At the last New Paths Gathering we had a talk by Robin Bobby from the MAP Project. MAP are trying to preserve part of 'The Nylon' factory for future use as a venue for science and the arts. This blog is a call to action to help their cause by making objections to new plans for the site.
Help MAP to save 'The Nylon'
At the last New Paths Gathering we had a talk by Robin Bobby from the MAP Project. MAP are trying to preserve part of 'The Nylon' factory for future use as a venue for science and the arts. This blog is a call to action to help their cause by making objections to new plans for the site.
MAP wish to utilise the former nylon factory at Mamhilad (designed for British Nylon Spinners by Sir Percy Thomas & Son 1948) to create a cultural centre for Wales. The owners of the site wish to create a village there and whilst we have no objections to the village, we do object to their plans to take down 40% of a Grade 2* listed building and to demolish the former Parke-Davis site in its entirety.
The building was designed by Ivan Dale Owen 1969, and influenced by his secondment to Bauhaus founder, Walter Gropius in New York. JEUK have conducted a short two day presentation on 1st March / 2nd March 2017 and the public now have until 28th March to object. MAP feels this is a worthy cause to support and would like you to take a few minutes of your time over this weekend to take the opportunity to object.
The mission to save 'The Nylon'
MAP wish to utilise the former nylon factory at Mamhilad (British Nylon Spinners - Sir Percy Thomas & Son 1948) to create a cultural centre for Wales. The owners of the site wish to create a village there and whilst we have no objections to the village, we do object to their plans to take down 40% of a Grade 2* listed building and to demolish the former Parke-Davis site in its entirety (Designed by Ivan Dale Owen 1969, and influenced by his secondment to Bauhaus founder, Walter Gropius in New York). JEUK have conducted a short two day presentation on 1st March / 2nd March 2017 and the public now have until 28th March to object. MAP feels this is a worthy cause to support and would like you to take a few minutes of your time over this weekend to take the opportunity to object.
You can view the plans here www.mamhiladconsultation.co.uk and on the site there is a platform to email objections at contactus@mamhiladconsultation.co.uk
How to respond
Rob has 8 suggested reasons for objecting to the plans. Your language can be as straight forward or as technical as you wish, the important thing is that you have objected and copied your objection to a third party (or as many as you see fit - the more the better). If you want advice please drop Robin a line on rockinrobinn@yahoo.com or map@mamhilad.wales.
There is a sense of urgency on this (objections in this Monday latest) - if you can just rattle off a paragraph to the owners at contactus@mamhiladconsultation.co.uk - and do remember to copy it to a third party.
Please do not copy Robin in on the owner’s site. However, please do let MAP know if you have done so by copying and pasting your objections in another email to Robin if you wish
MAP's reasons not to demolish the building
MAP list the folowing 8 reasons to object:
1. Demolition of 40% of this Grade 2* listed building (1948) will lose the integrity of the building, designed by Wales’ leading architect of the period, Sir Percy Thomas.
2. Demolition and loss of buildings surrounding the factory on its curtilage will lose the integrity as above.
3. Demolition of the former Parke-Davis site will lose fine examples of post war architecture influenced by Modernism and the Bauhaus movement. Designed by Ivan Dale Owen 1969 of Sir Percy Thomas & Son architectural practice.
4. The housing proposed at the two sites will be too many dwellings for the space allocated.
5. The historical importance of the site and its under-developed story of the plastics industry will be damaged by the JEUK proposals.
6. The Johnsey Estate has not fully explored the alternative uses for the BNS building in terms of tourism, community or charitable use, and employment opportunities for the area.
7. The spirit, ethos and ideology of business leaders of the time regarding the welfare of employees in creating a culture within business that was a 'force for good' will be damaged and lost.
8. The remains of an ancient woodland at the Parke-Davis site. The remains of the gardens created in the spirit of employees’ welfare (as above - the social club and ballroom having both long gone).
Robin said to us that:
'The history, the architectural merits of the buildings, and the utopian idealism of the spirit of the day should be held up as an example and preserved for future generations.
If the owners get the planning permission from the Torfaen CBC then yes, we will have lost the battle of the building, however it is not about the building, it is about the community and MAP will continue in some form putting ideas across to the owners as to what the community could do with the 60% that remains. If nothing else, our input so far has prevented the loss of the entire factory halls and/or the loss of the iconic tower itself.
Making clear to the owners that they can’t just do that to a listed building. Remember the old Dunlop Factory in Brynmawr! For MAP it is not about Us and Them – in the future we would like to be working with the owners, creating what we think would be a cultural centre that will benefit Pontypool, Cwmbran, Newport, SE Wales and indeed the whole of Wales, radiating out to the UK and beyond to pull tourism into the area and well as providing a thriving community social scene that “The Nylon” was once famous for across the Valleys.'
Plans for the site www.mamhiladconsultation.co.uk
More about MAP www.mamhilad.wales