In his regular blog for Caerphilly Observer South Wales East AM Lindsay Whittle gives his take on recent news.
Former Caerphilly Police Station
There have been lots of rumours about what development might occur on the former police station site in Park Lane, including Facebook claims about a mosque.
I’ve spoken to a planning official at the council and I’ve been told that there are no plans and a marketing exercise will be carried out to l00k at the best options for the site.
Personally, with its lovely views I’d love to see a hotel built there but we will have to wait and see what transpires.
Velothon
During First Minister’s Questions in the Senedd last week, I raised the issue of the Velothon.
Certainly, public opinion was divided and better organisation and information to the public is clearly needed if this cycling event is to be repeated.
There was good news for charities and for many businesses in Wales. But the bad news was that many businesses suffered losses, lots of the public were inconvenienced with poor information about road closures and some communities were literally cut off.
I raised the question of compensation for those businesses that could prove a financial loss.
The First Minister said that would have to be pursued with the organisers but would need to be balanced against the economic benefits.
Charity shop opening
It was a pleasure to be asked to officially open the Dylan O’Brien Foundation charity shop in Commercial Street, New Tredegar.
The charity was set up by Dylan’s parents, Claire and Michael to raise awareness and support for children with metabolic and genetic diseases. Dylan was just two when he passed away.
Currently, the campaign is raising money to donate sleep apnoea breathing monitors to hospitals.
RAF Valley
I’m a member of the Assembly’s cross party group on the armed forces and had the opportunity recently to visit RAF Valley in Anglesey.
I saw how helicopter pilots were trained using virtual reality helmets, introduced to the two fast jet squadrons who fly Hawk aircraft and visited the four flying units, meeting a cross section of the station’s personnel.
I believe it is important that Assembly Members get out of the Cardiff Bay bubble and speak to people from all walks of life.
Opencast
It was good news for residents that Caerphilly’s planning committee refused to support the development of the Nant Llesg opencast site, near Rhymney.
Jobs created must be viewed against the impact on the local community. And the cost in this case is too much.
The issue will return to the council in August with reasons drafted for refusing the application.
The fight will go on as it is very likely that the applicants Miller Argent will appeal to the Welsh Government against refusal.
Old Police Station site Parc Lane: Why should anything be built on it??????
Hang on a minute. What do you mean why should anything be built on it? Prime brown land in the middle of Caerphilly with loads of potential. Why wouldn’t you?
I simply posed a question, did`nt I ? I did`nt say I would`nt want anything built on it.
I’d like to see another Wetherspoons type pub with accommodation and a function room. But then again I don’t live on St Fagans street.
What an original idea, Pete, and it would add to the towns night time economy which all residents of the town so much enthuse about and enjoy. And it would also be joined to the biggest beer garden of all, David Williams Parc, what could be better?. Let`s hope Caerphilly Council Planners run with this `uneque`idea.
If you don’t like pubs why did you buy a house in the middle of Caerphilly? I did mention the people of St Fagans street did I not?
It is still a good idea as a Wetherspoons STYLE pub is a better option than a boozer or nightclub. It also gives the tourists somewhere to go eat and drink overlooking the castle rather than exiting Caerphilly as soon as they exit the castle. We’ve got a ruddy great tourist attraction in the middle of our town and we need to exploit it to the maximum to bring cash into the area from outside the area. A tourist friendly watering hole with an entrance/exit at the end of park lane would be fine and since we’ve just lost two pubs one in town and one just a spit away we can hardly say we’re overrun with drinking culture can we?
Pete do you actually read the comments posted before you go off on one, or are you making my mind up for me regardless of what I say.
I also notice you say in another posting, the land in Parc Lane is `prime Land in the middle of Caerphilly`, you are correct in that statement alright, , anything the size of this area of land which cost the ratepayers over £2 million pounds is `prime` alright. particulaly with ancient rights of way running through it. and, a restrictive covernant which states that an area of 1449 square yards of it can only be used for the education of children of the manufacturing classes of the people of the town and no other purposes, we await an explination from the council how it intends to get around that particular hurdle in order to make it an attractive development proposition for a profit led development company. Pub?, hotel?, car park? I am neutral on any prospective development, at the moment, but as sure as eggs is eggs the people of the town will have a say on what the council do with this land.
Rubbish your comment was laced with sarcasm toward my suggestion. Of course I read it. You got the response you deserved. Typical of the won’t, can’t, shouldn’t, mustn’t, attitude. An extension to the park would be a great idea as a father I use many of cearphillys parks and as a gardener I appreciate the work that goes into them. But that is prime land as you agreed and the council needs money and a return on its investment. An education unit would also be wonderful but we are broke, there is no money we have to be practical. Practical means making money Wetherspoons makes money, flats make money even a car park would make money but doing nothing doesn’t.
Yes I did know about the restrictions on the land that was gifted oh so long ago. I have no idea how they would incorporate or avoid this issue but let’s face it very little is sacrosanct these days so don’t hold your breath.
Again you`ve got it wrong, and for the avoidance of doubt, I repeat, I am neutral on the subject of what development takes place on this land so forget any personal attacks you may be heading towards, beyond those you have already invented of course.
The Council will only make money from this, purchase and clearance, or even recover some of it, if a developer sees a profit in it for them, they certainly wont want ANY incummbrances in their way of that race and pusuit for profit. And, if the Restrictive Covernent has NOT yet been removed by some very long and legally complicated process, probably through the Law Courts, Land Tribunal Courts and someone even mentioned that there is a need for The House of Lords to be involved in such a process, then the cost to either the Caerphilly ratepayers or a very rich land developer would, in itself be restrictive, so, I think it is overly premature for anyone to seconf guess what use this land may be put too.
Whatever is eventually proposed by planners and others the only decision which counts will be that of elected members, and already diverse views are emurging from different political groups. it is odd you should highlight the `prime` application of this location, yet in previous comments you have totally derided the town as a spent force. Which is it?.
At no point have I suggested that the town is a spent force. I am merely suggested that following national trends town centres are struggling and in need of reinventing themselves and encouraging a different business model to attract inward flow. They also need to exploit what they already have to the maximum such as prime commercial/tourist areas like Park lane.
You say you are neutral on the matter but I very much doubt this as you are clearly in close vicinity to the area and could or would be effected by any development. Your sarcastic comments at my suggestion of a pub/accommodation also give the game away Tref. Nice try but having read your contributions over the last couple of months I doubt that you are the type of guy to hold back on an opinion. This is after all why you, I and other people on this forum are here in the first place.
Do you deny this? Keep it civil.
For the third time, and I really care not, if you believe it or not, I am neutral on what or if nothing replaces the former building in Parc Lane so don`t waste your time pushing that one. If however I was in so close proximity to this site that any development would effect me, I would ensure that my community benefitted from any considerable planning gain that a developer would have to pay for the privilage of developing it.
That said, the top of town commercial `zone` consists of one street of trading premises with the odd diversion into Residential streets, you know that the majority of these `trading premises` are no longer such things, they have been largely turned over to other sectors, (and real traders are left struggling, go and ask the ones that are left), banks, building societies, betting shops the odd pub, the even odder clothes shop, nail bars and hairdressers, and charity shops. If you are suggesting that this formes the basis of a successful transformation by picking prime development sites, for redevelopment, and I can think of only two in the top of town , then that VIEW is delusional but I suspect you already realise that.
If this town is to recover any resemblance of a trading centre and the ground it has lost, it needs to first of all cater for the people living in the Caerphilly Basin and a basis for survival, only then can what you suggest happen, until then why on earth would anyone spend millions of pounds developing a site in the hope of a better tomorrow?. Someone said on this site, I think it was a local councillor, that he suspected Caerphilly council even had to do a one way financial sweetheart deal with Sports Direct for them to take over the Tesco Building.
And, who was it who said on this site even though they shopped at Sports Direct regularly they would continue to do so in Tonyrefail as it was easier to park and do other general shopping at the sametime, that about sums it up why even Caerphilly council with all the good intentions in the World are fighting a loosing battle in respect to regenertion of the town and attracting shoppers. Tourism is a different thing all together, and I fully agree with you that the Council really have to find a game changer if it is to increase its share of visitors, and, even more inventive initiatives if it is to keep visitors interested once they are here, the Castle captures them but The odd tea room or coffee shop will keep them interested even they are providing a needed facility. A hotel would be good, would it be good in Parc Lane? `O dear we are back to square one, and I am neutral on that proposal, as you know.!.
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Regarding your first paragraph I don’t fully believe you but I’ll let it drop. As a side note I did suggest a Wetherspoons style pub because it is less noisy, more family orientated and focused on food as well as drink.
Your second paragraph I genuinely didn’t understand. Sorry but I don’t know where you were going with that. Please explain if you care to.
In your third paragraph you suggest the council sweetened the deal for sports direct. I understand why they would want to do this but I’m not here to defend their actions which I would also question and would require more info to comment.
You then repeat one persons opinion of shopping with sports direct. Although anecdotal it does bolster my argument that town needs to change its business model/facilities.
You finish off with suggesting that we need to fuel more tourism. I agree.
All this means (to me) that Caerphilly needs to change and develop its prime
areas including park lane.
Pointless clarifying anything with you, because, you dont believe, that I believe, what I say. Why would I want to debate anything with you on those grounds?
Regarding the Park Lane site I find it peculiar that the council have bought this land with no idea at all about what they want to put there. I was given the same answer as Lindsay when I asked the same question at a meeting with officers of the council and the leader.
Personaly I think the money would have been better used to preserve the Park Lane school, which had historic importance to the town. This also would have saved the school hall and the attached St. Martin’s Hall which were used for many community purposes.