Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru | National Assembly for Wales

Y Pwyllgor Newid Hinsawdd, Amgylchedd a Materion Gwledig | Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee

Ymchwiliad i bolisi coedwigaeth a choetiroedd yng Nghymru| Inquiry into Forestry and woodland policy in Wales

FWP 06

Ymateb gan : Unigolyn

Evidence from : Individual

I have for over 20 years fought hard to get CCBC to carry out its duties to maintain PROW in the area of Dyffryn Conwy around LLanrwst.  To the west there is the Gwydir Forest & to the east woodland (including plantations under NRW), open countryside semimoorland.

The latter area is in many ways of more interest to myself as it was in the thirties very popular with local & visiting walkers.  Unfortunately since boundary changes that put the east of Dyffryn Conwy under CCBC the network of PROW have & continue to be neglected.  I can send you dozens of photos to prove this.  Some of these PROW include woodland areas.

CCBC has ignored complaints from the ratepayers of LLanrwst.  It is biased in favour of spending vast funds on the coast.  Recently Penmaenmawr & LLanfairfechan have received most of the funding for county PROW.  Why is there no scutiny.

I am now researching the ancient network of footpaths to the east from evidence that includes what appear to be simple Bronze Age bridging stone slabs.

I have devoted much of my latter years to improving the fitness of seniors.  Sadly, CCBC refuses to support the Welsh Government's policy to encourage walking.  This will also boost walking tourism...my research suggests that visitors to Llanrwst are very interested in scenic local circular walks which are mapped, safe & well maintained.  On returning from their walk they seek out somewhere to eat. If the PROW were kept fit for purpose volunteers like myself would provide laminated walking guides for both members of the community & tourists.  My research on the comparison of the support given by LAs to health giving walking points to a lack of it by CCBC for walks which away from the Coast.  (A whistleblower among the countryside wardens of CCBC claimed that CCBC used some of the funds for the Coastal Path to bribe landowners to allow access to their land.  As the Coastal Path in CCBC was completed in record time this might well be true.)

At the same time CCBC is denying access to more & more of my countryside in the Conwy Valley by deleting PROW.  These PROW are our heritage & do not belong to CCBC.