Press Report
Acknowledgement is given to the South Wales Evening Post - 9/9/11
BEG administrator, Lynne John, stated she is most unhappy about the above press report because the root cause of the problem was not highlighted as it should have been. Below is the letter she sent to the newspaper.
BEG writes to the
Evening Post
Woodland Walk spoiled in Bryncoch
by Lynne John
by Lynne John
Residents and members of the Bryncoch Environment Group are very concerned at the way a beautiful local woodland at Dyffryn Woods, Bryncoch is being gradually destroyed. The problem started a few years ago when decking platforms began to appear like a rash along the edge of an ancient woodland. These platforms, with fencing above them, tower over a public footpath which is used by a great number of people every day.
Walkers can now see all sorts of items on the platforms ranging from a red telephone box to garden furniture and sheds. Whereas, prior to these developments, people could enjoy the beautiful trees which formed a green canopy through the summer months, emerging buds and leaves in spring, then lovely autumn colours before winter arrived. 
To enable the decking platforms to be constructed a large number of mature trees have been felled and huge expanses of vegetation cleared leaving the earth banks looking bare and ugly. The banks are quite unstable in certain areas, now the trees have been cut down, leaving them at risk of collapse during very heavy rain. 
Apart from the visual impact that this devastation has created, there are grave concerns about the loss of habitat for wildlife as well as the flora and mature trees that have disappeared. According to one resident "The woods used to be quite lovely but are being spoiled by some people who probably never walk through the woods, and so have not seen the devastation that we see every time we walk there. I thought all the trees were protected in Waunceirch, but apparently that isn't the case anymore. It seems there was some error made by Neath Port Talbot Council which enabled some of the residents of Dyffryn Woods to go ahead and arrange for the trees to be cut down and then have these wooden decking platforms constructed.
