Overview

We recently held a consultation to ask people for their feedback to help inform the next steps in shaping the design for the commemorative woodland at Brownhill, Carmarthenshire and how we can achieve the proposed objectives for the site.

Thank you for getting in touch to share your feedback with us, whether that was through our online consultation, the drop-in event at Llansadwrn reading room, or by contacting us directly.

Having listened carefully to the responses, we are now pleased to be able to share the design of the woodland with you, how we will achieve the objectives and the next steps of our plans. 

What will the site at Brownhill look like?

Based on the feedback from our initial consultation in March, we set out a proposal to divide the site in to three distinct areas, each prioritising different objectives, outlined below:  

A conservation space for wildlife to flourish

A woodland space for commemoration that is fully accessible

A growing space to deliver sustainable opportunities for food, trees, and nature.

As a result of the feedback we received through our recent consultation, we have outlined our designs for what the site will look like and how we will achieve the objectives for each area below:

Area one - Conservation space

Objectives:

1. Riparian and wet woodland with minimum intervention primarily to benefit biodiversity and to promote a healthy active floodplain.
2. Identify areas where the public can safely access the river, causing minimal disturbance for wildlife to flourish.
3. Improve access points to the river and ensure that anglers can continue to access the space safely.

How we will achieve this:

• Initially the plan for this area is minimal intervention. The area will be allowed to continue to develop riparian woodland and to allow for natural processes.
• A new fence will be erected along the eastern boundary to clearly distinguish between this and the woodland space.
• The footbridge will be restored at point A (shown on the map below) to allow anglers and the public safe access to the riverside.
• An informal walking route will be established to allow the public to quietly enjoy the rover and wildlife. Signage will inform people how they must behave to be safe and to care for the area.

The  following maps set out the opportunities as described above.

Area two - Woodland space

Objectives

1. Create a native broadleaf woodland that maximises habitat diversity.
2. A contemplative and commemorative space that is accessible to all.
3. Create a green resource for community use.

How we will achieve this:

• The woodland planting has been designed to enhance the existing features of the site, including the pond and watercourses.
• Substantial open space will be retained to provide open and edge habitat and maintain an open feel to the landscape.
• Planting will consist of a wide range of broadleaves species and shrubs, including oak. Hornbeam, small leaved lime, wych elm, hazel, hawthorns, guelder rose, crab apple, eild service tree, walnut and black poplar.
• The existing field entrance (shown at point A on the map below) will be upgraded to allow safe access to the site for visitors and operations on the site. A car park will also be created, we are currently working with consultants on the detailed design of a car park and associated planning process.
• An opening corridor will be maintained at point B (as marked on the map below) along the route of the Roman road, to create a linear feature. Interpretation will be placed to provide context to the history of the site.
• A bridge will cross the Marlais at point C (as marked on the map below) for public and operational access, with a smaller foot bridge also at point D to allow for a circular walk around the route to be installed.
• Benches will be placed at E and F and near the entrance, fruit and nut trees will be planted to create a blossoming feature in the Spring and provide fruit for visitors and the community to pick.

The  following maps set out the opportunities as described above.

Area three - Growing space

In response to initial feedback in this round of consultation we focussed discussion around  the ‘growing space’ to address the key concern raised around displacing agricultural land with woodland.

We presented a number of ‘options’ for increasing tree cover alongside continued agricultural production and asked consultees to discuss the various merits of these which they would most like to see demonstrated here. The suggestion of continuing agricultural production alongside increased tree cover was well received.

Objectives

1. Work in partnership to deliver sustainable opportunities to grow food, trees, nature.
2. Increase tree cover to demonstrate how government planting initiatives to help tackle the climate and nature emergencies can be achieved alongside other land uses.
3. Improve water quality, soil health and the habitat and species diversity

How we will achieve this:

• The plan for this area is to establish wide hedgerows (10m width) along with some more substantial planting in the field edge adjacent to the existing woodlandExisting hedge rows will be widened and new hedgerows will be established along  historic field boundaries that have been lost.  We will also establish groups of in-field trees and fence existing groups of trees to allow for natural regeneration, which will generate succession for these significant parkland features.
• The planting will bring the woodland cover of the growing space to around 20%
• The open areas will initially be managed with a set of prescriptions to achieve the objectives. Once the initial establishment is completed, we will seek to establish a partnership for the longer-term management of the lands. This will include further co-design of the area with the potential for further planting or other uses for the improved grassland that were raised during the consultation.

The  following maps set out the opportunities as described above.

Summary of feedback

We received 18 responses to the survey which provided an opportunity to input ‘free text’ comments about the plans. These were online (via citizen space), via email and letter, and in person during a ‘drop-in’ session held on the 14th of July at Llansadwrn Reading Room.

Similar to our initial consultation, habitat diversity was voted as the most important benefit that could be delivered by the various options for tree cover. This was followed by climate change mitigation, interestingly timber/wood products and livestock were voted least important.

Wood pasture and ‘mega hedges’ were the most popular options with ‘community growing/allotments’ receiving the least number of votes.

We intend to create opportunities for volunteers to help us prepare and plant trees on the site. We will keep you updated about the dates and timings of these in due course.

Or you can request to be added to our mailing list by emailing: woodlandcreation.hub@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk