Taff Trail Upgrade Hailey Park South
Cardiff Council developed proposals to improve the long-established section of the Taff Trail which runs through Hailey Park between Bridge Road and Ty Mawr Road. The Taff Trail forms part of a network of routes which the Council is seeking to develop and/or improve in order to grow active travel and fulfil the statutory duties conferred on it by the Active Travel (Wales) Act.
The path through Hailey Park is formally shared by pedestrians and cyclists as it has been for many years. The proposals aimed to widen the path and realign part of it to enable all park users to move safely within or through the park. The intention was to enhance the experience of all path users.
Consultations & Engagement
Early Engagement
A Taff Trail Route Study report, commissioned by the Council, was produced by Sustrans in January 2018. This study explored the issues and ideas to improve the Taff Trail between Penarth Road and Tongwynlais. A survey of users of the Taff Trail carried out as part of the study who highlighted the section through Hailey Park as being in need of improvement. In the course of developing the scheme, early engagement was carried out with Cardiff Council 1 Parks department, external consultants / arboriculturalist, Friends of Hailey Park, Cardiff Cycle City and Sustrans.
Public Consultation – March 2020
The initial proposals were subject to public consultation in March 2020.
As part of the public consultation, a consultation event was held at the Ride My Bike Café on 11th March 2020 from 17.30 to 19.30 to review the Cycleway 4 and Hailey Park schemes.
A further consultation event was held as planned at 2nd Llandaff Scout Group, Belle Vue Crescent on 14th March 2020 from 10.00 to 14.00 to review and discuss the Hailey Park scheme.
Due to the lockdown restrictions, it was not possible to carry out any further consultation events, However, in order to maximise the opportunity for people to comment and provide feedback on the scheme, the consultation period was extended for a further two weeks.
Following the first scheme consultation, the following changes were made to the scheme design:
- Realignment of path adjacent to Mary Street to maintain residential and visitors parking on the south side of Mary Street.
- An additional pedestrian connection to the footpath on Mary Street provided to improve connectivity for pedestrians accessing the park from Mary Street.
- ‘Share With Care’ floor markings to be used throughout scheme to inform all users that they are using a shared space within a parks environment.
- Removal of the proposed street mural from the section of path adjacent to the children’s play areas.
- Reduction of path width from 5 metres to 4 metres.
The alignment of the path through Hailey Park was investigated following concerns raised during the consultation on the proximity of the new section of path to the playing areas. A 3D model was produced to allow Council officers to visualise this section of the scheme. These materials were used as part of a further public engagement exercise undertaken in spring/summer 2023.
Scheme Engagement Spring/Summer 2023
Public ‘Drop-in’ Event – 19th April 2023
A drop in engagement event was held at Llandaff North Scouts Hall on Wednesday 19th April between the hours of 5pm and 8pm.
Prior to the event, invitation letters were posted to over 600 residential properties in streets west of Station Road and south of (and including) the section of Ty Mawr Road within Llandaff North Ward. The event was also publicised on social media.
Paper copies of the general arrangement plans and extracts from the 3D visuals of the scheme were displayed on walls and tables. A video of the 3D visuals was screened on a PC and monitor brought to the event by officers.
Online publication of revised plans and 3D visuals: Thursday 13th July – Friday 11th August 2023.
Copies of all plans and materials were published on the Council’s website for a four-week period between Thursday 13th July and Friday 11th August 2023. 20 responses were submitted at the engagement event at Llandaff Scout Hall. 125 responses were received via email.
Summary of changes made following consultation and engagement.
Changes made following consultation in 2020.
The changes made to the scheme proposals following the consultation in 2020 were:
- Realignment of path adjacent to Mary Street to maintain residential and visitors parking on the south side of Mary Street.
- An additional pedestrian connection to the footpath on Mary Street provided to improve connectivity for pedestrians accessing the park from Mary Street.
- ‘Share With Care’ floor markings to be used throughout scheme to inform all users that they are using a shared space within a parks environment.
- Removal of the proposed street mural from the section of path adjacent to the children’s play areas.
- Reduction of path width from 5 metres to 4 metres.
Additional changes made following engagement in 2023.
The changes made to the scheme proposals following the engagement in 2023 were:
- Installation of bespoke designed soakaways to attenuate surface run-off to address flooding concerns.
- Realigned section of path adjacent to the eastern side of tennis courts to reduce impact to trees and root network.
- Localised narrowing of path to the south of the playing fields to accommodate new soakaways.
Conclusions
Feedback from the consultation and engagement activities highlights a number of concerns with the proposals in particular, the loss of green space, the width of the path and concerns that this will result in cyclists travelling faster, the proximity of the proposed path to the footway adjacent to Mary Street, the proximity of the children’s play areas and concerns around the safety of this, the visual impact of the scheme and concerns about rainwater run-off and potential flooding impacts.
A number of changes have been made to the original proposals to address these concerns:
- Re-alignment of the proposed path further away from Mary Street
- Reduction of the width of the proposed path from 5 metres to 4 metres
- Removal of the painted mural in the vicinity of the children’s play areas.
- Application of ‘Slow’ markings on the path and ‘Share with Care’ markings
- Installation of bespoke designed soakaways to attenuate surface run-off to address flooding concerns.
This section of the Taff Trail is long-established. The current width and condition of the trail through Hailey Park does not meet the standards required in Welsh Government’s Active Travel Act Guidance. The proposed scheme will fulfil this requirement.
An alternative alignment for the Taff Trail has been put forward by Cardiff Cycle City. The Council’s officers have fully considered this. Their assessment has concluded that there are a number of constraints to establishing a route along this alignment, which mean that the proposal is not feasible.
In view of these findings, the Council’s proposals, as amended in response to consultation feedback, represents the only deliverable means of upgrading the Taff Trail through Hailey Park.
In conclusion, therefore, it is recommended that subject to obtaining the necessary funding, the Council’s proposals are implemented. In addition, the Council should investigate options for widening and improving the section of the Taff Trail south of Bridge Road to complement the improvements to the Trail through Hailey Park.