South Wales makes its valleys green again
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The remote and tranquil landscape of the South Wales valleys, which was transformed by the ravages of the Industrial Revolution, is slowly being restored. The latest phase will be a 480km network of parks to complete the "greening of the valleys" at a cost of pounds 88m.
The idea of turning the scarred landscape into an environmental asset for both the local communities and potential investors is not new.
It was a process started in 1966 after the Aberfan landslip disaster, in which 116 children and 28 adults died. The latest initiative will continue that work into the 21st century.
And while outside Wales there may persist a perception that the valleys are all slag heaps and colliery winding gear, the reality is different.
"Anybody who has lived in the South Wales valleys for the past 20 years will have been aware of the massive transition that is visible when you travel around," said Gordon Hall, deputy planning officer with Mid-Glamorgan County Council. "The importance of the Valley Parks scheme is that it will bring everything together and link what has gone before. With this money a lot can be achieved over a short space of time."
It is hoped to restore the natural beauty of the river valleys and create a series of footpaths, cycleways and bridleways. Riverside habitats will be improved and flora and fauna encouraged to return.
Already the Welsh Development Agency, which took on the role from the Welsh Office in 1976, has reclaimed 7,000 acres of the worst sites and has spent around pounds 200m. Rivers like the Taff and Afan, which were once so polluted no fish could survive, now boast salmon. The WDA currently has 40 projects under way to restore 3,000 acres of former industrial land.
An example of what can be achieved is the former steel town of Merthyr Tydfil, where reclamation and landscaping is underway. But not at the expense of the town's industrial heritage; key sites are being preserved.
The river Taff now boasts a trail stretching 70 miles from Cardiff Bay to the Brecon Beacons that takes advantage of disused railway tracks and the course of the now dry bed of the Merthyr to Cardiff Canal. Similar initiatives are planned in other valleys.
Gwyn Griffiths, spokesman for the WDA, said: "A process that started after Aberfan for safety reasons was then seen as an opportunity to create space for new jobs.
"Over the last decade we have gone further and environmental improvements and reclamation are seen as the first step in a regeneration process that involves creating communities that can survive with jobs, a good environment and a good quality of life."
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