentally friendly and in line with the sustainability requirements, whilst also offering waterside living to a wider group of people.
Effectiveness of Urban Regeneration
The process of urban regeneration in the SA1 area is still only partially complete. Certain elements of the transformation have certainly been completed with considerable success others have not achieved the success they would hope for, at least not in their current state.
From the outset, the policy was to prioritise the infrastructure surrounding the area. This was seen as important, not only to the immediate SA1 area, but also to the wider Swansea Bay area and the city centre which is also undergoing substantial redevelopment at the current time.
It should be noted that the regeneration plans are likely to take place over a period of 15 to 20 years and therefore it is only natural that certain benefits attached to some elements of the plan will not be seen in full until the final completion of other aspects. Throughout the development phases, it has been necessary for the correct planning permission to be obtained. For example, one of the projects has been to enhance the footpath along the seafront and therefore also improve the access to attractions such as the Yacht Club and the public art feature that is adjacent to Sainsburys. In this case, it was necessary for the developers to obtain planning permission in order to deal with the diversion of traffic and the likely disruption, albeit temporary. This planning consent was duly obtained in October 2009.
When considering the planning application, it is necessary for the Council to consider the wider implications in relation to the strategic plan and the overall policy surrounding the SA1 area.
A prime example of this can be seen in the permission given to Meridian Quay, to build the highest residential block of flats (29 storeys) in Wales. Whilst recognising the potential economic benefit of such a development, the task facing the planning department of the City Council was to balance the overall objectives of the regeneration policy with the needs of those in the immediate environment and further afield.
Using this as an example, it can be seen how such a large project can have a huge impact on the overall regeneration of an area. This building was designed to offer an additional 291 apartments and car parking facilities for those looking to relocate to the area. The apartments were designed to be high end and to attract those who are likely to contribute in the future to the business regeneration of the area. To supplement this offering, a restaurant was established at the top of the building, although initially this has met with varying success due to the management of the restaurant and the perception of poor service. Issues such as access and parking were deemed critical for the planning element of the project, in order to ensure long term sustainability.
Throughout the regeneration of the SA1 area, the planning process has looked at the key objectives of ensuring sustainability through encouraging sufficient good quality access and parking, where appropriate.
Regeneration needs to be tightly controlled and this is evident in the approach being taken by the Planning Office in Swansea Council. As a result, the process of regeneration is likely to be slow and take place over a period of several years, making it difficult to generate the necessary interest in new ventures, without the other businesses to support these ventures. For example, encouraging new restaurants can be difficult if there is not yet the residential uptake to sustain such facilities. As a result, certain aspects of the regeneration have been slower to gain full recognition or (in the case of residential property) to become fully occupied.
Policies for Success and which should be Replicated
Placing a high focus on transport links and infrastructure has undoubtedly been one of the key points for the regeneration and has led to greater success, as well as a greater acceptance amongst those most directly affected. Those living in the immediate proximity have naturally had concerns regarding the developments, particularly in relation to the increased amount of traffic to the area. Local employers such as BP have also raised concerns, at various stages, in order to ensure that the correct approach is being taken to every stage of the regeneration.
Typically, employers have shown support for the regeneration as existing employers will find themselves benefitting from the better infrastructure servicing the area, as well as benefiting from the new talent that is being attracted to the residential properties in the area. Further benefits that are seen as being linked to the regeneration include the heightened level of publicity and the perceived good name that will be generated in the area. This will be likely to elevate the position of the existing businesses due to the publicity that the area will receive. Real estate prices will also increase, meaning that those in the local area (both individuals and businesses) will be likely to see the value of their assets increasing. This may, however, be a more medium to long term benefit, due to the fact that there will be disruption throughout the building works that are taking place.
One of the key positives that have come from the regeneration programme to date has been the collaborative effect seen by the coming together of the local council and WAG. This has encouraged a good mix of both private and public funding. An entirely privately funded regeneration may lack the necessary centralisation of efforts and overall strategy, whereas an entirely publicly funded regeneration may lack the necessary commercial reality. By combining the two sources and also involving the private sector, there has been a much greater acceptance overall of the plans that have been put forward.
The private sector has been encouraged to become involved at the planning stage and as such this has generated objections and suggestions that may be seen to be slowing down the process of approving planning applications. Despite this, overall, this strategy has proved effective and transparent use of policies has ensured less delay than might have occurred had there been no disclosure to those with an interest in the area.
Measuring the success of the policies to date proves slightly harder to achieve, due to the fact that it is only partly complete. Certain elements of the development can be seen to have been successful, with property in the newly developed residential buildings (both Meridian Quay and the surrounding apartment blocks) being sold at an above average price compared with similar housing in the area. Businesses such as Admiral Insurance have been attracted to the area and the Village Hotel has recently also been attracted to the region. The popularity of both businesses and residential property in the immediate area is indicative of the success of the early stages of the programme.
In terms of viewing the benefits to the wider economy of the area, it is likely that this will not be apparent for some years to come. Occupancy levels remain high and the public perceptions appear positive. These are two factors that are likely, in the long term, to establish success for the Waterfront area.
Wider Swansea Issues Going Forward The Future
It is impossible to consider a regeneration project such as the SA1 development as a lone project. Swansea city centre is also undergoing considerable redevelopment, in the form of infrastructure improvements and attracting new businesses to the area.
The geographic locality of the city centre in comparison to the SA1 Waterfront is relatively close and therefore any improvements impacting on the Waterfront are also likely to be relevant for the city centre. Those living in the SA1 Waterfront area will look towards the city centre for their shopping and entertainment, making the two areas inseparable from a policy point of view.
SA1 redevelopment is part of the wider Swansea 2020 policy and plan which integrates the Waterfront redevelopment with other aspects of the city plans. It is important to recognise that all decisions associated with the Waterfront planning and regeneration must be made with reference to the wider Wales Spatial Plan which requires the decisions to be made in accordance with the Waterfront plans stretching from Porthcawl to Pembrey, including the SA1 area.
The WSP recognises that the Swansea Bay will be central to the knowledge economy and as such the policies and planning decisions are all focused on the generation and establishment of knowledge-based companies. A key example of this can be seen with the Technium buildings that encourage the use of expertise from the neighbouring Swansea University to encourage new start-up companies that involve a high level of technical expertise.
In order to attract world class expertise, it is not only necessary to attract the organisations themselves, but it is also important to retain the knowledge that exists in the area, either through those who have moved to the region or those who are affiliated with the university. Attracting these individuals requires not only the work opportunities, but also the need to provide state of the art entertainment, accommodation and shopping, all of which are part of the regeneration programme at SA1 Waterfront.
Success will be measured, over several years, looking at factors such as residential property prices, unemployment in the city, average salaries and new businesses attracted, as well as the softer issues such as public perceptions and general attitudes towards the city centre as a location.
The role of planning, on a national, international and regional basis has been critical in the development of the SA1 Waterfront both to date and also for the future. Throughout the process, the council has worked closely with the WAG in order to ensure that the activities in SA1 are consistent with the wider WSP.
As well as ensuring that the actions are consistent with the wider national plans, Swansea Council has considered the wider implications of the activity throughout the planning process, for example, in terms of traffic congestion or disruption to those in the immediate area. The private sector has been involved with the processes and feedback has been encouraged, in order to gain acceptance and also to maximise the private sector investment that is put into the area.
This is a long term project where the benefits will have to be monitored over a long term period to date, however, the overall success level has been high and the linking of the projects planning with other regions has been key to this success.
No comments:
Post a Comment