Making Big Plans for the Greenfield Valley

Early November will see the revealing of the next phase of plans for Greenfield Valley near Holywell.

In 2021 the Greenfield Valley Trust drew up a 10 year strategy for the Valley using views from the public.  The Trust is now letting people know what has happened since then and what will be happening in 2024.   

Brenda Harvey, chair of the Greenfield Valley Trust, said ‘We know local people are very fond of the Valley and we are very keen that their views are taken into account as we make detailed plans.  At the start of November we are sharing information about what has happened since 2021 and what is being planned in 2024.  There will be two public information events after which the information will be available at the Valley’s Visitor Centre in Greenfield and on our website.’

The Trust is having a small exhibition at the Visitor centre in Greenfield from 2-6pm on Thursday 2^nd November and from 10am – 1pm in Tower Gardens in Holywell on Saturday 4^th November.  Greenfield Valley Trustees will be there to talk to the public about the ideas.

Brenda Harvey went on to say, ‘Nearly 150 people gave us their ideas in 2021, now we are drawing up detailed plans for particular parts of the Valley so we wanted local people to know that this is happening and that there will be consultation about these ideas during 2024.’

The following plans are being looked at during 2024:

• Refurbish Basingwerk House to create community rooms and spaces to hire for events
• Enhance the open space between the Abbey, Basingwerk House and the Visitor Centre
• Expand the visitor centre to make a bigger café and a better entrance
• Upgrade the whole museum area
• Enhance other areas including the sites of former mills and Battery Pool and make a fishing lake at Meadow Mill Pool.
• Provide more activities, events and exhibitions and encourage more people to visit
• Enrich the nature and wildlife
• Help people to volunteer in the Valley

This work is being funded by a grant from the government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.

• The Greenfield Valley Trust is a charity run by a board of local volunteers appointed by open advert. The Trust’s responsibilities as a charity are: ‘To promote the restoration, improvement and permanent preservation of land and buildings of historic, industrial, environmental and agricultural interest for the benefit of the public.’
• The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is provided by the UK government to replace the former EU Structural Funds.  It is delivered in north Wales by a regional  consortium of local authorities. 
• A bid for the Greenfield Valley Improvement Programme was submitted in 2023 by the Greenfield Valley Trust working in partnership with Flintshire County Council which owns the Valley.
• The total SPF funding package for the Greenfield Valley, including match funding sourced locally, is approximately £600,000.  All of the funds must be spent by December 2024.
• The funding is revenue and so will be used for small projects that can be delivered locally by temporary staff funded through the grant or for drawing up plans and reports which can be used to bid for other capital grants for buildings or major developments.

Contact details for further information:

E: info@greenfieldvalley.com

T: 01352 714172

www.greenfieldvalley.com

Greenfield Valley Trust, Basingwerk House, Greenfield, Holywell, CH8 7GR