Almost 14% of Wales is covered in trees and forests - 40% of which are managed by the Forestry Commission on behalf of the Assembly and earlier this month, the National Assembly launched its Strategy for trees and woodlandsWoodlands for Wales with a Vision for the way in which they will contribute to a sustainable future for all the people of Wales.

The vision is for Wales to be known for high-quality woodlands that enhance the landscape, are appropriate to local conditions an d have a diverse mixture of species and habitats. They will:

•  Provide real social and community benefits
•  Support thriving woodland-based industries
•  Contribute to a better environment.

The key principles are sustainability, social inclusion, quality, partnership and integration.

1. Woodlands for People.

•  Using woodlands as a social and cultural asset for disadvantaged communities;
•  Maximising the use of woodlands for learning; and
•  Giving communities a bigger say in the management of their woods.

2. A new emphasis on woodland management.

•  Promoting best woodland management practice
•  Greater use of continuous -cover systems
•  Finding appropriate sites for new trees and woodland.

3. Wales as a location for world-class forest industries

•  Effective business support for woodland industries
•  Developing the wood supply chain, product development and marketing
•  Support for farm woodlands and the wider rural economy
•  Development of renewable energy based on wood.

4. A diverse and healthy environment

•  Conserve and enhance the biodiversity of our woodlands
•  Conserve and enhance the landscapes of Wales
•  Integrate woodlands and other countryside management.

5. Tourism, recreation and health

•  Create a high-quality visitor experience
•  Promote health through access to woodlands for all communities.

The National Assembly says that implementation of all this cannot be achieved alone and has set up A Woodland Forum to oversee progress and consider the priorities. Partner bodies will develop a lead role for different priorities or actions - agreed through the Forum - within the programmes included in the strategic objectives.

One of the partners is Wales Wildlife and Countryside Link, of which CPRW is a member. We will keep our readers informed of progress and would be very interested to hear of any examples of this new Strategy working - or not!

To obtain a copy of 'Woodlands for Wales', please contact the Forestry Commission, Victoria Terrace, Aberystwyth E.Mail: sue.fuge@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

In accordance with its commitment to the plan-led system of development, the National Assembly has published the following documents:

The key features of the new guidance are:

•  Clearer guidance on unitary development plan form, content and procedure, and on supplementary planning guidance;
•  Practical measures to speed up plan preparation such as improved management of the process by local planning authorities, including the use of a timetable for plan preparation;
•  More guidance on collaborative working between local planning authorities to provide a strategic context for plans;
•  Shorter and clearer plans, using simpler language and with a concentration on essential policiesand use of criteria-based policies;
•   Effective and targeted pre-deposit consultations with are not over-lengthy;
•  A model form for objecting to, or supporting, a unitary development plan;
•  Negotiation to resolve objections;
•  A requirement for, and guidance on, sustainability appraisals of plans;
•  A release of the Inspector's Report within 8 weeks of its receipt by the local planning authority; and
•  A requirement for annual monitoring reports.

Unitary Development Plans - A Guide to Procedures 2001 is a free standing document intended mainly for the general public and others involved in particular UDP inquiries and is designed to be user-friendly.

Both documents will be sent to those holding the Branch Planning Files but can be obtained from Adele Robbins, Planning Division 3a (Tel. 02920 823877) or can be viewed at www.wales.gov.uk/Subject Index/Planning/UnitaryDevelopmentPlans.

This is the reply to a question in the House of Commons about repeated planning applications and appeals:

"Section 70A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 gives local planning authorities the power to turn away planning applications where a substantially similar proposal has been rejected by the Secretary of State, on appeal or following a call-in, within the previous two years and where there has been no significant change in the material circumstances."

The House of Lords judgement in the so-called "Alconbury cases" regarding planning applications 'called-in by the Secretary of State for his decision has ruled that "a Government minister can be both a policy maker and decision taker without there being a violation of article 6(1) (of the European Convention on Human Rights)".

CPRW's Pembrokeshire Branch have put forward a resolution to Council that: "the National Executive Committee opens discussions with the National Assembly with a view to obtaining the same rights of appeal against the decision of a local Planning Authority as is currently enjoyed by the applicants".

CPRE have commissioned research into this matter and CPRW will await publication of this before taking any further action.

Following consultation (See Branch Bulletin 65), Assembly Minister for the Environment, Sue Essex, announced a package of measures to change the planning system regarding the location of mobile phone masts around Wales. She will:

•  Introduce legislation to strengthen public consultation requirements on proposals for masts of 15m and below so that they are exactly the same as applications for mats above that height that need planning permission;
  
  
•  Increase the time for local authorities to deal with prior approval applications to 56 days for ground based masts and for those on buildings; and
  
  
•  Extend the prior approval arrangements to cover antennas on roofs where the height of the antenna would exceed 4m;
  
  
•  Consult with a view to increasing planning fees to a sufficient level that will enable local authorities to carry out full public consultation; and
  
  
•  Require school governors to be consulted on all proposals for new masts on or near a school or college.

The Coalition, led by CPRW, consisted of the following organisations -

British Horse Society
Clwyd Mountaineering Club
Conwy Valley Civic Society
Council for National Parks
Cymdeithas Edward Llwyd
National Trust
Open Spaces Society
Ramblers Association
RSPB
Snowdonia Society

Also, there was clear opposition from the statutory bodies such as the Countryside Council for Wales and the Snowdonia National Park Authority.

Congratulations to all who participated in the united front!

3On Wednesday, July 11th. Ceredigion County Councillors went against the Planning Officer's recommendation and approved the huge wind power station on Cefn Croes.

The last sentence of the Officer's report stated

"The Cambrian Mountains are cherished for the quality of landscape and wildness and, unless compelling environmental arguments for siting a wind farm at this particular location rather than another can be sustained the exceptional qualities of the landscape should be protected."

Despite this the Councillors decided by a majority of 19 - 3 that those 'exceptional qualities' were not of sufficient value to be protected. They decided that they 'would do their bit' for the global emission account by sacrificing their unique landscape heritage for a reduction of a maximum of 0.009% of CO2 emissions. One councillor referred to the neighbouring authority and said "We must not allow Montgomeryshire to carry the can for this" and yet Powys County Council had objected to the scheme! They said that the Ceredigion Uplands were already industrialized by forestry and farming and yet they decided to allow the erection of 39 wind turbines up to 327 feet high. They congratulated their Officers on the detail and quality of their Report and one said he agreed with 99.9% of it apart from the recommendation!

A Press Release from CPRW stated

"CPRW has called this scheme 'mega-madness in the mountains' and what we saw at Aberaeron on Wednesday was a sort of 'mega-madness' in the Council when Councillors, perhaps unwittingly and for a short period of time, forgot their responsibility as guardians of the county's exceptional natural heritage".

CPRW will now ask the National Assembly and the Countryside Council for Wales to call upon the Secretary of Sate to use his powers to hold a Public Inquiry into the proposal so that all the issues raised by the scheme are thoroughly debated in open sessions.

Geoff Sinclair has produced up-to-date tabulations on the situation with regards to land-based wind turbines in Wales. These can be viewed on CPRW's web-site or hard copies will be sent on request.

At the recent Council meeting Geoff explained that currently, 2.6% of Welsh electricity consumption is met by land based wind turbines and that would rise to 3% if and when permitted sites are constructed. Other projects within the planning system (including those subject to call-in, Public Inquiries etc) would provide a further 4.1% if they came on stream. If nearly all of the NFFO 3-5 projects, not yet in the planning system, were to be realised, they would provide an additional 5.3%.

Thus, the full extent of potential projects would mean 12.4% of electricity supply in Wales being supplied by land based wind turbines. But this would mean having to accommodate around 1,000 turbines in the open lands of Wales.

Under the Local Government Act (2000) there is now a statutory duty on every unitary authority in England and Wales to produce a Community Strategy. This is in contrast to Local Agenda 21 which isn't statutory, just strongly encouraged. The Community Strategy is to be drawn up to "enhance the quality of life of local communities and to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the UK". To draw up a Community Strategy your council will have to find out what people want. It is an ideal opportunity for everyone to reinforce the message of sustainable development with your Council. The Government sees Community Strategies as the overarching umbrella under which all other plans and strategies will sit. Many foresee that the local authority's Local Agenda 21 work will be incorporated into its Community Strategy.

The four key components of a Community Strategy are:

•  A long term vision of the area
  
  
•  An action plan setting out short-term activities to reach the longer term vision
  
  
•  A commitment to implement the action plan and proposals for doing so
  
  
•  Arrangements for monitoring the action plan and for reviewing the strategy.

The partners who will prepare and implement the Strategy are:

•  The Unitary Authority - both executive and non-executive councillors
  
  
•  Public Bodies - such as Government / Assembly agencies, CCW, the Environment Agency
  
  
•  Local businesses and chambers of commerce
  
  
•  Community and voluntary groups
  
  
•  Local people

As there is no deadline for councils to draw up a Community Strategy, some councils will have started already and some may not see it as a priority. We would welcome information as to any work being carried out in Wales on these.

A guide to help the UK's sea anglers minimise the impact their fishing activities may have on the marine environment has been published.

Published by the Countryside Council for Wales, English Nature and the Marine Conservation Society and produced by a partnership of sea angling and conservation organisations, the code covers issues like:

Guidelines for buying and collecting bait
Advice to prevent accidental loss of fishing tackle
Keeping the catch
Guidelines for practising catch and release of fish
Information on nature conservation sites.

The leaflet is available free of charge from Carolyn Davies CCW - Marine Group, Plas Penrhos, Ffordd Penrhos, Bvangor LL57 2LQ

A major population count of grey seals off the north Wales coast is underway by the Countryside Council for Wales and anyone with any interesting observations about seals in their locality are encouraged to feed into the project. Seal expert, Stephen Westcott, is carrying out a year long project, funded by CCW. Messages can be left for Stephen with the Marine Group at CCW HQ Tel. 01248 385500.

Members of the public are welcome to attend and the meetings are expected to last just over 2 hours. After the close of each meeting and following a short break, the Chairman, Chief Executive and Senior Officers will be available to answer questions on agenda items discussed.

Copies of the agenda are available a week before each scheduled meeting and can be obtained from CCW Head Office. Tel: 01248 385629 Fax:01248 385506 E-Mail: b.roberts@ccw.gov.uk You can request papers from selected agenda items in advance on condition that they are kept confidential until the meeting. Please let CCW know if you will be attending in order that they may make the necessary seating arrangements and have an adequate supply of the papers.

The Countryside Council for Wales has appointed Roger Thomas as their new Chief Executive.

 Mr Thomas is currently Director of the Environment Agency in Wales. He has spent all his working life in Wales initially with Welsh Water, then the National Rivers Authority and ultimately with the Environment Agency. 

Born and educated in the Amman Valley, Mr Thomas has led the Environment Agency's work in developing its sustainable development scheme and its vision for the future of the environment in Wales. Paul Loveluck, the current Chief Executive will retire at the beginning of 2002.

The Trewithen Poetry Prize, now in its sixth year, aims to encourage and promote the writing and reading of poetry with a rural theme, and supports one environmental and one animal welfare charity each year. 

As well as receiving cash awards, the winners will be published in The Trewithen Chapbook, a biennial, illustrated, limited edition publication. Further details from Competition Secretary, The Trewithen Poetry Prize, Chy-an-dour, Trewithen Moor, Stithians, truro, Cornwall TR3 7DU or www.trewithenpoetry.co.uk

Meetings in 2001

Meetings of the Executive Committee take place on the last Saturday in January, the 2nd Saturdays in May and September and the 1st Saturday in November.

Therefore the remaining meeting dates for 2001 will be:

The Elections of the following took place at the AGM on 23rd June

At the Council meeting held on 23rd June, Robin Simpson was elected to fill a two-year vacancy on the Executive Committee.

At the November 2001 Council meeting, there will be 5 vacancies on the Executive Committee 3 x three year terms, 1x two year term and 1 x one year term.

Candidates must be voting members of Council - a full list of members will be sent, on request.

 Nominations should be received at Head Office by 19th October and should include the name of the candidate, the proposer and seconder. It is the duty of the proposer to ensure that the candidate is willing to stand.

Nominations so far received:

Ivor Russell will stand for re-election and Michael Skuse for election.

Membership of the Executive carries certain responsibilities as the members are the CPRW Charity Trustees. An explanatory leaflet will be sent to any member considering standing for election.

The 400 Club now has 227 members and has raised £3,867. The lucky winners since the last bulletin are Alun Owen, Miss K. Webb, Marion Owens, Annette Cleeton and Miss R.England.

There are still vacancies in the Club and an application is enclosed with this bulletin. You do not have to be a member to take part and you do not have to limit yourself to just one membership.

CPRW's web-site is constantly being developed. We would like to have two new pages: 'Save of the Month' and 'Threat of the Month'. So please would Branches let us know of any planning cases which would be suitable for inclusion. 

Please let us know by the end of the month so we can set this up as from August. Pictures would be helpful.

We received much praise for the Summer 2001 edition, which featured historic landscapes. We normally distribute hundreds of magazines at the Royal Welsh Show and this encourages membership and spreads the word. As this will not happen this year, we are enclosing a spare copy with this Bulletin. Please give it to someone who may be interested in joining or in our work - or leave it in a doctor's or dentist's waiting room. If you could find good homes for more copies, just let Head Office know.

A reminder please to let Head Office have copies of the Agendas and Minutes of the Branch Committees. It is important that members the Executive Committee (as the Charity Trustees) can see these at any time so that they are fully aware of the work of the whole organisation.

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