The British in Talywain: Cabinet authorises licence agreement in ‘joint venture’

Torfaen council's cabinet has authorised a licence in a ‘joint venture’ agreement with a company known only as EOI 3 (Expression of Interest) for The British.

The masterplan for The British, Talywain, Pontypool was approved in cabinet in 2018 following purchase of the site in 2016 - formal expressions of interest had been invited by the council.

Developments at The British follow a 40 year campaign by the community to save the site from opencast mining and bring it back into public ownership. The masterplan included hiking trails, future residential developments, forest zones and a destination hub.

Torfaen cabinet were told this week that three expressions of interest in the site were received and it was believed that EOI 3 was the best aligned to the council's ambitions.

EOI 3 submitted a proposal for the development of the whole site and hopes to use ‘green bonds’ to fund its feasibility work and develop the site for green energy and hydrogen production as well as aquaculture development.

The council expressed there is significant jobs for the officers to do in this joint venture and community engagement will be continued throughout.

The British picture: Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

The British picture: Newsquest

It was put forward that officers will continue to engage with the local community to ensure residents are fully informed and work with EOI 3 to set up a licensing agreement and make arrangements for them to engage with the local community.

Dave Leech the council’s chief communities said: “They are a social enterprise company engagement which is one of the reasons they haven’t specified what activity they want to see on the site.

“It will come down to discussions with the community about how we joint deliver the masterplan, we don’t think it is a negative that specifics haven’t been specified.

“There is always risks with this project that it won’t proceed past this heads of turns area- the process is whether we can reach an agreement on this heads of turns venture.

“Members must be aware that we may come back and say we’re not in a position to move it forward.”

No questions were raised and the agreement was unanimous.

It was believed that the two other submissions focused on one element and didn’t give the cabinet the ability to deliver the wider masterplan.

The authority’s masterplan is based on three “key pillars”:

• Creating a sustainable community;
• Set within a dramatic natural landscape;
• With a wealth of historic character;

There are also 10 ‘opportunity areas’ identified in the council’s masterplan which are:  

• Gateway to the British: Car parking and visitor improvements at Big Arch;
• Ironworks Heritage Trail & Café: Renovation of the Cornish Engine House and associated trails;
• Road Improvements: Adjustment of the northern road access to soften the current bend;
• Waterside Landscape Corridor: Creation of walking routes around the phase 1 attenuation ponds;
• Potential development areas: Areas that are most likely to be able to accommodate building foundations;
• Community food growing zone: Areas earmarked for community food growing/community allotments;
• Discovery trail hub: Potential for the British to be a hub on the NCN cycling “Discovery Trail”;
• Sustainable energy generation: Solar, wind, hydro and mine-water heating;
• Cwmbyrgwm heritage trail: Informal circular walks and interpretation of the Cwmbyrgwm landscape;
• Trekking centre: Activity centre and trekking routes across the British.

Wayne Tomlinson, who lived on the site for 27 years, said: “It opens up a whole new set of questions that should have been asked.

“If I was a councillor, I would have asked questions and been persistent, I think the masterplans 10 commitments will not be done if this joint venture goes ahead -there would have to be another masterplan.

“They did say there would be consultation with the community, but I think there should have been more consultation about who this company before the report was published.

“When I first saw the report, I was so annoyed because it seemed to me that the council were off loading their responsibility off to a private company,

“I have reservations with greening the area with all the dangers on the site seems to me that they are taking on a lot.”