Pandy
Pandy is a magnificent site to fly, and the Club currently enjoys a good working relationship with the land owner, the Brecon Beacons National Park, but sadly this wasn‘t always the case.Hatterrall Hill (Pandy) has been flown since 1973, originally with the agreement of the Estate of Sir Godfrey Llewellyn. In 1976 Mr Winstanley became the new owner of Hatterrall Hill, and then in March 1993 the hill came under the ownership of the Brecon Beacons National Park (BBNP). The BBNP immediately started work on a management plan for the hill. The 1995 draft of this plan fortunately indicated that the Park were willing to allow continued access to Hatterrall Hill for quiet airsports, as these were thought to be appropriate recreational activities.
Unfortunately as time went by local graziers seemed to become more and more alienated by the management proposals being put forward by the BBNP.
In the end they withdrew from discussions, and refused to enter into any form of agreement. They also let it be known that they would be very unhappy if any other user of the hill entered into an agreement with the BBNP.
The Club had no wish to get caught in the middle, and continued to maintain that a three way Airsports Agreement between the BBNP, the Graziers and the Club was the best way forward.
In 1996 BBNP Officers put pressure on the Club to accept a two way agreement between the Club and the National Park. The Officers argued that without an agreement, pilots were in effect trespassing on Park property and risking possible prosecution for that offence.
This put the Club in a very difficult position. The Club had no wish to upset either the graziers or the National Park. But without the secure "rights" enjoyed by the graziers, the Club could not afford to ignore the Park‘s threat to ban all flying at Hatterrall Hill, and prosecute anyone who continued to fly the hill.
After lengthy negotiations an acceptable draft bilateral agreement was drawn up. But before signing the Club sought an assurance from Park Officers that this really was an end to the matter, and there would be no further threats to ban flying at Hatterrall Hill.
Brecon Beacons National Park Officers indicated that they were prepared to give that assurance, provided the Club accepted an additional new clause. This clause would close the site for three weeks in May, to allow stock to be settled on the hill.
The Club was far from convinced about the need for such a clause, and was concerned that this might prove to be the thin end of the wedge.
At the Access and Recreation Group (ARAG) meeting on 4 September, Brecon Beacons National Park Officers gave the Club an assurance that if it accepted this new clause the Park would not seek any further restrictions. So, reluctantly, the Club accepted.
It appeared that an agreement had at last been reached!
The Club was therefore shocked when it heard that this wasn‘t the case, and that all that had been agreed was in fact a draft proposal for discussion at the next meeting of the BBNP Authority. Up until that point there had been no mention of any need to refer the matter to the Park Authority, and the Club had always been led to believe that BBNP Officers were fully empowered to conclude an agreement with the Club.
BBNP Officers then informed the Club that prior to discussing the matter, members of the BBNP Authority would visit Pandy to evaluate the situation on the ground. Adding that during the course of that visit there would be an opportunity for Club representatives to put their case to Park Authority members.
The goal posts were apparently on the move again.
The Club therefore decided to seek support for its activities from local MP Roger Evans, and the Sports Council for Wales. The Sports Council were very helpful, and one of their Officers agreed to attend the meeting between representatives of the Club and the BBNP Committee. Roger Evans was also very sympathetic, and agreed to look into the matter.
On the 31 October the Club presented its case to members of the BBNP Authority. The Club was immediately informed that a recommendation to further restrict its activities on Hatterrall Hill had already been put forward by Park Officers, and would be given serious consideration at the Authority‘s next meeting in December.
The meeting therefore appeared to have been no more than a public relations exercise.
The Club asked what further restrictions were proposed, and why the BBNP thought they were necessary. It was explained that the extra restrictions would include tighter marshalling of the site, and a further reduction in the number of competitions permitted each year.
No satisfactory explanation of why these additional restrictions were needed was given.
It was however clear that the Park‘s chief concern was traffic on the surrounding public roads. Their preferred solution to this perceived problem was to insist on marshals, with two way radios, at the top and bottom of the hill. Pilots would then have to park in the bottom landing area, and wait until they could share transport to the top of the hill.
The Club tried to explain the practical difficulties of introducing such a system, but the BBNP were simply not interested! The Club indicated that it was therefore forced to conclude that these new restrictions were being put forward for political rather than practical reasons.
The proposed solution was clearly out of proportion to any practical problem that existed. Even the BBNP‘s own Met figures showed that between 1983 and 1995 there were on average 2-3 days per month when conditions were suitable for flying. Whilst the Club‘s own records showed that there were probably only around 14 days per year when significant numbers flew the site.
Club representatives informed the meeting that in their view the new restrictions appeared totally unfair and impractical, and it was extremely unlikely that they would prove acceptable to either the Club Committee, or the membership as a whole.
The BBNP Authority members thanked the Club representatives for attending the meeting.
On the 12 November the Club had a further meeting with the BBNP Recreation Officer, to ensure that the BBNP Officers were left in no doubt about the Club‘s attitude to further restrictions.
With the BBNP Authority meeting looming the Club held a further meeting with the Sports Council for Wales, who agreed to write again to the BBNP Chief executive on the Club‘s behalf. The Club also contacted local businesses, and the Welsh Tourist Board seeking their support.
Following the BBNP Authority meeting, the Club was surprised to learn that an agreement was no longer required. BBNP Officers informed the Club that the Authority had instead agreed that they would continue to tolerate hang gliding and paragliding at Hatterrall Hill under the following conditions.
- That the accepted level of use should be a maximum of 28 days of flying per year.
- That there should be a maximum of 25 flyers at any one time.
- That there should be a maximum of 2 competitive events per year.
- That 3 months notice should be given of all competitive event.
- That there should be no flying between 1 - 21 May, to allow stock to be settled on the hill.
BBNP Officers also informed the Club that they were no longer asking the Club to agree to these conditions, but wished to know if the Club was prepared to co-operate on that basis.
It was also suggested that small scale use beyond the 28 days would not automatically lead to action. Rather that the Authority reserved the right to take action if the use exceeded the specified limit, and was clearly causing detriment.
The Club still thought these conditions were impractical and unfair, but accepted that it needed to consider its options very carefully before replying. Whilst further negotiations with the BBNP were thought unlikely to be worthwhile, the Club found it difficult to see what practical measures the Authority could take to prevent use of the hill.
The Club therefore simply informed the BBNP that it had noted their conditions.
Strictly speaking this is still the situation today.
However, in recent years there have been a number of developments that have transformed relationships between the Club and the Brecon Beacons National Park beyond all recognition.
- The BBNP installed a vehicle counter at the gate to Hatterrall Hill. This soon showed that some of the more outlandished claims made in some quarters about the number of vehicles and frequency of use of the site were without substance. Indeed the BBNP now had clear evidence that the Club‘s own estimates were much closer to the mark.
- A change of senior BBNP personnel brought about a dramatic change of attitude. The new approach adopted was, and remains, much less confrontational. These days there appears to be a genuine willingness to discuss issues in a more open and even handed manner.
- The Club completed the purchase of the Blorenge, and became a major landowner within the Brecon Beacons National Park. This improved the status and the credibility of the Club within the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, and the wider community.
In 2002 Three Wells was sold and vehicular access to the paddock was sadly lost. Fortunately the Club was eventually able to negotiate alternative parking arrangements in a field just before the gate to the hill.
Pandy remains a sensitive site, and continues to close each year from 1 - 21 May to enable stock to be settled on the hillside. Please respect this short closure, as this has been put in place at the request of the land owners and the local graziers.
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