Ancient & Veteran Woodland
Can you help us protect it?
As a result of last week's Towy Teifi Pylon line consultation, three people contacted me with concerns about the trees around and along the pylon line route. One person was particularly helpful, as they gave me clear directions for reporting it to the Woodland Trust. It was a section of Ancient Woodland that was to be impacted by the route. I received an auto-response to my submission that warned me that it might take a few weeks for me to receive a reply.
However, just 2 days later, I received an email, part of which follows:
“Thanks for your email in relation to the Towy Teifi developer consultation.
We are aware of this development. Due to our limited charitable resources, we prioritise consultations relating to developments that are close to or within ancient woodland or that may affect ancient or veteran trees. It looks like a number of ancient woodlands are potentially affected by the route, and I have scheduled the application in the calendar for a more detailed review in due course.
In addition to ancient woodland, ancient and veteran trees are protected under planning policy, specifically Planning Policy Wales 12,
Recognition of a tree’s veteran status may help to protect it from development. I’m not sure if you are aware of the Trust’s Ancient Tree Inventory (ATI), but if you believe any trees that these proposals could impact are potentially ancient or veteran, you might want to consider recording them on the ATI (assuming it’s legal and safe to do so).
Anyone can register and add an unverified tree to the ATI map.
The Woodland Trust website provides information on recognising veteran trees and adding them to the ATI. When assessing a tree, it is especially important to look for significant decay features on the tree. There is more detailed information on the characteristics that may suggest a tree is veteran for different species of trees here. You can also get in touch with the team via the ATI Contact Form
Unverified trees on the ATI are assessed by a team of specialist volunteer verifiers, who inspect the trees in person to verify the data that relates to each record. The verifiers make an assessment of a tree’s veteran status, i.e. whether the tree is notable, veteran or ancient. A guide to some of the characteristics that verifiers may consider is available here.
I’m sure you’ll have your own campaigning approaches, but just in case it’s of use, you can find our resources for communities campaigning against threats to their local woods and trees.“
What can I do to help?
You can help protect ancient or veteran trees in your local landscape wherever you live. The Woodland Trust website has lots of helpful information.
You can do this on your own or as part of a group.
You could do it with your children or suggest that your local school undertake it as a project.
If you register any trees in the Section 1 area of the Towy Teifi Pylon line or the vicinities of the Waun Maenllwydd Energy Hub, Lan Fawr Energy Park (all in Ceredigion), or Bryn Cadwgan Energy Park, Carmarthenshire, please let me know so that I can make sure the ATI team is aware and ask them to verify the registration. These areas have ancient and veteran trees that may be under threat.
Thank you Azra. 100% agree with you. Wales stands to lose so much on so many levels if all these developments go ahead. The Yew Tree Tunnel is not under threat, but it was an eyecatching example of a grand old tree that I had a photo of in my collection.
Thank you Annie for writing this excellent blog. I would be very surprised if the Yew Tree Tunnel at Aberglasney Gardens is not much older than 300 years of age.
These amazing ancient beings and woods along with all of the creatures for which they provide an environment to live and thrive in, must be protected for current and future generations.