Golf buggies suggested as way of helping people with mobility issues visit Greenfield Valley

Golf buggies have been suggested as a way of helping people with mobility issues to visit a country park near Holywell.

Politicians have praised the work done to transform Greenfield Valley Heritage Park in the last few years in order to attract more visitors.

Flintshire Council gives the trust, which runs the 70-acre site, £300,000 a year in management fees, although the aim is for the charitable organisation to become self-sufficient over time.

Meanwhile, the authority has also been successful in securing almost £700,000 through the Welsh Government’s Active Travel Grant towards improving links with nearby communities.

Cllr Chris Bithell, cabinet member for planning and public protection, said there were plenty of points of interest within the park, including seven scheduled ancient monuments and a museum.
The Labour politician also raised the idea of introducing electric vehicles to aid people who have difficulty walking.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s environment scrutiny committee yesterday, he said: “It’s a very important part of our industrial heritage here in Flintshire.

“There’s so much that it can offer in terms of local history.

“I’m a bit concerned though about people who visit the valley who are not as mobile and not as capable of walking or cycling.

“I wonder whether in fact some sort of system such as a golf buggy or the kind of electric vehicle you see in an airport can be provided to enable people who have limited mobility to access the area.”

Cllr Carolyn Thomas, cabinet member for Streetscene and countryside, said it was hoped the active travel schemes would help to improve access for everyone.

The first phase will see the resurfacing of a path which runs along an old railway line to the coast road car park.

Further applications will be submitted which will include proposals to improve  links from the valley to Ysgol Treffynnon and Greenfield Dock.

Committee members have carried out regular reviews of the management of the park following an internal audit report which highlighted a number of issues.

Councillors were told the one outstanding issue was the Greenfield Valley Trust’s failure to sign a management agreement, which was originally handed to them in September.

Liberal Democrat leader Chris Dolphin said he was unhappy that the trustees had yet to ratify it.

He said: “I do have some concerns that the management agreement hasn’t been signed by the trustees for eight months.

“It’s unacceptable and I think the chief officer and chief executive think it’s unacceptable as well.

“Nobody seems to know why it wasn’t signed, perhaps it’s trust.”

Officers said it was hoped the agreement would be signed in the near future once the trustees had considered legal advice.

Councillors voted to note the progress made and will receive a further update in six months.

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter (more here).

Image credit: Golfible [CC BY-SA 4.0]