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Madeleine Thornton
5 years ago
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1 Presentation Introduction Hi, my name is David Metcalfe and my job with the group is Project Manager and Chairman. I started looking at the Plas Kynaston Canal about 5 years ago, and anticipated that we would eventually reach this point, however I was not expecting it this soon, but as the old saying goes, life starts before you are ready for it! We only have 20 minutes for this presentation in which time I hope that the slides we have prepared will give you a brief over view of what we are doing and why we are doing it. This presentation has been especially prepared for your site visit Jocelyn, and we are glad to have you here with us. We, as a group would also like to thank Mark Isherwood and his office for initiating this site visit and meeting, and every body here for attending and taking an interest in the future of our community. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 1 of 33

2 The Plas Kynaston Canal Group was established in 2010 in response to the Wrexham County Borough Council Local Development plan We as a group think that this plan has been prepared with good intentions for the majority of the county, however we do find it lacking in relation to our area here in Cefn Mawr, and the potential economic benefit that can be achieved by the inclusion of our proposals, for the benefit of all. Under the currently proposed LDP, a significant number of housing units are indicated for Cefn Mawr and Acrefair, which would result in an increase of over 30% in the population, unfortunately this is in parallel with a drastic decline in employment opportunities for the area. We questioned this and became a sub group of the DVCP in The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 2 of 33

3 P1 Policy and Wrexham Town or City? The number allocated for Cefn Mawr and Acrefair exceeds the number indicated for Wrexham town itself, which is currently contemplating registering for City Status. We ask, is this a correct ratio in an area where unemployment is already disproportionally high? The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 3 of 33

Cefn Mawr & Acrefair 665 housing units are planned for the sites of the two former major employers of the area, Flexsys (formerly Monsanto) and Air products.

4 Cefn Mawr & Acrefair 665 housing units are planned for the sites of the two former major employers of the area, Flexsys (formerly Monsanto) and Air products. If the additional allocations of King Street and land to the South Side of High Street are taken into account this gives a Grand total of 710 units. At 710 units this is in excess of 50% for the entire allocation for all the Western Villages of the county of Wrexham. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 4 of 33

Wrexham County Since the total allocation for the Wrexham County is 1925, and 710 of those are in this area, this equates to: 710 / 1925 x 100 = 37% of the proposed housing stock for the entire

5 Wrexham County Since the total allocation for the Wrexham County is 1925, and 710 of those are in this area, this equates to: 710 / 1925 x 100 = 37% of the proposed housing stock for the entire Wrexham County is being built adjacent to, or within a 1 mile radius of the of the main feature of the World Heritage Site, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and will be central to the World Heritage Site Corridor. Dresden, a city in Germany lost its WHS status through inappropriate building programs adjacent to their site, surely we want to avoid the same situation here. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 5 of 33

6 Please note the proximity of the Pontcysylte Aqueduct to the Flexsys and Air Products site. A large housing program such as proposed in an area where there is no real employment will also necessitate people having to travel further to work, by car, bus or train. The net effect of this will be an increase in the carbon emission which is yet again in conflict with the stated policies of the proposed LDP. What we are proposing will provide real jobs, in the local area and foster the growth of existing businesses, thereby employing more people, where their place of employment is within walking distance, which would help to reduce the carbon emissions. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 6 of 33

7 The Flexsys site as it is today, and please remember that the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is just to the left of this picture. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 7 of 33

8 T The only remaining section of the works still in use is on lease to Dupont until 2015 and employs approximately 50 people. The chances are that this operation will be terminated at that point, if the current trend is followed. Please note the bridge over Plas Kynaston Canal, in the centre of this photograph. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 8 of 33

9 Air Products Works Site in 2011, another former works, and now a vacant lot, please note the roof top of the Flexsys Power Station in the picture, showing the proximity of these two sites. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 9 of 33

10 I would now like to take a step back in time some 30 years to when there were higher rates of employment and there were more jobs. To what may now seem like a golden age, to a time when our country was still an industrial nation, unemployment was vastly lower, people had jobs and we could make things. This pressure vessel was made at the Air Products works where there is now only a vacant lot as you have just seen. To produce work such as this, it requires a skilled work force, which means good employment for our people. Sadly those days have gone. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 10 of 33

11 An extract from the Clwyd Library Service Autumn Report for Cefn Mawr and Acrefair in 1981 The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 11 of 33

12 An extract from the Clwyd Library Service Autumn Report for Cefn Mawr and Acrefair in 1981 The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 12 of 33

By stepping back further in time, 135 years to 1875, this will show that what we are talking about, the reinstatement of the Plas Kynaston Canal is perfectly feasible.

13 By stepping back further in time, 135 years to 1875, this will show that what we are talking about, the reinstatement of the Plas Kynaston Canal is perfectly feasible. This private enterprise canal was cut in the late 1820 s and is only 5/8 th of a mile long, and connected Cefn Mawr to the Inland Waterway Network, for the export of coal, pottery, chemical and iron products from the Plas Kynaston Works. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 13 of 33

14 A map of the Grasser Monsanto Era that we estimate to be around 1920, showing the Plas Kynaston Canal The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 14 of 33

Here we can see the same route of the original canal superimposed on the WCBC LDP plan, terminating with a 60 berth marina. This plot is roughly to scale.

15 Here we can see the same route of the original canal superimposed on the WCBC LDP plan, terminating with a 60 berth marina. This plot is roughly to scale. Notice the proximity of the marina to Cefn Mawr village centre high lighted in blue, where approximately 3.5 million pounds has been spent on regeneration, of the high street. Please also note the proximity of the Air Products site to the Flexsys site, so thinking of them as different areas is not quite correct. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 15 of 33

16 An aerial photograph of the site with the Plas Kynaston Canal and new Marina plotted to scale. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 16 of 33

17 The Flexsys site where the new marina will go behind the Queens Hotel The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 17 of 33

So why do this??? This is the Ebenezer, the very building that you are sitting in right now, and restored under the THI, by the WCBC with Heritage Lottery Funding, at a cost of 1.5 million pounds.

18 So why do this??? This is the Ebenezer, the very building that you are sitting in right now, and restored under the THI, by the WCBC with Heritage Lottery Funding, at a cost of 1.5 million pounds. However, it has not been possible to keep the doors open on a commercial basis due to the lack of foot fall on the high street of Cefn Mawr, a former thriving centre for the area. It is also important to remember that this economic hardship is experienced by all businesses here in Cefn Mawr and Surrounding Villages, and not just the DVCP with the Ebenezer. We can not and would not want to re route the A5, A539 or the main Rail Line through the village to redress this problem, these are impossibilities. However we could extend the canal just over half a mile terminating in a marina to provide an answer that is both sympathetic and complimentary to the problem, for all concerned and would draw people into the area. This would increase the foot fall, and turn the economy of Cefn Mawr and Surrounding Villages around. We also do not need new facilities being built at the Trevor Basin that are sponsored externally, that will be in direct competition with existing businesses that are already struggling to keep going. We should simply use what we have to hand first. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 18 of 33

19 World Heritage Site Visitor No s Size of site Date inscribed Pont du Gard, France 2million 1985 Ironbridge 750, ha 1986 Giant s Causeway, Ireland 751,693 70,000 ha 1986 Stonehenge 800,000 4,985 ha 1986 Edwardian Castles of Wales: Beaumaris Caernarfon Harlech Conwy Total for the WH site 78, ,683 94, , ,101 6 ha 1986 Canal du Midi (France) N/A 1,172ha 1996 Blaenavon Industrial Landscape 165, ha 2000 Derwent Valley Mills 135,000 1,228 ha 2001 New Lanark Works 400, ha 2001 Rideau Canal (Canada) N/A 21,454ha 2007 Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal 200,000 est 4, Source: UNESCO This is an extracted table from the WCBC Tourism Draft Plan The Table was initially prepared by UNESCO the awarding authority for WHS Status. It clearly indicates the visitor count for the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct only half a mile away from this building that you are all sitting in. This village currently sees less than 1% of that annual figure. This has traditionally been due to the presence of the former Monsanto and Flexsys Chemical works as a physical barrier between the Aqueduct and our villages. Now that has virtually come to an end, the opportunity to open up this gateway for the economic benefit and future development of our community has become available. This village could rival Iron Bridge for a tourist count by the completion of the currently proposed LDP in 2021, complementing the whole of the WHS Corridor, rather than detracting from it. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 19 of 33

20 The Plas Kynaston Canal in the 1930 s leading into Cefn Mawr The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 20 of 33

21 Public support for our proposals can be gauged from: The response we have had during the initial LDP consultation in June 2010, where we achieved the best attended consultation meeting the council had, with attendance figures increased by 100% from an average of 30 to over 300 on the day here in Cefn Mawr at the George Edwards Hall. This was in June The 2000 strong petition handed into the Lord Mayor in support of our proposals in October last year. Under the most recent consultation period of the LDP which closed on the 25th of last month, where the WCBC asked for peoples responses to our proposals. The WCBC has received approximately 1500 representations in support of our proposals, and we have gained a significant majority in the LDP. The council will be writing replies to all of these for months! The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 21 of 33

Now Ironbridge in Shropshire was mentioned, but I would like to draw your attention to a few other iron bridges etc around the UK made here in Cefn Mawr.

22 Now Ironbridge in Shropshire was mentioned, but I would like to draw your attention to a few other iron bridges etc around the UK made here in Cefn Mawr. Obviously here is the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, but there are a few more to say the least, that you may not be aware of, and I have not yet found them all. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 22 of 33

23 Neptune s Stair Case on the Caledonian Canal and all the iron work for the western half of the Caledonian Canal as well as the swing bridges that used to cross it were made at Cefn Mawr. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 23 of 33

24 The Waterloo Bridge at Betws-y-coed built in 1815 and made in Cefn Mawr. The A5 still runs over this bridge today, The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 24 of 33

25 The Craigellachie Bridge over the River Spey in Scotland in 2010 The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 25 of 33

26 The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 26 of 33

27 Another major feature of Cefn Mawr often forgotten is the Cefn Mawr viaduct built between 1846 to 1848, an amazing achievement, so I think we can manage half a mile of canal if we want to! The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 27 of 33

28 Contamination The contamination issue is a complicated one that can not be fully addressed in this presentation. However it is an issue that will have to be dealt with before the current occupiers and site owners leave, and it should not be seen as an issue that can be maintained indefinitely, as has been suggested. Further to this, if we can not build a canal and marina within the site because of contamination issues, we should certainly not be building houses on the site. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 28 of 33

29 Funding The Plas Kynaston Canal was constructed with private finance almost 200 years ago, and although we are seeking funds from all sources, we still see this as being predominately financed from private capitol. This should be largely derivable from the realisation of real estate values. The site is currently either worthless, or a financial liability bearing in mind the remediation costs. These costs will hopefully be recovered by the realisation of real estate values, however the value of the real estate is directly affected by the demand for the land. Simply put, if no one wants it, what s it worth? The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 29 of 33

The former site of the British Alcan Plant This is the village of Kinlochleven in Scotland in 2010.

30 The former site of the British Alcan Plant This is the village of Kinlochleven in Scotland in It was once known as the Electric Village because it had electric street lighting while the Queen was still lighting her gas lamps in Buckingham Palace! The British Alcan plant was the only main employer in the village, and was closed down in 2000, following which the site was decontaminated, and subsequently indicated in council planning agendas as available for planning permission for residential housing. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 30 of 33

Council Built Units The only new build to date since the closure of this site on the former works are the new units as built by the council for office space.

31 Council Built Units The only new build to date since the closure of this site on the former works are the new units as built by the council for office space. There are no residential units built on this land. The local population still regard the site as being suspect, and there are many stories of Cancer Deaths, that are thought to be allegedly associated to the former works and the carcinogenic materials used there. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 31 of 33

The Ice Factor Snow & Ice Climbing Centre Hydro Electric Power House British Alcan Museum The vacant lot of the ex British Alcan Plant in 2010, please note that the hydro electrical power generation

32 The Ice Factor Snow & Ice Climbing Centre Hydro Electric Power House British Alcan Museum The vacant lot of the ex British Alcan Plant in 2010, please note that the hydro electrical power generation house to the left of this picture is still in operation. The village is also on the West Highland Way, a popular long distance footpath that runs through the ex works and the village of Kinlochleven. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 32 of 33

So for the sake of our Children and our Grand Children, let s make the most of this opportunity, and not waste it on short term planning. It will not come around again.

33 So for the sake of our Children and our Grand Children, let s make the most of this opportunity, and not waste it on short term planning. It will not come around again. This is the PKC s view fort the future, a balanced perspective and full utilisation of resources. Reinstatement of the Plas Kynaston Canal terminating in a 60 berth Marina at Cefn Mawr, which it self will provide the hub for tourism for this area. This is the most efficient use of available resources. This should be complimented by an appropriate and sympathetic housing development as can be seen opposite on the cover of the Dragonfly magazine. This can be achieved here in Cefn Mawr for the benefit of all. Please see our Website for more information. The Plas Kynaston Canal Group & DVCP Page 33 of 33

OUR AREA SECTION 02 I NEXT PAGE. 2.1 This section sets the scene in regard to the role of the Legacy Corporation and the baseline

OUR AREA SECTION 02 I NEXT PAGE. 2.1 This section sets the scene in regard to the role of the Legacy Corporation and the baseline 7 ADOPTED LOCAL PLAN SECTION 02 2.1 This section sets the scene in regard to the role of the Legacy Corporation and the baseline position of the Local Plan. It sets out the historical context and current