where 28 people were killed (Tines 1974^) and. houses were devastated in a
wide area near the plant (Times 1974a).
If these industries have some detrimental effect when active (more
commonly in spoiling the environment), then they certainly cause more
damage when derelict. Apart from the retention of a disfigured landscape,
dereliction also brings danger to safety through unattended works, pits,
etc., and socio-economic losses through unemployment. These factors, when
considered with the fact that the derelict landscape is an unutilized
landscape and as such a wasted resource, indicate that remedial action in
the form of reclamation and redevelopment is necessary. To achieve this
goal, however, one needs to know the distribution, amount and type of
dereliction that is to be reclaimed. The situation that existed before
the current survey in Glamorgan, a county shown (Municipal Year Book,
1972 ) to have a population density of 64 I persons/sq. km, was one as
outlined above, i.e., a highly urbanized county with competing land uses
but with an unutilized derelict landscape of unknown proportions and
nature, and an urgent need for reclamation. It is in this context that
the present survey was evolved and conducted as described below.
Bata Sources.
As described in the INTRODUCTION, aerial photography seemed to be a
potentially useful data source, and photographs, black and white at a
scale of 1:5000 taken 197^ - 72 were borrowed from the County Planning
Department. Several other data sources, however, were found to contribute
valuable information. Geological maps at a scale of 1:10,5^0, for
example, indicated the mineral or rock extracted, while Ordnance Survey
maps at the same scale gave, via place and street names, the likely
cause of many derelict sites. Land use maps prepared by the County
Planning Department in 19^9» gave the rough location of large sites, while
telephone directories were used to confirm possible air—photo
interpretations of other sites.
Survey Procedure.
Using the data sources outlined above the spoiled landscape was
surveyed in the following stages.
1. Air-photo interpretation using Wild ST4 stereoscopes fitted with
3X and 8X binoculars. This was done in conjunction with all
other sources of information except geological maps to which no
immediate access could be obtained.
2. Mapping survey data on 1:10,560 Ordnance Survey base maps by
visual methods.
3. Checking of interpretation and mapping by another research worker
4. Use of geological map to interpret the geology of areas where
mining and other extractive industries were or had been operating
5. Pinal checking of map.