Climate

Nature in Wales ‘in steep decline’ with most protected habitats in ‘poor condition’

Published

5 months ago

January 21, 2026

Watchdog says urgent joint action is needed — with only two of 61 habitats classed as favourable nationwide

NATURAL RESOURCES WALES has issued a stark warning about the state of the nation’s wildlife and landscapes after publishing the first full Wales-wide assessment of the conservation status of key habitats and species.

The report, released under embargo at 12:01am on Thursday (Jan 22), brings together evidence on habitats and non-bird species of international importance, alongside assessments for all birds in Wales. NRW said it provides the clearest national picture yet of how species and habitats are faring, the pressures driving decline, and what measures are most likely to support recovery.

The findings are intended to act as a baseline for efforts to halt biodiversity loss and will feed into Wales’ next State of Natural Resources Report (SoNaRR), which NRW said is due to be published on Thursday (Jan 29).

The assessment makes sobering reading.

Of the 61 habitats assessed, only two were found to be in favourable condition across Wales as a whole. Nearly 80% were classed as “unfavourable-bad”, underlining what NRW described as the scale of the challenge facing nature recovery in Wales.

Among 53 non-bird species, just 14 were assessed as being in favourable condition, while 16 were found to be in serious decline. NRW said these include Atlantic salmon, which has suffered steep falls in numbers in recent years.

For marine species — excluding seabirds — the report found only four were in favourable condition, while the conservation status of others remains poorly understood due to gaps in evidence.

The report also highlights steep declines in 16 species, including the Marsh fritillary butterfly and rare plants such as the fen orchid. But NRW said the overall picture is not entirely bleak, pointing to some bird species that have increased significantly in Wales over the past two decades, including the Atlantic puffin.

NRW said pressures vary between habitats and species, but the main drivers of decline include agriculture, climate change, pollution and urban development. It also highlights disease impacts on birds and water-related pressures affecting fish — factors which can combine and compound one another.

The assessment draws on evidence from long-running monitoring programmes, independent research and citizen science. It examines range, population trends, habitat condition and long-term prospects, alongside the pressures continuing to drive losses.

NRW said the complexity of the threats means solutions must be joined-up, long-term and delivered collectively — not as isolated projects — but argued that nature can recover where action is targeted and sustained.

It pointed to partnership work already underway, including peatland restoration and carbon protection, and programmes aimed at reversing bird declines, including the Wales Curlew Action Plan and the Welsh Seabird Conservation Strategy.

NRW also said several species have been successfully restored through reintroduction programmes and habitat management, including fen orchid, shore dock, natterjack toad and sand lizard. Work is also underway on freshwater pearl mussel recovery.

Other initiatives highlighted include the £26.6m Welsh Government-funded Nature Networks programme, aimed at improving and connecting habitats across Wales, and the Natur am Byth species recovery programme, described as a major partnership effort focused on preventing extinctions while engaging communities.

Mary Lewis, Head of Natural Resource Management Policy at NRW, said the report offers both a warning and a roadmap.

“This report paints a sobering picture of nature in Wales,” she said. “The scale of decline is concerning, but we cannot afford to see it as inevitable.

“What this assessment gives us is clarity: clarity on where nature is under the greatest pressure, and clarity on what needs to be done. It provides the evidence base we need to target our work, and to help others target theirs.”

She added that NRW is already working with a wide range of partners — including farmers, land managers, local authorities, communities, organisations and government — to restore habitats, improve river health, and support nature-friendly farming through the Sustainable Farming Scheme.

Lewis said the report will also help guide priorities linked to Wales’ commitment to protect and effectively manage 30% of land and sea by 2030.

“This baseline, taken together with the evidence highlighted in our SoNaRR report will guide our future priorities, and ensure that Wales’ response to the nature and climate emergencies is grounded in robust evidence,” she said.

“By acting together now, we can secure a nature-rich, climate-resilient Wales that supports the wellbeing of current and future generations.”

NRW said the data and learning from the assessment is already being used to shape its forthcoming State of Natural Resources Report, due to be launched next week on Thursday (Jan 29).

Climate

Royal Welsh Show visitors urged to travel sustainably

Published

2 days ago

June 11, 2026

Tom Sinclair

VISITORS to this year’s Royal Welsh Show are being encouraged to use public transport as organisers look to ease congestion and promote more sustainable travel.

The show takes place at the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, from July 20 to 23, and is expected to attract thousands of people from across Wales and beyond.

The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society said rail and bus services would provide convenient options for showgoers, with free shuttle buses running from Builth Road railway station to the showground, which is just over a mile away.

Discounted admission

Visitors travelling on the Heart of Wales Line with a valid rail ticket will be able to buy discounted show admission tickets from conductors and ticket offices along the route.

The discounted prices are £35 for adults and £11 for children. Children under 16 can travel free by train when accompanied by a fare-paying adult.

Transport for Wales said rail services would connect visitors from across Wales and the borders, including routes from Cardiff through some of Wales’ most scenic countryside. TrawsCymru bus services will also provide another option for those travelling to the event.

Family activities

Transport for Wales and Network Rail will also have an interactive stand at the show, offering family-friendly rail safety activities and entertainment.

Activities will include VR headset experiences, story time sessions, badge-making classes and rail safety performances. Builth Wells Male Voice Choir is also due to visit the stand on the first day of the show.

Children under 16 travelling to the show by train on the Heart of Wales Line will be able to collect a free activity sheet on board and hand in their completed artwork at the Transport for Wales stand for a chance to win a prize.

Visitors are being urged to plan their journeys in advance through the Transport for Wales website and journey planner.

Travel encouraged:

Visitors to the Royal Welsh Show are being urged to consider rail and bus services this year (Pic: RWAS).

Climate

Welsh Conservatives call for moratorium on major wind and solar schemes

Published

4 days ago

June 9, 2026

Tom Sinclair

CALLS have been made for an immediate moratorium on industrial-scale solar and windfarm developments in Wales amid concern over the loss of productive farmland.

The Welsh Conservatives say the Welsh Government should pause major renewable energy schemes and urgently review the planning rules for Developments of National Significance.

Party leader Darren Millar MS said Future Wales 2040, the national planning framework, gives too much weight to large-scale renewable energy projects and risks allowing solar farms and windfarms to be built at the expense of food production.

Planning row

The row comes as Wales faces pressure to increase renewable energy generation while also protecting agricultural land, rural landscapes and farming communities.

Under the Developments of National Significance process, major infrastructure projects, including some large renewable energy schemes, are decided by Welsh Ministers rather than local councils.

Supporters say the system is needed to deliver clean energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, while critics argue it can leave communities feeling that decisions are being taken out of their hands.

Mr Millar said: “In opposition, the now First Minister campaigned against industrial-scale renewable developments in his own constituency for fear of the impact it would have on valuable farming land. Now in government, he needs to act accordingly to protect prime agricultural land.

“The current planning framework is fundamentally flawed. Future Wales 2040 creates an assumption in favour of industrial-scale solar farms and windfarm developments across great swathes of rural Wales, putting productive farmland at risk.

“We support renewable energy and recognise its role in achieving energy security and reducing emissions, but those developments should not be at the expense of Wales’ food security.

“Renewable developments should be appropriate in scale and sensitive to their environment, making better use of the roofs of buildings and car parks.

“The Welsh Government should introduce an immediate moratorium on industrial-scale solar and windfarm developments and undertake an urgent review of the planning framework for Developments of National Significance so Wales can take a more balanced approach to Wales’ energy future.”

Climate targets

The Welsh Government says renewable energy is central to meeting Wales’ climate targets and improving energy security, but that projects must go through the planning system before consent is granted.

Supporters of large-scale renewable schemes argue they are needed to cut emissions, reduce reliance on imported energy and help stabilise electricity supplies. Some farmers and landowners also see renewable projects as a source of income at a time when the agricultural sector is under pressure.

However, opponents say the scale and location of some proposals risk damaging landscapes, reducing food-producing land and leaving rural communities with too little say over major developments.

Business

Officers to decide outcome of turbine scheme after receiving bats report

Published

7 days ago

June 6, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE wind turbine scheme which was recommended to be refused over a lack of information on how it may affect bats, which led to it being previously withdrawn, has gained some breathing space to address the issue.

In December of last year, in an application recommended for refusal at Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Constantine Wind Energy Ltd sought permission for a 76-metre-high wind turbine at Summerton Farm, Sageston.

Back in 2024, an application to replace a current 60.5m high turbine on the site with one up to 90 metres, or just under 300 foot, at the site was refused on the grounds its height and scale would have a detrimental impact on the visual amenity of the locality, with the additional clause of failing to comply with supplementary guidance.

A report for committee members on the latest application says the smaller turbine than previously proposed, representing a 16-metre increase in height from a previously granted turbine “would not be sufficient for it to become an overbearing feature in the landscape,” with no objections from either the Council Landscape Officer or Natural Resources Wales.

However, concerns were raised by the council ecologist that the applicant’s Preliminary Ecological Appraisal Report was incomplete, with a bat survey not included.

It was recommended for refusal on the grounds that appraisal report, and technical note, “do not adequately address the impact of the proposed wind turbine on bat activity in the area”.

At the December meeting, members heard the scheme had been temporarily withdrawn to deal with issues raised, the application returning to the June meeting, again recommended for refusal on a lack of information on the potential impact on bats.

A report for members ahead of the June meeting says the application was withdrawn from the December agenda to allow the applicant time for consideration of the Council Ecologist’s request for further survey work.

It said the applicant had started a bat survey programme, with further surveys due to take place in July and September, the applicant asking for the matter to be deferred in November.

At the June meeting, Richard Grisk, on behalf of the applicants, referenced the additional surveys, calling for a further deferral, saying it would be far most cost efficient and effective for all parties, the applicants intending to resubmit an expected to be near-identical scheme, other than the bat reports, if it was refused.

After a great deal of deliberation on the matter, Cllr John Cole, who had initially proposed a deferral, moved the scheme be decided by officers under delegated powers.

This would allow them to either approve or refuse after the bat reports have been received.

Members, by 10 votes to four, supported the delegated decision, expected later this year.