RHONDDA CYNON TAF ACTION FOR NATURE PLAN
These actions look at ways of managing nature conservation sites and can apply to a variety of habitats and species across the County Borough.
1.
Promote habitat management training
Increase the pool of trained people in RCT who are able to help with or lead on habitat management projects. Include training for community groups who can have a vital role in their local communities e.g. through balsam bashing.
2.
Create a Habitat Management Advisory Officer Post
Increasingly we are being approached by landowners and community groups requiring advice on how to manage their land for nature. An officer post which would be able to advise, survey and write habitat management plans for such sites would be very valuable to the nature of RCT.
3.
Manage Local Authority land with nature in mind
Identify and assess the condition of the natural assets in the local authority estate, including land and buildings e.g. schools, verges, council buildings. Ensure the estate is managed sensitively for nature wherever possible. Provide help and advice for land managers such as Town&Community Councils, Public Bodies etc. to manage their land with nature in mind.
4.
Living Landscapes Project
Continue to develop the network of appropriately managed species-rich grasslands, grass verges and open spaces across the County Borough as part of the RCT Living Landscape Project.
5.
Habitat Management Funding
Lobby for grant aid to assist landowners to manage habitats, not just create them, e.g. grassland sites and woodland sites.
6.
Promote Natural Processes
Seek to influence Welsh Government funding to promote management over wildflower seeding and natural regeneration over tree planting.
7.
Invasive Species Management
Improve management and control of invasive species through more proactive control programme e.g. Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed. Involve Friends groups and volunteers in HB management.
Living Landscapes
Rhondda Cynon Taf Living Landscapes Project draws together wildlife-rich habitats on your doorstep into a network that can help our wildlife to thrive and for us all to enjoy and contribute to.
For all these sites, management for nature conservation and public enjoyment is the key focus. The sites include rhos pasture, meadows, woodlands, peatbogs and marshes, ponds and streams, ffridd and upland. Some sites are small areas of a bigger park, sports ground or cemetery, some are large areas provided by developers as part of ‘planning gain’, all have something important to contribute to the network and will help our wildlife to move through the landscape.
A pilot of 29 sites (all in Council ownership or management) was approved in 2021 and we hope more sites and more owners will join the network as the project develops. Funding is currently being sought to provide signage and fencing and some initial contractor works. Practical works have started on some sites, with community groups and conservation organisations also contributing. Sites are already accessible to the public and used by local people out for a stroll. But they are not always well-known or their potential and value appreciated. The project will provide more opportunities to visit, enjoy, record, research, interpret, learn, develop skills and contribute to managing these sites to maximise their biodiversity and promote active communities.
