Cymdeithas Parc Bannau Brycheiniog
Brecon Beacons Park Society
www.breconbeaconsparksociety.org

CAMPAIGNS AND ISSUES:

GAS PIPELINE

The Park Society has been actively involved in discussions with National Grid and their pipeline contractor, Nacap Land and Marine, regarding plans for a huge new 196km long gas pipeline, 1220mm diameter, to take gas into the National Transmission System from new coastal terminals at Milford Haven.  The preferred National Grid route would enter the National Park to the south of Llandovery and then cross the open moor of Mynydd Myddfai and Mynydd Bach Trecastell before leaving the National Park on the west side of Brecon. It may also enter the National Park again to the south of Hay-on-Wye.

The National Grid plans are being developed very rapidly, and an Environmental Statement has being prepared for approval by the Secretary of State with a view to construction of the pipeline during 2007.  In the Park Society we have made clear our opinion that the route should avoid the National Park altogether, but, being realistic, we have also been taking part in detailed discussions so that, if the route through the Park is approved, the impact can be minimised.

For the latest update on  the Park Society's involvement with this project, go to the Society News page.

In our comments on the Draft Environmental Statement, we have not tried to duplicate the contributions being made by statutory bodies and other bodies with specific interests.  We have concentrated our attention on the less tangible issues affecting the open access land where the proposed route crosses Mynydd Myddfai and Mynydd Bach Trecastell.  Regrettably, it is in these very areas that Draft Environmental Statement is weakest and where more attention needs to be given to the environmental impact on the landscape and the long-term monitoring and management required for restoration.  We have stated our opinion that it is essential that the environmental impact of construction on the open access heathland and the arrangements for monitoring and management after the completion of construction should be given more attention before the Secretary of State is asked to consider approving the Environmental Statement.

To view the full text of the Park Society's response to the various National Grid consultation documents, go to the National Grid Pipeline page,
or contact Park Society Hon. Secretary Roger White: 01873 811539 rogerwhiteuk@hotmail.com  

MAINTENANCE PROBLEMS AT CLYDACH IRONWORKS

During the summer of 2005, concern was expressed by the Park Society Executive Committee that the Clydach Ironworks, which is one of Monmouthshire's most important industrial archaeological sites, was urgently in need of maintenance.
Constructed in 1793 this ironworks is only four years younger than the Blaenafon Ironworks which is a major feature in the Blaenafon Industrial Landscape
World Heritage Site and visited by people from far and wide.

The Clydach Ironworks was excavated and 'restored' to make a fascinating tourist/educational site by the old Blaenau Gwent Council in 1987. Following Local
Government reorganisation in 1994 the site came under the care of Monmouthshire County Council who have unfortunately allowed it to be reclaimed by nature.
Trees, brambles and vegetation can be seen protruding from the stonework, the educational display boards have been vandalised  and large sections of the
fencing are broken and missing.
Monmouth AM/MP David Davies visited the site with Chris Barber in October2005 and supported his request that work should be undertaken to remedy the
situation. An article then appeared in the Abergavenny Chronicle highlighting the sad state of the ironworks and stressing its importance as a heritage site. As
a result of this publicity some preliminary vegetation clearance was carried out by the County council.

In more recent months a Project Officer (John Townend) has been appointed on a contract basis to work up a scheme to make improvements to the site. He has
now informed Park Society Executive member Chris Barber that engineers will shortly be carrying out a detailed examination of the stonework and making recommendations for necessary work to be carried out.
The broken wooden fencing is to be replaced by metal rails and posts and this will also be moved closer to the furnaces to allow better public access to
the site.
Some funding is now in place and an application is being made to Cadw for additional finance. John Townend hopes to move things forward in the New Year.
This is a good example of how the Brecon Beacons Park Society can draw attention to the neglect of a site of historic importance and encourage the County
Council responsible for its care to take action. Tourism and our heritage is an important part of the economy of this area and the Clydach Gorge to our minds
should really have been included within the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape World Heritage Site.

LITTER

The Brecon Beacons Park Society, in conjunction with the National Park Authority and Keep Wales Tidy, has been offering a number of prizes for school projects which raise awareness and engage young people, who live in or near the National Park, in thinking about litter and its impact on the environment. Projects could link to one or several curriculum areas. They could be be within the school or could involve parents or the wider community. They might involve pupils developing ideas to educate their peers or their parents. Schools could submit a project that was part of the work towards an Eco-Schools Green Flag Award.

Projects entered should have been:
  - Work done in 2005-2006
-  The product of group work
 - Pupil generated

Judges were looking for:
- Understanding of the issues
- Originality of ideas
- Quality of presentation and display
- Imaginative approaches

There were two levels of entry: secondary and primary. A first prize of £500 and five prizes of £100 were on offer.

Entries needed to be be submitted by Wednesday 28th June 2006 and were in a form that could be exhibited at one of three venues within the National Park, where they were judged. Winning entries were displayed at the National Park Visitor Centre, Libanus, where there was an award ceremony on Wednesday 12 July 2006. 

At the award ceremony on the 12th July 2006, Llangors Church in Wales Primary School was the £500 prize winner.
The prizes were presented by Councillor Mrs Margaret Morris, former Chairman of the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority and the runners up, who all received £100, were Aberaeron Primary School, Gilwern Junior and Infants School, Llangynidr County Primary School, Sennybridge County Primary School and Ysgol Gymraeg Ryd y Grug.

 RIGHTS OF WAY IMPROVEMENT PLAN

The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority published its Draft Rights of Way Improvement Plan (RoWIP) in mid April 2006 and gave it widespread circulation for comment. In the Park Society, we made our comments on earlier consultation documents and we have now given our response to the Draft RoWIP.  We are very disappointed that the Draft RoWIP has not been sufficiently developed to provide a sound strategic base for planning.  Key points in our response are:

         The final version of the RoWIP should not be published without including the full results of the survey of the condition of the rights of way network which is scheduled for completion in summer 2006.

        A proper assessment of erosion control and its costs should be included in the final version of the RoWIP.

        Anomalies between the definitive maps and the actual routes on the ground occur on about a quarter of all rights of way in the National Park and should be addressed in the RoWIP.

        Cost estimates need to be given much more attention before the final version of the RoWIP is published.

        It should be explained why £30,000 has been cut from the annual budget for maintenance of rights of way in the National Park at the same time as an additional £800,000 per annum has been identified as being needed for this maintenance.

        Costs need to be presented on a more coherent and consistent basis with a common time base, removal of the confusion between unit, capital and running costs, and a clear presentation of total costs for the various items in the RoWIP.

        The Action Plan should include an item to achieve a satisfactory standard of maintenance on the existing network. The target to have only 80% of the network open by December 2011 is an admission of failure.  This target should be 100%.

        We should like to be given the opportunity to comment and advise if steps are taken to establish a hierarchy for repair, maintenance and improvement. We suggest that dealing with litter should form part of the Action Plan.

 Our full response may be obtained on request to: rogerwhiteuk@hotmail.com

 Walkers may also care to note that the National Park Authority will only investigate “lost rights of ways” when it is told about them. Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, any unrecorded Rights of Way not registered before 1^st January 2026 will be extinguished.  So if you think there are any paths near you which have been lost as official Footpaths or Bridleways, report them now.