22 January 2007
Commons Select Committee to hear of opencast threat to ancient woodland...
…as Coed Hafod Heulog near Bridgend is saved following vigorous campaign
The House of Commons Select Committee on Welsh Affairs is to hear evidence from the Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw) this Tuesday (1) about the threat to ancient woodland from opencast coalmining. This is part of a wider inquiry into Energy in Wales. The meeting will also hear from PACT (Protecting and Conserving Together) (2), an anti-opencast action group from near Bridgend, and four pro-opencast companies or organisations.
In evidence submitted to the Select Committee, the opencast coal operator Celtic Energy has suggested that the Welsh Assembly’s Policy on opencast coal extraction is too restrictive, despite the fact that the rules in both England and Scotland are significantly tougher on the industry. The company also suggests that the government should give coal, including opencast coal, a guaranteed share of the energy market.
The Woodland Trust believes opencast coal mining should only be permitted if it is environmentally acceptable. To reduce the standards of what is acceptable so as to meet some arbitrary guaranteed share of the market would be a huge mistake. It would condemn the people of the south Wales valleys to environmental destruction, pollution and dust for another generation.
An illustration of the threat opencast coalmining poses to ancient woodland is the planning application proposed by Celtic Energy itself, which would have totally destroyed the Coed Hafod Heulog, a 4.5 ha (11 acre) irreplaceable ancient woodland (3) near Bridgend. According to the Welsh Assembly’s Planning Policy Wales (para 5.2.8): “Ancient and semi-natural woodlands are irreplaceable habitats of high biodiversity value which should be protected from development that would result in significant damage.”
Any weakening of the Assembly’s policy on opencast coal working, in its policy document the Coal Mineral Technical Advice Note, would very likely lead to more ancient woods under threat, like Coed Hafod Heulog (4), across the south Wales coalfield.
The good news is that this particular application was finally withdrawn, in November 2006, following a vigorous campaign by local people backed by the Woodland Trust. But it is understood that another application will be submitted in the near future.
Rory Francis of the Woodland Trust says: “We are delighted that the company has seen sense by withdrawing this planning application. But, bearing in mind that Planning Policy Wales makes it clear that ancient woodlands should be protected from significant damage from planning applications, we still wonder by the company submitted it in the first place.”
“More particularly, we understand that the company are to make a resubmitted application. We are concerned about the potential impact on woodland, hedgerows and the countryside, and we shall therefore be looking at this very carefully and will remain vigilant.
“The Stern Report at the end of the last year made clear the absolutely urgent need that exists to reduce our use of carbon fuels. This is absolutely not the time to open up a free-for-all for opencast mining in Wales.”
For media enquiries contact:
Rory Francis (Publicity and Public Affairs Officer for Wales) on 01766 832563 or 07760 171174 Afallon, Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd LL41 3RH Email roryfrancis@woodland-trust.org.uk
Or The Woodland Trust Press Office email media@woodland-trust.org.uk or Tel 01476 581121
Notes for editors
1. The Committee’s public hearing starts at 11am on Tuesday 23 January in Committee Room 15 of the House of Commons. Rory Francis and Graham Bradley of the Woodland Trust will be giving evidence, with Gaynor Ball and Suzanne De Celis of PACT, at 12.20pm. See the Select Committee’s website.
2. PACT have their own website at: http://pactwales.blogspot.com/
3. Ancient woodland (land that has been continually wooded since at least AD1600) is one of our richest habitats for wildlife being home to more species of conservation concern than any other habitat (supporting some 232 species as outlined in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, 1994). Ancient woods form a unique link to the primeval wildwood habitat that covered most of lowland Britain following the last Ice Age. Ancient woodland sites are irreplaceable - the interactions between plants, animals, soils, climate and people are unique and have developed over hundreds of years. Ancient woodland supports some 232 species as outlined in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, 1994, more than any other.
4. More background about Coed Hafod Heulog is available on the Woodland Trust’s Wales website. Coed Hafod Heulog is at grid reference SS 843 842. The proposed opencast site includes all of the wood apart from the northernmost 2 hectares, and extends to the south and west. To view the site of the wood on the multimap website.
Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust)
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 250,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s awareness and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). These include over 100 sites in Wales, with a total area of 1,580 hectares (3,900 acres). It offers free public access to nearly all of its sites. Further news can be accessed via www.coed-cadw.org.uk The Trust adopted a new Welsh language name in 2000: “Coed Cadw”. This is an old Welsh term, used in medieval laws to describe protected or preserved woodland.
