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Maesteg (South Wales) urban expansion, accessibility

Maesteg (South Wales) urban expansion, accessibility

This was a study of options for the expansion of Maesteg, South Wales, and the transport and accessibility implications.

A plan for expansion of housing put forward by the local council had the new development located on the outskirts of the town up a steep hill, and beyond reasonable walking distance of the town centre. A new school was proposed on a site closer to the town centre in the same direction.

While up the mountainside, I noticed that a much nearer site (occupied by a playing field, as can be seen in the banner picture above) which had been discounted on account of it being a hill, was in fact a slag-heap with the top flattened off for the playing field.

The suggestion was therefore made that the slag heap could be removed, and the new housing developed on the resulting site adjacent to the railway station and the town centre. The playing field could be replaced on the site formerly proposed for the new housing.

In summary, the Council's plan would have resulted in the following land use sequence radiating out from the town centre:

Town centre > playing field > school > housing

The alternative suggested by Tim Pharoah would give a much more logical result (albeit at greater cost):

Town centre > housing > school > playing field


LocationMaesteg Wales
Date(s)2002
Team(s)Tim Pharoah with Llewelyn-Davies

keywords

Urban expansion, urban extension, sustainable urban development, accessibility planning, transport planning, land use and transport plan

images (1)

View from the mountain overlooking maesteg, and showing the playing field atop a slag heap.

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