Furious locals in a picturesque village have hit out at a ‘hideous’ seven-foot steel fence erected on a hillside overlooking their homes.
The barrier, dubbed the ‘Great Wall of Clydach’ by villagers, was installed within Bannau Brycheiniog National Park along the face of Gilwern mountain above Clydach, Monmouthshire.
Running along Pwll Du Road, which has been closed to traffic for five years, the fence was erected to block any access amid council fears it could collapse on cars and walkers.
But residents in the tiny village below have called it a ‘disgusting waste of money’ after it cost £40k of public money to install.
Locals also claim there was ‘zero consultation’ from the council before it went up two weeks ago.
Speaking to , homeowner Clive Thomas, who was born in Clydach, said: ‘We’ve got a lovely back garden, and it’s just an eyesore. When the sun is on it and everything, it just looks out of place.’
Long-term resident Simon Elliott said: ‘There was no consultation with anyone.
‘The fence has been put up with no understanding at all of what the area is.
‘All it needed was a low-level fencing to stop any cattle or people going over the edge into the quarry.’
He added: ‘It doesn’t need to be a metal fence. It’s just crazy. It’s national parks and it’s a heritage site.’
More than 120 locals turned up to Clydach’s village hall on Wednesday to protest against the fence, which they insisted is a safety hazard as abseilers now use it to tie their ropes to.
Local Marit Meredith said: ‘We weren’t consulted about the fence at all.
‘It’s been noted that climbers are using the fence to fasten their ropes to which is unsafe.
‘It’s the appearance and it could cause an accident. It’s over 2metres high.
‘Abseilers, they could actually kill themselves.’
Wednesday’s meeting revealed the fence cost £40,000 to purchase and erect over a three-day period, and is only intended as a temporary nine-month safety measure.
A highways chief explained planning permission was not required for the fence, which is within the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, but said the national park had been told.
Ms Meredith said there are peregrine falcons – a rare species of bird – nesting below the fence, which are being ‘disturbed’ by its presence.
Meanwhile, health and safety manager Darren Jones, who lives in the village, branded the fence an ‘eyesore’ and said he could not understand the ‘purpose’ of it.
‘Visually it’s an eyesore,’ he said. ‘Potentially something needs to be done but I don’t think the council understands why it’s there.
‘What is its purpose? That wasn’t clearly answered.
‘I think if they had consulted in the first place it probably wouldn’t have got to this stage in the first place, which is very disappointing.’
He added: ‘They could have done something more aesthetically pleasing.
‘You need consultation, you need signage, and you need a physical barrier, but it doesn’t have to look like that.’
Carl Touhig, who manages highways within Monmouthshire County Council, explained previous attempts to keep cars off the road including boulders had been unsuccessful as they were damaged or removed.
A rockfall in 2023 caused the council to release a report suggesting the path should be closed off to both people and vehicles.
But one local woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said the new fence is not a solution, arguing the money should have been spent on ‘more important’ things such as fixing the roads.
‘I think it’s disgusting the amount of money they’ve spent. It’s an eyesore,’ she said.
‘Especially if the sun is shining on it, it distracts motorists.’
The woman added: ‘Totally out of character. Total waste of money.
‘It could have been spent on other more important things than that.’
A local farmer added: ‘While I understand the need for there to be safety measures, it could have been done very differently. It’s 2.1metres high.
‘You could have had a much lower safety fence that wouldn’t have been visible.
‘When the sun is shining on it, it’s hideous.
‘I don’t quite understand the logic behind it.
‘It’s done to try and exonerate the council from any risk.’
He added: ‘The background to it is the quarry is deemed unsafe. They don’t want anybody on the road when there is a ground slip.
‘It’s just very bizarre.’
A Monmouthshire County Council spokesperson said: ‘The road was closed in 2020 due to serious safety concerns over the structural integrity of the roads supporting sub-structures.
‘We have installed a number of temporary measures since 2020. However, these have been damaged or removed, resulting in users putting themselves and others at risk.
‘A recent rock fall in the adjacent quarry has further undermined the road. Therefore, we made the decision to install a vandal-proof temporary fence to address the ongoing safety risks.
‘We acknowledge, however, that in undertaking this action, we failed to consult with local residents or explain the rationale for the installation of the fence. We apologise for this and are listening to the concerns raised over the visual impact of the fencing.
‘We are committed to working with the community and their elected representatives to find ways to mitigate the impact of the structure while ensuring the safety risks associated with the deteriorating road are effectively managed.’