A Portrait of Haverfordwest's Green Infrastructure

Haverfordwest is the largest town within Pembrokeshire with a population of over 15,000. The ancient town is home to numerous historic listed buildings concentrated in the settlement core, contained within the Haverfordwest Conservation Area. Located inland towards the centre of the county, the town’s rural periphery is characterised by hedgerow-bound pastoral fields.

The Western Cleddau river, which is designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), bisects the town north-south, and although areas of the river corridor are completely urbanised within the town centre, stretches remain relatively open. These sections provide intermittent walkable connectivity through the town core and out into the surrounding rural landscape, offering opportunities to connect with various nature reserves and Scheduled Monuments along the river corridor. Tributaries of the Western Cleddau include Merlin’s Brook to the south and Fenton Brook to the east of the town. These watercourses provide additional wooded corridors and opportunities for wider access to nature. The river corridor is channelised through the urban centre but opens up into a wider floodplain in the north and south.

Public Rights of Way (PRoW) within the town centre are limited and generally contained along the river corridor and within wooded open spaces. Areas of public open space are generally located around the town centre and radiate outwards, allowing for some connectivity to the wider countryside. Although the existing PRoW network is somewhat disjointed, there are opportunities for improving overall connectivity. Cycle routes pass through the town along the main roads and join up with National Cycle Network (NCN) route 4 to the south-west of the urban centre. The Brunel Trail, also part of NCN route 4, offers an off-road cycle link between Haverfordwest and Neyland to the south.

GI Opportunities within Haverfordwest - Download image

Kickstarter Projects

HAV7 – Establish a racecourse parkland tree trail and promote wildflower meadow establishment

The Haverfordwest Racecourse Public Park is a valued community asset and provides an excellent opportunity to engage the wider public on the value of trees. The site also offers the potential to deliver an educational resource relating to the benefits, diversity and importance of trees within the town. A site-wide tree trail masterplan should be developed which promotes the multi-functional benefits of trees, whilst delivering space for fitness trails and active lifestyles. In addition, a cut and collect tractor and mower should be utilised to remove arisings and promote the establishment of newly sown wildflower meadows on the site.

Interventions should be delivered in combination with interpretation (potentially including digital interpretation) for all ages. This could include tree labelling as a mechanism to provide information relating to tree species diversity, the importance of trees for climate change mitigation and the promotion of biodiversity.

Benefits of the project

Delivery mechanisms

An overarching tree planting strategy and masterplan promoting delivery over one season or several planting seasons should be developed. This would need to take account of site conditions, existing tree stock, grassland species, existing site use and access as well as opportunities for enhanced management of existing areas of woodland.

A preliminary ecological survey should be undertaken to determine the quality of existing grassland at the site and assess suitability for tree planting and the establishment of wildflower meadow. Additional tree planting should not be undertaken in areas identified as exhibiting high floristic diversity. Options for diversifying marginal grassland areas would likely include; cultivating and seeding discrete areas, modifying the existing mowing regime (including annual removal of arisings) and plug planting into existing grass sward (likely only practical over small areas).

Trees should be delivered in accordance with the delivery section of the Urban Tree Planting Strategy.

Potential partners

• Haverfordwest Racecourse Public Park Trust;
• Local community;
• Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) Highways and Transport Department;
• PCC StreetCare / Amenity Maintenance Team;
• Local businesses; and
• Tree Wardens Pembrokeshire.

Outline cost

£= <£250K

Costs would comprise some limited specialist advice including development of a masterplan & planting strategy, stakeholder consultation and planting / maintenance costs. Costs of developing interpretation would be dependent on viability and the ambitions of the Haverfordwest Racecourse Public Park Trust.

Potential funding opportunities

• Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC);
• National Lottery Community Fund;
• Local Places for Nature Fund;
• The Tree Council; and
• Natural Resources Wales (NRW) grants.

Timescale

Quick win = 1 year

Some initial tree planting could be undertaken during the next planting season.

Medium-term  = 1-5 years

The majority of tree planting, development of interpretation and community engagement should be undertaken over several planting seasons.

Subsequent carbon sequestration of the trees and associated vegetation would be limited initially, but would increase within the next decade as the trees reach maturity. Depending on the techniques employed and site conditions, the diversification of grassland areas would likely be undertaken over several seasons.

Potential constraints

A range of stakeholders would need to be engaged to inform an appropriate masterplan and planting strategy for the site. This should include existing users, including sports groups using the grass pitches.

Whilst tree planting would likely be small scale, advice should be sought as to whether any permissions or consents would be required.

As there are already notable areas of woodland present on the site, it is reasonable to assume that all areas would generally be suitable for tree planting. However, ecological and feasibility surveys should inform the location of trees and any grassland seeding.

Maintenance and stewardship

The project presents a notable opportunity for promoting community stewardship and management of trees / grassland areas. The project would ideally involve community training on tree identification, planting and maintenance. Depending on the scale of tree planting, some contractor support for establishment of trees, such as watering, checking stakes etc. may be appropriate and could be built into any funding applications.

Watering and establishment care would be needed for the 60 month establishment phase to ensure trees are able to become independent in the landscape. A high level management plan for the new planting would ideally be adopted and include removal of tree protection (tree guards / stakes) once trees are fully independent in the landscape (after approximately five years). Allowance should be made for some losses of new trees and provision for replacement planting. Grassland mowing regimes would need to be adjusted to account for areas that are being diversified. Arisings should be removed and disposed of, either offsite, or at a suitable area onsite for composting.

Monitoring for success

Success could be monitored through early stage and follow up species surveys for grassland areas, the number of trees planted and successful establishment. Monitoring of community engagement should involve a review of volunteer participation, attendance at training days and use of the site through simple visitor surveys.

Next steps

Undertake feasibility and ecological surveys of the area to ascertain areas best suited for the various interventions. This should include site conditions, existing tree and grassland species.

Review the delivery section of the Urban Tree Planting Strategy to determine the process for planting trees within soft landscapes and understand the key components for successful tree establishment.

Engage residents and community groups to identify locations for tree planting and the selection of species, using the species selection guide within the Urban Tree Planting Strategy. Consultant support should be commissioned, where required, for the development of the masterplan / planting strategy and interpretation.

HAV11 – Establish an integrated cycle path between Narberth, Haverfordwest and Neyland

The opportunity exists to extend the existing route of the Brunel Trail, linking Neyland to Haverfordwest, to provide a predominantly off-road cycle route connecting eastwards towards Narberth. Recently upgraded multi-user paths emerging from Town Moor car park in Narberth currently provide a connection to Blackpool Mill, via the lowland landscape parallel to the Cleddau River. However, an optioneering exercise and feasibility study should be undertaken to determine a preferred route to deliver the ‘missing link’ in the route between Blackpool Mill and Haverfordwest. Working in conjunction with Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC), proposals would need to resolve access issues across privately owned land at Slebech Park, where existing Public Rights of Way (PRoW) are currently absent.

Consideration should be given to the incorporation of a range of street furniture, interpretation, signage and incidental natural play features along the route to enhance the corridor as a recreational asset. However, the implementation of any lighting proposals would need to be undertaken in liaison with an ecologist to ensure the correct balance is reached between the perception of safety and biodiversity considerations. This would be carried out as part of a wider ecological assessment to determine specific ecological sensitivities of the proposed site and any requirements for mitigation. Working in conjunction with conservation groups and local voluntary groups, conservation activities would not only enhance the nature value of the route, but also promote active lives and positive mental wellbeing through community cohesion.

Benefits of the project

Delivery mechanisms

A grant application would be required to secure funding for the capital works associated with this project. The route would need to be identified on the Integrated Network Map to be considered eligible for funding.

Potential partners

• Active Travel team, forming part of the Transport Strategy Unit at PCC.

Outline cost

£££ = >£1 million

Potential funding opportunities

• Welsh Government Active Travel Fund Grant;
• PCC; and
• Transport for Wales.

Timescale

Long-term = >5 years

To complete the route in full, it will likely take over 5 years to deliver.

Potential constraints

The project is likely to be complex, with competing demands including the requirement for significant external funding and liaison with local landowners. It would be necessary to engage with landowners and land occupiers in order to present the project and discuss any impacts on current land-use. However, a key unknown for the project would be the time needed to gain these landowner consents.

The upgrading of existing routes to provide a multi-user route for cyclists would also require localised vegetation clearance along some sections of the route. This would need to be undertaken to avoid the bird nesting season and in liaison with an ecologist or Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW).

In order to fulfil the criteria of the Welsh Government Active Travel Fund Grant, the scheme design would need to ensure it is consistent with the principles of the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 and the supporting Active Travel Act Guidance. Schemes that include highway improvement, construction, or traffic management must show how they comply in particular with Section 9 of the Act (Provision for walkers and cyclists in the exercise of certain functions).

Maintenance and stewardship

Ongoing annual maintenance of the hard surfacing of the route would be required to ensure access is maintained throughout the year. Landscape management works would also be required to ensure the retention of sightlines across the route.

Monitoring for success

The opportunity exists to install sensors or counters to monitor the usage of the route as part of the wider active travel network within the county. This approach would help measure the success of the substantial investment and inform the long-term strategy and delivery of similar projects in the future.

Next steps

Undertake a feasibility study and optioneering exercise to determine a proposed route. This exercise should incorporate an ecological assessment and tree survey to BS5837: 2012 to examine the implications on local biodiversity and existing tree cover. A street furniture and signage strategy for the route should also be developed. Furthermore, a comprehensive process of consultation and engagement would be required to determine the appetite for conservation days along the route.

HAV22 – Create wetlands adjacent to the sewage treatment works

South of Haverfordwest lies a Dwr Cymru Welsh Water sewage treatment works adjacent to Merlin’s Brook. This site lies within Flood Zone 2 and 3, with several historic combined storm overflow events (where foul effluent, mixed with rainwater is released into the river due to the capacity of infrastructure being exceeded). Dwr Cymru Welsh Water recorded a total of 847.25 total hours of spills in 2021 alone. These spills feed into Merlin’s Brook which drains into the Western Cleddau River, a designated Special Area of Conservation that is currently failing the new phosphate criteria. Phosphate, whilst naturally occurring, can also result from human activity such as sewage effluent. Elevated levels of phosphate lead to eutrophication of rivers which can cause significant ecological damage. The Western Cleddau supports populations of brook lamprey, river lamprey, bullhead and otters, all of which decline with decreasing water quality.

The creation of new wetlands on vacant land next to the sewage treatment works would provide increased treatment capacity to help remove phosphates from the treated sewage effluent as it exits the site. This intervention would also provide a buffer for both flood alleviation and combined storm overflow events, reducing the degree to which raw untreated sewage flows directly into the brook. The wetlands would aid nutrient stripping of the outfall and this in turn would help reduce phosphate levels in the Western Cleddau River.

Benefits of the project

Delivery of nature-based solutions and ecosystem services

Wetlands can aid flood alleviation, acting as a store of excess water in periods of heavy rainfall in addition to their primary function of nutrient stripping and cycling. These habitats also provide multiple biodiversity benefits.

Constructed wetlands, if designed correctly, can achieve sustainable effluent treatment that provides a reduction in contaminant concentration similar to more complex chemical-based or mechanical mechanisms. The effluent from sewage treatment facilities is typically rich in nutrients and wetlands can be used to help alleviate this issue in a sensitive areas such as the Western Cleaddau River SAC.

Delivery mechanisms

An appropriate design engineer should be consulted to provide a design of the wetlands. The potential area for the wetlands should be calculated and agreed with relevant landowners. Consultation with the local community should be undertaken to enable engagement with the plans. Contractors required to scope out the topography and excavate selected areas should be employed. Consideration of materials needed to create the wetlands such as substrate materials and vegetation should also be sourced as locally as possible.

It may be possible to incorporate solutions such as this into developer contributions (e.g. under Section 106 agreements) that enable developers to offset the increased nutrient loading associated with new developments, thus providing a funding mechanism for the wetland’s construction and maintenance.

Potential partners

• Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Projects for Cleddau Rivers – Natural Flood Alleviation;
• The Four Rivers for LIFE project;
• Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales;
• Cleddau SAC Nutrient Management Plan Board; and
• West Wales Rivers Trust.

Outline cost

£ = <£250k

Costs would comprise land purchase or rent, specialist engineer design of the wetlands, procurement of planting and costs associated with excavation and installation of the wetlands.

Potential funding opportunities

• Dwr Cymru Welsh Water;
• The Four Rivers for LIFE project;
• Nutrient credits using Section 106 agreement; and
• Ofwat Innovation Fun.

Timescale

Medium-term = 1-5years

This anticipated programme length includes for time to enable design of the wetland, agreements with landowners, construction and planting of the wetland.

Potential constraints

A key constraint for the project would be securing landowner agreements. It would also be essential to ensure the wetlands are located adjacent to the sewage treatment infrastructure to avoid re-routing sewage outfalls that would increase time and costs of the project. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria accumulation in wetlands is a concern and should be considered in the design of the wetlands.

An ecological assessment of the site would need to be undertaken by an ecologist with all site works potentially supervised by an Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW).

Maintenance and stewardship

Wetlands are fairly low maintenance with little to no running costs as they do not require power and are generally reliable self-adjusting systems. However, maintenance would be required a few times a year to remove debris from any outlets, replace any damaged pipes, remove any invasive plant species that may be outcompeting the wetland plants, reduce sediment accumulation and check the structural integrity of the structural aspects of the design. Ongoing agreements with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water or landholders for access would be crucial.

Monitoring for success

Subject to availability of funding, monitoring of the success of the project should be undertaken through simple citizen science. Techniques could include monitoring of water quality using simple hand-held equipment.

Next steps

This project would require collaboration with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and so the first step would be to explore and set in place a collaboration agreement. This may help unlock funding from Dwr Cymru Welsh Water themselves, or from Offwat Innovation Fund or similar. Thereafter, a scoping exercise should be undertaken to define the requirements of the scheme in terms of the range of outflows from the sewage works, the space available for construction and landowner considerations.

Project Long List

HAV1 - Maintain and enhance the network of orchardsHAV2 - Extend and enhance Bridge Meadow riparian environmentHAV3 - Establish a community growing area for people and wildlifeHAV4 - Manage the medieval 'burgage' gardens as a wildlife havenHAV5 - Enhance County HallHAV6 - Maintain and enhance Priory Saltings MeadowHAV7 - Establish a racecourse parkland tree trail and promote wildflower meadow establishmentHAV8 - Introduce orchard and parkland trees adjacent to the skate parkHAV9 - Extend northern access along the Western CleddauHAV10 - Introduce tributary walks at the Western Cleddau HAV11 - Establish an integrated cycle path between Narberth, Haverfordwest and NeylandHAV12 - Promote the greening of Haverfordwest's residential areasHAV13 - Incorporate proposals within the Haverfordwest AQMAHAV14 - Promote the greening of Castle SquareHAV15 - Enhance riverside greeningHAV16 - Greening of the train stationHAV17 - Enhance green gatewaysHAV18 - Promote greening and social prescribingHAV19 - Introduce access improvements to improve connections between the Western Cleddau and Priory Saltings Nature ReserveHAV20 - Review street tree careHAV21 - Extend and enhance Scotchwell WoodlandHAV22 - Create wetlands adjacent to the sewage treatment worksHAV23 - Soften key existing routes into the town centre using tree plantingHAV24 - Integrate Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) interventions into the street scene