Hartham Common GAP 2018-23 Full Doc with Maps FINAL
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HARTHAM COMMON GREENSPACE ACTION PLAN (GAP) 2018 – 2023 June 2018 v0 OVERVIEW i. Greenspace Action Plans (GAPs) Greenspace Actions Plans, or GAPs, are map-based management plans which specify activities that should take place on a site over a stated period of time; these activities will help to deliver the agreed aspirations which the site managers and stakeholders have identified for that site. ii. Public Engagement Engagement with stakeholders is at the centre of effective management planning on any site. An initial engagement period was held for Hartham Common in March 2018, to establish core aims and objectives for the site; these are reflected in Section 4. A second stage of engagement completed in May 2018 enabled stakeholders and users/local residents/wider public to comment on the proposed management actions for the site. An associated engagement response document, published online as an appendix to this plan, summarises comments received and any amendments made to the plan as a result. iii. Version Control Amendment Version Section Updated Details Date No Hartham Common GAP 2018-23 2 CMS June 2018 v0 CONTENTS 1.0 SITE SUMMARY 4 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION 5 2.1 Location Map 5 2.2 Site Description Map 6 2.3 Constraints Map 7 3.0 INTRODUCTION 8 4.0 REVIEW OF PREVIOUS GAP 8 5.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 9 6.0 FIVE YEAR ACTION PLAN 13 6.1 Annual Items 14 6.2 Year 1 Action Plan and Map 2018-19 17 6.3 Year 2 Action Plan and Map 2019-20 22 6.4 Year 3-5 Action Plans and Map 2020-23 27 7.0 MONITORING AND REVIEW 30 7.1 Monitoring the Action Plans 30 7.2 Measure of Success 30 7.3 Greenspace Action Plan (GAP) Five Year Review 30 8.0 PROJECT OUTLINES 31 8.1 ‘Hartham Common And Beyond’ Project 31 8.2 Creation of a Welcoming Entrance to Hartham Common 33 8.3 Hartham Common Rivers Project 35 8.4 The Warren - Woodland Management 38 9.0 APPENDICES 40 9.1 Contacts 40 9.2 Links to Other Organisations 41 9.3 Links to Other Documents 42 9.4 Management of Himalayan Balsam 43 9.5 Grazing Meadow Pond Management 45 9.6 Tree Planting 46 Hartham Common GAP 2018-23 3 CMS June 2018 v0 1.0 SITE SUMMARY Site name: Hartham Common Area: 19.71 ha (48.7 acres) Grid ref: TL 327 132 Address: Hartham Lane, Hertford, Herts, SG14 1QR Designations: Queen Elizabeth II Fields in Trust Registered Common Land (part) Kings Meads CL004 (no commoner’s rights attached) Local Wildlife Site (part) R. Beane and R. Lea Confluence Conservation Area (part) Hertford Green Belt Ownership: East Herts Council Leases: Herts Canoe Club Hertford Tennis Club Everyone Active (Leisure Centre) Sele Farm Bowls Club VISION STATEMENT Hartham Common is a welcoming, diverse, beautiful and tranquil open space for the use and enjoyment of all residents and visitors to Hertford. As the town’s premier park, Hartham Common is a haven for exploration and discovery. Its rivers and habitats and the opportunities for leisure and recreation that they offer, will continue to be sensitively managed to ensure that visitors understand the delicate balance that exists between protecting and enjoying our natural environment. The park’s fascinating cultural and natural heritage will stand alongside its excellent visitor facilities and community events, ensuring that learning and play are both equally promoted. Accessibility across Hartham Common and connections to Hertford and the surrounding countryside will continue to be maintained and promoted. The vision over the next five years is to maintain and enhance Hartham Common, keeping up the same high standards that visitors have come to expect whilst supporting and benefiting local wildlife and habitats. This document sets out the management, maintenance and development framework for Hartham Common to work towards during 2018-23. It is recognised that the systems in place to manage Hartham Common are already very well established and described in previous plans. As such the GAP seeks to identify subtle improvements and further refinement to the established systems. Hartham Common GAP 2018-23 4 CMS June 2018 v0 Hartham Common Location Map Key Hartham Common Site Boundary ¯ 0 215 430 Metres © Crown copyright and database rights 2018 OS EUL 100019606. Use of this data is subject to terms and conditions. You are permitted to use this data solely to enable you to respond to, or interact with, the organisation that provided you with the data. You are not permitted to copy, sub-licence, distribute or sell any of this data to third parties in any form. River Rib Hartham Common Site Description Grazing compartments eastern one St Leonard's Church with corral and ponds, turning area River Lee/Lea for graizer at entrance. Western Steps and ramp from ")#V compartment also has 'Trees for grazing area to church "T People' plantation of young oaks Peninsula with vegetated damp Streetlit path linking Pedestrian bridge ") hollow, characteristic of a pond. Port Hill to Bengeo The Warren woodland on a steep slope Good views of rivers and former Memorial tree a mix of broadleaved - oak, sycmaore, mill site hazel with a few scots pines. A woodland planting !( path runs along most of its length !(#* Pedestrian bridge ") Football pitches on and two stepped Narrow spit to peninsula amenity cut grass weir becoming eroded #*!e River Beane !. Stand of tall poplars ") Amenity cut grass with football King's Meads nm#* !."/ pitches, occassional concrete Pedestrian bridge !H !. inspection chambers oPveedr erisvteriran bridge !( !H !H !( #* Row of planted trees Tennis courts and club house !H ") !H Pedestrian bridge Amenity grass recreational !H !e Dicker Mill Stream and event space !H !( !( !H !e"/ "/ !. !( !( "/ !( "/ !. !H !( River Lee/Lea Navigation Former pitch and putt area now !H !. !. rough amenity grass with islands !H !( ") Car park with split ownership !H of ornamental shrubs !H G !H !( !. !e !( !H Access to car park from Environment Agency ") !H ") Marshgate Drive via a !( Flow Gauging Weir !H ") ") narrow weak bridge !H Key !H 3G artificial pitch Tennis surround !(!e Rough scrub and grassland 3G artificial pitch ") ") !H !( Amenity grass Vent and tennis courts !(") with informal paths (outside !H !( Bowling green Weir EHC ownership) !H Bridge Woodland !( Bowls club with Hert Canoe Club Building Trees !H ") ") !( club house !H ") Former swimming pool area - Car park G Outdoor gym !H !( ") !e now a silted bowl largely covered Conservation grass *# Welcom e sign !( !( nm Footbridge across Hertford Basin !( Football ! Small interpretation panel Pedestrian access #* !( linking with bridged access into by tree and shrubs, but still open to e from Port Hill ") the site from Mill Road the River Beane Grazing e! Interpretation panel !e Hedge e! Interpretation panel & notice board !( !( Path nm RoW post !( !( !( ") Grasscrete access !e !( ") !( Hertford Basin Play area nm Finger post !( !(") !( !( #* track !( Pond V# Warning sign ") #* !e !( Car park Leisure Centre and car park Reinforced grass )" Bench River (! Litter bin Older children's Riverside vegetation (! Dog bin play area Pedestrian bridge Hertford East Station Shrubs .! Kissing gate Skate park ¯ Skate park /" Vehicle gate Port Hill car park Cafe with outside seating area Supermarket (! Water trough Toilet Surfaced path H! Street light block Supermarket Underpass with low ceiling 0 55 110 Tarmac path T" River barrier River Beane Metres Tennis court Grazing fence Young children's play area Riverside footpath access © Crown copyright and database rights 2018 OS EUL 100019606. Use of this data is subject to terms and conditions. You are permitted to use this data solely to enable you to respond to, or interact with, the organisation that provided you with the data. Hartham Lane River Lea/Lee © C ro w n co py rig h t an d d at ab a se r igh ts 2 0 16 O S EUL 1 00 0 19 6 0 6 to town centre River Lea/Lee Navigation You are not permitted to copy, sub-licence, distribute or sell any of this data to third parties in any form. Hartham Common Public River Rib Constraints Map Footpath 19 Public Footpath 21 Wildlife Site 59/092 River Beane, River Lea and Lower River Rib confluence, Hartham Public Footpath 33 Public Footpath 23 Public Footpath 32 River Beane Public Footpath 22 Upper Lee Public Footpath 86 Public Footpath 28 Wildlife Site 59/003 Kings Mead Part of King's Meads Common Land CL004 National Cycle Newtork Route No:61 Public Footpath 31 Key Cycleway <all o ther values> Lee navigation Facility_typ e Public On road cycle la ne Footpath 88 Ad visory on road Off road cycle path Rural R oute Upper Lee Cycle route n ot own ed by HC C Site Bo undary ¯ Restricted Bywa y Bridle way 0 45 90 Footp ath Comm on Land Metres Main Rivers W W Wildlife Site Public 1:3,619 @ A3 Greenbe lt - No vem ber2016 Footpath 27 Conserva tion Areas Public Public Public Footpath 87 Footpath 92 © Crown copyright and database rights 2018 OS EUL 100019606. Use of this data is subject to terms and conditions. Footpath 91 You are permitted to use this data solely to ena©b lCero ywon uco tpoy rrigehst panodn dda tatob,a soer riignhttes r2a01c6t wOSit EhU, Lth 1e0 0o01rg96a0n6isation that provided you with the data. You are not permitted to copy, sub-licence, distribute or sell any of this data to third parties in any form. 3.0 INTRODUCTION Hartham Common is a popular open space with over 1000 years of recorded history. It is approximately 19.71 ha (48.7 acres) in size and located within a five minute walk from Hertford Town Centre.