Community woodland (From Tivyside Advertiser)

Community woodland

11:15am Wednesday 13th May 2009

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Dear Sir, Following the letter from a tourist in last week's paper concerning the devastation of Ffynone woodland, I would encourage readers of the Teifiside to visit the woods and see for themselves what has been done there by the owners Growing Heart--a workers 'cooperative' who, under the Cydcoed community woodlands scheme, were given over half a million pounds of public money to purchase and manage this woodland. What has been done there in the name of community woodland is, frankly, disgraceful.

With the support of our elected represeintives, a seriously concerned community group representing the true local community have called for an official enquiry into the funding and mismanagement of the project. WAG Environment Minister, Elin Jones, has instructed the Forestry Commission for Wales to answer over 70 specific questions put forward by the seriously concerned local residents and to present their answers at an open public meeting before the end of May.

The local community have been actively excluded from involvement in the running of the 'community woodland project'. Had we been involved, the environmentally damaging forestry practices demonstrated would never have been permitted or undertaken. The three local community councils of Manordeifi, Clydey and Boncath (in which the woodland lies) have not be consulted in any part of the process and at the end of 2008, through a letter from their solicitors, Growing Heart tried to subvert a report funded by the FCW which encouraged more real and active community involvement.

Local democratically elected representatives of the community, Mr Paul Davies AM and the local county councillors John Davies and Rod Bowen, are working hard on behalf of the community to encourage a satisfactory outcome to this situation. The local community await the FCW's response to their questions and hopefully a satisfactory outcome.

Again, I would encourage Teifiside readers to take a walk in Ffynone Woodland. This is still (mostly) a magnificent woodland but we must act quickly to demonstrate our democratic muscle and to ensure alternative management is established to protect the woodland as a true community owned and run woodland for purtuity.

Jim Bowen Clynfyw Abercych SA37 0HF

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