The Bannau Brycheiniog National Park’s boundary has been digitally interpreted for the first time since its designation in 1955 as a result of a joint partnership project led by Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority and Natural Resources Wales.
Earlier this week, the two organisations completed the joint project which ensures that digital maps accurately reflect the designated National Park boundary. The Authority has written to property owners who may be affected by these boundary modifications. The improvements will see properties which were previously thought to have been outside the National Park now sitting inside the boundary and vice versa.
Up until now, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority, Natural Resources Wales and Ordnance Survey each worked from their own digital copies of the boundary produced in the 1990s. But when the three organisations realised that the boundaries on the three maps differed it was decided to agree a definitive boundary. For the last six years, the National Park Authority and Natural Resources Wales have worked to produce an accurate interpretation of the boundary which can be used by all the landowners in the management of the National Park and its resources.
Cllr Geraint Hopkins, Chairman for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority said: “Agreeing an accurate and universal boundary map that everyone can use has been a remarkable achievement for all the organisations involved in this process. The National Park Authority use maps on a daily basis for all its functions, from development planning to recreation management and we are really pleased that this new digital boundary map will now assist not only our internal departments but other organisations that use the boundary for their work and land management as well.”
Shaun Lewis, GIS Officer for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority said: “We found that the original designation documents did not give us enough detail to be able to make some of the decisions we need to make and we needed to create an accurate digital boundary to make sure that there is clarity on where the boundary line actually is in relation to the ground. There are properties and land that has been affected, for example there are buildings that are within the National Park which previously the National Park Authority may have assumed were outside it. Conversely, there are buildings that are outside the National Park which previously the National Park Authority may have assumed were within it. We have attempted to contact all property owners by letter to explain the process and let them know if their property has been affected by the alterations.”
“I would urge anyone who thinks that their property may be affected, but who has not received a letter from us to get in touch with me directly at shaun.lewis@breconbeacons.org or telephone 01874 624437.”
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