This toolbox highlights the range of ways identified to enhance Carmarthenshire’s GBI network. To see how they might be applied to the distinct priorities of each town, see the Town Action Plans.
For each tool, the toolbox provides:
An overview of the tool
Why is it important for Carmarthenshire?
Case studies and further guidance
Key delivery partners
Potential delivery mechanisms
Maintenance and delivery considerations
Indicative time scale and cost
Appendix C provides further detail on how the costs of some of these tools can be estimated.
Tool 1: Rain gardens and depaving
Tool: ‘Depave’ and create rain gardens
Purpose: Slow and filter rain water
Case study: Greener Grangetown (Cardiff) and Rainscape project (Llanelli)
Depaving involves removing sections of hard paving, such as concrete and tarmac. This is then replaced with a permeable surface such as gravel or soil.
Rain gardens are a tool for slowing and filtering rainwater around our homes, community spaces, schools, car parks etc. Once captured, water is stored and slowly released into watercourses or sewers – either via the ground, by ‘evapotranspiration’ from plants, or other storage methods. These types of features are often referred to as Sustainable Drainage (SuDS).
Welsh legislation since 2019 requires that all new developments include SuDS features. It is important these SuDS perform multiple roles beyond flood risk mitigation (including biodiversity) and are also retrofitted into existing spaces.
Why are rain gardens important for Carmarthenshire?
Drainage systems in older towns can struggle to manage surface water run off sustainably, particularly as the residential population, roads and hard surfacing increases.
Hard surfaces like rooves, tarmac and paving slabs block water from filtering into the soil, directing increased volumes of water into the sewer system.
Older areas of Carmarthenshire’s towns often have combined sewers – where a combination of rainfall, foul drainage, and sometimes streams, flow within the same pipes. This pushes a much greater volume of water through the sewage treatment works and can lead to them struggling to cope in periods of high rainfall, leaving to river and sea pollution.
Most wildlife also finds it hard to make a home in these hard surfaces, so a rain garden can enhance local wildlife connections and biodiversity. Nature-based solutions to flooding such as these are a key priority for the stakeholders consulted for this Strategy. Find more information at SuDS Wales.
Case Studies and further guidance
Greener Grangetown (Cardiff) is an example of a residential neighbourhood that has successfully depaved and installed attractive rain gardens, kerbside greenery and tree planting. The project was led by a partnership between Cardiff Council, Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water and Natural Resources Wales.
Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water’s Rainscape project in Llanelli is part of Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water’s approach to managing surface water and reducing sewer flooding. It separates rain water from the existing system, slowing down the rate it enters the network and redirects it to local rivers and watercourses. They have completed 36 projects in the Llanelli area since the project was launched in 2012.
Integration into high street regeneration programs – such as Transforming Towns.
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) or other green levies.
Maintenance and delivery considerations
Additional work for each town will be required in order to identify the specific locations where targeted rain gardens would provide best value. This process should be data-led. It can draw on existing data from Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water along with other data sets. It should begin by identifying locations of sewer overflow, areas of impermeable land within sub-catchments, and areas at risk of surface water flooding.
It should also be noted that depaving will only work where the soil characteristics allow. Soil permeability and contamination issues may mean that it is necessary to use permeable pavement system or other solutions.
Once these features are installed, regular but low-level maintenance is required to ensure the rain garden is functioning effectively. The County Council’s Sustainable Drainage Approval Body (SAB) is legally obliged to adopt and maintain all SuDS serving more than one property, using a commuted sum collected from developers.
This includes:
Ensuring water can flow freely into the rain garden and also from the outflow, without eroding the soil. Debris can be easily washed in and should be regularly ‘litter’ picked.
Trees and plants within the rain garden require checking to ensure the wet conditions are suitable, and regular weeding needs to be undertaken to prevent any invasives becoming established or other species dominating.
Indicative cost: Medium (£10 – 100k)
See Appendix C for further detail on costings of potential components.
Indicative time: Medium (1-5 years)
Tool 2: River corridor restoration
Tool: Restore river corridors and wetlands
Purpose: Reduce flood risk, capture carbon and improve habitats
Case study: Kentchurch Weir (River Monnow) and Taclo’r Tywi (River Tywi)
As a nature-based solution (NBS) and natural flood management (NFM) technique river corridor and wetland restoration can provide greater resilience to the effects of our changing climate.
The multiple benefits provided by this tool including reducing flood risk (by slowing the flow of water through wetlands), filtering water and capturing carbon. It can also improve and connect the habitat for a wide variety of species from plants to insects, amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds and mammals.
Wetland creation also provides opportunities for encouraging recreation and providing valuable access to natural landscapes and waterscapes. Techniques that encourage minimal intervention and self-recovery of habitats by natural processes should be prioritised, rather than artificial structures or modifications.
Why are river corridors and wetlands important for Carmarthenshire?
As a result, we need to rethink the management of our coastal and riverside communities to reduce flood risk and improve biodiversity.
Carmarthenshire is an area where agriculture is the dominant land-use in rural areas. However the growth and intensification of farming has not been matched by an equivalent investment in water and river corridor management.
Some of Carmarthenshire’s rivers are suffering from high nutrient concentrations, particularly phosphates. This results from a combination of farming fertilisers and sewage treatment works, amongst other factors. Wetlands offer an opportunity to capture these nutrients and return them to the soil.
The natural beauty of Carmarthenshire’s rivers is also an attraction for tourists and an important part of local life and sense of place. Protecting and enhancing river corridors and reconnecting towns to their blue corridors will help to maintain this important resource.
Case Studies and further guidance
The use of wetlands as a means of improving water quality has along established history in the UK and internationally. Traditionally focussed on areas of acid minewater pollution, wetlands have also been used in nutrient removal, particularly for nitrogen pollution.
Wetlands as a means of improving river water quality with respect to phosphates are also an accepted (albeit less understood) technique. Success has been demonstrated in numerous studies globally and within the UK.
Kentchurch Weir (on the River Monnow in south east Wales) was removed through an 18-month long project. The 2.6km-high weir was removed to restore habitat connectivity. The project was carried out in partnership with the Environment Agency Wales (now Natural Resources Wales).
Following the removal of the weir, migratory fish can now access spawning grounds in the 160km of river upstream.
The River after removal of Kentchurch Weir (Source: NRW)
Even more locally, there is a Council-led river management project along the River Tywi. The ‘Taclo’r Tywi’ project engaged with a wide range of partners to produce a practical plan for the future management of the river. Partners included Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water, the Wildlife Trust, the NFU and educational bodies.
The plan aims to support local people and businesses while enhancing the natural environment. It seeks to achieve better water quality and biodiversity, fewer invasive plant species, natural flood management, lower rates of soil erosion and an increase in fish numbers. This approach could be expanded to wider areas of the Tywi corridor.
An increased maintenance budget will be required to maintain the condition of rivers . This will be particularly needed during the first 2-3 years to aid the development of the asset. Ongoing maintenance will be required to check on inlets and outlets and ensure blockages are minimised. However, this could be treated as a distribution of funds for flood risk management.
Effective communication with local community members and wildlife groups will be needed to enable all parties to participate in the planning and ongoing management of the county’s rivers.
Indicative cost: Medium (£10 – 100k)
See Appendix C for further detail on costings of potential components.
Indicative time: Long term (5+ years)
Tool 3: Protect and Connect Coastal Places
Tool: Protect and connect coastal places
Purpose: Sustain human use, nature conservation and climate resilience on the coastline
Case study: Ecostructure (Wales and Ireland) and Sands of LIFE (Wales)
Reconnecting to the coast is a tool that supports sustainable human use of the coast, whilst protecting its nature conservation and climate resilience value.
This will require proactive management of coastal processes to restore and connect the habitat for birds, fish and other species.
Soft engineering management and the use of natural defences are a more sustainable and natural approach to managing coastal erosion and flooding than hard infrastructure. This approach is supported by ‘Future Wales’ – the National Plan to 2040.
The educational component of this tool is key. The Blue Marine Foundation highlights how, despite a growing global appreciation of the ocean and the challenges it faces, many people are disconnected from truly understanding it. This limits its potential value.
Interventions should carefully manage the balance between people, nature and climate. Measures might include access control (delineated cycleways, boardwalks, restrictions on dog walking etc), education/interpretation boards and engagement. These can be used to steer people away from the most sensitive habitats.
This approach would go beyond the individual existing marine designations to deliver a more holistic and integrated approach to the stewardship of Carmarthenshire’s coastline.
The coastal margin is particularly important for Carmarthenshire’s wildlife. Partners need to ensure that sand dune environments are re-vitalised and connected and that cliff-top grasslands do not become fragmented and are appropriately grazed. The saltmarsh habitat must also be sensitively managed.
Beyond these benefits, the coast in Carmarthenshire is also a key but underused ‘placemaking’ asset that already provides significant value to the visitor economy. However, it could do more – through public realm improvements, green walking and cycling links and better connections to Carmarthenshire’s towns and other heritage assets.
The South West Wales Area Statement recommends expanding the level of saltmarsh and improvements to sand dunes within designated SACs such as Carmarthen Bay and Estuaries. This could also provide opportunities for coastal habitats to be valued and responsibly enjoyed by communities and visitors.
Case Studies and further guidance
The Ecostructure project brings together five universities in Wales and Ireland to research and raise awareness of eco-engineering solutions to combat the challenge of coastal adaptation and climate change.
The project conducts research, creates experimental designs and produces stakeholder focused tools and resources. These help shape opportunities to use “eco-engineering” solutions for coastal adaptation.
In more practical terms, the Sands of LIFE scheme is a major conservation project led by Natural Resources Wales to revitalise sand dunes across Wales.
The project aims to recreate natural movement in the dunes and rejuvenate habitats. It is doing so through the restoration of over 2,400 hectares of sand dunes at 10 Welsh sites.
The sand dunes of Newborough, Anglesey (Source: NRW)
Potential loss of land with high property value. However, this value needs to be off set against reduced annual flood defence costs.
The coastal landscape and seascape is cherished by many communities. Early and on-going community engagement regarding changes will be crucial. Use of steering groups with active community members is advised.
Further guidance on the management of sand dunes in the ‘Dynamic Dunescapes‘ handbook.
Indicative cost: Significant investment (> £100k)
See Appendix C for further detail on costings of potential components.
Indicative time: Long term (5+ years)
Tool 4: Green the places where people live, work and visit
Tool: Green the places where people live, work and visit.
Purpose: Create healthier, walkable towns and attract investment by improving their sense of place
Case study: Urban GreenUP (Liverpool) and Town Centre Regeneration (Throughout UK)
Urban greening means maximising ‘green’ features in town centres and neighbourhoods. This supports a move to more compact, walkable, and “wild” local neighbourhoods.
Greener towns can help to create a healthier environment for local communities. However, it can also improve the visual appeal of high streets – in turn attracting investment and supporting local businesses.
Urban greening features can include:
High quality green spaces, in the right places (e.g., removal of parking and replacement with community-led pocket parks)
Planting trees and shrubs along key routes to connect paths, streets and .
Introducing green roofs.
Living walls and other green elements to retrofit buildings.
Safe places – tree planting in some areas can be seen as a danger for personal safety.
Why is it important to green the places where people live, work and visit in Carmarthenshire?
The Welsh Government publication Building Better Places (2020) states that repurposing outside spaces in town centres will be crucial for revitalising Welsh town centres. Particularly as they struggle with the effects of Covid-19.
It suggests that traditional retailing demand will be low and that, in order to bring life back to towns, there must be creative uses of open spaces. This might include creating new open spaces on empty plots and car parks, or using pavements, highways and urban greenspaces to shape engaging and sensory spaces.
These features will both help businesses operate, create attractive walkable destinations, transform air quality and boost physical and mental well-being – highlighted as a key challenge in the county.
Case Studies and further guidance
The Urban GreenUp project in Liverpool used £3.5 million of European funding to ‘re-nature urbanisation’ within Liverpool’s city centre. The project retrofitted a number of ‘green corridors’ throughout the city. Key features included a 50-metre living wall, rain gardens, improved pedestrian and cycle routes, and the re-use of derelict spaces for nature-based solutions to climate change.
While not yet implemented, a number of other town centres have been exploring new models for GBI-led town centre regeneration. In 2020 Oldham Council started to focus its town centre regeneration plans around a new linear park, surrounded by new homes. Similarly, Stockton-on-Tees Council plans to demolish buildings in areas of empty shops to make way from a riverside park featuring public art work.
An example of parking spaces turned into a “parklet” (Image source: LUC)
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) or other green levies.
Maintenance considerations
Urban greening features, particularly street trees, can require careful planning for ongoing maintenance within an urban landscape. The urban greening feature should be selected to suit the budget and stewardship options.
Trusting community groups with stewardship of small-scale greening features can create a valuable sense of ownership.
Planning Policy Wales (PPW) places a legal obligation on local authorities to consider the need to prevent and reduce crime. Any tree planting or greening must be done without compromising safety.
Indicative cost: Medium (£10 – 100k)
See Appendix C for further detail on costings of potential components.
Indicative time: Long term (5+ years)
Tool 5: Interpret, educate and tell stories about the Environment
Tool: Interpret, educate and tell stories about the environment
Purpose: Ensure that the natural and historic environment is understood, so that it can be protected
Case study: Rediscovering the Antonine Wall (Scotland)
Environmental education and communication are key to changing behaviours as part of sustainable lifestyles. Only by instilling a love of wildlife, particularly among children, can we inspire them to protect it.
This also applies to valuable heritage assets which form part of a town’s ‘sense of place’.
This can be achieved by using interpretation panels to help understand GBI assets, natural processes, or the wider ‘story’ of the surrounding landscape. It can also take the form of public art. Locations might include along a heritage trail to wetlands, along a coastal path or on a roadside grass verge.
Good interpretation panels are designed for the context. For example, more pictures and less text can be appropriate for children.
Why is this kind of storytelling important for Carmarthenshire?
Carmarthenshire has committed to identify new and existing natural spaces that can be used to enhance connections to nature. The Council will promote these spaces and encourage an understanding of the importance of and a love for nature, which is strongly associated with the culture and history of Carmarthenshire.
It is important to continue the tradition of stewardship and connection to the natural environment in the local area. The natural world has influenced the names of farms, houses and streets in Carmarthenshire e.g. Cwrt‐y‐Cadno (Cadno = fox), Cwmysgyfarnog (ysgyfarnog = hare), Cilyblaidd (blaidd = wolf), Dôl‐Haidd Isaf (dôl = meadow; haidd = barley).
Some of these species and habitats are still common. However, some are now rare and so need support to recover.
There is also an opportunity to promote and share the natural world that makes Carmarthenshire so special with visitors to the county.
Case Studies and further guidance
The Rediscovering the Antonine Wall project in Scotland was funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Kelvin Valley & Falkirk LEADER Programme, five local authorities and Historic Environment Scotland.
It aims to strengthen the heritage value and public awareness of the wall through Roman-themed playparks and design installations such as five replica distance stone slabs at a network of sites.
This project represents how storytelling and education does not always need to take place through interpretation panels but can use public art as a medium.
Public art along the Antonine Wall (Scotland)
Within Wales, the Creative Nature Partnership between Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and the Arts Council of Wales aims to cement the bond between Welsh arts and the environment. It seeks to encourage people to value nature through creative activity, with a focus on areas where most benefits are needed.
The kind of features or installations used to tell the story of the local environment can vary widely – and maintenance considerations and cost would vary from site to site. However, co-design with local communities (including local schools wherever possibly) offers the chance to significantly boost the community value of the asset and the sense of local ownership and stewardship.
Indicative cost: Low (< £10,000)
See Appendix C for further detail on costings of potential components.
Indicative time: “Quick win” (< 1 year)
Note that, while individual features may be relatively low-cost, integrated storytelling schemes (such as the Antonine Wall case study) are likely to require higher levels of investment and longer time frames.
Tool 6: Expand and enhance tree cover
Tool: Expand and enhance tree cover
Purpose: Storing carbon, protecting species
Case study: Carbon Community (Carmarthenshire) and Woodlands for Water (Northeast Wales)
In the spring of 2020, the Welsh government announced its commitment to the National Forest for Wales. It seeks to create areas of new woodland. It also seeks to restore and maintain irreplaceable ancient woodlands. Woodland creation is high on the political agenda.
However, identifying appropriate locations to expand woodland and hedgerow cover is vital for storing carbon in the landscape and protecting species from biodiversity decline. Equally important is sustainably managing existing woodlands.
In particular, careful site identification is crucial in order to avoid protected sites or areas of peatland or species-rich grassland.
In addition to being a carbon store, woodland and hedgerows provide crucial habitats to enhance biodiversity, providing both food and shelter. Expanding their coverage and increasing both species and structural diversity can create a ‘stepping stone’ to connect habitats. In this way, it can play an important role in restoring fragmented habitat networks.
The best woodland for biodiversity is often one with a “bit of everything” – trees of all ages from seedling to veteran, plenty of different species, damp areas, dark areas, sunny areas, grasses, brambles, spring flowers, dry banks, stony banks and mossy banks.
Why are woodland and hedgerows important for Carmarthenshire?
Woodlands and forests cover around one-seventh of Carmarthenshire. They provide beautiful landscapes and valuable places for recreation and education as well as a home, food and shelter for a wide range of important species.
However, there has been a significant reduction in woodlands and hedgerows across the UK – almost half have been lost in the UK over the last 40 years. Drivers for this include an expansion of farming, development pressures, inappropriate management, and diseases such as ash die-back.
The Carbon Community are a charity based in Carmarthenshire. They are trialling methods of woodland expansion for carbon storage and to restore healthy soils.
In 2021 the Carbon Community planted 25,000 new trees on 28 acres of land north of Llandovery. This was part of a field trial looking at how different treatments of mixed broadleaf and conifer monoculture forests can increase the carbon stored in the trees and soil.
River corridors also offer a valuable opportunity to target ‘riparian’ tree planting, which can achieve multiple GBI benefits. The Woodlands for Water project aims to improve water quality, habitat connectivity and biodiversity within the Alun and Chwiler river catchments in north east Wales.
It received funding through the Welsh government’s Rural Communities fund. It was delivered by partners including the Wildlife Trust and the Welsh Dee Trust.
The project included providing advice to farm businesses to keep nutrients in the soil and out of the river.
Woodlands for Water project in the Alun and Chwiler river catchments (Source: Wales Rural Network)
Carmarthenshire County Council (the Council is currently working on an emerging study to identify areas of Council-owned land appropriate for carbon offsetting, including through woodland creation).
Other major landowners – including the Welsh Government Woodland Estate, water companies, Church bodies, the National Trust and large estates.
Planning Policy Wales (PPW) puts a legal obligation on local authorities to consider the need to prevent and reduce crime – any tree planting or greening must be done without compromising safety.
Key considerations for encouraging biodiversity in woodlands and hedgerows include:
“Thinning” will produce bigger trees more quickly, help to manage the variety of tree species and let in more light to encourage woodland plants and young trees.
Coppicing will open up temporary glades in the woodland and encourage birds, butterflies and other wildlife.
Management needs to be carefully controlled. New track routes need to be cut where they will do the least damage.
Old, dead and dying trees, vital for woodpeckers, beetles and other woodland wildlife need to be kept wherever possible.
Annual flailing of hedgerows should be avoided. Where possible they should be flailed every 2 or 3 years.
See Appendix C for further detail on costings of potential components.
Indicative time: Long term (5+ years)
Tool 7: Provide Green Routes to Walk and Cycle
Tool: Provide green routes to walk and cycle
Purpose: Connecting places for local and visitors, encouraging active travel, reducing air pollution
Case study: The Great Western Greenway (Ireland) and Tywi Valley Path (Carmarthenshire)
Green walking and cycling routes should connect people to key destinations without a car along ‘greenways’.
This should encourage ‘modal shift’ toward more active modes, by creating pedestrian and cycle-friendly routes, both for recreation and short practical (A to B) trips around towns.
A greenway is a traffic-free route that is attractive, generally well separated from vehicles and continuous. It should look to use existing permissive routes where possible. For maximum connectivity, it should be planned strategically and ‘join the dots’ between key destinations, tourism and heritage assets – including the Millennium Coastal Path.
One of is to establish a National Greenways Programme to provide better access to nature for everyone across Wales.
Active, low traffic green routes through neighbourhoods and towns can also significantly improve areas of poor environmental air quality. As active travel infrastructure requires altering the layout of public space, this offers a valuable opportunity to take a GBI approach and integrate high-quality linear urban greening features.
Re-shaping the environment in this way can encourage people to walk and cycle as part of their daily lives. This might be by “greening” the school run, making shopping trips easy by bike, e-bike or cargo bike, or providing opportunities for social encounters in streets.
However, more needs to be done to make the trails greener and safer. Work is also needed to connect the trails through Carmarthenshire’s towns and to shape much more walkable town centres. This is backed up by the Welsh government’s publication Building Better Places (2020).
This would benefit local residents, helping them access the surrounding landscapes as a well-being resource. It would also showcase the range of activities for visitors to do “off the beaten track” in Carmarthenshire’s welcoming villages and colourful market towns.
Green walking and cycling routes are an important step to increase the number of commutes made by bike and on foot and to provide more equal access to services.
Case Studies and further guidance
There are a number of well-established greenways in Ireland. They provide much needed cycling and walking infrastructure and draw tourists to the country. They include the Great Western Greenway, which is Ireland’s fastest growing and most sought-after tourism attraction.
In 2011, the first year after the project was completed, 146,000 trips were recorded on the route, rising to 260,000 in 2016. The greenway was later expanded in 2013 to Achill Island. This case study demonstrates the value of a long-term tourism and recreation strategy focussed on a network of connected greenways.
Family Cycling on the Great Western Greenway (Source: Great Western Greenway)
More locally, the Tywi Valley Path is currently underway. It follows the former railway track between Carmarthen and Llandeilo, transforming it into a leisure and visitor attraction. Once finished, it will provide a 16-mile traffic free pathway for walking and cycling that runs almost adjacent to the River Tywi.
Map of Tywi Valley Path (Source: Discover Carmarthenshire)
Integration into high street regeneration programs – such as Transforming Towns.
Maintenance and delivery considerations
A shift will be required from the existing focus on ongoing maintenance of roads for car users, to a broader focus that prioritises maintenance for routes used by walkers and cyclists – with a proportionate shift in funding.
For example, regular and reliable gritting of cycle lanes in urban areas will be crucial in maintaining trust among users. This might require specialised equipment, such as quad bike gritters in winter and mini road sweepers in the summer.
Indicative cost: Significant investment (> £100k)
See Appendix C for further detail on costings of potential components.
Indicative time: Medium (1-5 years)
Tool 8: Create a Green Setting for Heritage Assets
Tool: Create a green setting for heritage assets
Purpose: Promote a more holistic, landscape-led approach to the county’s historic environment
Case study: Lough Boora Discovery Park (Ireland)
Enhancing the green and blue setting of heritage assets can help maintain important viewpoints and create an attractive green public realm. Where appropriate, maintaining trees and shrubs, and introducing appropriate planting, can improve the appearance of heritage assets and integrate biodiversity value. Good quality green spaces can also provide opportunities for quiet reflection, lunch breaks, or play.
High-quality green connections to heritage assets encourages local residents and tourists to visit and enjoy the historic environment. As a wider network, ‘green heritage trails’ can encourage longer visits that take in all of what a town or region has to offer.
A GBI-led approach to heritage can also help to tell the story of the wider natural landscape, rather than a narrow focus on individual assets.
Why is the setting of heritage assets important for Carmarthenshire?
Tourism is of significant importance to coastal and rural towns in Carmarthenshire. It has the potential to bring economic investment and regeneration projects. This is in large part due to the county’s rich historic environment and distinctive culture and heritage.
Green and blue infrastructure that enhances the setting of historic assets can pull in wider visitors – drawing them along ‘green’ trails to nearby towns. This can add value for local businesses and help to regenerate struggling towns as part of a post-Covid recovery strategy.
Case Studies and further guidance
Lough Boora Discovery Park in Central Ireland was once home to Mesolithic tribes who colonised Ireland. The raised bogs are still the site of the ancient settlement. However, Lough Boora is now not only a heritage asset but also a sanctuary for wildlife and an amenity for the community. The Park includes a sculpture park with walking and cycling routes.
Providing opportunities for natural play, environmental education, biodiversity enhancements and recreation, it is a good example of a multifunctional space informed by GBI thinking.
Historic railway within Lough Boora Discovery Park, Ireland (Source: Logh Boora Discovery Park)
Integration into heritage-led town centre regeneration programs – such as Transforming Towns.
Grants e.g., Lottery funding.
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) or other green levies.
Maintenance and delivery considerations
Considerations depend on the nature of the scheme in question.
Indicative cost: Medium (£10 – 100k)
See Appendix C for further detail on costings of potential components.
Indicative time: Medium (1-5 years)
Tool 9: Rethink the Functions of Parks and Grass Areas
Tool: Rethink the functions of parks and grass areas
Purpose: Repurpose green spaces to allow for multiple functions, including habitat creation
Case study: Bumblebee Conservation Trust (Wales) and Park Power (Scotland)
Too often, parks and green spaces are designed with a single function in mind. Particularly given the scarcity of open space, there is a need to start delivering more multifunctional open spaces. Those functions might include biodiversity value, energy production, natural play, recreation and floodwater storage.
These green spaces are found at various scales – from Country Parks to roadside verges and roundabouts. It also includes school grounds and privately owned spaces such as golf courses and private gardens.
One key way of increasing biodiversity value can include changing the mowing regimes within existing grass areas to allow for more ‘wild’ habitats and wildflowers. This can provide habitats for insects, birds and mammals and help to address the ongoing decline in pollinators.
By simply leaving grass to grow tall by changing mowing regimes, reducing the use of fertilisers and pesticides, and sowing wildflower seeds; grasses and wildflowers can be encouraged to flower and seed open grassy spaces.
There is also increasing attention on the use of green space for water storage in areas of high flood risk, as part of a strategy to create ‘sponge towns’ as a nature-based solution (NBS) to climate resilience.
Why are multifunctional green spaces important for Carmarthenshire?
Carmarthenshire’s existing green spaces can do more to provide multiple functions that would strengthen the GBI network.
Flood risk in Carmarthenshire is a significant concern. This means that the county needs to identify which parts of the land can be used to soak up floodwater (SuDS) in order to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change (see “Depave and create rain gardens” tool).
Biodiversity in Carmarthenshire is another significant concern. In particular, the 2013 Action Plan for Pollinators in Wales highlights that bee and pollinator health and declining populations have been increasingly highlighted as a cause for concern. This is largely driven by land-use intensification, habitat destruction and fragmentation, disease, the use of agro-chemicals, and climate change.
Restoring the meadow and wildflower habitats would create vital ‘biodiversity corridors’ as well as adding a splash of colour to urban areas, contributing an improved ‘sense of place’.
The West Gorton Community Park (known as the ‘sponge park’) in Manchester provides an example of a multifunctional green space that act like a ‘sponge’ in areas of flood risk whilst also simultaneously providing recreational and biodiversity value. It was delivered alongside housing development by a range of public and private partners.
SuDS within West Gorton Community Park, Manchester
The Powering Parks project in Scotland introduced energy production as an additional function of green space by installing heat pumps under public green spaces. These are used to heat surrounding buildings as part of an initiative to reduce carbon emissions.
Simple changes to mowing regimes as part of open space management.
Local businesses – Sponsorship of verges from local businesses as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives – including integration of wildflower planting into existing county-level ‘Sponsor a Roundabout’ schemes.
Multifunctional spaces delivered as part of regeneration projects.
Multifunctional open spaces designed into new development (see Developer Checklist).
Developer contributions to cover the cost of managing urban/rural verges.
Community asset transfer – allowing community groups to steward grassed areas for wildlife.
Alternative management structures for green spaces – e.g. Trusts.
Innovative financing measures, including using parks to produce energy (see Case Study).
Maintenance and delivery considerations
Considerations will vary significantly depending on the nature of the functions that a green space provides.
Plantlife have produced Best Practice Guidance for the management of road verges for wildlife. This is based on the overall principle of ‘cut less, cut later’
In the case of all green spaces, a key consideration will be investing time in communicating the changes with the local community. This will ensure ‘buy in’ from the local community and avoid complaints – e.g. to overcome the risk of ‘wilder’ grass areas being viewed as unkempt.
Indicative cost: Low (< £10,000)
See Appendix C for further detail on costings of potential components.
Indicative time: “Quick win” (< 1 year)
Costs will vary depending on the nature of the function provided. However, it should be noted that introducing wildflower areas into existing grass land can in the medium to long term provide a cost saving to the delivery partners, given the reduced need for mowing.
Tool 10: Find Space for Community Growing
Tool: Find space for community growing
Purpose: Social spaces, healthy and sustainable food
Case study: Edible Playgrounds (UK)
Community growing schemes are a great way to create social spaces where neighbourhoods can come together and take part in sustainable and healthy food growing.
Community growing schemes can take many forms – from growing vegetables, fruiting trees, or pollinator-friendly herbs, in pots, raised wooden planters, or directly into the earth.
Temporary planters are a good way to begin a community growing initiative, if a permanent space is not immediately available in a neighbourhood.
Transforming disused strips of land at the edges of public parks, school playing fields, run-down or other underused spaces are also ways of generating civic pride in an area. This can create a sense of belonging and engagement with the natural environment.
Why are community growing spaces important for Carmarthenshire?
As outlined by this Strategy, in Carmarthenshire at least 3 in 10 people suffer from mental health issues and a third of households are occupied by just one person.
Expanding opportunities to access growing spaces means re-assessing the traditional uses of space in our towns and villages and prioritising opportunities for connecting with nature, recreation and outdoor community activities.
Social activities that get us outside in nature are now being recommended by health services to improve physical health and mental health as part of schemes called ‘social prescribing’ or ‘green prescribing’. Social prescribing outdoor initiatives have been piloted in Llanelli with promising results. They suggest there would be benefits to community well-being if growing opportunities were available across the county.
Case Studies and further guidance
Edible Playgrounds is a programme run by UK Charity Trees for Cities. They transform school grounds into outdoor teaching gardens that inspire hands-on learning and get children excited about growing and eating healthy food.
As a result, they seek to improve health and well-being, open access to nature, and provide fun outdoor learning environments that support local community growing. Since it launched, the charity has already created 162 edible playgrounds across the UK.
A similar program across Carmarthenshire could be a starting point for expanding understanding of food production and the environment at an early age.
Children growing food at Coed Glas Primary, Cardiff (source: Trees for Cities)
Growing spaces offer a valuable opportunity for community ownership and stewardship of GBI assets. Unlike other GBI assets, they are likely to be self-managed by the community and highly valued by them. As such, the maintenance considerations will tend to be less onerous.
Indicative cost: Low (< £10,000)
See Appendix C for further detail on costings of potential components.
Indicative time: Medium (1-5 years)
Tool 11: Create Playful Spaces
Tool: Create playful spaces
Purpose: To integrate natural play opportunities into the wider public realm
Case study: Calverley Adventure Playground (Kent)
Creating playful spaces is about shaping urban spaces that inspire everyone to play and discover. Planning should ensure that any proposals address the quantitative shortfall of play facilities across the Borough. However, there should be an equally strong emphasis on improving quality as well as quantity.
Play ‘happens everywhere’ and not only within playgrounds. Play spaces should be incorporated more closely into how we plan all spaces in our towns – including incidental ‘playable’ spaces within and around development.
One powerful way to do this is by reducing the existing car dominance across Carmarthenshire by encouraging walking, cycling and public transport.
Why are they important for Carmarthenshire?
Play is an integral part of healthy emotional and physical development. It offers an opportunity for children to explore their environment and wider world. A rich play environment is one which provides opportunities to invent and extend play.
The Welsh government requires all Local Authorities to assess and secure sufficient play opportunities for children in their area (see Place pages). Carmarthenshire’s most recent Play Sufficiency Assessment provides detailed guidance on how and where to deliver high quality play opportunities as part of an integral part of the wider GBI network.
Case Studies and further guidance
Calverley Adventure Playground is a natural play area launched in 2017 on a disused bowling green in Kent. The community raised £225,000 to cover the capital costs of the project. Children were heavily involved in the whole process, and the design promotes imaginative play, exploration and considered risk-taking. It also celebrates the heritage of Tunbridge Wells and its landscapes, as a truly multifunctional asset.
Calverley provides a good example of a ‘bottom-up’, community-led initiative which makes use of a disused public asset. It shows how the community and local businesses can work together to transform a town.
Children Playing at Calverley Adventure Playground (Image source: LUC)
Play areas designed into new development (see Developer Checklist) or provision through planning gain.
Integration of play into town centre regeneration programs – such as Transforming Towns.
Collaboration with Town and Community Councils (as the guardians of a significant number of outdoor play spaces)
Community-led initiatives (see Case Study).
Maintenance and delivery considerations
Investing in upfront communication with local communities will be important to enable the delivery of play areas that take a calculated approach to risk, and which are integrated with the wider network of public space. This may need to address potential preconceptions about where play should happen, and any associations between play areas and anti-social behaviour.
This will increase the likelihood of community acceptance and high value play areas. Community co-design is a powerful way of overcoming these challenges.
It is also important to raise awareness among key decision makers to think differently about what makes a good play space and where play should happen. This will facilitate a new approach to delivering higher quality play.
Indicative cost: Intermediate (£10-100k)
See Appendix C for further detail on costings of potential components.
