Letter to the Editor: As you report (Minister welcomes debate on Cambrian Mountains bid, Cambrian News, 14 December) the Senedd’s debate on our Petition seeking Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) status for the Cambrian Mountains was largely sympathetic to our proposal.

It was all the more disappointing, then, that as you also report Plaid Cymru’s spokesman in the debate chose simply to run the idea down.

We were particularly surprised given that two mid-Wales Plaid Cymru Senedd Members had expressed their personal support for the proposal during the petition campaign, and given us no inkling before the debate that they did not intend to support it.

Mabon ap Gwynfor’s stated objections do not accurately reflect the reality of AONB status.

An AONB, whilst conserving and enhancing natural beauty, must also take account of the needs of agriculture, forestry, other rural industries, and the economic and social needs of local communities.

It must have particular regard to promoting sustainable forms of social and economic development.

This is the opposite of imposing stasis, as Mr ap Gwynfor seeks incorrectly to suggest.

Existing AONBs support their local communities through all kinds of pro-business initiatives, from sponsoring major community projects and delivering skills training, to helping to raise an area’s profile with visitors and manage facilities.

Accordingly, AONB status precisely aligns with the objective which Mr ap Gwynfor claims to support: a circular economy with sustainable tourist initiatives complementing other local industries in local ownership.

Mr ap Gwynfor gives no sound justification for his objection because there is none.

AONB status would further boost the Cambrian Mountains Initiative’s excellent work in raising and re-energising the region’s reputation.

This would be good not just for the designated uplands area itself but also increasing recognition for the whole of Ceredigion and Powys.

Farm subsidies under the new Agriculture Bill and grants for collaborative projects run by an AONB under the Sustainable Landscape Scheme would benefit farmers as well as delivering aspects of the regional AONB management plan. At the same time the AONB would look to the interests of other businesses, actively helping threatened local communities diversify to deal with the decline of upland farming and the alarming transformation of these hills into commercial forestry.

Of course hard work needs to be done to deliver this, and of course it needs funding to kick start the development of a more balanced, long term and outward looking economy in mid-Wales. But where there’s a will there’s a way.

The Growing Mid-Wales Partnership fund could support AONB projects, and other AONBs have been very successful in attracting outside funding to help develop their regions.

As the Cambrian Mountains communities have already demonstrated, we have the will we need to succeed.

Lorna Brazell,

Trustee and Secretary,

Cambrian Mountains Society