1

breathing spaces newsletter of National Parks Wales

Winter 2011/2012Winter 2011/2012Winter 2011/2012Winter 2011/2012

One Body to Sustain a Living Wales One Body to Sustain a Living Wales One Body to Sustain a Living Wales One Body to Sustain a Living Wales

The management of the natural environment

and natural resources in Wales faces radical

change over the next 24 months following the

recent publication of the Welsh Government

green paper, Sustaining a Living Wales. The

consultation, launched on the 30th January

proposes that environmental resource and

management across Wales adopts an

ecosystem approach, an approach that

manages and regulates the environment and its

health as a whole, not by addressing individual

issues separately.

The Government expects the approach to:

Improve the resilience and diversity of our

environment and its supporting

biodiversity;

Provide simpler and more cost-effective

regulation;

Offer greater certainty for decision makers.

The green paper contains a larger number of

proposals. Some proposals, such as the intention

to rationalise and integrate individual policy

areas will influence the development of national

parks policy in the immediate future. Other

proposals will occupy a longer timeframe and

contribute to Welsh legislation, such as an

Environment Bill and Planning Bill that is due to be

considered by the National Assembly in 2015

and 2016 respectively.

National Parks Wales at the National AssemblyNational Parks Wales at the National AssemblyNational Parks Wales at the National AssemblyNational Parks Wales at the National Assembly

Aneurin Phillips and Emyr Williams of Snowdonia National Park Authority represented National Parks

Wales at the National Assembly’s Environment and Sustainability Committee on the 26th January

where they gave evidence on the business case for the Single

Environment Body. The NPW written response can be accessed via

this link: http://goo.gl/4ahL2

2

The week following the launch of the green

paper the Welsh Government published its

proposals for Wales’ Single Environment Body.

Natural Resources Wales sets out the proposed

arrangements for establishing and governing the

new body with the task of managing and

regulating Wales’ natural resources sustainably

for this - and future - generations. The challenges

faced by the new body are described as

“major”. For example, it is expected to improve

and simplify the system of environmental

regulation in Wales while developing and

implementing the ecosystem approach to

environmental management.

The consultation paper also includes proposals

that touch upon the aim and objectives of the

new organisations as well as its governance and

stakeholder engagement.

National Parks Wales will engage with the two

ongoing consultations which end in May 2012.

Sustaining a Living Wales, which closes on the 31st

May can be reached via this link:

http://goo.gl/ub58M

Natural Resources Wales: Proposed

arrangements for Establishing and Directing a

new Body for the management of Wales’ Natural

Resources which closes on the 2nd May can be

reached via this link:

http://goo.gl/oLqiw

““““We are keepers of a fragment of near-We are keepers of a fragment of near-We are keepers of a fragment of near-We are keepers of a fragment of near-

eternity, and a very gentle fragment, not eternity, and a very gentle fragment, not eternity, and a very gentle fragment, not eternity, and a very gentle fragment, not

young and ferocious like the Andes, or young and ferocious like the Andes, or young and ferocious like the Andes, or young and ferocious like the Andes, or

towering and edged like the Alps and towering and edged like the Alps and towering and edged like the Alps and towering and edged like the Alps and

the Atlas, but rounded, swirled, as kind the Atlas, but rounded, swirled, as kind the Atlas, but rounded, swirled, as kind the Atlas, but rounded, swirled, as kind

and smiling as wild mountains can be.”and smiling as wild mountains can be.”and smiling as wild mountains can be.”and smiling as wild mountains can be.”

Welsh author and journalist, Horatio Clare knows all

about the power of the written word but it was his

inspiring speech about his love for the Brecon

Beacons National Park that won the hearts at an

annual conference of Brecon Beacons Park

Ambassadors held at Buckland Hall last week.

Speaking at the annual Brecon Beacons Park

Ambassadors conference, the bestselling author

of ‘Running for the Hills’, ‘A Single Swallow’ and the

highly acclaimed ‘The Princes’ Pen’, Horatio Clare

kept the audience in his rapt attention with his

quick-paced presentation on eavesdropping in

Iocal pubs, the wise musings of poets and his aunt,

and more importantly how lucky we are to call the

Brecon Beacons home.  He ended by paying

tribute to the great work of the Park Ambassadors

for “…bringing anyone here, in giving anyone

another reason to return, in enhancing anyone’s

experience in any big or small way…”

Funded by the EU Interreg IVB project as part of

Collabor8, the Park Ambassadors – who represent

more than 50 diverse tourism businesses

throughout the Park - were given an opportunity to

network and set the tone for future Park

Ambassador events and the collaboration

between the National Park Authority and its

tourism businesses.  

Brecon Conservation Area consultation – all views welcomeBrecon Conservation Area consultation – all views welcomeBrecon Conservation Area consultation – all views welcomeBrecon Conservation Area consultation – all views welcome

The consultation period for the Brecon Conservation Area Appraisal

and Boundary Map runs from the 7th February to 27th March 2012.

The draft appraisal and map can be accessed via this link:

http://goo.gl/cDs2m

3

Using new technology to reduce Using new technology to reduce Using new technology to reduce Using new technology to reduce

accidents on Snowdonia’s Mountainsaccidents on Snowdonia’s Mountainsaccidents on Snowdonia’s Mountainsaccidents on Snowdonia’s Mountains

The number of calls for assistance to Mountain

Rescue Teams in Snowdonia has significantly

increased. During 2011, 411 calls for assistance to

Mountain Rescue Teams were made as people

ventured to North Wales to enjoy the beauty and

special qualities of the area. These calls led to

291 Mountain Rescue team deployments.

Recent research shows that a significant number

of avoidable calls were made by young male

adults who were not adequately prepared or

did not have the required skills or equipment for

their activity.    The “Reducing Mountain

Accidents in Snowdonia” survey concluded that

young male adults from urban areas were mainly

responsible for these avoidable calls. The

Mountain Info Service Project was formally

launched by Hywel Williams MP at the Warden

Centre in Pen y Pass and it aims to target this

particular audience by using modern mobile

technology and an initiative to raise awareness.

In addition to the development of the new

Mountain Info app which is available at the App

Store (and was rated as the best available app

for mountain safety planning by novices by Trail

magazine in autumn 2011), three additional tools

have been developed as a result of the

Mountain Information Services project, which

include:

A daily report by Snowdonia National Park

Wardens on ground conditions and snow

levels on the mountains during the winter

months. These are provided for the Met

Office’s Mountain area forecasts page and

on Twitter by following @safesnowdonia or

@eryridiogel.

A series of five short video clips narrated by

Sian Lloyd, demonstrating the way to prepare

for a journey in the mountains including

hazard avoidance and what to do in an

emergency. These are available on the Met

Office and YouTube websites.

A publicity and marketing campaign to

publicise the project, made up of posters,

banners, leaflets and commissioning articles

in relevant magazines and periodicals.

4

National Park celebrates funding for National Park celebrates funding for National Park celebrates funding for National Park celebrates funding for

prehistoric Pembrokeshireprehistoric Pembrokeshireprehistoric Pembrokeshireprehistoric Pembrokeshire

A project to guide visitors around prehistoric

Pembrokeshire has been given the go-ahead

thanks to a £171,000 funding boost. Origins will be

run by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

Authority and aims to improve the experience for

visitors wanting to discover more about

Pembrokeshire’s past.

The project will involve the creation of trails,

guides and mobile phone apps which will

enable visitors to enjoy the prehistoric culture of

the National Park. It will also see the

development of an interpretation centre at

Castell Henllys Iron Age Fort, which is owned and

managed by the National Park Authority.

The funding was announced by the Welsh

Government’s Housing, Regeneration and

Heritage Minister Huw Lewis. Origins is one of nine

projects across Wales to benefit from a £2.4

million pot from Cadw’s £19m Heritage Tourism

Project which is backed with £8.5m from the

European Regional Development Fund.

Phil Bennett, Culture and Heritage Manager for

the National Park Authority, said: “I’m absolutely

delighted. We’re looking forward to the project

immensely and to working in partnership with

Dyfed Archaeological Trust, PLANED and the

National Trust to enable visitors to explore

Pembrokeshire’s rich heritage.”

Gifts for the Adventurous and less Gifts for the Adventurous and less Gifts for the Adventurous and less Gifts for the Adventurous and less

Adventurous!Adventurous!Adventurous!Adventurous!

New SNPA merchandise was sold at Snowdonia

National Park Information Centres over the

Christmas holidays. The DVD, Flight Over

Snowdon features the flight of Gwydion, the

Peregrine Falcon, over villages, mountains and

lakes taking in scenes from some of Snowdonia’s

remote places. The DVD, with a choice of Welsh

or English commentary was originally prepared

to be shown in the Theatre at the Stables

Information Centre in Betws y Coed. But due to a

high demand from customers, more copies had

to be produced.

New also for Christmas was a set of leaflets, “6

Snowdon Footpaths – The Complete Collection”

which includes the latest information of the Rhyd

Ddu, Snowdon Ranger, Llanberis, PYG, Miners’

and Watkin Paths. They include detailed informa-

tion on how to enjoy the mountains safely, details

on what you are likely to see on the paths to-

gether with puzzles, activities for children and the

Countryside Code. These leaflets replace the old

5

Snowdon footpaths leaflets published at the end

of the 1990s.

The DVD is priced £4.99 and the pack of Snow-

don Paths leaflets are priced £3.00 or 75p each.

Using a credit card, and for a charge of £1 to

include postage, it’s possible to buy them over

the phone through Betws y Coed Information

Centre, (01690 710426).

Peal of Church bells recreates Canal’s 200Peal of Church bells recreates Canal’s 200Peal of Church bells recreates Canal’s 200Peal of Church bells recreates Canal’s 200thththth

Anniversary celebrations!Anniversary celebrations!Anniversary celebrations!Anniversary celebrations!

To mark the 200th Anniversary of the

Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal more than 30

churches across Brecon Beacons National Park

and South Wales took part in the ‘ringing of the

bells’ at 12 noon on Friday 10th February,

recreating the Monmouthshire and Brecon

Canal opening ceremony held exactly 200 years

ago. 

Church bells are a traditional way of calling

people’s attention to important events taking

place and what better way to grab the

attention of the Brecon Beacons National Park

and South Wales than to offer a peal of church

bells stretching from Pontymoile Basin to Brecon

to Newport to Hay on Wye!

The canal winds its way 35 miles from Brecon

south to Cwmbran, passing through both the

Brecon Beacons National Park and a World

Heritage Site that recognises the area’s

important industrial past. The canal is a 200-year-

old feat of engineering, originally built as a

corridor for coal and iron; now it supports a

thriving leisure industry and is much-loved haven

for people and nature.

Through a series of activities and events,

organisations, local groups and national bodies

will be celebrating the canal’s history, enjoying

its beauty and looking forward to its

development beyond 2012 as a cherished asset

to the communities through which it passes and

connects. For more information

www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/monandbrec200

Natural Environment is Wales’ Top Tourism Asset – Fact!Natural Environment is Wales’ Top Tourism Asset – Fact!Natural Environment is Wales’ Top Tourism Asset – Fact!Natural Environment is Wales’ Top Tourism Asset – Fact!

The 2011 Visitor Satisfaction Survey for Visit Wales recently confirmed what we all knew, that Wales’

high quality natural environment is a significant tourist attraction in its own right. In the first survey to

measure satisfaction with the quality of the natural environment it attracted the highest scores

across two of the three surveys (it was rated second in the third

survey). More here:

http://goo.gl/iQB5Q

6

National Park gallops away with award National Park gallops away with award National Park gallops away with award National Park gallops away with award

for horse riding accessfor horse riding accessfor horse riding accessfor horse riding access

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority

has been given a national award by The British

Horse Society for its work in opening up horse

riding routes. Each year The British Horse Society

(BHS) holds an awards ceremony to recognise

organisations and individuals which have done

the most for the equestrian world. The Authority

scooped the award as ‘The National Park most

active in opening up equestrian routes’.

Earlier in the year, the National Park Authority

opened up eight miles of sign-posted off-road

tracks for horse riders, walkers and cyclists in

Pantmaenog Forest, in North Pembrokeshire.  The

Park Authority built a new car park at the forestry

entrance with dedicated horse box spaces, and

it will manage the routes throughout the year. 

One of the Authority’s Directors  Jane Gibson,

receiving the award said: “We are thrilled to

receive this award and we owe it in part to the

landowners – Mr and Mrs Holding and the MoD –

who enabled us to open up these tracks in the

National Park.” 

“By opening up these routes we are realising the

Park’s potential for enabling horse riders – along

with walkers and cyclists – to enjoy parts of the

National Park where previously there was limited

equestrian access.” 

The Pantmaenog project was funded partly by a

grant from the Welsh Government under the

Rights of Way Improvement Plan funding

programme, and the routes were opened as a

result of an agreement with the landowners, Mr

and Mrs Holding.

Twittering SafetyTwittering SafetyTwittering SafetyTwittering Safety

Together with carefully planning your route

beforehand, remembering to use appropriate

equipment such as  an ice axe and crampons,

wearing sturdy footwear and warm clothes to

keep you dry, it is also important to check the

weather forecast. This year, for the first time, a

new bilingual service is available for walkers

which will provide the latest information on

ground conditions on Snowdonia’s mountains.

Warden Gruff Owen and his colleagues already

supply information the Met Office’s website,

www.metoffice.gov.uk/loutdoor/mountainsafet

y/snowdonia/snowdonia_latest_pressure.   Now,

Gruff is also responsible for the new bilingual

Twitter service @eryridiogel in Welsh and

@safesnowdonia in English. When ground

conditions change due to the weather,

@eryridiogel and @safesnowodnia will now

7

tweet this. However, not only will the tweets

include weather information, it will also tweet

general advice on walking in the mountains and

will also highlight good examples of

mountaineering.

Welsh language tweets of @eryridiogel will be

re-tweeted by @croesoeryri, Snowdonia

National Park’s Welsh language twitter account

and will also appear on the Park’s Facebook

page. The English language tweets of

@safesnowdonia will be re-tweeted by

@visitsnowdonia, Snowdonia National Park’s

English language twitter account and its

Facebook page, Snowdonia National Park-Parc

Cenedlaethol Eryri

Quarter of a million to help people enjoy Quarter of a million to help people enjoy Quarter of a million to help people enjoy Quarter of a million to help people enjoy

National ParkNational ParkNational ParkNational Park

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority

is celebrating after being awarded one quarter

of a million pounds in Big Lottery funding. The

Authority’s project, Your Park, Your Future, will

receive £249,864 in the latest round of the Big Big Big Big

Lottery Fund’s (BIG) Lottery Fund’s (BIG) Lottery Fund’s (BIG) Lottery Fund’s (BIG) People and PlacesPeople and PlacesPeople and PlacesPeople and Places

programme.

Over three years, the project will set up a

programme of activities to promote the use of

the National Park, particularly to people who

face barriers to accessing the natural outdoors.

National Park Authority Head of Discovery Phil

Roach is delighted at the news. He said:

“The National Park Authority has always run an

outreach programme to encourage people to

make the most of the fantastic natural

playground and classroom that is the National

Park.

“In recent years we have extended the

programme to enable people who traditionally

haven’t had easy access to the natural

environment to enjoy the world class

opportunities on offer here. Barriers such as

disability, poor health, financial hardship or even

just being a young person can prevent people

from getting out there, and we have worked with

a wide range of organisations supporting local

people to improve their lives.

“This funding will allow us to further tailor our work

to ensure that people of all ages and from all

backgrounds right across Pembrokeshire will be

able to access and benefit from the special

qualities of the National Park.”