A report due to be published by the UK’s Environment Secretary Caroline Spellman on Thursday is expected to include recommendations to switch a fifth of Welsh farmland to woodland for the recreational benefit of English cities according to an article in the Sunday Times today.
The proposals and research for the UK governments ‘National Ecosystem Assessment’ (NEA) have been put forward by Ian Bateman, a professor of environmental economics at the University of East Anglia. Hundreds of economists and scientists have been involved in compiling the report intended to ‘quantify the benefits created by the natural word’. The report suggests that Welsh agriculture is so unprofitable, European subsidies should be switched to reward farmers for producing ‘higher value outputs’ such as recreation near cities.
Batemans report outlines which parts of Wales should be reforested and recommends that swathes of farmland around Cardiff and Swansea should switch. He also states that farmland from Wrecsam to Rhyl should be reforested to benefit people in Liverpool and Manchester.
Mr Bateman states: “Woodlands are worth most in areas that are close to cities because they give recreation and other benefits to so many people. Woodlands in north east Wales would have a huge recreational value for nearby English cities.”
18 comments:
That last quote depends on whether Wales is a playground appendage for England or whether it's a nation with its own priorities.
The West Cheshire plan and this latest crazy idea were examples of the former. The Welsh Government needs to stamp on this and quickly.
sooner we have real self govt the better
The Welsh Government needs to stamp on Westminster, permanently.
What authority, if any, does the UK Environment Secretary have here?
Interesting paragraph from Ian Batemans website who leads the economic team of the NEA: "the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) funded by Defra, the UK National Assemblies and others".
We're paying for this crap!?
NEA funders:
Countyside council for Wales, Defra, Economic and social research council, natural environment research council, Northern Ireland environment agency,the Scottish Government and.... the Welsh Assembly Government.
if it was Welsh Government policy, after wideranging consultation with the farming community, then I'd be all for it. Better environment for us, boost tourism etc.
But for it to be suggested by some minister at UK level, "for the enjoyment of Liverpool"... erm.. no. There is a principle here. Haven't we been "used for the enjoyment of Liverpool" enough?
If the map is indicative of the scholarship involved then we can relax. For according to the map Neath, Barry, Merthyr and many other sizeable southern towns are to be given over to forestation.
The hundreds of thousands of people who will be displaced might have something to contribute to this debate.
I for one would welcome the opportunity to go boar hunting in Cardiff's hinterland.
Tywysog Treganna
Hard to know whether to laugh or cry when you see themap - the dark green sites are (a) heavily urbanised and (b) contain the best agricultural land in Wales (Dee plain and Vale of Glamorgan).
Furthermore, the upland areas of Wales are already heavily forested. If Bateman & Co think they can grow trees on the Snowdonia uplands, they need to go back to school.
Interesting to see this site uses a quote from Albert Einstein ..Here's another that a few people in Plaid can think on .. "Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind"..
and since when were Cardiff and Swansea "English" Cities ?
Forget the Wales / England nonsense.
This is about totally artificial measures. Lamb unrewarding when it costs an arm and a leg to buy as meat?
The picture is much larger than a faux nationalist argument.
Only John Broughton could come on a Plaid blog and tell us to "forget the Wales / England nonsense".
The idea that lowland farmers in N E Wales farm lamb is equably risible.
Consciously or not, the NEA is all about imposing a centralist idea on what should happen to our part of Wales. Not for the good of Wales but the good of English cities.
Broughton as usual can't see the wood for the trees
Well, it's up to a Labour-run Assembly to account for why Welsh taxpayers money has been used to help produce this shocking report :-)
Not surprised it's East Anglia though, they seem pretty good at making things up...climategate, anyone?
That map covers the area where I live (Caerphilly) and the valleys.This is going to be interesting how they will pull this one off!
This should be done all over the UK as we are in dire need of new forest areas. I think the UK as a whole is something like 12% forest with most of that being in Scotland.. and with most of our ancient forest fragmented, the time to act is NOW!
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