Cymdeithas Eryri disappointed by Cwm Cynfal hydro decision

Cymdeithas Eryri is deeply disappointed that Eryri National Park Authority’s Planning & Access Committee have voted by 8 votes to 7 in favour of a hydro power scheme at Rhaeadr y Cwm, Llan Ffestiniog, that would see, at times, a very significant portion of the water diverted out of the waterfall and into a plastic pipe.

In our opinion, the ‘wholly exceptional circumstances’ that must exist (under Planning Policy in Wales) in order for development in SSSIs even to be contemplated do not exist in Cwm Cynfal, and we have written to Siân Gwenllian, the Welsh Government Cabinet Minister for Planning, to clarify whether or not the Park Authority’s current interpretation of the phrase is sound. The generation of a small amount of renewable energy cannot be enough, and the wholly unexceptional amount of electricity to be generated at this site could never justify the harm that this development risks causing to its wildlife and landscape value.

Also at risk are the very things that make a waterfall a waterfall – the sight, the sound and the sensation of a torrent of rushing water. It’s this ‘feeling’ that encouraged David Cox to paint the site in 1836; that was in the minds of the authors of the Mabinogi; and that continues to inspire today’s users of the ancient medieval trackway as they explore the Eryri Slate Trail. The Park Authority’s own expert consultant concluded that impressive waterfall flows will be experienced for a reduced proportion of the year, leaving the falls’ character, amenity value and visual quality irrevocably harmed.

In the Committee hearing, our Director, Graeme Cotterill, spoke on behalf of a coalition of local organisations, including North Wales Wildlife Trust, Save Our Rivers, North Wales Rivers Trust, Plantlife, Buglife, and the British Mountaineering Council; as well as the more than a thousand people who formally objected to this plan prior to a previous Committee meeting. He urged decision-makers to simply do what a National Park Authority should do: stand up for its own special qualities. Sadly, just over half of those present sided with objectors.

With this proposal having been approved, Eryri is at risk of becoming an exemplar for the duty to conserve important wildlife sites and protected landscapes for all the wrong reasons. All those who live in and love this landscape should be actively working together to explore how a twenty-first-century National Park can benefit its farmers, natural beauty, visitors, local residents and wildlife. Cymdeithas Eryri continues to commit to playing our part in that positive future, but this development – which could set a hugely damaging precedent for SSSIs across Wales – is an example of exactly what that future shouldn’t look like.

Whilst we will now take time to consider our next steps, the fight to save Cwm Cynfal isn’t over. Keep an eye on our and our partners’ website and social media platforms for more.