Family who put up gates that 'cut off' community say they had

A family who put up a set of huge gates blocking a popular mountain walk near Treorchy have issued a statement explaining why they made the change. The small village of Cwmparc in the Rhondda has been up in arms since the gates and security suddenly appeared almost two weeks ago.

On Sunday locals gathered at the gates in Vicarage Terrace to protest against the new homeowners blocking access. The walking route to the forest has long been popular among the community and is the only fully accessible route, walkers say. It means so much to some that they’ve even scattered relatives’ ashes there. One resident said “it feels beyond cruel to be cut off“.

The gates were put up on private land and earlier this week NRW confirmed it holds a private right of way over the land but that does not extend to the general public. For the first time the family that erected the gates have spoken out and defended their decision, saying that they have faced numerous problems with the entrance since moving to Cwmparc a year ago.

In a statement shared by local MS Buffy Williams the family allege the private entrance has been “abused in a way that has left us no choice but to consult with authorities and advisers over what we should do”. They say they have been subjected to everything ranging from illegal parking to people urinating and using air rifles as well as out-of-control dogs and dangerous driving – even suggesting that a child has nearly been knocked over.

They also say torches were shone through their children’s bedroom at night. The family claimed these issues led them to decide “to put security gates at our home to keep our children safe.” Get the latest Rhondda news first by signing up to our newsletter here.

People protesting — Locals gathered to protest against the gates being erected -Credit:Richard Swingler

The family also added they are “working hard to find an alternative solution” including considering what alternative routes could be offered. Members of the community are determined to restore access and are fighting for the gates to be removed. Richard Clarke and David Williams are two locals working to gather evidence showing that the pathway has been used by the people of Cwmparc for decades. They are planning to submit a prescriptive right of way form to the local authority in order to get the pathway designated as a registered public right of way and restore their access.

The full statement provided by the family reads: “Our family made Cwmparc our home about a year ago and we have enjoyed settling our children in such a beautiful, welcoming community. Our property borders the forestry and our private entrance has been abused in a way that has left us no choice but to consult with authorities and advisers over what we should do.

“Our home and family were being subjected to illegal parking, dangerous driving (a child nearly knocked over), out-of-control dogs, dog-fouling, people urinating, aggression, theft, drugs, and air rifles. The issues continued including torches being shone through the children’s bedroom at night. A decision was made that we needed to put security gates at our home to keep our children safe.

“We want to thank NRW, Welsh Water, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and the council for the time they have given to the issue and their support and approvals throughout. We want to thank the police who work tirelessly to keep everyone safe and who have provided reassurance to our family after several serious threats have been made.

“We are currently working hard to find an alternative solution. There is an existing path to one side of our property which would provide an alternative route. Work on clearing the path has already started but we ask for the community’s patience and understanding as the progress is weather-dependent.

“There is also an unused allotment to the right where an access gate could be installed and our family would personally help the community clear this to give access to the mountain provided we have the necessary consent. Thank you to those of you who have shown kindness and understanding towards the difficult situation we find ourselves in. Your kind words as fellow parents have motivated us to keep our faith in our community and help find an alternative solution which meets the needs of everyone concerned. We will engage directly with authorities in working on an alternative solution and ask the community to please direct any questions or suggestions you may have through the relevant official channels.”

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