PLAY equipment is being removed from Gwent’s biggest tourist attraction to make way for a storage area while thousands of diseased trees are felled, says a report from a meeting held last week.

The seven-mile Cwmcarn Forest Drive in Caerphilly county will close on November 2 to allow machinery to fell more than 150,000 diseased larch trees.

Cycle paths and the nearby visitor centre will remain open but almost 2,000 people have signed a petition calling for Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to reverse their decision to close the site, which receives thousands of visitors each year, calling on them to finish logging during the winter months and use “harvest” roads to take away timber.

A drop-in session with NRW is taking place at the visitor centre today between 10am and 2pm, following a session held yesterday.

A separate meeting between NRW and campaigners took place last week, involving the Friends of Cwmcarn, the Twmbarlwm Society, the Open Spaces Society and a Mr Schofield and Alan Hubbock of NRW.

The minutes, written by the campaigners, claim that play equipment is being removed as wood carvings become a potential health and safety issue, and the play areas will be used as storage areas.

The representatives were asked what the likelihood was of permanent closure of the drive, to which they answered that a partnership of funders and management bodies would be needed to ensure its future, including Caerphilly council.

The Argus has contacted NRW for a comment about the meeting but has so far not received a response.

The online petition closes on October 14.

NRW previously admitted they did not know when or if the drive would re-open.

Anyone who cannot attend the drop-in sessions can email questions to Cwmcarn@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk