Rallying the latest victim of Storm Darragh

The Welsh motor sport calendar is the latest victim to fall foul of the devastation wrought by Storm Darragh on the NRW-managed Welsh Government Woodland Estate.

The incredibly high winds have left thousands of tonnes of windblown timber blocking forests roads and preventing access to many areas and as a result NRW has taken the decision to cancel rallying events at Dyfnant on 16 March and Hafren on 13 April.

Impacts

Dave Liddy, Estate Recreation Planning Lead Specialist Advisor for NRW, said: “The whole of our woodland estate has been impacted by Storm Darragh and the clean-up operation will take several months to complete.

“Mid and South West Wales have been particularly hard hit, and many areas remain inaccessible to NRW forestry teams, we have therefore taken the decision to cancel the March and April events.

“Even roads which are passable pose a health and safety risk to both rally participants and spectators alike.

“We have been in contact with Motorsport UK and the Autocycle Union to inform them of our plans and give rally organisers as much notice as possible of the cancellations and discuss the prospects for rallies later in the year taking place.”

Recovery process

NRW’s efforts to assess damage and begin the recovery process has been further hampered by early January’s freezing weather and it is directing resources to tackle incidents arising from the storm and ensuring the impact on its harvesting operations is kept to a minimum.

Dave Liddy added:“Initial reports suggest North East and North West Wales were less impacted than the rest of the country so there is a slim possibility that the Plains Rally on 18 May could take place, but we will continue to monitor the situation before a final decision is made.

“We have no idea whether rallies later in the year will be affected, as we are unable to get into Crychan or Halfway Forest, where the Nicky Grist Stages are due to take place in July to undertake damage surveys.

“The same goes for Ceri Forest, which hosts the Woodpecker Rally in September, which remains inaccessible thanks to its remote location.”
Hugh Chambers, Motorsport UK CEO, said: “Motorsport UK has worked continuously with NRW in recent years to ensure a long-term future for the sport on the estate.

“Whilst we are disappointed about the cancellations, we understand the position of NRW and have offered our assistance to them and their staff at this difficult time.”