Woodwatch

21 October 2008

Research shows irreplaceable ancient woodland is an endangered habitat

Research from the Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust) shows in Wales in the last decade 45 ancient woods with a total area of 1,358 hectares, more than the total area of the town of Pontypridd (1), have come under threat from destruction or degradation, combining to make 26,000 hectares across the UK.

The shocking figure emerged after a 12 month study which looked into ancient woodland under threat across the UK. Among the threats in Wales have been Coed Hafod Heulog, near Margam, Cwm Slade Wood near Wenvoe, and on the positive side, Pencoedtre Wood to the north of Barry which was saved earlier this year following a vigorous campaign by the Bluebells Pencoedtre Action Group, with support from Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust). Across Wales and the UK ancient woodland is threatened by roads, houses, airports, golf courses and utilities.

The research shows that over the last ten years 45 woods in Wales, covering a total of 1,358 hectares, have been threatened. That is 2.7 per cent of the total amount of ancient woodland remaining in Wales.

Anna Heslop of the Woodland Trust comments: “This is a worrying picture. We have already lost half of the ancient woodland that existed in 1930, and yet this irreplaceable habitat continues to be buried under tonnes of concrete. Ancient woodlands are invaluable places for wildlife, they are timeless places of great beauty and tranquillity where we can escape from the stresses and strains of modern life. We must act now to save the UK’s rainforests from destruction, safeguarding them for wildlife and future generations to learn from and enjoy.”

Ancient Woodland is the UK’s equivalent of rainforest and is irreplaceable having been wooded for over 400 years. It’s the UK’s most valuable space for wildlife, home to more rare and threatened species than any other UK habitat. Species such as the hawfinch, marsh tit, barbastelle bat, bechstein’s bat, pearl-bordered fritillary and the dormouse rely on ancient woodland to survive.

Long undisturbed and some dating back to the Ice Age, these ancient woodlands are historical treasure troves. Bronze and Iron Age earthworks, ancient park boundaries, ridge and furrow fields, park pales and wood-banks are all preserved and give a picture of the past.

In theory, these woods are protected by Planning Policy Wales (2) and should not be damaged by development. However, Coed Cadw hears of new cases every year where applications come forward which fly in the face of this.

If these woods were buildings they would be protected to the highest Grading. But natural heritage is not afforded the same importance, despite the fact many ancient woodland sites date back far beyond that of the built environment.

The biggest threat to ancient woodland is from new roads, followed by utilities and power-lines. Housing, mineral extraction, airport expansion and leisure facilities have all posed threats to ancient woodland, and continue to do so.

Anna Heslop continues: “We can help the public to put a stop to this destruction; we can’t rely on any official body to help us. We need eyes and ears for woodland in local communities across Wales, to help stop ancient woodland destruction. That’s why Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust) has launched WoodWatch to provide tools and information for people to find and save threatened woodland in their local areas.”

Those who want to get involved can find all they need to help them navigate the planning system and learn how to run a successful campaign at www.woodwatch.org.uk Through the interactive map people can locate and update the Woodland Trust on threats in Wales. Funding will become available from next year to help kick start local campaigns, and cover costs such as banner design, leaflet printing and hall hire.

For media enquiries contact:
Anna Heslop (Campaigns Officer Wales) on 08452 935 735 or 07824 416 518

Or 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

Images
Digital images can be downloaded of Pencoedtre Wood and of demonstrators outside the Vale of Glamorgan Council building when the Wenvoe application was due to be discussed in February this year.

Editors Notes

1. The area of the town of Pontypridd is approximately 976 hectares, significantly less than the total area of the ancient woods in Wales that are, or have been, threatened with damage through development.

2. 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.”

Three Case Studies

Coed Hafod Heulog, near Bridgend

This is a 4.5 ha (11 acre) ancient wood which stands on both banks of the River Kenfig near Bridgend. The wood is presently threatened by a planning application to extend a nearby opencast coalmining site to approximately 20 metres (on average) away from boundaries of the wood, apart from at the northern end. The plan threatens the integrity of the wood in terms of hydrology, biodiversity, noise and air quality.The connectivity of the woodland with the mosaic of surrounding habitats, including field hedgerows/trees that currently provide important wildlife corridors to be removed, would be mostly destroyed. The planning application was turned by the local Council, but the developers have appealed and the application is subject to a Public Inquiry in January, at which Coed Cadw plans to appeal. The site of the wood can be seen here.

Cwm Slade Woods, near Wenvoe
An planning application to construct a conveyor belt through Coed Cwm Slade, an ancient woodland to the north east of Wenvoe, in order to link a planned new quarry to an existing one, was withdrawn by the developers, Cemex Ltd, in February this year. But both Coed Cadw and local campaigners fear that a further application will made and that the woods will be threatened once again. The location of the site can be seen here

Pencoedtre Wood, near Barry
A planning application was submitted in 2004 that would have meant bulldozing 9.4 hectares (23 acres) of this ancient wood to make way for industrial units and houses. The plan would also have meant fragmenting and degrading of the remaining 6.3 hectares (15 acres).

Following a vigorous campaign by local people with the support of Coed Cadw, the plan was finally refused by the Vale of Glamorgan Council in January this year. During the course of the campaign, the site was actually notified as an SSSI by the Countryside Council for Wales. More details of the campaign are available on the Wood Watch website here. The location can be seen here.