South East Wales Resilient Uplands

The upland landscape across Torfaen, Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent faces a number of challenges from landscape crime, loss of habitats and key species to poor infrastructure and fragmented communities. Building on previous wide scale community engagement the project will take forward new collaborative action to improve the uplands, support farm enterprise, improve visitor experiences and create more resilient communities.

The project’s collaborative approach includes input from the three local authorities, the police, fire and rescue services, commons associations, action groups, farming unions and Brecon Beacons National Park.  The initial focus will be on land management to improve soils and water quality, biodiversity, and carbon storage.

Strengthening relationships between stakeholders and commoners to support upland communities, building capacity through volunteering, training and community engagement, increasing farm competitiveness and viability through diversification and the development of innovative business opportunities will also be the project aims. The  tackling of the underlying causes of upland degradation caused by poor land management and anti-social problems such as fly-tipping, arson and illegal off-roading and providing opportunities for quiet recreation and enhancing the area’s tourism offer will all be explored.