I ddarllen y blog yma yn y Gymraeg, cliciwch yma os gwelwch yn dda.
The Public Inquiry into the M4 diversion around Newport has been open for just over a week and nature’s voice is already being heard. A few weeks back, you might remember this blog with an update regarding the M4 diversion. Also included were suggestions as to how you could get your voice heard and make a difference to the precious wildlife that inhabits the Gwent Levels.
Therefore, we were very interested in the response from the Welsh Government’s expert ecology and nature conservation witness, Dr Keith Jones, who in his evidence to the hearing this week – as reported by BBC Wales - highlighted that the M4 diversion threatened to severely damage habitats supporting protected species on the Gwent Levels.
In his statement to the hearing, he said the operation of the new highway would have “significant long term effects" on otters and bats, adding that during construction, rivers, salt marsh and reed beds could be affected. The road would also have “significant long term effects of land take” on the common cranes, that have nested for the first time in Wales in over 400 years, the rare shrill carder bee, and Cetti’s warbler.
RSPB Cymru’s Head of Conservation Policy and Advocacy, Sharon Thompson, said: “It’s heartening to hear that the Welsh Government’s expert witness isn’t shying away from setting out the implications of the M4 diversion on the wildlife of the Gwent Levels. This also supports our own evidence. We hope that as a result of the acknowledgement of the importance of the Gwent Levels and the impact the route has on nature, the public inquiry comes to the right conclusion.”
To see the full BBC article, click here.
David Wooton, rspb-images.com