Project Planning

CONCEPT

We start with a question: “What can we do to help tackle the great challenge of climate change while creating rural jobs and enhancing a landscape that people will enjoy forgenerations to come?”

Early due diligence screening takes place:

Speaking with community groups and neighbours
Sending out concept maps and information
Site visits
Public meetings
Speaking with regulatory agencies about the
project design and planning requirements

SURVEY

From there we can start to explore the site… its sensitivities,
constraints, opportunities, the local community needs, and we carry out consultations & surveys.

A variety of site assessments are carried out to assess sensitivities and constraints:

Ecological surveys for habitats, and wildlife species, recognition of protected sites (E.g. possible SSSI designation of a parcel of land adjacent to the Afon Irfon.
Soil and peat surveys including peat depth surveys
Archaeological surveys
Landscape assessments
Land use and recreational reviews

DESIGN

Only then can we come up with a design that can be reviewed by key stakeholders and Welsh Government agencies to ensure that the projects will meet regional and national regulations, guidelines and targets.

When a baseline of survey information and views from the community have been collected, the proposals will move forward into a drafting stage where further details and maps are developed:

Putting the right tree in the right place
Archaeological surveys

Designing the site will involve careful landscape planning to ensure important views are maintained and the ‘spirit of place’ is not negatively impacted. Hillside models will be created to demonstrate landscape changes.

REVIEW

When the design is approved, we can begin to implement it…
This means planting trees and providing good stewardship to keep them growing. It means restoring pathways and improving visitor enjoyment to the area.

Multi-disciplinary review and further public consultation is carried out once designs are at a final stage. Plans will go out for statutory review as part of the Welsh Government’s planning requirements.

Statutory and non statutory organisations will review proposals, including:

Natural Resources Wales
Powys County Council
Llanwrtyd Wells Town Council
RSPB
Irfon Freshwater Habitats Trust
Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust

IMPLEMENTATION

Following approval of the scheme, things start happening on the ground:

The design of the scheme is laid out on the ground Protective ‘buffer zones’ are identified for priority habitats and archaeological features
Access infrastructure is upgraded to enable safe and efficient implementation of plans
Public and permissive paths are improved along with viewpoint