Residents who live near a beauty spot are campaigning to stop a 100-acre water treatment plant from being built there. Thousands living in Merthyr Tydfil have signed a petition opposing the proposals by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water.
If the plans are accepted the plant would take up swathes of land north of Merthyr Tydfil and east of Trefechan. The area, in Pontsarn, borders Brecon Beacons national park, Morlais castle and quarries, the Taff Trail, and the Taf Fechan site of special scientific Iiterest.
Residents have described the proposal as "atrocious" and worry about the impact it would have on local wildlife as well as recreation. After reviewing a number of areas Dŵr Cymru said the chosen site is the most appropriate for the plant and public consultation is under way.
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Judith Wilding lives in Trefechan with the area, also known as Gurnos farm, on her doorstep. The 53-year-old said: "It's absolutely atrocious. The site is going to be 100 acres with five-storey industrial buildings. It's an area of outstanding natural beauty that the community and tourists use. It's a very historical area with Morlais castle overlooking the site. It's the gateway to the Brecon Beacons national park and Pontsticill. It also borders the Taff Trail so I use it for dog walks and bike rides."
Judith said she was shocked to find out about the plans in summer last year before learning preparation for the plans began in 2017. She said: "Welsh Water was very discreet about the consultation. There were two consultation meetings which were not widely advertised and letters were not sent out until July 2021. This has been planned since 2017 – they've had all that time to inform residents.
"When we went to the meetings it felt like a done deal. We spoke how Welsh Water could minimise the impact rather than us being able to oppose."
If the plan goes ahead building would start around 2026 and continue until 2030. Judith said she, and other residents in her vicinity, worry about what the logistics of the works will mean for them as it is built. "People in the community are devastated. We already live on an industrial estate with the A465 roadworks. I bought my house here because of the beautiful view and all the residents feel the same. We worry that our houses will be devalued.
"It's going to be horrendous. It's going to be noisy for five years as it's built and then when the plant itself has finished we'll be able to hear the valves."
Mogs Chambers from Cefn Coed said he had enjoyed the area his whole life. The 83-year-old said the community could not afford to lose the land.
"After the war every Sunday my father would walk from Cefn Coed to the sanatorium [located on the site] carrying papers for the patients," he said. "Me and my brother used to walk with him to help and wait outside. I remember as a young boy walking past the sanatorium, the huge windows would be open and even in the snow they would put the beds outside so they could take in the fresh, clean air. [My connection] to that area goes back about 77 years. It means so much to me."
Mogs said he thinks the proposed plans are inappropriate for the historical and scenic land. He said: "My view is it seems to be being built totally in the wrong place. It seems rather large and over and above what they would've needed. It's also right next to the national park and other sites of interest. It's a very historical area – underneath the castle there was an iron age fort. There is a very long history there."
He said building the plant at a nearby quarry would be better received by residents so that it doesn't spoil the beautiful landscape. "A lot of people don't think of Merthyr Tydfil as being a very attractive place," he said. "But in reality Merthyr Tydfil is a very, very attractive place. Many people use the area as a walkway to get to the various attractions and they have done so for centuries. I'm sure Pontsarn is responsible for the vast majority of marriages in Merthyr over the last 100 years. It's the place people go for walks when they are courting."
Mogs said if Dŵr Cymru went ahead and built the works people would not sit back and let it happen. He said: "I feel people are going to be rather bitter about it. I think they are going to find it very tough as an organisation to build it there. At the end of the day the people will win. People power is very powerful." He added: "I don't want to fight with anyone but this is a fight I'm willing to take. We can't afford to lose this land."
David Rees has been a resident of Pontsarn for the last 35 years and regularly walks his border collie in the area. He said his main concern is the impact the plans might have on the natural environment.
The 60-year-old said: "I am a naturalist and I'm concerned about the environmental impact and reduction in the leisure areas which would be eroded dramatically. The site itself would take up 100 acres in area which is as large as Cyfarthfa Park. It seems ridiculous to me that a development of that size can be placed in that area.
"I work in a pub two nights a week and we get visitors from all over. We've had people from Sweden, Ireland, Argentina, France, and Belgium. When they come in they are all gushing with the beauty of the area."
David said he was taken aback when he found out about the plans by pure chance. He said: "I found out about it in March 2021. I noticed they were doing geological surveys and taking rock samples. I contacted my local councillor to ask what is happening and they approached planning on our behalf and it turned out Welsh Water were investigating the area for potential water treatment usage. We found out this had been in the pipeline since 2017. When I found out it was happening I was bemused."
David, who has a background in construction, said he can see the appeal to developing the plan on a greenfield site. He said the unblemished landscape can make building cheaper.
"They are putting cost over environmental factors," he said. "How they could not see there would be opposition to this and there are brownfield sites such as quarries that could be suited. I think it would lead to extremely disgruntled residents not just in the locality but in wider Merthyr Tydfil and beyond by those who visit the area." He added: "It begs the question what other sites have been considered and why have they been turned down in favour of this green land?"
Fran Bevan is the chair of the Protect Pontsarn campaign. A Facebook page created of the same name currently has nearly 3,000 likes.
She said: "We will do whatever it takes to protect this vital part of Merthyr's countryside. It means so much to us – not just to the farming family that stands to lose its land but to so many people from Merthyr who enjoy walking around the area and enjoying the peace and tranquillity and the beautiful views that Pontsarn has to offer.
"It's well-known that Merthyr has been ravaged by heavy industry and Pontsarn has always been like the 'green lungs' of the borough. During lockdown, particularly it showed how essential the area was as people living in nearby communities needed to take a break from their homes.
"The Welsh Government has repeatedly made claims about protecting our remaining green spaces and the Well-being of Future Generations Act states that people's physical and mental well-being must be protected. Pontsarn and the surrounding areas have been doing that for many, many years – providing a space for people to escape urban life and enjoy the beauty of the countryside. But now Dŵr Cymru wants to take that away without considering the loss to local communities and also to tourism."
A spokesman for Dŵr Cymru said many concerns raised in this article are covered by the FAQ document here. The spokesman said: "We are currently developing plans to site a new water treatment works in the Merthyr Tydfil area. The project is a vital national infrastructure project and is essential to replace three existing treatment works in the area which are nearing the end of their operational life.
"We are committed to engaging with the local community about the plans and have recently completed a six-week non-statutory consultation period to provide the local community with an opportunity to view our initial plans and provide comments. This has included hosting information events locally and creating a virtual consultation room on our website with information about the project. People have been able to submit their comments either through feedback forms at the information events, through the virtual consultation room, or by emailing us at the dedicated email address we have set up. We have been encouraged by how many people have responded and would like to thank them for taking the time to do so.
"We are currently reviewing the comments received to assess how these can be incorporated into the plans for the works. The next step will be for us to hold the statutory consultation with the local community ahead of us submitting the planning application to the local authority. During the statutory consultation process we will again engage with the local community and provide them with opportunities to come and view our plans and provide feedback.
"A number of sites in the area were considered for the works and each carefully assessed for their suitability. The preferred site is considered the most appropriate for a number of reasons including proximity to the existing water network, proximity to Llwynon, Cantref, and Pontsticill reservoirs, and its high elevation which minimises the energy needed to pump water to customers therefore keeping its carbon emissions low." You can get more stories from Merthyr Tydfil by signing up to our WalesOnline newsletter here.
