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Annual Youth Conference  Ymgyrch Diogelu Cymru Wledig

Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales

CPRW Youth Conference 2001 by Ian Thomas

In November 2001 the annual youth conference was held near Aberystwyth. The theme was planning, its process and implications.

On Monday the delegates from schools across Wales arrived at Aberystwyth station to be met by CPRW staff. We were taken to our accommodation, a beautiful house, 'Plas Dolau', just outside Aberystwyth, where all meetings, meals and sleeping were to take place. Here we all met up with each other (having arrived at different times throughout the morning) and got acquainted with our new surroundings and the many people from different backgrounds.

Monday afternoon we were introduced to the area by Liza Tomes from CCW and to the planning system by Llinos Thomas from Ceredigion Council. The specific applications we were to consider were then explained to us. After viewing the applications for just a few minutes, a vote was taken on whether or not to pass them. We delegates were to become planning officers for two days and councillors for the last day.

After supper, a debate was led by Dr Alister Scott from Aberystwyth University on why planning should exist. This was a lively event for those who could manage to stay awake. Still not allowed to rest, off we went to Aberystwyth to go bowling.

Mr. Acar and family at the Istanbul Kebab House		 Tuesday consisted of site visits. We set off in our bus to Cardigan to consider an application to build a bowling centre (last night's research proved very useful!), moving on to Aberporth Airfield to inspect the current facilities and finally into Aberystwyth to look at the site for a proposed footbridge, a proposed housing complex and to visit a kebab shop where the owners wanted to extend the opening hours. At each site the developer, or a representative, met us just as though we were the real planning committee and we had to question them on their applications for planning. This kept us on our toes all day.
On returning to the house and having been well fed, we broke into groups and went through all the resources you could imagine from the CPRW library to form opinions on each of the sites. Spokespersons for and against each application were chosen ready for the meeting the next day. Some people were not entirely happy at their given subject, especially those who got 'against the kebab shop opening later' and 'against the airport development' (my topic). The amount of information available was great but having to trawl through Development Plans at the end of a long day looking for your small patch of land is no small feat. We all had a good laugh though and helped each other out.
Research-hardwork but fun!
 Tuesday night ended with the CPRW staff challenging us to put on some entertainment for them. What followed was a great show of talent with singing, dancing, piano playing, comedians, contortionists and impressionists all coming out to join in the fun.

The 'Planning Committee' takes a vote		 On the Wednesday the 'planning committee' met. A meeting room was created and all 'councillors' had their places marked. The cases were heard and then debated and finally a vote taken on whether or not to pass the application. The greatest surprise to all was the comparison of Wednesday's vote to the original one on Monday.
 

As you can see, by Wednesday the opinions had changed a lot; all the motions were passed - some with more conviction than others - some even lost votes during the three days.

 Proposal   For Against Don't
 Know
Redevelopment of old industrial site to bowling centre Mon.
(before)		 26 0 1*
Wed
(after)		 19 4 5
Aberporth airpost extension and development into high tech science park Mon.
(before)		 17 6 4*
Wed
(after)		 3 15 10
Footbridge over river in Aberystwyth Mon.
(before)		 25 1 1*
Wed
(after)		 23 0 5
housing development on old derelict hospital site Mon.
(before)		 3 16 8*
Wed
(after)		 20 1 7
Extension of opening hours for a Kebab shop Mon.
(before)		 27 0 0*
Wed
(after)		 18 5 5
* 1 delegate had to leave before Wednesday's vote
Then the worst part of the week when, after three long days, we had to depart from our house to head back for the trains and buses home and say goodbye to our new found friends from across the country's length and breadth. Not without the staff first getting us all to sign up as CPRW members and all getting everyone's e-mail addresses. Many of us are still in contact with each other - all thanks to the meeting of like minds in the great house outside Aberystwyth.
Ian Thomas lives in Caerphilly and is a pupil of St.Teilo's Church in Wales High School, Penylan, Cardiff

CPRW would like to thank the event's sponsors HSBC and the Countryside Council of Wales and all the people who helped to make the event so successful.

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