THE people of Cowbridge have been praised for their “incredible” support for a campaign to protect a much-valued country walk that finishes close to the town centre.
The ‘Save the Three Fields’ campaign wanted to buy about 12 acres of agricultural land – popular with walkers – to stop any possibility of it ever being built on.
The organiser of the campaign, Adrian Griffiths, told the Glamorgan Star: “The support from current and former Cowbridge residents has been incredible. It demonstrates the power of social media.
“We did have three major sponsors – former residents currently in Portugal, Spain and London – and then there were over 300 donations from locals, from £20 upwards.”
Mr Griffiths added that he had a personal reason for wanting to protect the fields: “My father proposed to my mother at the top of the hill when they were out walking. She said yes which, obviously, helped me come into the world.”
The fields were clearly valued by local people as a place to enjoy a quiet walk – or even go sledging in winter when it snowed.
The purchase was very much a long-term decision. The land is not earmarked for housing in the council’s Local development Plan (LDP). Indeed, it has never even been a candidate site. The successful purchase means that it never will be.
The site had a guide price of £185,000 at the auction, and the campaigners paid exactly that. There were other bidders.
Mr Griffiths said that it had been a stressful process. The auction was originally scheduled for February of this year, but a legal technicality had meant it had to be postponed. However, even this delay had a silver lining.
Mr Griffiths said: “The delay was frustrating but it did mean that extra people became aware of the issue and came forward to donate to the campaign.”
He added that the fields would stay as they are, as a peaceful area for people walking to and fro between Llanblethian and Cowbridge.
On social media, there was fulsome praise for Adrian Griffiths and his team.
In a statement, they said: “We are absolutely over the moon to announce that we have won the auction. This couldn’t have been done without the generous support of everyone involved.
“We will share more information on how much we raised and how much reserves we have left once all the dust settles and all costs are paid.”
By Philip Irwin – Senior News Reporter
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