How Castleford got ready for its close-up

For five years, the Yorkshire town of Castleford was filmed by Channel 4 for its TV series, Kevin McCloud & the Big Town Plan. BD spoke to Peter Box, leader of the district council, about how the show affected the regeneration process

BD: How do you feel about the way Channel 4 portrayed Castleford?

Peter Box: I remember seeing a preview of the show last year which marked out Castleford as a failing town, suggesting Channel 4 are going to come in and turn it into one with a future. I think that’s very unfair.

We weren’t a failing town. We are a town that’s undergoing change. We are still a very strong mining area. I think we are dealing with change quite well without some of the problems that you see in other areas. We’ve got the lowest unemployment in West Yorkshire and the highest GCSE passes in West Yorkshire. That’s hardly a failing area, is it?

Kevin McCloud and his crew filmed a street with one or two boarded-up shops, which there are in every town, and concluded this means it’s a failing town.

What did the show tell us about regeneration?

I don’t think the programme showed the complexity of regeneration, the time things take, and the difficulty in arranging funding.

There was a great play made about the money that Channel 4 put in, £100,000 into the bridge, without really making sufficient play of the £4 million of public money that went in. I don’t think Channel 4 understood. It isn’t the same as a Grand Designs programme, where you’ve got one couple building a house.

The other thing I don’t think they illustrated is the difference it has made to a community in social terms. I’m very surprised that relatively small regeneration projects, apart from the bridge, can have a disproportionate beneficial effect on the neighbourhood.

Why was Castleford chosen?

We were asked if we were happy for Channel 4 to film, and I felt it would be a good thing for the town. There are drawbacks when you invite a television crew for a long period into your community. I was concerned that the council didn’t come over as overtly bureaucratic, and that we were seen as an enabler. It’s a shame the programme didn’t quite capture that.

Do you think Channel 4 understood the time projects take?

They had an agenda to do things as quickly as possible, and that agenda changed when they realised that things took longer than expected. In the real world these things take time, and we’ve got to attract funding.

When there’s a TV camera rolling as you go into a meeting and you’re asking for funding, people are more likely to say yes, let’s be honest about it. But when the cameras are gone, we’ve got the hard slog of putting together finance, taking local people with us, sometimes making difficult decisions and delivering them.

In Castleford, the whole of the waterfront could be developed, but we can’t do it overnight, it’s long term.

Why did you oppose Hudson Architects’ market square proposal?

I didn’t think the fountain they proposed was appropriate. That particular episode showed the market traders had taken a bold decision to turn down a design that wasn’t practical. In the same programme, some members of the local authority, including myself, were shown turning down the design from Hudson Architects and we were portrayed as having made the wrong decision.

Were any of the council’s decisions influenced by the desire for good television?

I spoke as I saw fit. In the case of the fountain, I’m sure the architects were expecting an easy ride. I turned that design down because I didn’t think it would stand the test of time. I’ve seen some developments in the town where architects have plonked their design onto a community and it’s not lasted.

“The programme wanted to show a split between a community and a local authority”

Which project was the least successful?

Martha Schwartz’s village green in Fryston. There wasn’t any consultation on that project, so it didn’t have that community ownership, and also the project itself is too big for what’s there now. But that may well change because there are proposals for more housing, and if that happens, what’s there now will become more relevant. Personally, I like the project.

Which is your favourite project?

The bridge, because I had the idea that it would connect communities, because Lock Lane is a little community of its own and is an island. The existing bridge, which is the oldest structure in Castleford, is very difficult and dangerous to cross. People love bridges and I thought it would be a catalyst for regeneration. I hope I’ve been proven right. I’ve been told that people come from all over to look at it, and it’s been voted one of the top 10 bridges in the world!

Did the architects engage with the local community?

Having that level of interaction with local communities worked well. If there was any friction, it was because the architects weren’t used to being questioned by local people who don’t have the “expertise” that experts have. So they were asked more basic questions than they’re used to. It was probably a good wake-up call for the architects.

Do you feel you were well portrayed?

I remember reading a quote by Kevin McCloud where he said local politicians come and go and when they go, there are still local community people living in Castleford. He forgot the blindingly obvious, that I’m one of the people who live in Castleford and will continue to do so.

The programme wanted to show a split between a community and a local authority. For example, the Cutsyke Playforest is in my ward and in an area that has social problems. Rita Davis, the person driving it, has become a strong community leader. I have no problem with that. We work well together and the programme gave the impression that we are divided. I suppose conflict makes better television than peace and light. I think it tended to accentuate the difference.

What will happen with Niall McLaughlin’s Forum project now that the Heritage Lottery Fund has turned down its funding bid?

If it goes ahead simply with council funding, then it will be scaled down. It may well include simply extending the existing library.

Do you think the TV series helped or hindered the regeneration process?

On balance I think it brought out some very positive things. It brought out the fact that small developments can make a difference to a neighbourhood. It brought out the fact that by delivering in the short term, people will sign up for the long-term projects.

It has also revealed that architects need to be far more accountable — not just to the people who are paying them, but also to the people who will live with that design.

Would you allow a TV crew into Castleford again?

Yes, because I work on the basis that one of the reasons they chose Castleford was because of the people. It did show Castleford people at their best in wanting to do things for their communities.

I think people now have a greater expectation of being more involved with what happens to their community, and they have a greater expectation of the local authority. To turn around and say the cameras can’t come to Castleford is a negative approach. I’m relaxed about these things, you can’t stop TV being TV

Related Posts by Categories

Widget by Scrapur