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Peredur Owen Griffiths, who represents Plaid Cymru, is one of four regional Senedd Members serving the South Wales East region.

The digging up of fields near Bluebell Woods overlooking Llanbradach has been rightly condemned. The damage inflicted upon this local beauty spot – enjoyed by families over generations – has been traumatic to witness. After news broke of this environmental catastrophe, I visited the area with my Senedd colleague Delyth Jewell and saw first-hand the scale of the devastation caused by the groundworks on site.

Plaid Cymru councillors have helped to rally the local community in the aftermath of this incident and a highly-charged public meeting has been held in Llanbradach. I know that a protest has been arranged for this Sunday, starting at the Wingfield Pub at 10.30am, which will then proceed to walk to the Bluebell Wood. I am sure that this will be the first of many acts of defiance from a local community that is clearly upset and looking for resolution.

When we first heard of this incident, Delyth and I immediately wrote to the leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council to ask what they knew about the matter. I was amazed to hear in the swiftly written reply from the council leader that the local authority knew nothing of the development until they were notified of the groundworks by a member of the public. The letter also revealed that the works were carried out to accommodate five touring caravans as a Caravan Club Licensed Site. It was a relief to hear that the work was stopped, pending the submission of a planning application. Delyth and I also wrote to Natural Resources Wales to see their view of such groundworks on an ecologically sensitive area. We are still awaiting a reply as things stand.

It beggars belief that works of this magnitude can be carried out on an idyllic landscape without prior application or consultation. What has happened may not prove to be illegal under planning laws or in contravention of any rules but, if that is the case, it only demonstrates the absurdity of current planning laws. In my opinion, and the opinion of many in Llanbradach and the Bedwas and Trethomas ward, the planning laws are no longer fit for purpose.

The need to beef up planning legislation to enable greater community input is something that has been on my radar for some time but more in relation to Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs). HMOs may be necessary and many cause no problems in themselves but communities are rightly concerned when a spate of them crop up in a small area. People feel powerless when this keeps happening and it damages the community fabric that has been cultivated over generations. It also damages attitudes towards local government. This was certainly something I picked up on during a street surgery in Rhymney where the anger was palpable. Granting communities a greater say and greater input is something I would like Plaid Cymru to promote during future elections and, with my remit in Plaid Cymru for Communities, I am looking into the possibility of developing policy on these matters. After the damage caused to the Bluebell Woods area, it is clear that areas of natural beauty also need to be given greater protection. The same can be said of the plans by a major house builder, thwarted so far thankfully, to develop on Gwern y Domen. 

Watch this space.