Council reconsiders plans to employ sheep ranger

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

A ranger could be employed to help manage stray sheep in a Gwent town nearly three years after the idea of hiring a shepherd was rejected.

The possibility of employing a shepherd to round up stray sheep in Blaenavon was put to Torfaen council in September 2023 by local councillor Nick Horler who said residents had also raised the suggestion around 10 years earlier.

Torfaen Borough Council ruled out employing a shepherd three years ago on cost grounds but the council’s cabinet member for the environment, Mandy Owen, said a ranger who’d have responsibility for stray sheep could be now be under consideration, after Cllr Horler again highlighted the issue at the authority’s May meeting.

The independent councillor said there is an “increased number of sheep roaming around” Blaenavon which he said is causing concern for their welfare and he blamed on vandalism to stock proof fencing.

At the May meeting Cllr Horler asked: “Is now time to restate a shepherd to ease the current concerns raised by many of our community?”

Labour’s councillor Owen said a “ranger role” could be considered as a result of discussions at the Blaenavon World Heritage Town Partnership group.

She said: “Through the Blaenavon World Heritage Partnership the council is leading work to explore introducing a new ranger role to support day to day management, coordination and communication in relation to straying of stock and wider common land issues. This proposal is dependant on partner organisations contributing funding.”

Further discussions are expected at a partnership meeting in July while Cllr Owen said council officials are also discussing how they can support management of sheep straying.

Best practice

But the cabinet member also said officers have done “a lot of work” with livestock owners, and are also looking at best practice from other areas of Wales, but said the council “can’t require landowners to erect or maintain stock proof fencing”.

She also said the council has recently completed work to repair and renew stock proof fencing around Llanfoist Avenue and Balls Pond.

In September 2023 Cllr Horler said residents in Forgeside were terrorised by a stray ram whose owner couldn’t be identified.