Will Blaenau Ffestiniog really benefit from joining the national park?
Postcard — By Duncan Higgitt on February 11, 2010 11:00 am
Brooding: Blaenau Ffestiniog is an essential part of Welsh industrial heritage
IT’S always seemed snobbery, bordering on the offensive. The Snowdonia National Park is doughnut-shaped (well, sort of) because, according to the BBC “when the park was being developed urban and industrial areas were not included”.
Really? If you look across Wales, towns like Brecon, Dolgellau and Fishguard have all managed to make it in to our national parks. So why not Blaenau Ffestiniog? Could it be because with its spoil tips, terraces and rusted industry, it seems far too much like a Valleys town moved north, and out of time with the rest of the area?
I have always suspected that it was something closer to environmental fascism to led to Blaenau Ffestiniog’s exclusion. After all, the National Park movement grew from the walking societies in areas like the Peak District, which had been set up with the express purpose of getting out of the towns and cities at weekends in pursuit of some rural peace. When the planners cast an eye across Snowdonia’s mountainscapes, perhaps Blaenau Ffestiniog jarred their vision, perhaps it was a little too bleak in an area where, on a cold and wet day, it can make you ask questions of yourself. A place where nature can be a little too overawing.
For lovers of industrial landscapes like myself, however, the town is a goldmine, and a living monument to men like my great-grandfather (I should say Adam’s, too) who hauled stone from the ground in this part of the world before work dried up and he headed south to Ferndale. We take a different kind of meditation from places like Blaenau Ffestiniog, a separate type of reflection from time spent on ourselves. It has its own, perhaps more uncommon, attractions.
My view in all the time since I stumbled again on Blaenau Ffestiniog, this time as an adult, is that it doesn’t need the national park. It is at the centre of everything in Gwynedd (and not “at the edge” as the same recent and erroneous BBC report observed). If you are coming from South Wales to climb Snowdon, you must pass through it on the A470. As an urban centre, it serves the communities around it.
The experience of many living in national parks – and particularly in the Brecon Beacons, which I used to cover as a reporter – is that this status is a yoke and not a boon. It places all kinds of additional burdens on people within its boundaries, even those that derive benefits from being situated in a national park, like tourism operators. For those that want to earn a living in other ways, such as through agriculture, manufacturing or small industry, they can face years of frustration in negotiating additional regulations and uncomprehending officialdom.
Such problems has led to the establishment of pro-abolition organisations in pretty much all of the UK’s national parks, although they are at various stages of activism, perhaps reflecting the nature of the leadership of individual national park authorities more than anything else.
My assumptions may be wrong. Visitors to national parks tend to decide to visit them as an entity and then use a map to navigate their way around various corners of the park, and towns like Blaenau Ffestiniog would obviously benefit from being dropped in on in this way. And the request to join came from the town council, which obviously sees the benefits. On his blog, town and county councillor Gwilym Euros Roberts writes: “ A full assessment will be made to see if Blaenau reaches the criteria for National Park status – this could take a few years apparently. Once that assesment has been undertaken and if the response is positive, the Town Council will then call a referendum locally so that the final decision on this matter be it in favour or against, will be with local residents.”
That will give people in the town time to speak with those in the rest of Snowdonia and other national parks before deciding if joining really is best for Blaenau Ffestiniog. National parks occupy an important part of the conservation debate. It is often said – usually by those that live outside them – that their unique scenery must be preserved at all costs, and that those that live there are lucky to do so.
But it is impossible to take an area in which people are living and turn it into a museum, even one which is ‘interactive’. Many national park residents will argue that all the pretty views in the world are absolutely no use if you can’t get a job in the area you live and if you have to deal with all kinds of other rural-based social exclusion, such as a lack of shops, schools and public transport that weekend visitors take for granted back home. Those problems are often exacerbated by local park authorities, whose default response is “now slow down a minute, son” when any kind of proposal for development, from a back-of-house extension to a new railway line, is placed in front of them.
It is for Blaenau Ffestiniog to decide. Let us hope people there have all the facts when they do.
Tags: Blaenau Ffestiniog, Brecon Beacons, national park, Snowdonia
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12 Comments
Thanks for highlighting the absurdity of a National Park that excludes the beauty of Blaenau and that our landscapes are *never* unspoilt. Much of “rural” Wales was in fact dotted with industries, especially quarrying and extraction, and agriculture has had a massive impact on the natural landscape.
Meirionnydd, I’m told, used to mine a quarter of the world’s manganese in a quarry above Egryn (in the National Park) at the turn of the 20th C. Likewise lead, silver, gold as well as slate. So I’m deeply sceptical about the idea that the natural landscape of Snowdonia needs to be protected from its inhabitants.
That appears to be the starting point for many well-meaning people who love nature perhaps more than they like other people.
I hope Blaenau, the grey oasis, and its people continue to stand out from the crowd.
As a resident of Snowdonia National Park I can only agree with each aevry morsel of sentiment in your piece Duncan.
Since 2005 I have been trying to provide affordable homes for locals but the likes of Aled Sturkey and a a few misguided members at the SNPA have thwarted every attempt. It is indeed a difficult place to live and work thanks to the protection of landscape above all else attitude of those who don’t even live here. A recent report suggested that national parks cannot be seen to be preserved in aspic, well a clear jelly is the least of our problems when dealing with a piece of legislation that amounts to a wall of mud which was imposed upon us by the English Parliament when there were hardly any cars on teh road!
According to international observers of human rights the residents of national parks all over the globe face a very steady pressure which leads to ‘soft eviction’ or ‘voluntary resettlement’, it is pressure created by the predilections of planners and the culture of officials which make it impossible for families to survive through a lack of decent housing and sustainable work which is not dependant upon the vagaries of the weather (tourism) or EU subsidy (farming).
Residents of Blaenau Ffestiniog should think very carefully before they follow the lead of politicians who may have an agenda.
It’s very likely the case that, when national parks such as Eryri were created, “natural”, “unspoilt” landscapes were preferred, and that towns such as Blaenau Ffestiniog were indeed excluded partly because they were considered a bit, well, ugly. This can be seen on a map when you look at the park’s borders more generally, too: Bethesda and Llanberis both lie literally a matter of yards outside it.
I don’t think that’s the whole story, though. I think it’s unfair to imply that the park simply held these post-industrial towns and villages in contempt, “not nice enough” to be included. By 1951, the slate industry was pretty much dead. It’s plausible, therefore, that the slate towns were deliberately left outside the boundary to make it easier for them to build replacement industries, as they wouldn’t have to deal with the planning restrictions that you mention.
Just a thought; I don’t have any evidence that it was a consideration, but I’d be surprised if it wasn’t. It’s certainly true, however, that there has indeed been a dramatic change in the past few decades of what landscapes are considered “beautiful”. Admiration of industrial landscapes for their aesthetic value is relatively new, and it remains the case that national parks’ boundaries are partly a relic of the age before that development.
I bloody love the slate landscapes myself and would welcome Blaenau’s inclusion. That hole on the map does look silly. I think Blaenau Ffestiniog is a lovely town. Dinorwig quarry, overlooking Llanberis and also just outside the park, is possibly one of my favourite places in the world and it’s stunningly beautiful in my opinion. I adore it there. These landscapes need to be protected, too.
You also rightly raise the deeper question as to the basic purpose of national parks more broadly. It was only in 1995 that the protection and enhancement of cultural heritage became part of their legal duties. Before then, the emphasis remained on the more abstract (and in my view, inherently meaningless) notion of preserving “natural beauty”. Our landscapes are living landscapes; there is no such thing as a landscape existing independently of humans, and vice-versa. We live in a symbiotic relationship with the land around us. It is therefore vital that the people living within the parks are not ignored; they are part of the landscape too.
There is one school of thought that wants to return some of these areas to that of a “wilderness”; they actually want to get rid of all human influences and preserve them in some sort of “pure”, “natural” state. What they intend to do with the people already living in these areas is unclear though. It sounds far too much like the Highland Clearances for my liking, and, yes, fascist.
Sorry for that digression! Anyway, it’s a delicate balance. As I said, the perceived role of the parks have changed slightly since their formation. This is to be welcomed. It also means, however, that it might indeed be time to have a look at their boundaries again. Long live the tips and quarries.
I like your theory on why Blaenau Ffestiniog was initially left out of the park, Dylan. Sounds entirely plausible (and better than my theory).
I’ve had some correspondence with Gwilym Euros Roberts today and he tells me that applying to join the national park is only one part of a 20-30-year regeneration plan for the town. This all sounds incredibly exciting and I’m sure everyone in Wales would wish the town and its people all the best with that.
He also stressed that any final decision over becoming included in Eryri would lay only with the people of Blaenau Ffestiniog and that he and other civic leaders there welcome a full and informed debate in order to help any decision. It all sounds very positive – pob lwc!
Hi Duncan,
Thanks for your piece and for broadening the debate, which is obviously of interest to many, not just here in Blaenau Ffestiniog.
I warmly welcome the debate that this has arisen and being Blaenau born and bred, I would never, ever do anything that I thought would be to the detriment of the town and its people. That is why the final decision should be made by the people in a referendum after they have been given the facts for and against the Park.
This is a truly unique town in so many ways and thankfully things are looking up as we are working on a number of projects to redevelop it socially and economically, I and others see being in the National Park as one small, but important part in the vision for the town for the next 20-30 years.
Let’s wait and see what the CCW and WAG think of this idea before the people of Blaenau cast their judgment on the matter.
I look forward to the debate and to seeing democracy take its course as we embark on this exiting journey in the rejuvenation of Blaenau Ffestiniog – Calon Eryri.
Kind regards,
Gwil
Point of information, Mr Chairman! Fishguard is not in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
Interesting piece, and subsequent comments too.
In purely touristic terms, I wonder whether Blaenau stands out rather more as the ‘hole in the park’ than it ever would from being incorporated into it. Personally, I’d be all for the proud inclusion of ‘Y Twll yn y Parc’ on all the town signs.
I spoke a while ago to someone who works for Snowdonia NP authority, and asked about this issue. Her response was immediate: “Well, we know that lots of visitors change trains in Blaenau and are too scared to leave the station. And who can blame them?” She then wrinkled her nose as if someone had just farted nearby. It was a very telling reaction, and I truly hope that the fine, feisty people of BF won’t think that trying to crawl up to such people is going to do anything much for them. Quite the opposite, I suspect.
Be careful what you wish for…
I’ve lived in blaenau ffestiniog for over ten years, and unlike any of you high browe interlectualls (Sorry about the spelling I had Welsh Schooling for an important part of my schooling years and might I add was forced to learn welsh) I know what it’s like to live here, The majority of the residents are rude, ignorant ,extreemly racist. They also have a mobbing mentality, this,to those of you whom have not come across it, bacause you probubly live amongest civalized (evolved) comunities, means bullying but when this occurs other indviduals join in. These situations can happen anywere but the most embarrasing and upseting is when it happens in the local shops, I’ve left my shopping behind and exited the shop in tears on several occasions over the years and I am not refering to the same shop or the same people on each occasion, thus this community has a “mobbing mentality” . So in this case i hope this town is unique.
I’d also like to show my appreciation for the older kids and teenagers who must hear at home what their parents say when they talk about me and to their credit and maturity do not treat me as their parents do. The majority say hi if i pass them walking the dog and occasionaly some will ask me about the dogs. When they make a nusiance of themselves (which i find rare around my area) due to the fact that they are bored and there is nothing to do for them in your “perfect blaenau”. Such as using the large buissness waste bins as large skate boards then congregating outside someones back gate talking and laughing very loudly at 2.30am (although none of them are related to the owner, and the owner along with the rest of the street are trying to ignor them or ‘not get involved’ )on that occasion i walked the dogs as i was now awake, and stopped when i came to them, in this instance we had a short chat and only one of the boys wanted to create a disturbance the girls were petting the dogs and all understood when i said that they should go somewhere quieter, i didn’t argue with them or treat them as though they were imature kids, because i remember what it was like and because they are mature young adults and i didn’t tell them to stop or go home, though what home would they be going back to where the parents don’t care where or what their children are upto at 2.30am when most of them were fifteen at best.
Again the majority of the teenagers treat me better than their adult conterparts with the odd exception and i am grateful for that.
I tend to agree with Mike that Blaenau would attract tourism by calling itself ‘the hole in the park’. It’s clearly different from the other places, although there are old quarries in other parts of the park as well, such as Llanberis. Sue, I don’t really get your point about mobbing, what do they do to you? And is your problem with teenagers or adults?
Sue, I don’t mind spelling mistakes in a blog comment, but don’t blame Welsh-medium education. I went to a Welsh school, but I was expected to learn to spell in English as well as mother tongue English speakers, plus there’s always spell checker.
Am I right in believing that 20-25% of Wales is in a National Park?
If so that seems a bit too high.