10 April 2007
CCW decision signals reprieve for Barry ancient woodland
Pencoedtre Wood is notified as SSSI
A campaign by local people to defend one of the Vale of Glamorgan’s largest remaining ancient woods (1) now looks set for success, following a decision by the Countryside Council for Wales last week to notify Pencoedtre Woods (2) as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The decision took effect on Thursday 5 April.
A developer had sought planning permission to develop 10 hectares of this 18 hectare ancient woodland as housing and industrial units. This would mean that the remaining woodland would no longer be a complete, functioning habitat, but little more than a buffer zone between different areas of development, with all the noise, light, pollution and general intrusion that that implies.
Now that the land has been notified as an SSSI, it is likely that the planning application will be refused and that the wood will be saved.
The breakthrough in protecting the site came in 2005 when the Vale of Glamorgan Council commissioned ecological consultants to do a full survey of the site. The survey confirmed that the wood is ancient and of very high ecological value. It 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.
As a result, the Countryside Council for Wales undertook an evaluation of the woodland’s importance in a national context, with a view to possible notification as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. On 5 April, Pencoedtre Woods was notified as part of a larger SSSI, known as Barry Woodlands, with a total area of 120 ha.
Rory Francis, Public Affairs Officer of Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust Wales) said: “This is great news for ancient woodland and for the local environment in Barry. Ancient woodland, that dates back at least 400 years, is not just the UK’s richest wildlife habitat, but it’s irreplaceable, within human timescales at least. The CCW is to be congratulated on its decision to notify the site.”
Coed Cadw has been aware of the threat to Pencoedtre Woods for some time. The Trust had objected to the planning application to destroy part of it. And, realising that the fate of a much-loved beauty spot hung in the balance, local people had got together to set up an action group to defend the wood, delivering leaflets door-to-door to let people know what was happening, setting up a stall in Barry, organising a petition to the National Assembly and encouraging more people to object to the planning application.
According to Planning Policy Wales, the document that sets a policy framework for planning in Wales, “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) However, the Woodland Trust is aware of at least 26 other current ancient woodland under threat cases in Wales.
(ends)
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. Pencoedtre Wood is typical of much of the ancient woodland in Wales. It is believed to date from at least 1600 AD and is included in the provisional inventory of ancient woodland public in the early 1990s. Like 25,000 hectares of other ancient woodlands in Wales, it was planted with conifers in the 20th century, threatening its very special ancient woodland characteristics. But thankfully, the native trees and flowers were never wiped out and have survived well, and the wood appears today an ancient wood with some conifers present, rather than monoculture of conifers.
2. Pencoedtre Woods are at grid reference ST 126 706. A map showing the location can be downloaded from 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 its Welsh language name in 2000: “Coed Cadw”. This is an old Welsh term, used in medieval laws to describe protected or preserved woodland.
