The cranes are rising above Wales' towns and cities as an unprecedented number of regeneration projects gets under way. Kristian Dando takes a look at how our urban areas are set to change.
Throughout Wales the regeneration of town and city centre is as ubiquitous as bilingual road signs. From the large-scale upheavals along the M4 in Newport, Cardiff and Swansea, to the face-lifts taking place in provincial towns like Merthyr, Holyhead and Wrexham, councils, developers and contractors are sprucing up outmoded, tired and occasionally completely dilapidated areas: frequently beyond recognition.
The projects differ wildly in scale - the £31bn that will be sunk into Swansea's forthcoming makeover exists only in the wildest dreams of towns on the Heads of the Valley road. Intentions vary as well, with the familiar question of revolution or evolution to be carefully considered. But the challenge is universal - keep hold of departing shoppers, residents and revenue. And, in most cases, restore civic pride that has been slowly eroded since the decline of heavy industry.
Regeneration means a stimulus for business - contractors undertaking work, lawyers advising deals, or stores moving into new premises - even down to decorators repainting houses. And while the Assembly and local councils may ultimately crack the whip and approve developers, third party involvement and investment is what drives the process. European Objective One funding from the Assembly and the EU is no longer available for deprived or prioritised areas in need of redevelopment, so the impetus is now thrust firmly into the hands of the private sector.
Increasingly, "mixed-use" development is the buzzword on the lips of council members and private companies alike. The traditional retail route is not quite the cure-all it once was. An economic downturn may be lurking on the horizon, internet shopping becoming increasingly popular and the cost of living is on the rise.
John Emery, managing director for development at retail investor Hammersons - due to undertake work on revitalising Swansea's city centre in partnership with property developer Urban Splash - says that new retail developments have to evolve in order to keep potential shoppers engaged.
"Retail is the commercial underpinning of typical regeneration projects," he says. "The way we are combating threats from online and out-of-town centres is to make our regeneration projects more experiential - more attractive to consumers to entice them to wish to go to city centres. Not just to buy goods, but with a desire to actually be there. That's reflected in the changing mix in regeneration projects. Environment is very important and we need to build examples that are attractive and people want to be in."
The Swansea development will feature wide open communal spaces, with independent and indigenous retailers set to play a major part in the plans - with attractive rates offered to entice them. The St Davids 2 project in Cardiff, headed by Land Securities, will feature a new community library - although the developers were somewhat obliged to provide one, having demolished the previous one to make way for the centre.
"Visiting a city or town centre is now optional - people can do their shopping from their armchair, so more has to be done to get people to visit and stick around centres. It seems like a glib statement," says Lester Hampson, development director at Land Securities, "but you've just got to make a nice place to be. Much more thought is going into what makes each individual town or city special than it did previously. This sort of thinking is making developments much more sustainable and making regeneration work for the city, rather than just the developer."
In Holyhead, private investment has been prompted by a partnership between the town and shipping operator Stena Line, which operates the ferry services across the Irish Sea, working with the Conygar Investment Company, taking care of the harbour waterfront. Anglesey county council leader Gareth Roberts describes the venture as "an ambitious project and one which could help bring together all of the aspirations that have been discussed locally for the regeneration of Holyhead." Being an essential stop-off point between the north of England and Ireland by ferry, Holyhead has the potential to be a more prominent destination than at present.
Wrexham, meanwhile, is pursuing a path to regeneration which is relies on its traditional markets and millions of pounds of retail investment. The North East Wales Institute of Higher Education's bid for full university status has the potential to bolster the town, but core to the centre's regeneration is the new Eagles Meadow centre, helmed by Wilson Bowden. Mixed use development is on the agenda again - with Debenhams and Marks & Spencer anchoring the development, with young and popular high-street shopping brands H & M and River Island also joining the line-up. The leisure aspect comprises of a ten-pin bowling alley and a multiplex cinema. The usual suspects are also providing the restaurant and cafxe9 element. Developer Wilson Bowden claims that the improvements will elevate Wrexham into "the top 80 retail destinations in the UK".
While these sort of measures are likely to bring more people into Wrexham and Wales' other towns, the developer will always get flak for creating "clone' centres - it's quite easy to get a sense of dxe9jxe0 vu from the repeated promises of anchoring department stores and a raft of familiar supporting outlets.
But Hammersons' Emery defends the presence of national retailers, claiming that a reliable trade base of must be established in order to make a success. "The mix of multinational and nationals which have the strength to underpin a regeneration project are essential - these places aren't everywhere because they're unpopular," he argues. "But it is important to provide space for regional and independent outfits which capture the essence of what's there already."
The idea in that by bringing residents back into town centres through the mixed-use style development, that the places themselves will be more inhabitable. People living in urban centres, it's reasoned, will keep the undesirables away when night falls. The post-war flight to the suburbs, says Lester Hampson, is over.
So after decades of decline, Wales' town and city centres can look forward to a potentially brighter future. The south's burgeoning redevelopment continues apace while the north has attracted a number of high-profile developers.
Retail looks likely to drive future projects - with developers unfazed by the current uncertainty surrounding high street spending. "If we reacted to every single factor like this and changed our plans accordingly, nothing would ever be achieved," says Hampson. "It's more likely we'd end up in a psychiatric unit."
After years of out-of-town retail parks springing up on dual carriageways on the fringes, the urban centre is back - and seemingly bringing a few fresh ideas with it.