Latest news with #SimonHowarth
Wales Online
2 days ago
- General
- Wales Online
200m steel fence blocking beauty spot view to be removed after public outcry
200m steel fence blocking beauty spot view to be removed after public outcry The 2.1m-tall steel fence appeared suddenly and without warning across the face of Gilwern mountain in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and close to the boundary of the Unesco Blaenavon World Heritage site in April The fence that has been out across the Pwll Du Road on Gilwern Mountain, north Monmouthshire (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service ) A massive fence erected without consultation across a mountain and overlooking a scenic spot is set to be dismantled following public outrage. Residents were angered when the 6ft steel barrier was unexpectedly installed across the face of Gilwern mountain in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and near the boundary of the Unesco Blaenavon World Heritage site in April. Locals dubbed the 200m long galvanised steel structure with sharp spikes the Great Wall of Clydach and demanded its removal sparking a planning dispute. Monmouthshire County Council, which argued it had to intervene to prevent people from accessing Pwll Du Road that runs across the face of the mountain and has been closed to traffic due to safety concerns for the past five years, has now agreed to take the gate down. The council has announced it will instead use stock fencing and the posts at either end of the road, supporting the fence, will be reduced in height. It will also be painted to blend in with the surrounding countryside. Farmer Wayne Elliot has been battling Monmouthshire council over the road, that is now fenced off, since 2020 (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service ) Independent county councillor for Llanelly Hill Simon Howarth said during a recent assembly at Clydach village hall council authorities announced a plan to tender the dismantling of an unpopular fence for approximately £20,000 – a figure that has unsettled many residents. Article continues below The councillor said: "The fence is coming down. They did say they are going out to tender and the cost is around £20,000, which hasn't gone down very well. We shouldn't have got here." Following the uproar over the original £40,000 expense to erect the barrier it will now be replaced by a less obtrusive 1.5m-high stock fence while the current posts and concealed gates that bar vehicle access will remain in place. Cllr Howarth expressed frustrations about the financial impact, saying: "Overall we are where we should have started but around £50,000 to £70,000 worse off." The 2.1m-tall steel fence overlooks the village of Clydach in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service ) The councillor said he was also pleased the council has said it will allow access to the back side of the fence, between it and the mountainside, for cyclists and pedestrians though some points still have to be made safe. He also said the council will hold talks with farmers and commoners over access for moving stock from the Keeper's Pond end of the mountain road, which he welcomed. Article continues below A 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." Earlier safety measures, such as installing gates and boulders, had been ineffective since they were frequently damaged or removed. As a result of a 2023 rockfall incident the council commissioned another report, which proposed banning pedestrians in addition to vehicles from using the road. That report also suggested potential alternatives including the creation of new footpaths above and below the current road and realigning the road farther into the mountain. However the council has said these alternatives would require a multi-million-pound outlay.
BBC News
30-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'Disgusting' mountainside fence to be removed after backlash
A huge fence put up across a mountain and overlooking a beauty spot is to be removed after a public 2.1m (6ft) tall steel fence - dubbed the "Great Wall of Clydach" by villagers - was erected without notice last month, along the Monmouthshire village's Pwll Du Road, spanning 200m (652ft).It sits across the face of Gilwern mountain in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and close to the boundary of the UNESCO Blaenavon World Heritage claimed the galvanised steel structure with sharp spikes was "disgusting" and demanded its removal. Monmouthshire County Council, which said it had to take action to stop people accessing the road - which has been closed to traffic on safety grounds for the past five years - has now agreed to replace it, according to the Local Democracy Reporting council has said it will use stock fencing instead and the posts at either end of the road, supporting the fence, will be reduced in will also be painted to blend in with the surrounding countryside. Simon Howarth, independent councillor for Llanelly Hill, said he was pleased with the outcome, but was critical of the council's actions and costs involved, saying "we shouldn't have got here".He said, at a recent meeting held at Clydach Village Hall, the council said it would be going out to tender to remove the fence, but costs would be in the region of £20, a public meeting held in April, the council confirmed the bill for putting up the fence was £40, said: "Overall we are where we should have started, but around £50,000 to £70,000 worse off."The councillor said he was also pleased the council intended to allow access to the backside of the fence, between it and the mountainside, for cyclists and pedestrians, as well as holding talks with farmers and landowners over access for moving stock from the Keeper's Pond end of the mountain road. A 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."The council had said its previous measures to keep vehicles off the road, including gates and boulders, had failed as they had been damaged or removed, while a rockfall in 2023 had prompted it to commission a further report which suggested the road should be closed to people, as well as report outlined alternatives including new footpaths over the top of the mountain and below the existing road, or rebuilding the road but moving the carriageway further back into the mountain, which the council had said would cost millions of Wayne Elliot, who was involved in court action that ruled the council was responsible for the road, previously said he had been battling with the authority since 2020 to get it moved back, claiming "the farmers would help do it, they'd get it done in a week".But a council spokesperson shut down this suggestion, saying it was "not going to happen".
South Wales Argus
28-04-2025
- General
- South Wales Argus
Meeting arranged in May to discuss giant Clydach steel fence
Villagers in Clydach faced councillors and officials in a heated meeting before Easter to demand answers over how the 200 metre long fence, that is intended to prevent access to an unstable road, was put up across a mountain overlooking their village in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Monmouthshire County Council apologised for a lack of communication before putting the fence up in early April which it described as a temporary, nine month, solution and agreed it could pull it down earlier if an alternative could be found. They also said they could consider reducing its height and painting it a darker colour. Council chiefs insisted action was required to prevent people accessing Pwll Du Road, on Gilwern Mountain, which has been subject to a temporary closure for the past five years due to rockfalls putting it at risk of collapse. Councillor Simon Howarth, who represents Llanelly Hill, including Clydach, said an overwhelming majority of local residents want the fence removed and do not think it would have been allowed in other locations. An arrow pointing to the line of the fence along the mountainside. 'Ninety-nine point nine per cent want the fence removing,' claimed Cllr Howarth: 'If the scenario was on Pen y Fan, Sugar Loaf, Bloarange ,Skenfrith or the Black Mountains would they have considered putting up a palisade fence 250m in length? Off course they wouldn't. 'It's ghastly and it is out of keeping and a total abuse of the countryside. It's something you would put in a town or city in an industrial estate.' Cllr Howarth also described the sharp, pointed fencing as in 'totally bad taste' while at the recent public meeting residents raised concerns it could pose a danger to wildlife including peregrine falcons that nest in the former quarry on the mountain. The next meeting, where council officials will update members of the public on the proposals, will be held at Clydach Village Hall on Monday, May 19 at 6.30pm. It was originally proposed to hold the meeting on May 14.
Wales Online
27-04-2025
- General
- Wales Online
Huge row breaks out in Welsh village after 'disgusting' 2m high 'Great Wall' is built to keep people away
Huge row breaks out in Welsh village after 'disgusting' 2m high 'Great Wall' is built to keep people away The fence has already incurred costs of £40,000 and locals are up in arms, claiming it is harming their mental health and value of their properties Farmer Wayne Elliot has been battling Monmouthshire council over the road, that is now fenced, off since 2020 (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service ) A towering 2.1 metre high fence erected along the side of a mountain has been labelled the "Great Wall of Clydach" by locals. The steel fence stretches 200 metres along Pwll Du Road, which has been temporarily closed to traffic for five years, and across the face of Gilwern Mountain overlooking Clydach, Monmouthshire. The area falls within the Bannau Brycheiniog, or Brecon Beacons, National Park and is near the boundary of the internationally recognised UNESCO Blaenavon World Heritage site. At a heated meeting in Clydach Village Hall near Abergavenny residents confronted councillors and officials demanding the removal of the fence despite the council's insistence that access to the road must be restricted due to concerns over potential collapse causing rockfall. But senior Monmouthshire County Council officials apologised for the abrupt installation of the fence over three days last week without prior notice and for failing to keep the community informed about the future of the road. The council has vowed to address the situation "as soon as practicable". Article continues below A close up of the fence that has been out across the Pwll Du Road on Gilwern Mountain (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service ) The 2.1m tall steel fence overlooks the village of Clydach in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service ) During the meeting most attendees signalled their agreement with Llanelly Hill independent councillor Simon Howarth - the meeting's organiser who sought alternative suggestions from locals - by raising hands in support of removing the fence. The fence has already incurred costs of £40,000 for purchase and installation, the meeting heard. Neighbourhood manager Carl Touhig of Monmouthshire County Council said previous attempts at vehicular restriction of the road via gates and boulders instead of a fence had failed due to damage or removal. Following a 2023 rockfall incident the council initiated an additional study recommending the closure of the road not just to vehicles but also to pedestrians. With rising concerns over safety since the current road is close to the cliff edge, Mr Touhig warned: "A rockfall could take the whole road out. If someone was on that road and I know I've not made it safe I could be prosecuted for corporate manslaughter, and someone losing their life would be far worse than a prison sentence." Despite the safety measures locals say motorcyclists have continued to use the road. They have reported people also using the fence to abseil down the rockface of the old quarry. Former county councillor Martin Thomas expressed his disapproval of the fence, calling it "disgusting". He voiced concerns about the potential for accidents caused by glare from the metal structure on the newly completed A465 below. He questioned: "What about the visual impact? It could cause the first fatality on the Heads of the Valleys road with people looking up at the glare, that is how bad it is." Local residents at the meeting to discuss the fence at Clydach Village Hall (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service ) A view, looking up towards Gilwern Mountain, from Clydach Village Hall with the fence visible towards the top of the the hill (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service ) Farmer Wayne Elliot, who was part of a court case that determined the council's responsibility for the road, said the council had previously proposed relocating the road further back into the mountain. Mr Elliot, whose farm lies beneath the fence, said: "I used to use it all the time. I'm not worried about it collapsing, it's been there donkey's years. We've been here 30 years and I've used it without any issue at all." Mr Touhig revealed that the projected cost of reconstructing the road further into the mountain exceeds £1m, a task that would necessitate heavy machinery on unstable terrain. He said: "You can't have farmers going up there to build a road we would adopt. That is not going to happen." Article continues below The head of highways also clarified that planning permission was not required for the fence, although the national park had been notified. This has led to complaints from some residents who are subject to the park's stringent planning regulations. Questions were raised about the potential impact on a breeding pair of peregrine falcons at the quarry, and concerns voiced about the fence affecting mental health and property values. Cllr Howarth and Monmouthshire council's Labour leader Mary Ann Brocklesby, who also represents the ward, claimed they were not informed in advance about the erection of the fence. Former council leader and current Conservative Senedd Member for Monmouth Peter Fox suggested that the expenditure of £40,000 would necessitate political approval at some point.
