Ancient Woodland has been around for at least 400 years and in can form the last link with the original wildwood which covered Wales after the last Ice Age, 10,000 years ago.
It is hard to believe that such an important part of our ecological and cultural heritage, which now covers only two percent of the country, could still be under threat, but it is.
In fact, since 2002, ancient woodland in Wales has had protection under the planning system, that is not yet available in England.
Paragraph 5.2.8 of Planning Policy Wales, the Welsh Assembly’s planning policy, states clearly that: “Ancient and semi-natural woodlands are irreplaceable habitats of high biodiversity value which should be protected from development that would result in significant damage.”
But the fact that this excellent policy exists does not mean that it is always followed in practice.
The good news, however, is that, largely due to the hard work of local people with the support of Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust), two areas of ancient woodland were saved in the Vale of Glamorgan in early 2008, at Pencoedtre Wood and Wenvoe.
See all woods under threat cases across Wales and the UK.
Visit the Woodland Trust’s UK Woods under Threat website, which is packed with useful information and advice.
