Four Great Highways 

Project background

This new project aims to promote and enhance the four great highways of Llangollen, by providing landscape and engineering improvements works to enhance access, biodiversity and visibility to and interpretation of the Llangollen Canal and World Heritage Site, the former Ruabon to Barmouth railway line, the River Dee and Thomas Telford’s Historic Route: the London to Holyhead Road (A5). The aim is to improve the resident and visitor experience and encourage people to spend more time here. To achieve this, four key areas have been identified:

1. Wharf
2. Access points to the Wharf, Railway and Lower Dee Mill Park
3. Lower Dee Mill Park
4. Signage and Wayfinding

The works proposed in each of these key areas are likely to include:

• Implement improvements adjacent to the Wharf including seating, access and signage
• Improved signage to the Railway
• Improved accessibility and signage to Lower Dee Mill Park
• Enhancement, repair and reimagining Lower Dee Mill Park
• Improved visitor signage at key locations

Key points

• This is a new project to deliver enhancements to Llangollen's Four Great Highways
• This project is separate from the recent Castle Street extension works project and other on-going developments in Llangollen, but the design and delivery of this project is being considered, as relevant to other schemes being delivered in or near the town. The project is based on an initial concept design completed in 2019. This included lots of ideas, some of which have already been completed as part of the recent highways works. This project is now focusing on the 4 areas identified, which are the Wharf, access points to the Wharf, Railway and Lower Dee Mill Park, Lower Dee Mill Park, and Signage and Wayfinding
• Residents, businesses and other interested parties are invited to share their ideas on what is important in these locations including their knowledge of local history
• We will be consulting with residents and businesses about the project to ensure that people can contribute to the development of these four areas. Feedback received will be reviewed with local project stakeholders, and project designs will be shared for comment before they are finalised.
• Initial designs were shared with stakeholders and the wider public for feedback in March 2023. The feedback received helped inform the final designs which have been produced in July 2023.
• July 2023: The project has begun its tendering process to find a contractor to undertake the work. The Council hopes to appoint a contractor by mid-September 2023 ready to start construction October 2023.
• A further public consultation will also be held soon to gather feedback on people’s preferred design options for the new signage that is due to be installed as part of the project.
• No work on the ground has begun. This is due to start in the Autumn.

Current position

• A project team is now in place
• Project funding is in place to improve accessibility, signage and interpretation in the areas around the Wharf, the Railway and the Lower Dee Mill Park
• The estimated timescale for completion of the project is March 2024
• Site information gathering has been carried out, discussions have taken place with landowners and technical specialists to understand what may be possible at each of the project sites and relevant ecological surveys have been undertaken
• Public consultation commenced January 2023 to gain views to feed into the initial designs. Engagement was carried out in a variety of ways through virtual sessions, online/paper consultation and a recent drop-in session at Llangollen Town Hall
• These initial designs were shared with all stakeholders and the wider public for feedback. The designs were available online and at Llangollen Library until Monday 3rd April 2023.
• The feedback received in March has helped inform the final designs which have been produced in July 2023.
• July 2023: The project has begun its tendering process to find a contractor to undertake the work. The Council hopes to appoint a contractor by mid-September 2023 ready to start construction October 2023.
• A further public consultation will also be held soon to gather feedback on people's preferred design options for the new signage that is due to be installed as part of the project.
• September 2023: The tendering process to find a contractor has now closed and we are reviewing the bids received and are currently in the clarification stage of the process.
• October 2023: We have now had time to reflect on the results of the tender exercise. We had some concerns (given the current market and general levels of construction inflation) that tenders would come back over budget, and that has indeed turned out to be the case. We are therefore having to look at rescoping the project due to our budget constraints, and it is clear that we will be unable to progress all the design proposals. Whilst this is disappointing, it does give us the opportunity to really focus on the key elements/outcomes of the scheme. We still believe that there is a worthwhile project in there that will deliver benefit to the area and communities.
• The Project Team aims to re-tender for this project towards the end of October 2023.
• The Signage and Wayfinding consultation has now closed, and we will consider the responses received before the final designs are agreed for the project.

Gallery

What is happening?

Following a successful Levelling Up Fund (LUF) application, we are enhancing the public spaces that connect Llangollen’s Four Great Highways (Llangollen Canal, the old Ruabon to Barmouth Railway line, River Dee and A5 Holyhead Road). Some of the key priorities are improved accessibility, signage and better materials.

Four Great Highways: General Arrangement Plans - November 2023 (PDF, 1.71MB)

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Llangollen Wharf

Proposed works:

• 2800mm wide stair set with resin bonded surfacing and hardwood balustrade
• Resin bonded paving to provide pedestrian priority at top of steps
• Weathered steel retaining element wall with engraved/laser etched text
• Bespoke hardwood bench integrated into weathered steel wall
• Ramp to be resurfaced with buff resin bonded gravel, original treads to be retained and existing drainage to be uplifted and enhanced
• Existing linear drainage cobbles on ramp to be removed and replaced with the resin surfacing, retaining the dished profile across the footpath
• Ramp landing enhanced and made larger with new buff resin bonded gravel surfacing, hardwood and weathered steel seating and bin
• Proposed pedestrian counters to be installed – one at base of Wharf and one at top or ramp
• Habitat feature / log pile / bug hotel at base of Wharf
• Various bollards to be removed or enhanced with hardwood replacement
• Existing CRT signage retained and repositioned to suit new layout
• Proposed new paving to match Yorkstone paving along Castle Street within adopted highway only

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Lower Dee Mill Park Ramp

Proposed works:

• Proposed 2m wide ramp to replace existing brick steps. Existing clay paving/natural stone to be retained, stored and reused elsewhere
• Wall position adjusted to allow for ramp opening and existing tree to be removed
• Vertical planting along the ramp structure
• New bespoke slate bench formed by existing slate bench to front of ramp
• Proposed hedgerow planting to front of ramp

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Lower Dee Mill Park

Proposed works:

• Existing timber bridge replaced with metal bridge
• New picnic benches installed, and existing ones removed along with laid brick surfacing
• Informal nature play route that utilises the existing sloped landform
• Existing gravel footpaths improved/resurfaced, and edges restored
• Proposed raised timber boardwalk with integrated slide and rope ladder
• Proposed rock-climbing feature using local stone
• Stepping Stones / Poles
• Wooden open-sided shelter
• Outdoor Pull-up bar and Shoulder Press
• Wooded area to be stocked with ornamental planting and habitat improvements e.g. bat and bird boxes and habitat improvements for invertebrates
• Existing signage and wayfinding to be removed

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Interpretation and wayfinding designs feedback

Integrated interpretation and wayfinding: Small and narrow version

These are the designs for wayfinding posts. Wayfinding posts are used to help people navigate around an area.

This design shows a small, narrow post*. These could be put up in more places than bigger, wider signs. They could be used to show the history of an area, or to help people find their way around. We would make sure that the signs use colours which fit in with the area in which they are being put up.

* For illustrative purposes only.

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Integrated interpretation and wayfinding: Large and wide version

This design shows a large, wide post*. They could be used to show the history of an area, help people find their way around and show how long it will take to walk to another location.

We would make sure that the signs use colours which fit in with the area in which they are being put up.

* For illustrative purposes only.

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Interpretation with wayfinding fingerposts

We can also keep the direction content separate from the history information, but keep one post so there are not too many signs in the area.

This design shows the fingerposts to help people find their way with the history of the area attached to the bottom of the post*.

* For illustrative purposes only.

Consultation

Information gathered from January and April’s consultations have been collated and presented in our Stakeholder and Community Engagement Summary Reports which can be viewed here:

Four Great Highways Stakeholder and Community Engagement Summary Report

The Signage and Wayfinding consultation has now closed. Thank you to everyone who took part in the latest consultation. We received 37 responses, which we will now consider before the final signage and wayfinding designs are agreed for the project.