Villagers in Welsh beauty spot win battle to get £40,000 fence dubbed the 'Great Wall of Clydach' knocked down

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Furious villagers have won their fight to demolish a huge £40,000 fence erected in a Welsh beauty spot.
The 200-metre long six-foot high steel fence, dubbed the 'Great Wall of Clydach', was installed within Brecon Beacons National Park in April.
It was put up by the council at a cost of £40,000 to block access to the road amid fears the face of Gilwern mountain could collapse on cars and pedestrians.
Now County Hall officials have agreed to take down the fence - and will spend another £20,000 for its removal.
The roadside structure, nearby to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Blaenavon, was widely criticised for blocking views of the surrounding idyllic mountains and valleys.
Locals described the fence, made of galvanised steel with sharp spikes on top, as 'disgusting' and slammed the council for a lack of public consultation.
Clive Thomas, who was born in Clydath, told MailOnline: 'We've got a lovely back garden, and it's just an eyesore. When the sun is on it and everything, it just looks out of place.'
Meanwhile, long-term resident Simon Elliott ,said: 'There was no consultation with anyone. The fence has been put up with no understanding at all of what the area is.
'All it needed was a low-level fencing to stop any cattle or people going over the edge into the quarry.'
Local fury at the 'Great Wall' even prompted more than 120 villagers to gather at Clydach village hall in protest.
During a heated meeting in late April, residents insisted that the fence was a safety hazard, with abseilers using it to tie their ropes to.
Expressing her outrage, local resident Marit Meredith said: 'We weren't consulted about the fence at all.
'It's been noted that climbers are using the fence to fasten their ropes to which is unsafe.
'It's the appearance and it could cause an accident. It's over two metres high. Abseilers, they could actually kill themselves.'
Ms Meredith also alleged there were peregrine falcons - a rare species of bird - nesting below the fence, which were being 'disturbed' by its presence.
However, officials at the time insisted that the fence was designed to be a nine-month temporary measure.
They also claimed that it had been erected along along Pwll Du Road, which has been closed to traffic for five years, over legitimate fears it could collapse imminently.
It came after a rockfall in 2023 led to a council report that suggested the path should be closed off to both people and vehicles.
A highways chief further explained that while planning permission was not required for the fence, the national park had been informed.
Now, Monmouthshire County Council has agreed to remove the fence and replace it with a shorter structure that will 'blend in' with the surroundings.
Stock proof fencing is set to be used instead, with the posts at either end of the road set to be reduced in height and painted a 'suitable colour'.
Simon Howarth, an independent county councillor, said he was pleased with the council's U-turn decision, but added that 'we shouldn't have got here' and that the huge costs could have been avoided.
He added: 'Overall we are where we should have started, but around £50,000 to £70,000 worse off.'
Cllr Howarth also said he was glad that the council were intending to allow access to the backside of the fence, between it and to the mountainside for cyclists and pedestrians.
A Monmouthshire County Council spokesman said: 'Following a positive meeting, the local community and the council agreed with the proposal to reduce the height of the back line of the palisade fencing, replacing it with stock proof fencing and painting the reveals and pillars with a suitable colour to blend in with the landscape.'