Capturing Common Wealth and Community: Can Do in Neath Port Talbot (Pt. 2)
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In the second of two blogs, Jonathan Morris and Rob Rowlands explain how Tai Tarian is applying a Can Do Approach in a major regeneration project in Sandfields, Port Talbot
“The first thing to know about any Welsh person still is where he or she comes from; that alone will tell you a lot”
We are all moulded and shaped by place. The landscape, history and the stories that we tell ourselves all contribute to who we are and our collective community but as Gwyn ‘Alf’ Williams said, ‘Landscape does not make history: men and women do’. What we can do together as communities is far greater than the sum of our parts. The Milltir Sgwâr – the square mile – has always meant more than mere geography. It is your home patch giving you a sense of self identity and shared heritage. How do we, as a community, define and capture the shared ‘value’ of investment? How can we harness opportunities not only to create local jobs and ensure communities benefit; not only economically but also by increasing well being?
The £13 million redevelopment of the County Flats in Aberavon, Port Talbot is a major opportunity to regenerate this part of Aberavon sea front and provide a landmark scheme that will provide energy efficient new homes, revitalise the public realm and inform potential developments across Wales for decades to come.
The main objectives are to refurbish the existing 72 flats externally to provide energy efficient homes, and to build 55 new homes using modern methods of constructions. It will transform the public realm into an attractive and sustainable area to be enjoyed by the residents and community alike. Importantly it introduces new forms of natural insulation and create new supply chains that will have potential to extend across Wales. It aims to drive down embedded carbon and CO2 emissions for the whole life of the homes leading to a reduction in fuel poverty for the residents. The development embraces both the foundational and circular economy. It utilises Welsh timber to construct timber frames constructed less than seven miles away by local employer, Seven Oaks Modular.
Tai Tarian have set up a project focussing on applying a Can Do approach to the County Flats initiative to draw on best practice, identify future opportunities and influencing future strategic direction.
Interest also extends to the Neath Port Talbot Public Service Board (PSB) who have endorsed the Can Do approach as appropriate to developing the foundational and circular economies in the county borough within the framework of the Well Being of Future Generations Act.
It is based firmly on the Can Do Declaration, drawn up by the housing sector and building on the industry standard Can Do Toolkits.
It focuses on:
Adopting a coproduction approach from the outset with the 3Cs:
Clients - councils, colleges health boards, housing associations etc.
Contractors - including local SMEs and social businesses.
Communities – community groups, elected members and residents.
Starting by jointly defining what ‘value’ all partners want from public investment focussing on outcomes and how success will be measured.
Reviewing and co-designing commissioning and procurement processes to open opportunities for SMEs and social businesses.
Mapping investment plans and opportunities over the next 5 to 7 years across NPT.
Growing the foundational economy including jobs and training opportunities for residents.
The economic sub group of the PSB, NPTCBC and Tai Tarian have been focussed on scoping the work surrounding the economic recovery of the borough. The partnership has drafted a joint theory of change document along with a declaration of a common approach within the context of the foundational economy, circular economy, and the Well Being of Future Generations Act.
Because of its wider importance, County Flats is being utilised as real time learning opportunity to inform the future borough-wide approach to procurement, foundational economy, and investment opportunities. The project is starting to focus on the ‘how to’ questions, particularly:
How do we meaningfully engage with and involve the community?
How can the 3Cs jointly set the outcomes we want to achieve?
How do we measure a movable and complex ecosystem?
How will we know when we’ve succeeded?
We need local people and groups involved, not as a nice add on, but because they will have a unique perspective on what value means to them and what success will look like.
Pooling our resources, insight, expertise and reach means we already have a wealth of tools at our hands to enable success. Being more strategic about each of our campaigns, actions and asks; sequencing our actions to deliver more effective outcomes; working together with our intelligence, data and tools to back individual actions. This is how we will deliver the collective change needed for both maximum impact and efficiency.
Above all else we have to make sure that the huge potential to bring significant and lasting benefits to the community is fully delivered.
