Email to the Warden

The email below has been sent to the warden by a supporter, any reply will be posted...

Alun
Further to the excellent article on the front page of today’s North Wales Pioneer I would be grateful if you could clarify a few points: -

What evidence do you have of recent grazing by livestock? To my own recollection, backed up by several others, there has been no grazing on the Bryn for the last 50 years. If no evidence of recent grazing can be provided will a public apology be forthcoming?

Why have contractors been used for the last ten years to mow the land, has this been an artificial attempt to promote the calcareous grasslands?

If no decision has been made, who will make the decision, what timescales do you have, what public consultation do you intend to carryout, what other alternatives to grazing have you considered?

You are quoted as saying grazing will be more environmentally friendly in the long run, what criteria have you used to assess the environmental impact? Have you quantified the carbon footprint of transporting livestock to of from site twice a year, carrying materials to form the ‘paddocks’, transporting feed, visits by the livestock owner to inspect their stock? How does this compare to the limited impact of mowing once a year.

How do you proposed to create paddocks without fences, just gates? Will gates provided be suitable for the disabled and families with pushchairs?

Regards the management committee Cllr Edwards is a member of, I would be grateful if you could provide the following: -
· Terms of reference for the committee
· Full list of members with contact addresses
· Details of how members are appointed and how concerned and interested members of the public can apply to join the committee
· Details of how often the committee meets, date of next meeting, agenda and facilities for members of the public to attend?
· Where can minutes of past meetings can be found?

There are clearly a number of issues which need further investigation and public consultation before any meaningful decision is made, I have listed some below: -

· As you will be aware there is an acute shortage of public open space in Colwyn Bay and it seems at every turn the council is determined to eat into the little which remains. Can you confirm you have considered the loss of the public amenity the open space currently provides? Will the council be providing replacement open space elsewhere?

· Has the loss of open space to the proposed allotments been considered before what is left is further eroded?

· Given there is no recent use of the site for grazing livestock can you provide confirmation from the Planning Committee that Planning permission is not required for ‘change of use’? Please be aware that ‘intensification of use’ is a material ground for the need to apply for Planning permission.

· Traffic generation, traffic routes, noise generation are all issues which need to be addressed, what size vehicles will transport the proposed livestock, where will they off-load, where will they turn around? Is the track leading up to Llys Euryn Cottage suitable for livestock wagons?

· Has traffic generation the proposed allotments will generate been considered?

· Will a full Environmental Impact Assessment be carried out to support the proposals?

· Will a Health and Safety Audit be carried out to identify the increased risks which will be generated and mitigation measures which will be put in place?

· Are maps/drawings available showing your proposals in detail? If not I trust they will be made available for public scrutiny as soon as possible?

· What will happen to any money made from grazing licenses, will it just go into the council’s central funds or will it be re-invested in the Bryn?

· How much will setting up and maintaining these proposals cost in the council’s bureaucratic costs? Can you prove it will actually be cheaper than contractors mowing the grass?

· Has the use of voluntary workers to control the grass been considered as an alternative?

· I understand the Bryn is managed in trust by Conwy County Council, could you confirm if this is the case? If so can you provide details of any restrictive covenants which are in place?

Presumably the Bryn was left as a amenity for the enjoyment and use of the public, is grazing really compatible?

I trust the council will behave in an appropriate manner, carrying out public consultation and taking on board the concerns of all users of Bryn Euryn?

There is a huge groundswell of public opinion against these proposals and should the council not act entirely transparently in this matter I am sure there will be many wishing to take this case to the Local Authority Ombudsman.