Community Asset
The proposed path would provide and are that is safe for children of all ages to cycle and play, a place for people to walk in comfort to reach destinations, or for leisure purposes. There would be space for seating, picnic tables, adult gym equipment. It could be considered as a linear park with many functions. It would also extend to provide an active travel route to Wenvoe via St Lythans suitable for, and attractive to, people of all ages - replicating the popularity of the taff trail and Church Village Community Path.
On the map above, the solid red line represent new segregated path way, and the dotted red line show existing paths/bridleways that would need to be resurfaced. The community path would also provide a grassed area for people on horseback to travel and for some people to run on - horses do not particularly like walking on hard, paved surfaces...
On the map above, the solid red line represent new segregated path way, and the dotted red line show existing paths/bridleways that would need to be resurfaced. The community path would also provide a grassed area for people on horseback to travel and for some people to run on - horses do not particularly like walking on hard, paved surfaces...
S106 Money
From the new developments, the following money will soon be available to spend in and around St Nicholas
Public Open Space - £14,462
- land laid out as a public garden, place of recreation, opportunities for sport, space of public value, and playground
Sustainable Transport - £232,000
- Money to provide information, facilities, infrastructure, services or projects to provide or improve access for pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users, taxi's or car sharers.
Community Facilities - £114,666
- A park, building or structure - or services. Can be new facilities or existing - Wenvoe Library, St Nicholas church, Bonvilston Reading Rooms.
Additional funds are available from the Welsh Government for Active Travel infrastructure and safer routes to school.
- land laid out as a public garden, place of recreation, opportunities for sport, space of public value, and playground
Sustainable Transport - £232,000
- Money to provide information, facilities, infrastructure, services or projects to provide or improve access for pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users, taxi's or car sharers.
Community Facilities - £114,666
- A park, building or structure - or services. Can be new facilities or existing - Wenvoe Library, St Nicholas church, Bonvilston Reading Rooms.
Additional funds are available from the Welsh Government for Active Travel infrastructure and safer routes to school.
The "do nothing option"
As a community, we can sit back and let other make a decision. This would mean that the grass verge along the A48 will at some time be paved over, creating a poor quality pathway, precariously close to the A48, suffering poor air quality from noise, and being uncomfortably close to fast moving and dangerous traffic. Traffic along the A48 will increase when the new Five Mile Lane is completed, including a significant increase in lorry traffic...
The path along Port Road at Wenvoe is used by by few people, especially when compared to the use of the Community Path at Church Village.
The path along Port Road at Wenvoe is used by by few people, especially when compared to the use of the Community Path at Church Village.
Should we as a community be deciding how this money will be invested, or should we leave it for others to decide what we'll get?
The views from the proposed Community Path
The Community Path would provide outstanding views south over the rural Vale. Perhaps, a popular path would protect this scenery from development... People value what they can see and what they directly benefit from.
The Church Village Community Path
In a couple of hours on the Church Village Community Path, I saw many people. Male, female, adult, child. Some walking alone, others with partners or friends - many had dogs with them.
The path in parts is 4m wide, in other places 3m wide.
The path in parts is 4m wide, in other places 3m wide.
Walking and Cycling for everyone...
This section is not just for those interested in riding bicycles, but also for leisure walkers, people who walk dogs, people wanting to exercise, explorers and for people needing to get to other places without a car.
The proposal is for a foot and family cycle path to be built between St Nicholas and The Downs, alongside a bridleway, seating and adult fitness equipment, with stunning views to the south... This new path would be to the south of the exiting hedge, buffered from the A48 for safety and comfort.
The proposal is for a foot and family cycle path to be built between St Nicholas and The Downs, alongside a bridleway, seating and adult fitness equipment, with stunning views to the south... This new path would be to the south of the exiting hedge, buffered from the A48 for safety and comfort.
The Welsh Government and Vale Council proposes to build a shared foot and cycle path along the A48 like that at Wenvoe. Cyclists on racing bikes don't use it because of conflicts with pedestrians and the need to give way at junctions. Families don't use it because children are not protected from noisy and dangerous traffic and debris. Being so close to a major road is not a pleasant, comfortable place to be for vulnerable humans. Dutch guidelines (CROW) state that paths should be 10 metres away form major routes with fast speeds - which makes sense to many people!
The LDP incluses Policy MG 16, so the path to The Downs is in their plans to build before 2018, it's just of case of how and where that path is built. Precariously close to the road, as at Wenvoe, or safely behind the existing hedge...
•for every £1 of public money spent, the funded schemes provide £5.50 worth of social benefit.
940m of pathway between St Nicholas and The Downs
Proposed route shown.
Proposed route shown.
Proposed start of the path
The pathway would begin passing through where the gate is to the second field to the east of St Nicholas. It would also allow people to pass through the gateway in the hedge by the turn to St Georges and finally connect to Grant's Fields just below the road bend.
The existing path suffers from poor air quality, litter and debris from the road and the hedge - when the hedge is cut back from the path, people on bicycles get punctures as not all the thorns from the hawthorn hedging is cleared away...
Widening the path would include costs to flatten the area, move the lampposts, and if the path was to be barriered off as at Church Village, the final cost of building the path here would be little different to building it in the field.
Widening the path would include costs to flatten the area, move the lampposts, and if the path was to be barriered off as at Church Village, the final cost of building the path here would be little different to building it in the field.
This is Port Road in Wenvoe. Not suitable for young children, not a pleasant place to walk or cycle and unsuitable for horses.
This is what the vale of Glamorgan Council will build between St Nicholas and The Downs, unless we organise and demand something better...
This is what the vale of Glamorgan Council will build between St Nicholas and The Downs, unless we organise and demand something better...
250m path across the common land at The Downs. The route across could be different after discussions with local farmers and other stakeholders.
Land is usually acquired by a council from a landowner by agreement, with no need for a compulsory purchase. Agreements have been reached with landowners around the new Five Mile Lane. Should compulsory purchase procedures begin, about 70% of CPOs either receive no objections or the objections are subsequently withdrawn.
www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29990%3Athe-cost-of-compulsorily-acquiring-land&catid=58&Itemid=26
www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29990%3Athe-cost-of-compulsorily-acquiring-land&catid=58&Itemid=26
The benefits to the community should be easy to demonstrate, especially given the lack of amenities in and around St Nicholas.
Costs of 940m path to Downs Path
3m wide on 8m wide strip of land
Total cost = £176,000 + design ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Path across downs
Total cost = £33,750 |