18 January 2008
Pencoedtre Wood Saved!
Council rejects ancient woodland development plan
Vale of Glamorgan Councillors have thrown out a development application which would have led to the greatest loss of ancient woodland (1) in Wales since the Assembly gave it protection under Planning Policy Wales in 2002 (2) was turned down yesterday evening. Yesterday’s unanimous decision was in part due the wood’s recent designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The applicants could still appeal but campaigners, including the Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw), were jubilant at the decision. Neil Coleman, chairman of the Pencoedtre Bluebells campaign group said: “This result is fantastic, just brilliant!”
Outraged by the prospect of the ancient woodland being bulldozed and an important amenity being lost, local people leapt into action. They set up an campaign group defend Pencoedtre Wood, aiming to prompt as many people as possible object to the plans. Largely as a result, the Council received over 700 representations regarding this one application.
Rory Francis from Coed Cadw adds: “This is great news for ancient woodland in Wales. I’d like to congratulate everyone locally who helped make this result possible. It shows that local people really care about their local woodlands and can really make a difference. We must remember, though, that there are at least another 13 cases of ancient woodland under threat in Wales at the present time, including a case at Wenvoe, which could be determined by the Vale of Glamorgan in early February.”
The Pencoedtre application was first lodged in 2004 and involved developing 9.4 hectares (23 acres) of Pencoedtre wood (3) for industrial units and houses. If permitted, the plan would have led to the loss of ancient woodland as well as fragmenting and degrading the remaining 6.3 hectares (15 acres), says the Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw), the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity.
The plan had caused alarm among environ-mentalists and local people as the land concerned had been allocated for development in the Vale of Glamorgan’s Unitary Development Plan, meaning that there was a real risk that it would be approved.
However, the Unitary Development Plan also contained a requirement that there should be a detailed ecological survey of the site before any application could be given the go-ahead. A survey was duly commissioned by the Council and was released in 2006. It confirmed that the wood is ancient and of very high ecological value, rebutting suggestions to the contrary by the developers. The habitat survey found no less than 46 different plant species that are specifically associated with ancient woodland, including greater butterfly orchid, wood sorrel and dogs mercury. In total, 126 different species of vascular plants were found, as well as 71 different kinds of mosses and liverworts and 22 bird species.
So clear was the survey in stressing the ecological value of the Pencoedtre Wood that the Countryside Council for Wales duly notified the wood a Site of Special Scientific Interest in April 2007, a very rare occurrence this days. This decision was confirmed by CCW’s Council last November.
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
Editor’s Notes
1. 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.
2. The Welsh Assembly’s planning policy, Planning Policy Wales, 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.” (paragraph 5.2.8)
3. Pencoedtre Wood is a grid reference ST 126 706. A zoomable map showing the location can be downloaded here
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 its Welsh language name in 2000: “Coed Cadw”. This is an old Welsh term, used in medieval laws to describe protected or preserved woodland.
