Work to improve Cardiff’s woodland to begin as part of National Forest bid

Adam Johannes

Conservation work to improve the health of woodland in Cardiff’s Bute Park is set to begin next week, with Cardiff Council saying it forms part of wider plans to secure National Forest status for several green spaces across the city.

The council says the work will also address the impact of ash dieback, a disease affecting ash trees across the UK, while helping to ensure public safety for park visitors.

Similar woodland management plans are being developed for Forest Farm, Nant Fawr, Howardian and Heath Park, with all sites forming part of a future application to the Welsh Government for National Forest status.

The work comes a year after controversy at Blackweir Fields, when visitors expressed shock at trees being felled and some residents accused the council of “vandalism”.

At the time, the council claimed the clearance work formed part of standard risk management and involved trees that were dead or affected by ash dieback.

Some park users remained unconvinced, fearing the clearance was linked to access routes for the Blackweir Live music event, despite assurances that the work was necessary for safety.

Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, argued the upcoming work would deliver lasting benefits for both wildlife and visitors.

“Our new management plan for this important woodland aims to improve its overall health and will deliver real long-term benefits for nature,” she said, “This is work we’ve wanted to be able to do at Blackweir woods for some time. Now, with the help of income generated through last summer’s Blackweir Live events, we can.”

She added that some of the work might appear drastic at first glance but is widely used in conservation: “Processes such as vegetation clearance and coppicing can sometimes look alarming – but they are tried and tested methods, used in woodlands across Cardiff and the rest of the UK, to help create the diverse and thriving habitats we all want to see.”

Biodiversity

Cardiff Council say initial work this year will focus on two areas of woodland, one alongside the dock feeder canal south of the ambulance station, and another close to the River Taff on the opposite side of the park.

Planned improvements include cutting back bramble, managing invasive species such as rhododendron, and selective thinning and respacing of trees where needed.

Coppicing may also be carried out, a process that involves cutting a tree down to a stump to encourage healthy regrowth  and regeneration over time, rather than removing them entirely.

The measures are expected to increase light at the forest floor, encourage ground flora and the shrub layer, improve water flow through the dock feeder canal, and support a wider range of biodiversity. Native species will later be planted beneath existing tree cover to strengthen the woodland for the future.

The work will be completed ahead of the bird-nesting season.