Clwydian AONB to be doubled in size
Post categories: conservation,Ìýnews,Ìýoudoors
| 10:40 UK time, Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Proposals are in place to extend the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) to roughly twice its current size, as the (CCW) look to protect parts of the area at risk.
In partnership with the Wrexham and Denbighshire local authorities, CCW plans to extend the further south into the Dee Valley and Vale of Llangollen.
, Paul Mitchell of CCW said: "The current AONB is 158 square kilometres and we want this to double in size to 388 square kilometres".
"We want to reduce the impact on the landscape from visitors who travel to see the amazing views over the Dee Valley up to Eglwyseg Mountain scarps, from areas such as the Horseshoe Pass.
"There are also impacts from heavy traffic and from those walkers on foot, who are causing a degree of erosion on the hillsides."
The proposed extension would help some rare species such as black grouse, and CCW is confident of wide support for the scheme during its 12-week consultation process, but there is some scepticism from the farming community.
"All designations can potentially cause problems because it means that farmers and landowners can do one thing on one side of the map but not on the other," said Julian Salmon, Wales director of the Country Land and Business Association.
"Effective and profitable land management is how these areas of Wales came to be in the first place and anything that threatens to interrupt that is always undesirable.
"If a designation adds another level of bureaucracy, I can't help but react negatively to it."
To view the consultation paper, visit the CCW website at .
Your usual blogger Gull is away today; I am James McLaren, occasional Nature site stand-in and music blogger.
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