Monmouthshire County Council has been awarded ‘Local Places for Nature’ funding by Welsh Government to build upon the success of the Community Nature Spaces schemes in Monmouth and Chepstow to deliver a similar scheme in Abergavenny.

The project, which is currently in its initial phase, is seeking the opinion of local residents about the proposed sites in Abergavenny and their potential uses via a short questionnaire on the MonLife website. The consultation will close on Monday 31st July, 2023, but residents and stakeholders are welcome to get in touch about the project at any time.

Community Nature Spaces aims to transform Green Spaces, so they benefit from better grassland management and enhancements for nature to create mini havens for wildlife, providing habitat for pollinators and urban wildlife. But they will not only benefit wildlife, Community Nature Spaces will also provide residents with opportunities for wild play, community food growing and places to enjoy nature and for quiet reflection.

Community Nature Spaces could include:

• Community food growing spaces
• fruit trees/community orchards
• mini meadows and native hedgerows
• flower-rich meadows mounds and slopes
• Planting for pollinators and other wildlife
• Tree and shrub planting

Proposed Abergavenny locations include:

• Major’s Barn and Union Road/St Helen’s Close Play Areas
• Dan Y Deri Green Spaces & Play areas
• Green spaces on Park Close, Old Barn Way, Bishop Close and Highfield Crescent
• Croesonen Parc
• Nevill Hall
• Lower Monk Street road verge
• The bus station 

Cllr. Catrin Maby, Cabinet Member for Climate Change & the Environment said: “I am pleased that Community Nature Spaces are now coming to Abergavenny thanks to the funding that has been awarded. Green spaces in our towns and residential areas are incredibly important for our well-being, but they also help protect and support biodiversity, enriching the places we live.”

Cllr. Sara Burch, Cabinet Member for Active & Inclusive Communities said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to provide a network for wildlife and people in the very heart of our towns and engage with nature, which is good for everyone’s health and wellbeing. We’d love as many people as possible in and around Abergavenny to have their say about their Community Nature Spaces, to make sure it offers the very best for the town and its people.”

In order to get a full understanding of what Abergavenny’s community wants, Council Officers are working with the elected Town and County Councillors as well as local interest groups. Please visit www.monlife.co.uk/outdoor/consultation-community-nature-spaces where you will find a link to a questionnaire about green spaces in Abergavenny, how you use them and how you would like to see them used in the future. The initial phase of the consultation will close on Monday 31st July but residents and stakeholders are welcome to get in touch about the project at any time.

Tags: abergavenny, community, MonLife, Monmouthshire, Nature