"The Power Station - is it nuclear?"
So asked a resident when he first heard the name of the new Community Empowerment centre in the heart of Cwmbran's main residential area. Well for those for whom it's unclear, a brief history...
The project was originally conceived in 2001, as a family learning centre - adult education plus childcare - at around the same time as the new Assembly building in Cardiff was being planned.
Cllr Bob Wellington, a couple of community workers and some local people set about planning a new build that would help lift the spirits and employment figures for an area where the end of the industrial age had left many with little by the way of saleable skills or sense of purpose.
Started in 2004 with grant funding from the Wales Assembly Government, the building was now a bold and innovative move towards a new "greener" style of building, echoing the Assembly's own building in having deep (100 metre) bore holes that miraculously, and for very little running costs, convert tiny temperature differences underground into a successfully heated building.
The building construction has not been without its problems and budget overrun - but nothing can take away from the fact that this £2.6 million oval shaped modernism is a shining example of hope triumphing over cynicism.
"They said we'd never get it built", said Tom Matthews, a local resident involved in the planning of the centre from its early days.
"All we need now is for people to come in and see just how it can be used to help people develop new skills, build new social networks, and generally feel better about the place they live".
Adult education courses of every description will be running day and evening in the new centre which will also have a crèche, café and reception area.
Whilst the building should in itself inspire people to think anew about how they can improve their local environment, far more important is the work that local people will do inside the building, rebuilding a sense of pride and confidence in the local communities and helping to raise the general standard of living.
The Power Station can be found in Blenheim Road, St Dials, Cwmbran - phone 01633 647647 for more information.
Patrick Graham - March 2006
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your comments
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sara
My god! when the communtiy finally pulls together the help each other, there is YOU banging on about paint and odd shaped rooms! get a life purleeze! or get on a course at the power station and better your understanding of others?
Jane Dorsett, Cwmbran
The Power Station is controversial because NONE OF THE ROOMS are square or rectangular!! In fact it is a cylindrical building - it is also painted a garish pink/green colour, not liked by some people. It has been suggested that it is an eco-friendly building ... where do its strengths lie? I think by being where it is - it's there for the people if they care to use it. How did it get its name? By being an 'empowering' influence on people lives so I am told! It houses a variety of Adult Education courses for adults and families and is situated in a densely populated area. As a practicing textile artist, I enjoy the lightness, airiness, and proximity of the building - it is a ten minute walk from my home. By the same count it is not particularly 'artist friendly'. Disabled students have complained about the access and availability of easy-to-use car parking too. There is a limited amount of wallspace to hang paintings, hangings, or any large scale work. However, it is an asset to the area and can be made to meet the needs of the local community.
What's your view of the Power Station?
