Tuesday 18 April 2017

Afan valley commercialisation

It seems that the doubts I raised on Facebook about the loss of access for leisure cyclists and walkers to parts of the Afan valley as a result of a commercial enterprise are shared. This article also points to the minimal business record of the man behind the Cwm Afan scheme, so enthusiastically endorsed by Labour in Neath Port Talbot and in Cardiff Bay. A contributor to Jac's article writes:

There are leisure facilities already present in the valley, most notably a mountain bike centre which has had substantial council investment from the taxpayers of Neath Port Talbot, and of course a building up at Glyncorrwg which has a cafĂ©, which was funded by Communities First. 

The ‘ponds’ at Glyncorrwg are a series of reclaimed colliery reservoirs stocked with fish. The cycle paths, which taxpayers paid millions into, are the ones which run along the trackbed of the old Rhondda to Swansea railway line from Blaengwynfi (Rhondda tunnel) down to Port Talbot, and its spur up to Glyncorrwg.

The forest plantation came into the possession of Natural Resources Wales (Forestry Commission). The old coal tips were reclaimed at public expense, the land having been gifted to the council from the National Coal Board.


There are some similarities to doubts raised by David TC Davies MP about the "Circuit of Wales" business plan.


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