Session 1
Chairman of Brecon Beacons National Park
Mary Taylor
This is the first session of the Welsh Seminar and it focuses on the National Parks Policy Statement, more specifically the Welsh Assembly Government Policy Statement for National Parks and National Parks Authorities. Issued by the Government prior to the Assembly elections earlier this year, the policy statement sets out the Government’s strategic agenda for National Parks in the 21st century and replaces the last piece of strategic guidance from government, the Welsh Office Circular 1999.
So the policy statement brings the strategic direction of National Parks up-to-date or does it? The statement takes into account a number of other strategic agendas including Making the Connections, The Wales Spatial Plan and the Environment Strategy for Wales. Now six months after the Assembly elections we are governed by the coalition agreement “One Wales” and a coalition government that has far more powers over the future of National Parks than say six or twelve months ago. How we respond to the strategic issues and agendas over the next three to five years will dictate the future development of National Park Authorities. So it is in this context that Dei Tomos has agreed to speak to us today. He is a former member of the Snowdonia National Park Authority, he’s been a member of CCW since 1996, he’s a Vice Chairman of CPRW, he’s the Community Clerk for the Llanberis Community Council and also it gives me pleasure to say, being the Vice Chairman of CNP, that he is also a Vice President of CNP.
Dei Tomos
Broadcaster and Countryside Council for Wales Member
Good afternoon friends, welcome to Snowdonia, it is wonderful to see you all here. This is one of the finest places in Wales and welcome to Tan y Bwlch, one of the old mansion houses of the aristocracy, fed off the hard labour of our forefathers but now very much owned by the people.
I have been coming often to Tan y Bwlch for more years than I can remember and there is always something new to be seen each time as the centre keeps developing. The Authority should be commended greatly for its vision, although I must admit that, as a Member of the Park’s Committee, I was not always complimentary of everything that went on here. As always, lack of resources was the main issue, along with priorities and areas of spend. I could spend the precious time available to me this afternoon talking about this and indeed resources and priorities would be appropriate themes for the talk.
Fifty years have passed since the establishment of the Snowdonia National Park, the first of the Welsh National Parks and one of four established in England and Wales back in 1951.
I was very young then but I do remember my father being very dismissive of what had been established, which was the Park. Snowdonia was not a place for fun and any cottager or quarryman had no time for play.
Work and rest and making ends meet – that was the priority, but having said this my mother was very willing to offer a bed for the night for visitors and I distinctively remember two things. Firstly, my mother with a large jug of orange juice, squash not juice, for the walkers on Sunday mornings as they returned from a walk around Llyn Cwellyn, walking on through the farmyard to the centre at Betws Garmon where they stayed. Secondly, when my parents had moved to Nant, I was given the remains of the grapefruit tin for breakfast, once the B&B visitors had been sufficiently fed and had left for their trek.
These were good times, sitting on top of the garden wall counting the motor cars as they drove past, noting their registration numbers.
The climbers, or hikers as we used to call them, could be seen walking past under huge rucksacks. They would camp in Llanberis Pass and would leave the odd beer bottle in amongst the bushes or under the rocks allowing us to claim a few pennies as we took the bottles to Ty’n Llan for recycling, when recycling was second nature.
I also remember pretending to climb in the Pass in a gulley or gutter and being asked to move on by the climbers who claimed that it was too dangerous for us.
These were happy and simple days when everyone seemed to be in control and know their place. What was the purpose of a National Park? – to protect the wonderful views, development control and to prevent any development deemed inappropriate alongside the beauty of these special places. This and to ensure that a place existed for thousands of people to escape and to find a breathing space.
Extract from Welsh poetry ‘Cwm Tawelwch’ (Silent Cwm) by Gwilym R Jones asking a traveller to where will he escape from his life of exhaustion as his saloon car ticks over on the hill :
I ble’r ei di, fab y fföedigaeth
A’th gar salwn yn hymian ar y rhiw
A lludded yn dy lygaid?
The traveller replies that he is searching for the Cwm beyond which will give him solace…….
‘R wy’n chwilio am y Cwm
Tu draw i’r cymoedd,
Am Gwm Tawelwch.
Rhyw bowlen fach o ddyffryn
Rhwng ymylon du y pin,
Lle nad oes leisiau
Ond y lleisiau sy’n diddanu,
Na dim nad yw’n gweddu i’r lle
Cawn yno sgwrs a’m henaid
A hoe i drefnu ‘mhecyn at y dywyll daith,
A meddu’r pethau
A wnaed a dyfal bwyll
A’u graen yn para.
Mae yno osteg ar lan llyn
A gwrych i dorri croen y gwynt;
Mae yno aerwy ffeind
I’m dal yn rhwym wrth byst hen byrth.
The poem, or at least the first extract, could well have been written as a mission statement for the Parks. But what about the Parks today?
It is not so easy to find Cwm Tawelwch today, there’s always someone who got there before you. Perhaps I’m exaggerating because, despite the numerous books and journals encouraging you and every other Tom, Dick and Harry to explore every blade of grass, there are indeed enough places for each and every one of us to find the peace and quiet we seek.
Back to the subject of my talk, which is the purpose of National Parks today.
By now, the family of Parks has increased and following years of delay even conservative Scotland has joined in, with two Parks in existence. Conservative with a small ‘c’ as far as protecting the landscape is concerned.
In March 2007, Wales saw the publication of the ‘Policy Statement for National Parks and Welsh National Park Authorities’ and in line with all policy documents released from Cardiff Bay or Cathays Park, this publication was riddled with recommendations and directives. Can’t see the wood for the trees was my first reaction to the document and it was trying to please everyone. However, we should also commend because at least we, here in Wales, have a direction and a policy statement. In England they continue to work from directives issued back in 1996.
So now we do indeed have a vision regarding what the Welsh Government expects from our Parks and secondly what the three Authorities, and you the members, should be doing.
The first step is to welcome any statement from Government relating to the countryside and the National Parks, especially here in Wales. Many years ago in a speech at a Wales and England National Parks Conference in Brecon, Virginia Bottomley said that “this is where the jewels in the crown were to be found”. She was referring directly to the National Parks and we have not been willing and sharp enough to accept this fact.
The place to act is not on our own doorstep or in committees or meetings, but rather where it counts, in the corridors of power, where key decisions are taken. This is why MPs and AMs without any vision have been too ready to listen to petty issues within their own constituencies. There is a tendency to look at minor detail instead of viewing the larger picture and not realising how difficult it is to run small authorities such as these on limited and restricted budgets. Here in Wales we have had to work with insufficient funds and there is little hope that things will improve over the next three years, this was explained clearly to us last week.
There are a number of themes in the Policy Statement, but before we turn to these – main issues of the previous government and the Coalition Government such as Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Social Inclusion, let me return to the topic I discussed earlier, namely the complaints often made against the Authorities, usually relating to Development Control. This document places an emphasis on Connecting with the Community. This matter was raised in the 2004 Review, and there have been changes since then, a willingness to consult and seek views. But this is not easy, maintaining a dialogue with local communities is difficult, not only for National Parks but for many organisations; I know this from experience as a previous Chairman of a Community Council and a current Clerk of another. Everything sounds good in theory, but in practice issues such as Local Development Plans are difficult.
Of major importance are simple messages, one topic or one question not a wide range of issues in a leaflet or an article. Local pride should be created and nurtured, so that local communities can have a feeling of ownership of the Park. Please work on a local level because I fear that the National Parks have been an unknown quantity to many people for far too long. We are talking about National Parks, and it is a fact that those who created the Parks in the first instance intended them to be a recreational oasis for those who live in the city. They belong to us, the people who live in them, more than those who visit. This lesson has still not been learnt and the document places an emphasis on connecting.
This document also reminds us economic and social activity is not one of the primary duties of the Authorities, although this should always be considered. County Councillors are also very likely to remind us of this fact! One question we should indeed ask is why are the majority of businesses within the created by people who move into the area, thereby creating jobs for these people too. Why, in one cwm, are all the outdoor education jobs held by people from outside the Park, outside Wales in fact? Creating and safeguarding jobs is a major topic of debate. All too often in the past we turned a blind eye and accepted inappropriate developments given that they would create jobs. Today, at a time of surplus jobs and not enough workers, the situation is unacceptable.
Certainly, there is no need to create large scale attractions on the fringes of the Parks as a deliberate means of creating jobs (or for any other reason) unless such a development is in keeping with the area and its environment. Accepting anything is unacceptable nowadays and runs the risk of bringing in workers from all corners of the earth. I must stress that this does not represent a dislike of foreigners, but if we are to consider language, culture and a community’s character as important features, as they are, given that the policy document states this clearly, then we must consider this matter seriously. [Incidentally language and culture are covered in the penultimate paragraph in the document].
The Parks were formed in order to protect their beauty and their varied features and they are now considered to be areas of international importance. Protecting and enhancing natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage continues to be a statutory aim but perhaps not enough emphasis is placed on the need to enhance. If we look at improving the appearance of places, think about the hedges and roads at three locations in Snowdonia, Llanberis Pass, Nant Gwynant and Nant y Betws – we should be able to improve the appearance of these important places. On a positive note, it is pleasing to learn that power lines are now being buried and it is hoped that this trend will continue, not only in Snowdonia and the Lake District but in other locations too.
The second purpose is to promote opportunities to understand and enjoy special features and the Assembly government expects you to do this in a sustainable way, based on sustainable principles – to include everyone, so please remember about social inclusion.
Holidaying in Snowdonia is kinder to the environment than travelling by jet plane to Prague or Dublin or wherever people go, but we must find a way to improve transport once they have reached the Parks. How many easy public transport routes are there from the Valleys and cities such as Cardiff and Newport to the Beacons? How much do we encourage people to leave their cars once they have reached Snowdonia and Pembrokeshire Coast (remember the health context). In Snowdonia, we have not seen enough determination and perseverance in driving the Green Key initiative forward. The Park Authority is not completely at fault, other partners have not supported the venture sufficiently.
At this point we can either go on to talk about Partnership or, in the context of transport, focus on Climate Change, a concern to many of us but not everyone!
It is all too easy to say, “There’s Snowdon”, but actually reaching the summit is much more difficult. This is true of Climate Change, words come easy and much has been said and written about the subject but very little has been done. Incidentally, given that we’ve referred to both Snowdon and Climate Change, many references have been made lately about the fact that less snow has fallen in Snowdonia in recent years and that this trend is set to continue.
The lack of snow and ice and the usual cold season and especially the change in our climate, can have an effect on habitats, on plants and animals. We tend to accept this, but what we do not accept, despite the numerous warnings in the form of floods and drought, a wet summer or an unusually warm spring or autumn, is that it can all affect us and our way of life.
I often think about the conditions facing the next generation and the following one. It was Macmillan, the former Primer Minister who once said “You’ve never had it so good.”
There is a need to consider the changes and do something to lessen the blow, but this will be a difficult task. The response has been mixed including such messages from the Westminster government. However, yesterday in the Queen’s speech-
“Climate Change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today – but the Government believes that there are strong grounds to be optimistic that it can be tackled.
The science is clear. Climate change is happening and it is caused by human activity. The question is no longer whether to act, but how much to do and how quickly.
“To enable the UK to meet its commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 60% by 2050.”
Approximately twenty years ago I was a member of the Snowdonia National Park’s committee, as it was in those days. One of the first issues we discussed as I recall was the wind generated electricity station at Cemaes in Montgomeryshire, which could be seen form the edge of the Park. The committee was only asked to consult given that the location was beyond the Park. In those days some people suggested it would be easier to accept the return of industrial stations to our hills if the Government, which offered subsidy to such companies, would also encourage reducing the use of electricity and energy. It took nearly a further twenty years before this was done and it was only this year that Hilary Benn, Defra Home Secretary, stated that he would ban the old style light bulb. It may have been more appropriate to offer help to farmers following the Foot and Mouth outbreak. He opted not to and by then the Prime Minister had declared that a general election would not be called.
The government expects the Parks to be leaders in their field, adventurous and ground breaking in terms of energy, climate change and many other elements.
Sustainable development has been a very familiar term for many years. However, these two words are much over used and said without thought, but should in fact be the corner stone of the existence of Parks and Authorities in which you and I live.
One positive step the Assembly Government has taken is attempting to join policies together, ensuring that one policy does not damage another policy or objective, discussing common themes ensuring that they are cross-cutting. Sustainable development is an issue which should cross into other areas and be an integral part of everything that is considered and done. Think about agriculture or farming – securing the success of the agricultural sector should be a priority for each authority and each Park. Why? – because farming sustains employment, directly and indirectly, ensuring economic growth and it is (or at least should be) linked to food production, food that people should respect given that it has been produced in a sustainable way, in sympathy with the environment, habitats and wildlife species and the purity of air and water.
A recent question asked, is there a market for what we produce or is there a policy of slaughter each time Foot and Mouth affects our sales abroad. One disappointing fact is that we did not learn the lessons of the 2001 troubles, the fact that we did very little to identify new markets for our mountain lamb. Good quality produce reared in a pure and natural way on the majority of our farms and shipped abroad. But as soon as that market, the lambs had to be destroyed. Now there’s a challenge for the HCC and perhaps for you and your Authorities. There are exceptions where individuals or small groups have gone and developed a personal market, Hafod y Llan Meat and Welsh Lamb Direct for example.
“Heb gi a shetin a sied, Diwerth yw cadw defed”
[without a dog and a hedge There is little worth in keeping sheep]
The poet should also have included marketing.
I recently walked across Bleaklow in the Peak District, during one of the field visits of the Parks’ conference at Buxton. I came across a whole mountain that had been closed off, not an animal in sight and it looked very strange indeed. However, there were reasons for this, namely that measures were in place to repair years of damage and over-grazing in order to safeguard the environment for future years. More specifically the peat was eroding badly and this was polluting lakes and reservoirs in the area resulting in high costs in cleaning the water. Furthermore, two centuries of industry on either side of the Pennines had polluted the land with grazing having compounded the problem. Controlling this erosion was not easy not to mention the regrowth of grass in this polluted soil and damaged landscape. However, slowly and over many years and at great cost a partnership scheme managed to improve matters significantly. I won’t dwell on other advantages such as storage and locking carbon in peat and controlling water to prevent floods.
There lies another challenge – how can managing the land play a major role in a new world and how will we pay for this. Farmers and landowners in Snowdonia and some of the other Parks have taken advantage of schemes such as Tir Cymen, Tir Gofal and Tir Eryri; the main task now, during this period of change in European policy on agriculture and the environment, will be to sustain this work and to evolve. If grants from the usual sources run dry it will be difficult to find new funding in order to make farming a viable economy.
This funding will have to involve partnerships with public bodies and other organisations. Already within the CCW there have been discussions about the way ahead.
The LUPG are discussing the same issue and the CCW are leading and chairing at the moment. Also there are discussions on a European level. Even though we can create local policies as a means of dealing with the matter, we will need to cast the net much wider and work with others on a greater scale if we are to succeed.
[Remember that the European Agriculture Commissioner’s ‘Health Check’ and the 2005 changes are being published on 20th November and who knows how agriculture will be supported after 2013, let alone the changes now imposed as a result of economic growth in India and China and the growth of energy crops. And what about the changes in climate and droughts in certain parts of the world, as seen in Australia last year and latterly the south east of the US.]
The government’s document stresses the importance of partnerships, an old tune admittedly, but one which is constantly played and we cannot underestimate the importance of Section 62 of the Environment Act 1995. Two years ago, further directives were given about this relating to local governments and other statutory public bodies. We must work together and we must consider the statutory requirements of the Parks.
Here is another weapon aimed at demanding fair play and co-operation in the following statement –
“Mae Llywodraeth y Cynulliad yn awyddus i gymhwyso dyletswydd Adran 62 (2) yn effeithiol i helpu i ategu'r broses o weithio mewn partneriaeth hyd yn oed yn gryfach yn y Parciau - gan gydnabod bod yr ardaloedd hyn yn asedau pwysig i Gymru a'r DU ac nad cyfrifoldeb un corff statudol yn unig ydyw.”
Great!
Fifty years ago the Welsh National Eisteddfod chair was won in Llangefni by the Reverend Williams Tilsley, who was, at the time a minister in Llanrwst. He later moved to Caernarfon. The subject of his verse was Cwm Carnedd, believed to be based on Cwm Penmachno and the terrible social changes caused by the closure of quarries, depopulation and forestation.
Yn y Foelas a’r Villa – onid oes
Neb dyn a breswylia?
‘Neb ond Saeson hinon ha’.’
[In the Foelas and the Villa, does anyone
Live here anymore?
Anyone apart from English summer visitors]
And so that brings us to the subject of planning and housing and even depopulation. If houses are insufficient in number and are too expensive, as well as young people moving away to live, surely this constitutes a level of depopulation in the very area you would wish to live. Planning is perhaps the thorn in the side of the Parks. Efforts to prevent a nuclear power station from being built failed, and thus far there has been a failure to prevent military excerises and low flying. Reservoirs have been built and one Park has had a holiday village imposed upon it. Preventing inappropriate developments is a challenge, possibly a greater challenge given the Westminster government’s wish to see the planning process simplified and accelerated. However it should be said that approving small, sensitive developments is also a challenge.
Where good developments have occurred, they should be highlighted and brought to the fore, and the housing issue must be grasped. The term ‘affordable housing’ is almost as meaningless as ‘sustainable development’ unless action is taken. In the Policy Document planning is afforded two pages, which underlines its apparent importance. Yesterday the government’s programme was published in the Queen’s speech, and she stated:
“Available and affordable housing is one of my Government’s main priorities. Legislation will be introduced to create a new Homes and Communities Agency that will deliver more social and affordable housing, and promote regeneration.”
also
“first time buyers are struggling to get on the housing ladder; some families are making do in cramped accommodation; and the challenge of climate change means we must build more sustainable as well as more affordable homes. The recent Housing Green Paper set out plans to deliver three million new homes by 2020 – homes that are needed to meet growing demand and rising aspirations.”
And this measure is relevant to Wales and England, although there will undestandably be a need to consult with the devolved governments.
The Authorities of which you are members are, of course, not responsible for housing, but there needs to be a level of co-operation to ensure that young people and others can continue to live in the communities where they brought up. I would argue that there is a need for a great deal of care, consideration and enterprise and innovation when planning towards securing enough housing for the Parks in the twent first century. Is it possible to take ownership of empty homes for the majority of the year? – maybe not, but have we ever asked the question. Secondly, what about affordable developments of quality, bearing in mind the changing climate and the needs of the future. We need to look seriously at the needs and find the answers through discussion and co-operation.
The underlying theme of the Statement is for co-operation and the importance of those communities for which we are responsible. Read the document and don’t be frightened by it, rather face the challenges it presents.
Naturally, I have not referred to everything, time did not permit, but as I close please remember that National Parks are our responsibility; they exist because of their beauty and unspoilt characteristics and a little assistance from man. Whatever the wishes of government, if we lose the Parks then there will be nothing left.
