Back to Roads!!

Ms Sue Essex
Environment Minister 26 Tachwedd / November 2002
Welsh Assembly Government
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff CF99 1NA


Annwyl Sue Essex

Llythyr ar y cyd yn annog galw i mewn cais cynllunio CO2D/0382/30/R3 am lôn newydd trwy Goed y Rhiw, Gwynedd, a fuasai’n achosi niwed parhaol i etifeddiaeth naturiol a diwylliannol



Fe fyddwch chi’n gwybod am y niwed a achoswyd i lôn gyhoeddus y Rhiw bron i ddwy flynedd yn ôl am am y gofynion cwbl resymol a wnaed gan y gymuned leol ac am ffordd newydd. Fe fyddwch chi’n gwybod fod Adran Beirianyddol Cyngor Gwynedd wedi argymell NID codi’r ffordd newydd ar hyd y llinell bresennol, ond ei dargyfeirio trwy Goed y Rhiw, sef coedlan hynafol ar dir annieithr yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol. Fe fyddwch yn gwybod hefyd y buasai’n ffordd newydd yn pasio o fewn rhai llathenni i Sarn-y-Plas, sef adeilad cofrestredig Gradd ll lle treuliodd y bardd R S Thomas y rhan fwyaf o ddyddiau diweddaraf ei fywyd, ac yn torri trwy’r goedlan lle cerddodd o bron bob dydd a’r ardd y gofalodd o a’i wraig M E Elridge amdani am 30 mlynedd ac a fu’n ysbrydolaeth i lawer o’i waith.

Mae’r unigolion a’r mudiadau sydd wedi llofnodi’r llythyr hwn wedi cael eu synnu a’u hysgwyd gan bleidlais y Cynghorwyr i ddiystyru argymhelliad clir eu Swyddogion Cynllunio nhw eu hunain, a chymeradwyo’r cais cynllunio hwn, a hynny heb ofyn am ragor o wybodaeth am ddichonoldeb ailgodi’r lôn bresennol ar-lein, a gwelliannau i nifer o ffyrdd presennol, fel yr argymhellodd y Swyddogion. Roedd peirianwyr ymgynghorol y Cyngor ei hun wedi cydnabod y buasai’n gwbl ymarferol i ailgodi’r ffordd bresennol trwy ei hangori yn y craigwely. Ar hyn o bryd nid yw’r cofnodion sy’n esbonio’r penderfyniad ar gael.

Rydym yn nodi fod y penderfyniad i roi caniatâd cynllunio yn mynd yn groes nid yn unig i argymhellion y swyddogion, ond hefyd i Bolisi Cynllunio Cymru. Mae’r ddogfen hon yn datgan ym mharagraff 5.2.8: “Mae coetiroedd hynafol a lled-naturiol yn gynefinoedd na ellir eu hadfer sy’n werthfawr iawn am eu bioamrywiaeth a dylid eu diogelu rhag datblygiad a fyddai’n achosi difrod sylweddol.” Y cais hwn yw’r achos prawf cyntaf i ddangos a fydd y polisi yn cael ei ddilyn mewn gwirionedd, neu a fydd pob achos lle mae coedlan o dan fygythiad yn cael ei drin fel “eithriad”, gan danseilio’r polisi newydd yn llwyr.

Felly, rydym yn erfyn arnoch i ddefnyddio’ch pwerau i alw’r cais hwn i mewn, ac i ddiogelu’r goedlan hynafol unigryw hon. Rydym yn nodi fod y cyfrwy benderfyniad yn gyson â pharagraff 4.2 o Bolisi Cynllunio Cymru oherwydd:
 Mae’r penderfyniad i ganiatáu’r datblygiad yn mynd yn groes i bolisi cynllunio cenedlaethol (parthed coetir hynafol)
 Fe fuasai’r penderfyniad yn cael effaith eang y tu hwnt i’w gyffiniau, gan mai hwn yw achosi prawf cyntaf paragraff 5.2.8 o Bolisi Cynllunio Cymru ac
 Mae o wedi arwain at gryn dipyn o ddadlau y tu hwnt i’w gyffiniau oherwydd y cysylltiad ag R S Thomas, un o feirdd mwyaf Cymru yn yr 20fed ganrif.
Mae pawb sydd wedi llofnodi’r llythyr hwn yn datgan yn glir ein cefnogaeth am ofynion cwbl resymol pobl y Rhiw am fynediad derbyniol ar y ffyrdd yn dilyn colli’r hen lôn. Rydym yn cytuno fod rhaid darparu’r mynediad hwn cyn gynted â phosibl, ond rydym yn awgrymu mai parodrwydd Adran Beirianyddol Cyngor Gwynedd i ddargyfeirio’r ffordd trwy ardal mor hynod o sensitif, sef coetir hynafol ar dir annieithr yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol sydd mor bwysig yn ddiwylliannol, sydd wedi arafu’r broses gynllunio.

Yn olaf, rydym yn hyderus y bydd hi’n dod yn glir mewn Ymchwiliad Cyhoeddus fod yna ffyrdd eraill i gwrdd ag anghenion trafnidiaeth yr ardal, ac y gellir gwneud hyn heb yr oedi sy’n anochel wrth brynu tir annieithr yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol yn orfodol, a heb i’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol gael ei weld yn eang yn anwybyddu ei bolisi cynllunio ei hyn.



Yr eiddoch yn gywir Dear Sue Essex

A joint letter urging the call in of planning application CO2D/0382/30/R3 for a new road through Coed y Rhiw, Gwynedd, which would cause irreparable damage to Wales’ natural and cultural heritage

You will be aware of the damage to the public road at Rhiw nearly two years ago and of the very understandable demands by the local community for a replacement road. You will know that Gwynedd Council’s Engineering Dept have proposed NOT to built the new road along the existing line, but to divert it through Coed y Rhiw, an ancient woodland on National Trust inalienable land. You will be aware also that the new road would pass within a few yards of Sarn-y-Plas, a Grade ll listed building where the Welsh poet R S Thomas spent most of the later days of his life, and cut through the wood in which he walked almost every day and the garden he and his wife the painter M E Eldridge nurtured for 30 years both of which were the inspiration of much of his work.



The individuals and organisations that have signed this letter were shocked and surprised at the vote by Councillors to disregard the clear recommend-ation of their own Planning Officers and to approve this planning application without requesting further information both on the feasibility of rebuilding the existing road on-line, and improvements to a combination of the many existing alternative routes, as they were advised. The Council’s own consulting engineers had recognised that it was feasible to rebuild the existing road by anchoring it into the bedrock. At the present time the minutes explaining the decision are not available.

We note that the decision to grant planning permission was not only contrary to officers’ advice, but also at complete variance with Planning Policy Wales. This document states in paragraph 5.2.8 that: “Ancient and semi-natural woodlands are irreplaceable habitats of high biodiversity value which should be protected from development that would result in significant damage.” This application is the first test case of whether this protection will be implemented in practice, or whether every case where woodland is under threat will simply be declared an exception, allowing business as usual.

We therefore urge you to use your powers to call in this application, thus allowing this uniquely important ancient woodland to be protected. We note that such a call in would be in line with paragraph 4.2 of Planning Policy Wales in that:
 The decision to permit the development is in conflict with national planning policy (re ancient woodland),
 The decision could have a wide effect beyond its immediate area, as it is the first test case of paragraph 5.2.8 of Planning Policy Wales and
 It has already given rise to substantial controversy beyond the immediate area by virtue of the association with R S Thomas, one of Wales’ most notable poets of the 20th century.
Each of the signatories to this letter makes clear our support for the quite reasonable demands by the people of Rhiw for acceptable road access following the road collapse. We agree that this access needs to be provided as soon as reasonably possible, but suggest that the eagerness of the Council’s Engineering Dept to divert the road through such an extremely sensitive site, ancient woodland on National Trust inalienable land with such huge cultural importance, has served only to delay the planning process.

Finally, we are confident that once these issues have been aired at a Public Inquiry, it will become clear that there are alternative means of meeting the transport needs of the area, and that this can be done without the delays inevitably involved in the compulsory purchase of National Trust inalienable land, and without the National Assembly being widely seen to be disregarding its own planning policy.

Yours sincerely



Graham Bradley
Coed Cadw (the Woodland Trust)
grahambradley@woodland-trust.org.uk Mike Webb
RSPB
mike.webb@rspb.org.uk R N Yale
Chair, Caernarfonshire CPRW
Julian Rosser
Friends of the Earth Cymru
julianr@foe.co.uk Frances Catenach
North Wales Wildlife Trust
nwwt@cix.compulink.co.uk Dr Trevor Dines
Plantlife – the Wild Plant Conservation Society
trevor.dines@plantlife.org.uk
Sue Gittins
The Ramblers’ Association
SueG@ramblers.org.uk Russel Hobson
Buttlerfly Conservation Wales
Russel Hobson rhobson.bcw@btclick.com


Cc: Bob Evans, National Assembly for Wales