Hereford Civic Society

Green Infrastructure (GI) is the network of green spaces, places and features that thread through and surround urban areas and connect town to country. This includes public and private spaces, such as parks, gardens, allotments, cemeteries, trees, green roofs and natural habitats such as woodlands, grasslands and wetlands. The retention, creation and linking of GI features has multiple environmental, economic, social and health benefits.

Hereford Urban Tree Forum has recently evolved in order to promote tree planting and other environmental enhancements in Hereford and the market towns. It includes representatives from Herefordshire Council, Hereford City Council, Amey, The Woodland Trust, Hereford Civic Society, Hereford in Bloom, The Bulmer Foundation, New Leaf and Friends of the Earth.

Hereford Urban Tree Forum was successful in its partnership bid for Natural England (NE) funding for GI projects and has been awarded £15,000, with the potential to secure a further £10,000 by the end of this financial year. The total funding package for the project: NE funding, match funding and in-kind contributions from Herefordshire Council, Hereford City Council, The Woodland Trust, Wyevale Nurseries, Hereford Civic Society, Heineken and The Bulmer Foundation = £182,000.

It is a capacity building and delivery project which will build on the Herefordshire Green Infrastructure Study and implement the Green Infrastructure Strategy in a pilot area - the central and western part of Hereford city and its rural hinterland (see plan).

The main objectives are to:

• Identify environmental deficiencies & opportunities within the study area
• Undertake environmental improvements on the ground/identify the potential for enhancement on 100 hectares of land within the project area.

The project commences in December 2011 and ends in March 2013. It is envisaged that further funding will be sought to enable the GI project to continue beyond this time so that it can be extended to cover the remainder of Hereford city and the market towns.

• dentify potential sites for woodland/riparian tree planting/street trees – capitalise on Woodland Trust funding for tree planting
• Tree planting or other appropriate enhancements within school grounds, NHS owned/leased land, cemetery, churchyards
• Explore adding GI functions to existing HC owned land
• Enhance ecological links to Woodland Trust & Wyevale woods at King’s Acre & to Woodland Trust wood at Credenhill
• Explore ways of maintaining/enhancing/expanding/linking BAP Priority Habitats
• Survey roadside verges to identify sites of importance for nature conservation; secure appropriate management & monitoring of species rich verges
• Explore potential for the ecological enhancement of Yazor Brook - manage overgrown pollard willows, remove rubbish, extend brook corridor of unmown grassland for wildlife
• Identify opportunities to recreate and reconnect habitat which has been lost/interrupted through the canalisation and culverting of streams
• Improve the status of UK/LBAP species such as otter which rely on the brook network through agreed practical measures e.g. linking habitats and creation of otter holts
• Explore potential to enhance open water habitat at the Stretton Sugwas gravel pit site
• Identify potential sites for allotments.
• Explore potential to develop a roof garden at the Hereford Cider Museum
• Explore potential for new pedestrian/cycle ways/linking existing provision
• Interpretation – e.g., if develop new pedestrian/cycle routes – develop & promote circular walks
• Encourage residents who live near wildlife areas to carry out wildlife surveys for key species

• Review relevant strategies, studies, plans & projects
• Review Herefordshire Council Parks & Highways budgets for grounds maintenance - to assess constraints/opportunities for ongoing maintenance of new planting/other environmental works – also consider other mechanisms for paying for maintenance costs
• Contact parish councils/voluntary groups/ businesses/communities/ individuals who may be interested in assisting with GI project
• Engage with landowners – HC Property Services, Highways & Parks, NHS & private landowners
• GI audit – map existing natural assets, building on the GI Study - utilise HC officers + consultants + volunteers
• Utilise GPS & the HC IRIS system (interactive mapping system designed to enable communities to identify issues to Herefordshire Council & Amey) to record information
• Identify deficiencies in existing GI (amount & type)
• Assess & record opportunities for environmental improvements on specific sites & also to link sites;
• Assess opportunities for local people to engage with practical conservation work on selected sites
• Identify delivery mechanisms/funding opportunities for the proposed works & ongoing maintenance
• Discuss opportunities with landowners;
• Consult GI stakeholders
• Organise & run community meetings to discuss potential use of spaces (CABE ‘Spaceshaper’ workshops)
• Modify proposals if needed & reconsult landowners/stakeholders
• Select projects which can be implemented
• Feedback to local communities/stakeholders - to publicise the practical works to be undertaken
• Arrange & implement practical works through contractors and volunteers
• Monitor – collect and input data into Herefordshire Biological Records Centre and for Natural England
• Develop supporting policy options – Forward Planning Team, Herefordshire Council

• Chair – to be decided
• Project co-ordinator (Herefordshire Council officer)
• Green Infrastructure small project steering group comprising members of Hereford Tree Forum + Ward/Hereford City Councillors + key landowners
• Technical advisors: Herefordshire Council officers (Planning, Conservation, Parks, Property, Highways, Project Development) – to assist steering group
• Wider stakeholder group
For further information about the GI project, please contact Juliet Wheatley, Team Leader, Conservation, Herefordshire Council:
Tel: 01432 260157 Email: jwheatley@herefordshire.gov.uk