$Unique_ID{COW00530} $Pretitle{405} $Title{United Kingdom Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing} $Subtitle{} $Author{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC} $Affiliation{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC} $Subject{wales housing areas conservation cent per million britain environment land} $Date{1990} $Log{Snowdown*0053001.scf } Country: United Kingdom Book: Wales Author: Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC Affiliation: Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC Date: 1990 Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing [See Snowdown: Pass of Aberglaslyn in Gwynedd. Courtesy Embassy of the United Kingdom, New York.] Agriculture Agricultural land occupies nearly 1.7 million hectares (4.2 million acres), accounting for about 82 per cent of the area of Wales. It consists mainly of permanent pastures, a significant proportion of which are rough grazings. Because of the relatively poor soil, high rainfall and consequent dependence on livestock rearing, 80 per cent of the land is designated as 'less favoured areas' by the European Community. The main farming activities within these areas are cattle and sheep rearing, dairying being the most important activity in the better parts of the areas and in the lowlands. Approximately 65 million Pounds, over half funded by the Community, is paid to farmers in Wales under a range of grant schemes. Much of the arable land is used to produce cereals for feeding livestock, while winter cauliflowers, spring cabbages and early potatoes are important cash crops in parts of Dyfed. Output from small farms is more significant than in most of the rest of Britain, but modernisation in agriculture has led to a gradual decrease in the number of small farms and to a reduction in the workforce. In 1988 there were some 3,400 full-time employees, compared with nearly 24,000 in 1961. Including employers, 54,000 people were engaged in agriculture in 1988. The Government is encouraging alternatives uses of farmland to increase diversity on farms and in the rural economy, and to enhance environmental protection. The farm diversification scheme, which came into force in 1988, is intended to assist farmers in developing alternative commercial uses for agricultural businesses and land, to alleviate the problem of surplus production. Grants are available for investment in, for example, tourism, rural crafts, farm shops, catering on farms and pony trekking. The Farm Woodland Scheme provides grants for tree planting, with more generous provision for broadleaved planting and incentives to plant on more productive land. The European Community 'set-aside' scheme offers compensation to farmers who are willing to take at least 20 per cent of their land carrying surplus arable crops out of production for a period of five years. Certain areas of farmland have now been designated as 'Environmentally Sensitive Areas'. In Wales there are two such areas, the Lleyn Peninsula (Gwynedd) and the Cambrian Mountains (Powys and Dyfed). Farmers participating in the scheme are offered financial incentives to maintain the broad pattern of land use, to protect the rough grazing, hay meadows and archaeological features and to retain broadleaved woodland. The Government's Agricultural Development and Advisory Service provides a wide range of professional, scientific, technical and veterinary services for agriculture and its ancillary industries. Most types of advice and servicing are on a fee-paying basis, although advice to farmers on conservation, rural diversification and animal welfare is available free. The service promotes conservation of wildlife habitats, landscape features and farm buildings, and encourages the industry to adopt high standards of pollution control. Forestry and Fishing About 12 per cent of Wales is covered by woodlands, of which about 54 per cent (132,800 hectares - 326,000 acres) is administered by the Forestry Commission, the national forestry authority. In line with government policy to sell off some of its land to reduce the call on public funds, the Forestry Commission has disposed of some 8,700 hectares (21,500 acres) in Wales since 1981, about 6 per cent of its total holdings. Timber production was about 756,000 cubic metres (988,000 cubic yards) in 1987-88. In 1988 a woodland grant scheme was introduced, with increased rates of grant for the planting of conifers and broadleaves, and a wide range of objectives: not only to produce timber, but also to provide employment and an alternative to agricultural production, and to encourage recreation and conservation of the environment. Fishing occupies a relatively small place in the economy, with Milford Haven and Holyhead being the largest ports in the Welsh industry. Transport and Communications Improvements to road and rail links in Wales have played a vital part in the revival of its economy in recent years, and great importance has been attached to ensuring the adequacy of communications between the main centres of population in Wales and the rest of Britain. Roads Investment in the trunk road programme has been maintained at a high level and expenditure on the roads programme for 1989-90 will exceed 130 million Pounds. The completion of most of the M4 motorway (see map) has given south Wales much improved access to raw materials and markets in southern England, the Midlands and the north via the national motorway network, assisting the considerable economic recovery of the area. Almost 160 km (100 miles) of continuous motorway and dual carriageway have now been completed between the Severn Bridge and St Clears, Dyfed. A second road crossing of the Severn is planned for the mid-1990s. Priority is being given to the improvement of roads which are important for industrial development, for example the upgrading to dual-carriageway standard of the A55 north Wales coast road between Bangor and Chester, at a cost of 550 million Pounds, which includes the construction under the Conwy estuary of the first immersed tube road tunnel to be built in Britain. A tunnel was chosen in preference to a bridge in order to preserve the environment of Conwy Castle and estuary; 160 million Pounds is being invested in the tunnel, which will be over 1 km (0.6 miles) in length and will enable British companies to gain expertise in novel construction techniques. Already 72 of the 100 km (45 of the 60 miles) of the A55 between Bangor and Chester have been completed, and when the project is finished the journey time will be reduced substantially. Improvements to the A470 and A483 north-south routes have been carried out, and more are planned. In the south Wales valleys, for example, travelling time from Cardiff to Merthyr Tydfil by car has been cut considerably, with the completion of improvements to the A470 which have brought it to dual-carriageway standard. Rail InterCity 125 services, operated by British Rail using high-speed trains, run on the route linking London, Bristol and south Wales, and also on the cross-country route from south Wales to Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds and Newcastle upon Tyne. The InterCity service operates through south Wales as far as Fishguard and from London to Holyhead in the north (in both cases linking with ferry services to the Irish Republic). Cross-country express services also run from Cardiff to Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Portsmouth, Shrewsbury and Chester, and other main-line services link south, mid and north Wales. Improved rail services are helping to stimulate the economy in the south Wales valleys; in Mid Glamorgan the rail link between Cardiff and Aberdare was re-opened to passenger traffic in 1988 after a closure of 24 years, and new stations have been opened in the Rhondda valley. There are a small number of privately run rail lines in Wales, on which mostly steam trains operate, primarily for tourists and railway enthusiasts; they include the Ffestiniog Railway and the Talyllyn Railway. The Vale of Rheidol Railway, which operates on narrow-gauge track between Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge, was sold by British Rail in March 1989 to the Brecon Mountain Railway Company Ltd. Ports Traffic through ports in Wales was estimated at 57.8 million tonnes in 1988. Milford Haven, with a deep natural harbour that can take tankers of up to 275,000 deadweight tons, is one of Britain's major oil ports and was the fifth largest port in Britain in terms of total tonnage in 1988, when it handled 33.3 million tonnes. Most of the other major ports in south Wales, including Swansea, Port Talbot, Newport, Cardiff and Barry, are run by the privatised company Associated British Ports. Originally they were engaged in coal export, but most now handle a wide range of cargo. Port Talbot handles raw materials (iron ore and coal) destined for the steelworks at Port Talbot and Llanwern, and regularly handles bulk carriers of over 100,000 deadweight tons. Airports The main civil airport is the Cardiff (Wales) Airport at Rhoose, where passenger traffic is growing. The number of passengers arriving or departing in 1987-88 was 658,000, an increase of 31 per cent compared with 1986-87. In 1989 transatlantic flights to New York were introduced. The Environment As in the rest of Britain, there is a comprehensive system of land-use planning and development control in Wales, and there are laws dealing specifically with environmental health, the control of pollution and the conservation of the natural and built environment. Most development requires local planning permission, and applications are dealt with in the light of development plans, which set out strategies for each area on such matters as housing, transport, industry and open land. The interests of conservation and those of development and the local economy are balanced carefully when such plans are drawn up. Programmes of reclamation of land and restoration of buildings in areas left scarred by former industrial development are beginning to transform the environment in, for example, the valleys of south Wales. Developments in urban areas on the coast, such as Swansea and Cardiff, are also being planned to take advantage of their natural surroundings, providing new opportunities for leisure as well as economic expansion. Pollution from industrial processes has been considerably reduced in recent years. There has been concern in some areas about the effect on village communities of a shortage of rural housing that local people can afford, particularly where people from other parts of Britain have bought cottages as second or 'weekend' homes. Housing There is a continuing programme of housing improvement in Wales, which has a higher proportion of old dwellings than any other part of Britain, with over two-fifths of the dwelling stock having been constructed before 1919, compared with less than a third in Great Britain as a whole. Since 1981 more than 480 million Pounds has been spent on grants to enable householders in Wales to repair and improve their homes. Over 460 million Pound has been spent on upgrading council housing. The Welsh House Condition Survey of 1988 showed that the state of repair of the housing stock was generally much better than in 1981; the level of unfit dwellings, for example, fell from 8.8 per cent to 7.2 per cent in 1988, and the proportion of dwellings lacking amenities almost halved during this period from 8.1 per cent to 4.2 per cent in 1988. There is a higher level of owner-occupation in Wales (some 69 per cent in 1988) than in most other parts of Britain (the general average is 64 per cent). Many tenants of public sector housing have taken advantage of the opportunity under the Housing Act 1980 to buy their house or flat at a discount, depending on length of occupation. By 1988 some 70,000 public sector homes had been sold. Between 1981 and 1986 some 81,000 new dwellings were completed in Wales, the private sector accounting for over two-thirds of them. Reform of the rented housing sector was introduced with the Housing Act 1988, which deregulates new lettings in the private rented sector, restructures housing association finance, and offers public sector tenants the opportunity to change their landlord. Under this Act a new housing agency, Housing for Wales (Tai Cymru), was established, to fund and oversee the activities of the housing association movement in Wales, taking over the functions previously carried out by the Housing Corporation in London. Since 1974 the housing association movement in Wales has grown to almost 100 associations, managing nearly 20,000 dwellings, and the Government expects it to be the major provider of social rented housing for the future. While the Government is allocating 70 million Pounds in funding for Housing for Wales in 1989-90, the number of new homes provided will also be increased by the use of private finance to help fund housing association schemes. Housing associations are being particularly encouraged to provide low-cost housing in rural areas. Recent changes in planning policy mean that where there is a need for low-cost local housing in rural areas, sites for which planning permission would not normally be granted for general housing development may be released by the planning authorities. Urban Regeneration Under its urban regeneration programme (see p 11) the Government is undertaking a range of measures to improve the environment in areas affected by industrial change, including an extensive programme of reclamation of derelict land by the Welsh Development Agency and the improvement of housing, particularly on large council estates. Conservation and Environmental Protection The Natural Environment Wales is a country rich in natural beauty, with extensive areas of picturesque hill, lake and mountain country, a fine coastline and many historic towns and villages. The countryside supports a variety of plant and wild life, which is protected in a number of ways. The Nature Conservancy Council, the official body responsible for nature conservation in Great Britain, has three regions in Wales, each with a regional office. It maintains and manages 47 national nature reserves in Wales, sites of national importance for study and research into nature conservation, covering some 12,700 hectares (31,500 acres). Some 730 sites of special scientific interest have been listed for their flora, fauna or geological or physiographical features. Many species are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Rare species in Wales include the red kite, a bird of prey which breeds in mid Wales and nowhere else in Britain, There are now an estimated 46 pairs. The Countryside Commission has a Committee for Wales, which is responsible for conserving and enhancing the natural beauty and amenity of the countryside, and for encouraging the provision and improvement of facilities for open-air recreation. The Commission has powers to designate national parks and 'areas of outstanding natural beauty', subject to confirmation by the Secretary of State for Wales, to define heritage coasts in conjunction with local authorities, and to make proposals for the creation of national trails (long-distance footpaths and bridleways). There are three national parks (Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Pembrokeshire Coast), five areas of outstanding natural beauty (Gower in West Glamorgan, Lleyn and Anglesey in Gwynedd, the Wye Valley in Gwent and the Clwydian Range in Clwyd) and two national trails (the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and Offa's Dyke Path), as well as 25 country parks and large stretches of heritage coast. Experimental schemes are under way in national parks to encourage the maintenance of traditional farming, which is an important aspect of the conservation of the landscape. Certain areas of farmland, such as the Lleyn Peninsula (Gwynedd) and the Cambrian Mountains, have been designated by the Government as 'Environmentally Sensitive Areas', and in these areas farmers are offered financial incentives to maintain the broad pattern of land use (see p 19). Grants are also available to farmers in all areas for planting new woodlands (see p 20) and for conservation, anti-pollution and energy-saving devices; for example, for hedges, stone walls, shelter belts, repairs to traditional buildings and the treatment and disposal of farm wastes. The Built Environment Wales has a wide-ranging legacy of ancient monuments and historic buildings. There are, for example, the remains of Roman silver mines in the north and very early ironworks in the south. Small rustic buildings, such as those at the Welsh Folk Museum in St Fagan's, Cardiff, contrast with the great castles and houses, such as Caerphilly Castle and Tredegar House, Newport. A number of statutory, commercial and voluntary bodies work to ensure that the best is made of the valuable resource that historic buildings and sites of archaeological interest represent. Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments, established within the Welsh Office in 1984, advises the Secretary of State for Wales on matters affecting the built heritage. Cadw manages 125 historic properties on behalf of the Secretary of State, ranging from ironworks and prehistoric burial chambers to the castles and town walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd (for example, Caernarfon, Harlech, Conwy and Beaumaris). The latter were among Britain's first successful nominations to the World Heritage List, which was established under the World Heritage Convention to identify and recognise those parts of the world heritage of outstanding universal value. In 1988-89 almost 1.7 million Pounds was spent on the maintenance of Cadw's properties, which were visited in the same year by nearly 1.6 million people, and accrued income of some 2.3 million Pounds. New projects are being developed to promote public awareness of these sites, including a membership scheme, 'Heritage in Wales', which provides access to all of them. Another important function of Cadw is the identification and listing of buildings of special historic or architectural interest in order to guide planners, developers and conservation bodies in their work. Nearly 13,000 historic buildings have already been identified in the Principality and this figure is expected to treble over the coming decades as a national resurvey programme is undertaken. Grants may be made to owners of historic buildings or ancient monuments who need to carry out repairs to ensure their conservation. In 1988-89 grants amounted to some 2.4 million Pounds. As well as restoring historic buildings for commercial purposes (for use as country house hotels, for example) the commercial sector has contributed to the conservation of Wales' built heritage by funding archaeological works and by taking the architecture of the past into account in development proposals. The voluntary sector plays a major role, with many towns in Wales having active civic societies which work to ensure that their local environment is enhanced and the local heritage appreciated (see also below). There are also 2,700 scheduled ancient monuments in Wales. Cadw is responsible for exercising the Secretary of State's statutory role in the protection of these sites, and provides advice to owners on their care and preservation. Voluntary Organisations There are many voluntary organisations active in the conservation of the natural and built environment in Wales, some of which are large and operate throughout Britain, such as the National Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and others which are local to Wales. Many of them receive grants from the Government under the Special Grants (Environmental) programme. Among those which are receiving financial assistance towards their administration costs in 1989-90 are the following - the Association of Trusts for Nature Conservation in Wales, which has seven trusts with more than 9,000 members, and helps to protect wildlife by establishing nature reserves and educating people on conservation and environmental issues; the Council for the Protection of Rural Wales, which organises action to protect and improve the rural scenery and amenities of the countryside, towns and villages; and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, which has 30 groups in Wales and organises working holidays for volunteers seeking practical experience of conservation work, including tree planting, dry-stone walling and woodland management. The Welsh Office also provides funding for the UK 2000 initiative, which promotes and develops practical environmental projects and provides opportunities for training. The scheme in Wales is largely administered by the Prince of Wales Committee, which works in partnership with other voluntary organisations, including the Groundwork Foundation, the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers and the Royal Society for Nature Conservation. Pollution Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution (HMIP) has statutory responsibility for the control of pollution in England and Wales, and was formed in 1987 from separate inspectorates, in accordance with the Government's policy of treating the environment as an integrated whole. It is concerned with controlling radioactive substances, emissions to air from scheduled processes, 'red list' (toxic and non-biodegradable) discharges to water, and waste disposal. Under the Clean Air Acts 1956 and 1968, local authorities may declare 'smoke control areas' within which the emission of smoke from chimneys, including domestic ones, constitutes an offence. Emissions from most industrial premises are also subject to the control of local authorities. No site in Wales has exceeded the limits for smoke and sulphur dioxide in air prescribed by the European Community in 1980. Much of Wales is drained by short, steep rivers which are of good quality and have a high amenity value. Some 94 per cent of the 4,600 km (2,900 miles) of classified rivers and canals in the area of the then Welsh Water Authority (see p 16) were classified as of good or fair quality in the 1985 River Quality Survey in England and Wales. A significant improvement has already been achieved in the quality of Welsh bathing waters; in 1988, 77 per cent met the mandatory coliform bacteria standards of the European Community Bathing Water Directive, compared with only 57 per cent in 1987. The National Rivers Authority is undertaking studies, with support from the Department of the Environment and the Welsh Office, into the effects of afforestation on river quality, and the consequential impact on fisheries. Levels of cadmium in the Severn Estuary have been reduced substantially since the early 1970s and comply with European Community standards. Following the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Soviet Union in 1986, the Government has set up a network of 46 stations throughout Britain to monitor radiation continuously, of which there are four in Wales. As a precautionary measure the Government found it necessary to introduce restrictions on the movement and slaughter of sheep from certain parts of north Wales, but surveys have confirmed that the radiological impact of the accident on people was slight.