THE GWENT LEVELS NEEDS YOU!

Looking southwest across the Levels from the Gwent Wildlife Trust's Magor Marsh reserve.

This is all a bit late in the day but,... here is a quick post providing links to the bird related documents for those (hopefully all of you) thinking of objecting (or suggesting alternatives) to the new M4 Newport bypass.  Remember, all comments need to be sent to the Welsh Government by Wednesday 4th May. 

Comments should be sent to via snail mail or by hand to: 

Orders Branch

Transport

Department for Economy, Science and Transport

Welsh Government,

Cathays Park,

Cardiff CF10 3NQ

Or, if you live in the modern world, email info@m4-can.co.uk with the title ‘Formal objection - please forward to the Welsh Government’  

Of course, on Thursday 5th May you also have the opportunity to vote for a party that doesn’t support the planned motorway.  

Information/documentation

All the information as provided by the Welsh Government on the new M4 around/bypassing Newport is available here. 

However, the information with regard to ecology and nature conservation is available here.  This includes Chapter 10 of the Environmental Statement (the chapter on ecology and nature conservation) available here with associated figures here. 

If you are most interested in the ornithological details/impacts, then the results of the bird surveys undertaken to date are described in Chapter 10, Section 10.4 (pages 97-108 [see also Appendices 10.12, 10.13, 10.16, 10.28 and 10.29 for details of the methods employed, coverage of the surveys, etc., all of which are available here (just scroll down for the appendices)]).  The proposed mitigation scheme is outlined in Section 10.5 (pages 140-159).  The potential impacts, as identified by the schemes environmental consultants, on breeding and wintering birds of land-take, construction activity and operational activity are described in Sections 10.7-10.9 (pages 203-206, 291-295 and 338-342).  Residual Impacts on birds (i.e. the remaining potential impacts after the proposed mitigation measures are taken into account) are summarised in Section 10.12 (pages 376-378) but also see Table 10.19 (pages 347-361).  

Your response

Your comments can include anything you like.  You may want to support a greener alternative (e.g. the 'Blue Route'), you may want to highlight the importance of the habitats or species found on Levels, you may want to criticise the work undertaken to assess the habitats/species present or the proposed mitigation.  A simple email to the address above will ensure your views are included in the process   

If you don’t have time to wade through all the above,...

If you don’t have time to read the documentation and respond directly to the Welsh Government then a few of the local conservation groups are running campaigns to which you can add your name see,…

The Gwent Wildlife Trust campaign (including a response template) here; 

and the Woodland Trust campaign here; and

the RSPB campaign here.

These are easy ways to get your voice heard. Do it. Do it now!

The Gwent Levels at the Gwent Wildlife Trust's Magor Marsh reserve.