New Placemaking Programme to involve residents in planning Cowbridge’s future
Cowbridge Town Council held its first community mapping session this month signalling the launch of a placemaking programme that will give the local community a voice in planning the future of the town.
The session on behalf of the Cowbridge with Llanblethian Town Council took place at the recent Coronation Picnic, on 7 May. Local residents were invited to share what they liked about Cowbridge and the surrounding villages using an interactive map, while also leaving comments on what could be improved.
The town council will be working in line with the Placemaking Wales Charter, which was developed in collaboration with the Placemaking Wales Partnership. The community mapping session is the first of many activities where the views of local people will be sought in order to build a picture of what matters most to the local community.
Placemaking involves working collaboratively across sectors and disciplines to consider the future development of vibrant places. The town council will be supported over the next eighteen months by the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Creative Communities team.
The Charter reflects the collective and individual commitment of stakeholders to support the development of high-quality places across Wales for the benefit of communities.
The team, which is based in Cowbridge, has previously led successful placemaking work in Barry and the community mapping approach was used to great effect by the team’s forerunner Creative Rural Communities.
Cllr Malcolm Wilson, Mayor of Cowbridge, said: “We at Cowbridge with Llanblethian Town Council are excited to be working in partnership with the Vale Council and other towns across the Vale to develop a ground-breaking Placemaking plan which will give the Cowbridge and Llanblethian communities a real say in the development of the Town over the next ten years and an opportunity to contribute and influence wider policies across the Vale that impact on our Town and its people.”
Cllr Wilson launched the Placemaking programme for Cowbridge with Llanblethian at his Mayor Making Ceremony on 16 May. Throughout the summer, he will be using his monthly coffee mornings as one of the many opportunities for community members to get involved with Placemaking activities.
Cllr Bronwen Brooks, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Places, said: “Involving local people in the future of their town is vital. It is great to be working closely with the town council and local councillors on this vision for Cowbridge. Involvement from nearby villages, community groups, residents and businesses is essential if we are going to design a place making plan for Cowbridge.”