The event was held on the 11th November 2003 at the University of Aberystwyth. Twenty participants attended representing a range of national and local organisations. The discussions were lively and diverse, assisted by the breadth of participants from different organisations and roles. Continue below for the summary.
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How we ran the workshops
Following the Plan presentation, the morning discussion about the attributes of the area produced some consensus on the need to diversify the economic base beyond the public and education sectors; recognition of the high quality of the environment; and the potential for more ‘quality tourism’; and importantly, maintaining and strengthening Welsh culture.
The current pink zoning in the Plan was however considered to be too simplistic, with insufficient distinction between north and south areas in the western part of the zone and considerable differences from the East Powys area, particularly concerning accessibility, which suggested they should not have the same typology.
Discussion around the Plan cards, and their prioritisation, produced ideas for the afternoon's discussion about taking action forward on: public services, cultural development, maintaining a supply of affordable housing, economic development, the knowledge economy, infrastructure and connectivity. Further action was also needed to strengthen the role and position of Aberystwyth in Wales as a whole, given its significance to this part of Wales. In each instance Overall the event produced a broad agenda for action, while revealing – as might be expected - tensions between objectives, and the need for a complex network of collaborations to take things forward.
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