Cardiff Council has 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 existing path through Hailey Park is formally shared by pedestrians and cyclists as it has been for many years. The proposed scheme involves widening the existing path and realigning part of it. The scheme will provide a wider and improved shared use path facility to enable all park users to move safely within or through the park.
Raised sections are included near the play area at the southern end of the park to help slow down cycles.
For some of its length the improved path will follow the alignment of the existing path. However, parts of the proposed scheme run along an alternative alignment. At the northern end of the path, the alternative alignment runs along the eastern edge of the meadow area.
At the southern end, the proposed alternative alignment has been dictated by a number of constraints - the proximity of trees, existing infrastructure and ecological features - which have meant that it is not possible to widen the existing path where it passes between the tennis courts and the river Taff.
Appropriate signing will be included within the scheme to advise path users how to use the route safely and to encourage considerate behaviour. This will be supported by a promotional campaign to reinforce key messages to different user groups.
The proposals were first formally consulted on before the Covid19 pandemic in March 2020.
Consultation activities
A consultation event was held at 2nd Llandaff Scout Group, Belle Vue Crescent on 14 March 2020 from 10am to 2pm to review and discuss the Hailey Park scheme. This event was very well attended.
The consultation was promoted through the following activities:
- Snap survey included with the consultation documents on the Cardiff Council website
- Letter drop to properties in the vicinity of the scheme
- Site notices in the vicinity of the scheme
- Email to stakeholders and statutory consultees
- Press release
- Information on front page of Council website
- Social media
Due to the Covid19 lockdown restrictions which came into effect at the end of March 2020, it was not possible to carry out any further consultation events, however, the consultation period was extended for a further two weeks.
In light of feedback received from the initial formal consultation, a number of changes have been made to the proposed scheme.
The Council is now carrying out further public and stakeholder engagement on these changes.
A drop in engagement event was held at Llandaff North Scouts Hall on Wednesday 19 April between the hours of 5pm and 8pm.
Prior to the event, invitation letters were posted over 570 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.
Following the first phase of consultation, the following changes were made to the scheme design which were presented at the consultation event in April 2023:
- The path has been realigned 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 will provide improved connectivity for pedestrians accessing the park from Mary Street.
- ‘Share With Care’ floor markings will be used throughout scheme to inform all users that they are using a shared space within a parks environment.
- The width of the path has been reduced from 5m to 4m which will reduce the amount of space required to facilitate the new sections of footpath and the area of new hard surfacing within the park.
Anyone wishing to provide feedback on the proposals are asked to send this via the following email:
transportpolicy@cardiff.gov.uk by 11 August 2023.
The Council will fully consider all feedback received before deciding whether it wishes to proceed with the project.
A full report documenting the responses to the initial formal public consultation and the current engagement process will be published in due course.