Plan to fell trees in popular forest

CONCERNS have been raised over plans to fell thousands of infected trees in a picturesque part of Cardiff – and remove part of a sculpture trail that is popular with families.

National Resources Wales (NRW) says preparatory work to remove the trees that have been affected by a disease at Fforest Fawr, in Tongwynlais, will begin next month.

The infected trees will then be removed from the site in September next year.

Some of the wooden sculptures will also be removed, but there are plans to replace them.

The area provides the stunning backdrop to Castell Coch, and is frequently used as a film location for productions like Doctor Who.

A spokeswoman for NRW said people visiting the area will notice machinery working in the forest over a few weeks to prune and prepare the trees, but access will not be restricted while this takes place.

She added that next year they will begin harvesting approximately 4,000 infected larch trees from the forest.

This is part of a nationwide strategy to combat the disease which has affected approximately 6.7 million larch trees across Wales. The trees have been infected by the disease, also called Phytophthora ramorum, which spreads through air currents, mists, and even raindrops, from tree to tree.

Gareth Roberts, NRW local area manager, said: “We know that Fforest Fawr is well loved by the community and we want to reassure people that we will do everything we can to minimise any disruption from these works.

“Although it is some time off, we are already planning the harvesting in two phases, so we can always keep areas of the forest open for people to use, and so we can minimise the impact on protected species and the local wildlife.

“It is upsetting that we have to remove the trees, but we know the forest will still be a wonderful place for people to visit in the future.”

Once the harvesting begins in September 2018, work is likely to continue through to 2021.

But some local people are concerned there are no plans to replant new trees.

A petition on the issue organised by Cardiff North MP Anna McNorrin has attracted 400 signatures.

Anna said: Anna said: “Larch disease in trees is having a devastating effect on our forests across Wales, including unfortunately in Forest Fawr in Tongwynlais and I am pleased to see Natural Resources Wales taking sensible steps to manage and tackle this awful disease.

“However, I am very disappointed that there are currently no plans to replant and restore the forest after the trees have been culled.

“The area around Castell Coch is home to a wide variety of fauna, flora and wildlife and is used and loved by the local community and an increasing number of visitors every year. This will also have a huge impact on local businesses, with some facing financial losses and disruption over many months. Efforts to restore and replant the forest should be made a priority.

“I will be meeting NRW to discuss this further, and have setup a petition in the meantime to raise awareness and support.

“I will also be speaking again to the local community and businesses to listen and feedback concerns.”

NRW says that after the harvesting has taken place, staff will encourage native species such as beech, oak, birch, wild cherry, rowan and hazel in the forest to naturally regenerate.

A spokeswoman added: “We will monitor the regeneration in the forest over the following years before considering if any replanting is required.”

Some of the wooden sculptures along the trails will also be removed as they have reached the end of their life and become rotten and damaged, but there are plans to replace these early next year.