Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust), along with the local nature conservation group Conservation Glamorgan are today celebrating the announcement from the Vale of Glamorgan Council that Mexican-based concrete conglomerate Cemex Ltd decided to retract their planning bid to  build a 275 metre conveyor belt through Coed Cwm Slade, an ancient woodland to the north east of the village of Wenvoe.

Conservation Glamorgan has mounted a vigorous campaign, backed by the Woodland Trust, to save the wood. Over 1000 people have written to the Council to object to the plan. Several representatives for those who objected to the development converged on the Council’s Civic offices where the planning meeting was due to take place to voice their opinion.

“In one way it is a good thing that Cemex have retracted their application at the last minute, but it does raise the question of whether they’ll try to submit another application that avoids contravening the European Habitats Directive” said Graham Bradley, Planning Casework Manager for the Woodland Trust.

The original planning application involved bulldozing a corridor through the wood to make way for a giant conveyor belt to carry limestone from a proposed new quarry to the south, this would have had a detrimental effect on both dormouse and otter habitats in the area.

Not only would the development have affected the habitats of some of our rarest mammals, the planning application would have destroyed 0.19 hectare (0.46 acres) of ancient woodland. Since 2002, ancient woodland in Wales has had protection under the planning system, 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.”

This is the second Ancient Woodland decision for Vale of Glamorgan planners in less than four weeks. On January 18th, they threw out an application for development at Pencoedtre wood, Barry.

Notes to editors

For media enquiries contact:

Rory Francis (Publicity and Public Affairs Officer for Wales) on 08452 935738 or 07760 171174. Afallon, Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd LL41 3RH
Email roryfrancis@woodlandtrust.org.uk

Anna Heslop (Campaigns officer) on 08452 935738 or 07760 171174. Unit 3, Coopers Yard, Curran Road, Cardiff CF10 5NB
Email annaheslop@woodlandtrust.org.uk

The Woodland Trust Press Office email media@woodlandtrust.org.uk or Tel 01476 581121

Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust)

The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 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.