Aforestation at Bryn Arw

Report to NPA. 7.1.20

The Parks Society has not received notification of the proposed tree planting on Bryn Arw There have been some postings on facebook and some members, who are not opposed to the tree planting, have expressed concern that the erection of fencing on open access land, might impinge on access to footpaths etc. It has also been suggested that 13 stiles are to be installed. Can you confirm what is happening please?

Are you able to give us any assurances that PROWs will remain unaffected and would it be possible to install gates rather than stiles whilst the work is being undertaken?

Eifion’s response 14.1.20

I’m not entirely clear how the notification process works as this would be an application to the Welsh Government. I think consultation in general is very limited but the National Park Authority is being consulted on at least some of these applications.

We have been consulted on this application as have the Local Access Forum who undertook a site visit several months ago.

Several public footpaths are affected by proposed fencing and I will propose that gates (not stiles) be installed at each point where the fence crosses a public footpath. There is a formal process for this as the routes are registered rights of way.

There are a number of desire lines* where people are walking across open access land and we will also ask that a stile or a gate be installed where a fence crosses these. These are not registered public footpaths so we cannot hold the applicant to the same process as the registered footpaths.

*desire line is a path created as a consequence of erosion caused by human or animal foot-fall traffic. The path usually represents the shortest or most easily navigated route between an origin and destination. Width and erosion severity can be indicators of how much traffic a path receives. Desire paths emerge as shortcuts where constructed ways take a circuitous route, have gaps, or are non-existent.