Locals in UK village rage as £40,000 'great wall' erected - 'It's disgusting!'

Locals in a Welsh village are furious after a £40,000 fence was erected. The 2.1-metre-high fence has been labelled the "Great Wall of Clydach" by locals. The steel fence stretches across the face of Gilwern Mountain, overlooking Clydach, Monmouthshire.

The area falls within the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (Brecon Beacons) and is near the boundary of Blaenavon, the UNESCO World Heritage site. At a in Clydach Village Hall near Abergavenny, residents confronted councillors and officials, demanding the removal of the fence despite the council's insistence that access must be restricted due to concerns over potential collapse, causing rockfall.

At a council meeting, most attendees agreed with Llanelly Hill independent councillor Simon Howarth - the meeting's organiser who sought alternative suggestions to remove the fence.

The fence has already incurred costs of £40,000 for purchase and installation, the meeting heard.

Neighbourhood manager Carl Touhig of Monmouthshire County Council said previous attempts to restrict vehicles at Gilwern Mountain using gates and boulders instead of a fence had failed due to damage or removal.

Following a 2023 rockfall incident the council initiated an additional study recommending the closure of the road not just to vehicles but also to pedestrians.

Mr Touhig warned: "A rockfall could take the whole road out. If someone was on that road and I know I've not made it safe, I could be prosecuted for corporate manslaughter, and someone losing their life would be far worse than a prison sentence."

Despite the safety measures, locals say motorcyclists have continued to use the road. They have also reported people abseiling down the rockface of the old quarry using the fence.

Former county councillor Martin Thomas expressed his disapproval of the fence, calling it "disgusting". He voiced concerns about the potential for accidents caused by glare from the metal structure on the newly completed A465 below.

Farmer Wayne Elliot, whose farm lies beneath the fence, said: "I used to use it all the time. I'm not worried about it collapsing, it's been there donkey's years. We've been here 30 years and I've used it without any issue at all."

Mr Touhig revealed that the projected cost of reconstructing the road further into the mountain exceeds £1m, a task that would necessitate heavy machinery on unstable terrain.

Cllr Howarth and Monmouthshire council's Labour leader Mary Ann Brocklesby, who also represents the ward, claimed they were not informed in advance about the erection of the fence.

Senior council officer Debra Hill-Howells concurred that the council needs to improve its communication as a highways authority and manage its relationship with the local community more effectively.

She said the council will collaborate with the community to mitigate the fence's impact and work towards a permanent solution.